JP2020007117A - Shipping support system, shipping support method, and shipping support program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique for improving a storage capacity of a product in a container and making it possible to surely grasp the product stored in the container. SOLUTION: A shipping support system transports a target container accommodating a product to be shipped from a plurality of containers accommodating an inventory product in each of a plurality of partitioned sections to a work position where a shipping operation is performed. At the control means and the measurement position on the transport path to the work position, the reading means which is attached to each section in the target container and reads the marker which stores the information of the inventories stored in each section, and is stored in the marker. It is provided with an output means for outputting information indicating which section in the target container the product to be shipped is included in based on the information. [Selection diagram] FIG. 11

Description

  The present invention relates to a shipping support system, a shipping support method, and a shipping support program.

  Due to an increase in the number of products handled in E-commerce, it is desired to make inventory management more efficient in a distribution warehouse. Inventory products are stored in containers, but when one product is stored in one container, useless space is generated in the container for small products, and the storage capacity in the warehouse is limited. In addition, since the number of containers increases, there is a possibility that congestion of the conveyor that transports the containers may occur. Therefore, it is desirable to store a plurality of products in one container. In order to accommodate a plurality of products in one container, a technique has been proposed in which a storage space in the container is divided into a plurality of sections, and a plurality of section identification labels for identifying each of the sections are attached and managed (for example, Patent Document 1). 1).

JP 2010-269807 A

  Upon receiving an order for a product from a customer, the shipping worker performs a picking operation of taking out the product to be shipped from the container storing the stocked products and collecting the product in the shipping container. If a container is divided into multiple compartments and each of them contains in-stock items, the shipping worker may pick the wrong item if it is not correctly recognized in which compartment the item to be shipped is contained. There is.

  One aspect of the technology of the present disclosure is to provide a technology that improves the capacity of storing goods in a container and reliably grasps the goods stored in the container in view of the above circumstances.

  A shipping support system according to an aspect of the technology disclosed herein performs a task of performing a shipping operation on a target container that stores a product to be shipped from a plurality of containers that store inventory products in each of a plurality of partitions. Transport control means for transporting to a position, reading means attached to each section in the target container at a measurement position on the transport path to the work position, and a reading means for reading a marker for storing information on stocked goods stored in each section. And output means for outputting information indicating in which section in the target container the product to be shipped is included based on the information stored in the marker.

  Since the above-mentioned shipping support system can divide the inside of a container into a plurality of sections and store inventory goods, the accommodation capacity of goods in a container improves. In addition, it becomes possible to more reliably grasp which section contains the product to be shipped. The marker is an information storage medium that stores information on products stored in the sections. The markers are, for example, barcodes (one-dimensional codes), two-dimensional codes, three-dimensional codes, IC tags, and RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) tags. Further, the marker may emit light by applying a fluorescent paint, for example, and may store information readable by optical communication.

Further, the shipping support system measures the position of the target container and the position of the marker attached to each section in the target container at the measurement position, and includes a measuring unit that specifies the arrangement of each section based on the position of the marker. It may be further provided. The position of the marker may be a relative position with respect to the target container, or may be a relative position between markers attached to each section. The arrangement of each section is how the inside of the container is partitioned, and can be specified by the position information measured by the measuring means. In such a shipping support system, since the arrangement of each section is specified based on the position of the marker, it is possible to more reliably grasp in which section the product to be shipped is included.

  Further, the transport control means may determine whether the worker performs the shipping work or the robot at the work position. Such a shipping support system can flexibly change the output contents of the section information depending on whether the shipping work at the work position is performed by a human or by a robot. The robot is a facility that can perform an operation of transferring a product to be shipped in a target container to a shipping container.

  Further, when it is determined that the worker performs the shipping operation, the output unit may irradiate the section including the product to be shipped with light to indicate the worker to the worker. With such a shipping support system, the worker can recognize the section including the product to be shipped by looking at the target container arriving at the work position. Can be.

  The output means, when it is determined that the worker performs the shipping operation, presents to the worker an image indicating the arrangement of the sections in the target container and the section in which the goods to be shipped are stored. You may. Such a shipping support system can present the information of the section in which the merchandise to be shipped is accommodated to the operator in a visually easy-to-understand manner.

  Further, the output means transmits, to the robot, position information of the section containing the product to be shipped based on the arrangement of each section in the target container when it is determined that the robot performs the shipping operation. There may be. Such a shipping support system can output information used for a robot to perform a shipping operation. The arrangement of the sections may be an arrangement pattern of the sections defined in advance. Further, the arrangement of each section may be specified by the position information measured by the measuring unit.

  Further, the shipping support method according to an aspect of the technology of the present disclosure, the computer, from among a plurality of containers that store inventory items in each of a plurality of partitions, a target container that stores the items to be shipped, At the measurement position on the transport path to the work position where the shipping work is performed, the marker that is attached to each section in the target container and stores the information on the inventory goods stored in each section is read and shipped. The information indicating which section in the target container contains the target product is output.

  Further, the shipping support program according to one aspect of the technology of the present disclosure, the computer, from among a plurality of containers that store inventory items in each of the plurality of partitions, a target container that stores the items to be shipped, At the measurement position on the transport path to the work position where the shipping work is performed, the marker that is attached to each section in the target container and stores the information on the inventory goods stored in each section is read and shipped. A process is executed to output information indicating in which section in the target container the target product is included.

  According to one aspect of the technology of the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the capacity of storing goods in a container and to reliably recognize the goods stored in the container.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a shipping support system according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the server according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the server according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the shipping support processing by each functional configuration. FIG. 5 is a plan view exemplifying a target container for accommodating a product to be shipped. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the order information table. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the stock information table. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the equipment information table. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the section information table. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the picking information table. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the shipping support process. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the section information output process.

  Hereinafter, details of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is merely an example, and the shipping support system, the shipping support method, and the shipping support program according to the present disclosure are not limited to the specific configurations described below. Upon implementation, a specific configuration according to the embodiment is appropriately adopted, and various improvements and modifications may be made.

<Embodiment>
[System configuration]
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a shipping support system according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the shipping support system 1 includes a server 100, a database 120, and a terminal 200. FIG. 1 shows an example in which three terminals 200 are connected, but the number of connected terminals 200 is not limited. The network N is, for example, a worldwide public packet communication network such as the Internet, and a WAN (Wide Area Network) or another communication network may be employed.

  The server 100 is a server for managing a product shipping operation (hereinafter, also referred to as a picking operation) in a distribution warehouse or the like. The server 100 transports a target container that stores the products to be shipped from a plurality of containers that store the inventory products to a work position where the picking operation is performed. Each container is divided into a plurality of sections, and can store stock items in each section. Each section of the container is provided with a marker for storing information on the stocked goods to be stored. A measurement position is provided on the transport path to the work position. The server 100 reads the marker attached to each section in the container at the measurement position. The server 100 outputs information indicating in which section in the target container the product to be shipped is included.

  The database 120 stores various types of information used to output information indicating in which compartment in a container a product to be shipped is stored in a plurality of partitioned containers. The database 120 stores, for example, order information relating to shipping of commodities, inventory information of commodities contained in containers, facility information relating to facilities managed by the shipping support system 1, and section information relating to sections of containers. The database 120 may be built in an auxiliary storage device provided in the server 100, or may be built in another computer connected to the server 100. Hereinafter, the database 120 will be described as being built in the auxiliary storage device provided in the server 100.

The terminal 200 is a computer installed at a picking work position. The terminal 200 receives, from the server 100, information indicating in which section of a plurality of partitioned containers the merchandise to be shipped is contained. The terminal 200 receives the information received from the server 100,
It is presented to the worker who picks at the work position. The terminal 200 may be a robot that performs a picking operation. In this case, the terminal 200 (robot) can control the picking operation of taking out the product to be shipped from the container based on the information received from the server 100.

[Hardware configuration]
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the server 100 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the server 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 100a, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 100b, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 100c, a NIC (Network Interface Card) 100d, and a sensor 100e.

The CPU 100a is a central processing unit, and controls the RAM 100b, the HDD 100c, and the like by processing instructions and data of various programs developed in the RAM 100b and the like. The CPU 100a is not limited to a single processor, and may have a multiprocessor configuration. Further, a single CPU connected by a single socket may have a multi-core configuration. At least a part of the processing of each unit is provided by a dedicated processor such as a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a numerical processor, a vector processor, an image processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or the like. Is also good. In addition, at least a part of each of the above-described parts is an FPG.
A dedicated LSI (Large Scale Integration) such as A (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or other digital circuits may be used. Further, an analog circuit may be included in at least a part of each of the above units.

  The RAM 100b is a main storage device, and is controlled by the CPU 100a to write and read various instructions and data. The HDD 100c is a non-volatile auxiliary storage device, in which information requiring persistence, such as various programs loaded into the RAM 100b, is written and read. The NIC 100d is an interface for connecting to the Internet via a gateway or the like.

  The sensor 100e is a device for reading information stored in a marker attached to each section. The sensor 100e is, for example, a barcode reader, a QR code (registered trademark) reader, or an RFID reader. The sensor 100e stores information read from the marker in the HDD 100c or the database 120. The sensor 100e is installed at a measurement position for measuring a container. The sensor 100e may be configured separately from the server 100. In this case, the sensor 100e may be connected to the server 100 via the network N.

The terminal 200 is a computer having a CPU, a RAM, an HDD, and an NIC, like the server 100. The terminal 200 may have an output device for displaying information used for the picking operation. The output device is, for example, a touch panel or a liquid crystal display. The terminal 200 may include, as an output device, an irradiation device that irradiates a section including a product to be shipped. The terminal 200 is assumed to be, for example, a PC (Personal Computer), but various terminal devices such as a mobile terminal such as a smartphone and a tablet and a stationary information terminal may be employed. In addition, the terminal 200 may employ a robot having an arm that picks up a product to be shipped from within the container.

[Function configuration]
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the server according to the embodiment. The server 100 includes, as functional components, a transport control unit 111, a measurement unit 112, a reading unit 113, an output unit 114, an order information database (DB) 121, a stock information database (DB) 122, a facility information database (DB) 123, and a section. An information database (DB) 124 and a picking information database (DB) 125 are included. The server 100 functions as a computer having each functional configuration shown in FIG. 3 by reading the program stored in the HDD 100c into the RAM 100b and executing the program by the CPU 100a.

  In the present embodiment, each function of the server 100 is executed by the CPU 100a, which is a general-purpose processor, but some or all of these functions are performed by one or more dedicated processors, hardware operation circuits, and the like. It may be performed. Here, the hardware operation circuit refers to, for example, an addition circuit, a multiplication circuit, a flip-flop, or the like in which logic gates are combined. Some or all of these functions may be executed by a separate computer that can communicate with the server 100 via the network N.

  Here, the processing of the transport control unit 111, the measurement unit 112, the reading unit 113, and the output unit 114 included in the server 100 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the shipping support processing by each functional configuration. The arrangement of the transport path, the measurement position, the work position, and the like shown in FIG. 4 is an example, and the arrangement position can be changed, added, or deleted.

  The transport control unit 111 transports the target container C1 containing the products to be shipped to a desired position by the conveyor B installed on the transport route. First, the transport control unit 111 transports the target container C1 to the measurement position A10 in the direction of the arrow X1. After reading the marker at the measurement position A10, the transport control unit 111 transports the target container C1 in the direction of arrow X2. Then, the transport control unit 111 transports the target container C1 along the arrow X3 to the work position where the corresponding order is picked.

  In the example of FIG. 4, the work position A21 and the work position A22 are the work positions where the worker performs the picking work, and the work position A23 is the work position where the equipment such as the robot performs the picking work. In each of the work positions A21 to A23, the worker or the robot takes out the merchandise to be shipped from the target container C1 that has arrived at the work position and puts it into the picking container C2. The picking container C2 is transported from each work position A21 to A23 through a transport path (conveyor) different from the target container C1. The transport control unit 111 corresponds to “transport control means”.

  The measurement unit 112 measures the position of the target container C1 at the measurement position A10. In addition, the measurement unit 112 specifies the section pattern based on the position of the marker attached to each section in the target container C1. The section pattern may include information on the number of sections in the target container C1, the shape or size of each section. Note that the measurement position A10 is not limited to the position shown in FIG. 4 and may be provided on a transport path from the operation position A21 to the target container C1 to be transported to A23. The measurement position A10 may be provided at a plurality of locations.

  The measurement unit 112 captures an image of the target container C1 arriving at the measurement position A10 from the upper surface side, for example, and detects the target container C1. Next, the measuring unit 112 can measure the position of the marker by detecting the position of the marker in the captured image of the target container C1 and calculating the relative position with respect to the target container C1. The measuring unit 112 can recognize the number of sections in the target container C1 from the number of detected markers. In addition, the measuring unit 112 can recognize the partition pattern of how the inside of the target container C1 is partitioned based on the relative position of each marker with respect to the target container C1.

In addition, the measuring unit 112 can also recognize the division pattern based on the relative positions of the markers, not the relative positions of the markers with respect to the target container C1. In this case, for example, the measurement unit 112 may determine a reference marker and calculate the relative position of another marker with respect to the reference marker. The measuring unit 112 determines the target container C1 based on the positional relationship of each marker.
It is possible to recognize the partition pattern of how the inside is partitioned. Note that even when the marker is an electronic tag that reads and writes by wireless communication, such as an IC tag, the measuring unit 112 can acquire position information using a high-precision electronic tag reader based on analysis of phase information. . The measuring unit 112 corresponds to a “measuring unit”.

  Here, an example of the target container C1 divided into a plurality of sections and a marker attached to each section will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view exemplifying a target container for accommodating a product to be shipped.

  FIG. 5A is an example in which the target container C1 is partitioned into two sections. In the example of FIG. 5A, the target container C1 is partitioned into a section 1 and a section 2. The marker M11 of the section 1 is attached to the upper surface of the wall surrounding the section 1, and the marker M12 of the section 2 is attached to the upper surface of the wall surrounding the section 2. The upper surface of the wall surrounding each section is a surface facing the surface (bottom surface) on which the target container C1 is placed on the conveyor B. The marker is not limited to the upper surface of the wall, but may be attached to a position readable by the reading unit 113, such as a side surface outside the wall. However, it is preferable that the marker is attached to a part other than the partition plate that separates the sections. In the example of FIG. 5A, the measuring unit 112 can recognize that the side surface to which the marker M11 is attached and the partition pattern that is partitioned in parallel with the side surface to which the marker M12 is attached.

  FIG. 5B is an example in which the target container C1 is partitioned into four sections. In the example of FIG. 5B, the target container C1 is partitioned from section 1 to section 4. Markers M21 to M24 corresponding to sections 1 to 4 are attached to the upper surface of the four corners of the target container C1. In this case, the measuring unit 112 can recognize that the pattern is a partition pattern partitioned into a lattice so that the markers at the four corners are included in different partitions. Each marker may be attached to a place other than the four corners as long as the corresponding section can be specified.

  FIG. 5C is an example in which the target container C1 is partitioned into six sections. In the example of FIG. 5C, the target container C1 is partitioned into sections 1 to 6. On the upper surface of the four corners of the target container C1, markers M31 to M36 corresponding to the sections 1 to 6 are attached. In the example of FIG. 5C, the sections 1 to 3 are larger than the sections 4 to 6. When the shape and size of each section are different as described above, the measurement unit 112 recognizes the shape and size of each section in the target container C1 by detecting the position of the partition in the captured image of the target container C1. It is possible to

  The reading unit 113 reads a marker attached to each section that partitions the target container C1 at the measurement position A10. The marker stores information on a product stored in the section. The product information is, for example, a product number, a storage date, and a stored quantity. The reading unit 113 corresponds to a “reading unit”.

  When the transport control unit 111 transports the target container C1 from the work position A21 to any one of the work positions A23 by the transfer control unit 111, the output unit 114 outputs, to the terminal 200, information on the section in which the product to be shipped is stored. Output. The output unit 114 corresponds to an “output unit”.

  Next, information stored in the order information database 121, the stock information database 122, the facility information database 123, the section information database 124, and the picking information database 125 included in the database 120 will be described with reference to FIGS. The database 120 is constructed by a program of a database management system (DBMS) executed by the CPU 100a managing data stored in the HDD 100c. The database 120 is, for example, a relational database.

  The order information database 121 has an order information table and stores order information from customers. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the order information table. In the example of FIG. 6, one record stored in the order information table stores information on one product included in each order. When one order includes a plurality of types of products, the order information table manages the one order with a plurality of records for each product.

  The record of the order information table has fields of order ID, product, and quantity. The order ID is an ID for identifying one piece of order information from a customer. The product is a product included in the order. The quantity is the order quantity of the product. The order information table may have a field for storing information related to an order for a product such as a customer name, a purchase amount, a payment method, etc., in addition to the fields shown in FIG.

  The stock information database 122 has a stock information table, and stores stock information of commodities contained in the target container. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the stock information table. In the example of FIG. 7, one record stored in the stock information table stores information on one type of stock product in the target container.

  The record of the stock information table has fields of container ID, product, and number of stock. The container ID is an ID for identifying a target container that stores a product to be shipped. The product is a product stored in the target container. The stock quantity is the stock quantity of stock commodities included in the section.

  The equipment information database 123 has an equipment information table and stores equipment information at each work position. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the equipment information table. In the example of FIG. 8, one record stored in the equipment information table stores information on one work position.

  The record of the equipment information table has fields of work position and worker. The work position is identification information of a work position where the picking work is performed. The worker stores whether the subject of the picking work is a “person” or a “robot”.

  The section information database 124 has a section information table, and stores information on the arrangement of the sections in the target container. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the section information table. In the example of FIG. 9, one record stored in the section information table stores information on one container.

  The record of the section information table has fields of a container ID, the number of sections, and a section pattern. The container ID is an ID for identifying a target container that stores a product to be shipped. The number of sections stores how many sections are partitioned in the target container. The partition pattern stores the shape of the inside of the target container that is partitioned. The section pattern is an example of “arrangement of sections”. The section information table may include a field for storing position information indicating the relative position of the section with respect to the target container, in addition to the fields shown in FIG. The information stored in the section information table may be stored in a marker attached to the target container.

The picking information database 125 has a picking information table, and based on information read from the marker, stores in which section in the target container the product to be shipped is included. By transmitting the information stored in the picking information table to the terminal 200, the output unit 114 can notify the worker or the robot which section contains the product to be shipped. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the picking information table. In the example of FIG. 10, one record stored in the picking information table stores information on one type of product included in the order. When one order includes a plurality of types of products, the picking information table may manage the one order with a plurality of records for each product.

  The record of the picking information table has fields of an order ID, a product, a work position, a container ID, and a section. The order ID and the product store information acquired from the order information table. The work position is a work position for picking a product that is an order target. The work position may be set for each order by, for example, the transport control unit 111 in accordance with the state of the picking work at each work position. Further, the work position may be set according to the shape of the picking target product. When the work position is set in advance according to the order information, the transport control unit 111 can acquire the work position together with the order information. The container ID and the section field are fields for storing information read from the marker. The container ID is an ID of a container that stores the product to be shipped. The section is a section that includes a product to be shipped.

[Processing flow]
FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the shipping support process. The process flow illustrated in FIG. 11 is started, for example, when the server 100 receives the order information.

  First, in step S11, the transport control unit 111 acquires order information. The order information includes, for example, order ID, product, and quantity information. The transport control unit 111 stores the acquired order information in the order information table shown in FIG.

  In step S12, the transport control unit 111 transports a target container that contains a product to be shipped (hereinafter, referred to as an ordered product) included in the order information to the measurement position. The transport control unit 111 can specify the target container that contains the ordered product with reference to the inventory information table illustrated in FIG. For example, the product A included in the order with the order ID “P001” (hereinafter, referred to as order P001) is contained in the container with the container ID “C001” (hereinafter, referred to as container C001). Is specified. In this case, the transport control unit 111 may transport the container C001 to the measurement position.

  In step S13, the measurement unit 112 detects that the target container has arrived at the measurement position. The measurement unit 112 can detect arrival of the target container by receiving, for example, a notification from the sensor 100e installed at the measurement position that the target container has been detected at the measurement position.

  In step S14, the measuring unit 112 measures the position of the target container. The measurement unit 112 captures an image of the target container from above, for example, and detects the target container in the captured image. The measurement unit 112 can measure the position of the target container using a coordinate system having a reference point, for example, one of the four corners of the target container as the origin.

  In step S15, the measuring unit 112 reads the position of the marker attached to the target container. The measuring unit 112 can acquire the number of sections in the target container from the number of read markers. The measurement unit 112 can measure the position of the marker using, for example, the same coordinate system as in step S14. The position of the marker may be a relative position of the marker with respect to the target container, or may be a relative position of the markers.

In step S16, the measuring unit 112 specifies a partition pattern in the target container. The section pattern can be a pattern defined in advance according to the number of sections acquired by the measurement unit 112 in step S15. For example, if the number of sections is two, the measuring unit 112 may use the information in FIG.
) Can be defined as the partition pattern shown in FIG. 5B if the number of partitions is four, and the partition pattern shown in FIG. 5C if the number of partitions is six.

  In addition, the section pattern may be defined in advance for each target container as illustrated in the section information table of FIG. In this case, the measuring unit 112 may specify the partition pattern based on the container ID of the target container arriving at the measurement position. For example, when the container C001 arrives at the measurement position, the measuring unit 112 can specify that the container C001 is partitioned by the same partition pattern as that of FIG. 5A with reference to the partition information table.

  In step S17, the reading unit 113 reads merchandise information in the section from the marker attached to each section. For example, when the container C001 partitioned into two sections, Section 1 and Section 2, arrives at the measurement position, the reading unit 113 reads the product information from the marker in one of the sections.

  In step S18, the reading unit 113 determines whether the section corresponding to the marker read in step S17 includes an ordered product. The reading unit 113 can determine that the product included in the section includes the ordered product when the product matches the ordered product. When the section is a section including the ordered product (step S18: Yes), the process proceeds to step S19. In this case, the reading unit 113 stores information on the section including the ordered product and the container ID in the picking information table. When the section does not include the ordered product (step S18: No), the process returns to step S17, and the reading unit 113 reads the marker of the next section.

  For example, in step S17, when the reading unit 113 first reads the marker of the section 2 of the container C001, the section 2 includes the product B and does not include the product A that is the ordered product. Therefore, in step S18, it is determined that the section 2 does not include the ordered product, and the process returns to step S17. Next, the reading unit 113 reads the marker of the section 1 of the container C001. Section 1 includes product A, which is an order product. Therefore, in step S18, it is determined that the section 1 includes the ordered product. In this case, the reading unit 113 stores information of the container C001 including the product A and the section 1 in the record of the product A of the order P001 in the picking information table.

  In step S19, the transport control unit 111 transports the target container in which the section including the ordered product is specified to the work position. The transfer control unit 111 can specify the work position of the transfer destination with reference to, for example, the picking information table.

  In step S20, the output unit 114 outputs information of the section including the ordered product. The output unit 114 transmits, for example, section information indicating which section in the target container includes the ordered product to the terminal 200 installed at the work position. The terminal 200 can control, based on the received section information, for example, so that the section including the ordered product is irradiated with light. The terminal 200 can also display an image indicating the section including the ordered product on the display of the terminal 200.

  In the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 11, the process of determining the work position based on the container ID and the process of reading the marker are assumed to be performed at the measurement position, but are not limited thereto. For example, when the work position is set in advance, the transport control unit 111 may acquire the work position together with the order information in S11. In addition, the reading unit 113 can also execute, at the work position, a process of determining which section in the target container contains the ordered product (the processes of steps S17 and S18).

[Operation and Effect of Embodiment]
In the above embodiment, the shipping support system 1 measures the target container that stores the ordered product among the plurality of containers that store the stock product in each of the plurality of partitions on the transport path to the work position. Transport to the position. At the measurement position, the shipping support system 1 reads a marker that is attached to each section in the target container and stores information on stocked goods stored in each section. The shipping support system 1 can output information indicating which section contains the ordered product based on the information read from the marker. As a result, it becomes possible to partition the interior of the container into a plurality of sections and store the inventory items, and the accommodation capacity of the items in the container is improved. In addition, since the shipping support system 1 reads the marker on the transport path and specifies the product included in each section, even if the direction in which the target container is placed on the conveyor B changes, the shipping support system 1 can read the marker in the section corresponding to the read marker. Can be reliably specified. As a result, the ordered products stored in the container can be reliably grasped.

  Further, the shipping support system 1 may measure the position of the target container and the position of the marker attached to each section in the target container at the measurement position. The shipping support system 1 can specify the division pattern based on the measured positions of the markers. Since the position of the marker is measured and the division pattern is specified, it is possible to more reliably grasp in which division the ordered product is included as compared with the case where the division pattern is specified based on the number of markers.

<Modification>
Hereinafter, a modified example of the above embodiment will be described. In the following description, the same components and processes as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  In the embodiment, the shipping support system 1 outputs information on which section in the target container contains the product to be shipped, and transmits the information to the terminal 200 installed at the work position. However, the picking work at each work position may be performed by a person (operator) or by a robot depending on the shape of the ordered product or the like. Therefore, in a modified example, the shipping support system 1 changes the contents of the section information output processing depending on whether the picking operation is performed by a human or a robot. The shipping support processing in the modified example includes a section information output processing illustrated in FIG. 12 instead of the processing in step S20 of the shipping support processing illustrated in FIG.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the section information output process. In step S21, the output unit 114 refers to the picking information table and acquires the work position of the transport destination of the target container that contains the ordered product. For example, the transport destination of the container accommodating the product A of the order P001 is the work position A21.

  In step S22, the output unit 114 acquires the equipment information of the work position A21 with reference to the equipment information table shown in FIG. The equipment information includes information on whether a picking operation at a work position is performed by a human or a robot. The output unit 114 can specify, for example, that a person performs a picking operation at the operation position A21.

  In step S23, the output unit 114 determines whether a picking operation is performed by a human or a robot at the operation position of the transport destination of the target container. If the picking operation is performed by a person (step S23: Yes), the process proceeds to step S24. If it is a picking operation by a robot (step S23: No), the process proceeds to step S25.

  In step S24, the output unit 114 outputs section information for presenting to the worker in which section the ordered product is included. First, the output unit 114 refers to the picking information table to obtain information on a target container for accommodating the ordered product and section information. The output unit 114 transmits an image indicating which section contains the ordered product to the terminal 200 based on the acquired section information. The output unit 114 can transmit to the terminal 200, for example, an image in which a section including the ordered product is highlighted in the captured image of the target container. In addition, the output unit 114 can transmit, to the terminal 200, order information including the product name of the ordered product and the ordered quantity, in addition to the image indicating which section contains the ordered product. The terminal 200 can receive the image and the order information output by the output unit 114, and can present to the operator in which section the ordered product is included.

  In step S25, the output unit 114 outputs section information used by the robot to take out a product from the section including the ordered product. First, the output unit 114 acquires the target container for accommodating the ordered item and the section information from the picking information table, as in step S24. The output unit 114 transmits the acquired section information to the robot (terminal 200). It is assumed that the information transmitted to the robot includes the position information of the target container and the position information of the section including the ordered product. The robot can pick the order product based on the received position information of the section.

  In the modified example, the shipping support system 1 determines whether the picking operation at the operation position is performed by a human or a robot, and changes the content of the output processing of the section information. Therefore, the shipping support system 1 can flexibly change the output contents of the section information according to the subject of the picking operation.

<Computer readable recording medium>
A computer or other machine or device (hereinafter, a computer or the like) can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium for a program that implements a management tool, an OS, or the like for setting the e-commerce device. Then, the function can be provided by causing a computer or the like to read and execute the program on the recording medium. Here, the computer is, for example, a server.

  Here, a recording medium readable by a computer or the like is a recording medium that stores information such as data and programs by electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical action and can be read by a computer or the like. Say. Examples of such a recording medium that can be removed from a computer or the like include a memory such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R / W, a DVD, a Blu-ray disk, a DAT, an 8 mm tape, and a flash memory. There are cards. Further, a recording medium fixed to a computer or the like includes a hard disk and a ROM.

1: Shipping support system 100: Server 100a: CPU 100b: RAM
100c: HDD 100d: NIC 100e: Sensor 120: Database 111: Transport control unit 112: Measurement unit 113: Reading unit 114: Output unit 121: Order information database 122: Inventory information database 123: Equipment information database 124: Section information database 125 : Picking information database 200: Terminal N: Network

Claims (8)

From a plurality of containers accommodating stock items in each of the plurality of compartments, a transport control means for transporting a target container accommodating a product to be shipped to a work position for performing a shipping operation,
At a measurement position on a transport path to the work position, a reading unit that is attached to each section in the target container and reads a marker that stores information on stocked goods stored in each section,
An output unit that outputs information indicating in which section in the target container the product to be shipped is included, based on the information stored in the marker.
Shipping support system. At the measurement position, the apparatus further includes a measurement unit that measures a position of the target container and a position of the marker attached to each section in the target container, and specifies an arrangement of each section based on the position of the marker. ,
The shipping support system according to claim 1. The transport control means determines whether the worker performs the shipping operation or the robot at the operation position,
The shipping support system according to claim 1. The output unit, when it is determined that the worker performs the shipping operation, the section including the product to be shipped is shown to the worker by irradiating with light,
The shipping support system according to claim 3. The output unit, when it is determined that the shipping work is performed by the worker, presents to the worker an image indicating an arrangement of each section in the target container and a section in which the product to be shipped is stored. Do
The shipping support system according to claim 3. The output unit, when it is determined that the robot performs the shipping operation, based on an arrangement of each section in the target container, the position information of the section in which the product to be shipped is stored to the robot. Send,
The shipping support system according to claim 3. Computer
From a plurality of containers accommodating inventory products in each of the plurality of partitions, transport a target container accommodating products to be shipped to a work position where shipping work is performed,
At a measurement position on the transport path to the work position, a marker attached to each section in the target container and reading information for storing information on stock items contained in each section is read.
Based on the information stored in the marker, output information indicating in which section in the target container the product to be shipped is included,
Shipping support method. On the computer,
From a plurality of containers accommodating inventory products in each of the plurality of partitions, transport a target container accommodating products to be shipped to a work position where shipping work is performed,
At a measurement position on the transport path to the work position, a marker attached to each section in the target container and reading information for storing information on stock items contained in each section is read.
Based on the information stored in the marker, output information indicating in which section in the target container the product to be shipped is included,
Shipping support program for executing processing.

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