Inventory management method and system
An inventory management method includes: scheduling, according to task information, a first autonomous mobile robot and a second autonomous mobile robot to travel to a same target workstation to perform tasks; controlling the first autonomous mobile robot to take one or more inventory containers from an inventory area and transport same to a first work point in the target workstation according to an instruction; and controlling the second autonomous mobile robot to take one or more inventory containers from the inventory area and transport same to a second work point in the target workstation according to an instruction.
1 . An inventory management system, comprising one or more inventory areas, multiple autonomous mobile robots, one or more workstations, and one or more control systems, each of the one or more workstations comprising at least two work points, and the multiple autonomous mobile robots at least comprising a first autonomous mobile robot and a second autonomous mobile robot, wherein:
each of the one or more control systems is configured to schedule the first autonomous mobile robot and the second autonomous mobile robot to travel to a target workstation to perform tasks according to task information;
the first autonomous mobile robot is configured to take one or more first inventory containers from the one or more inventory areas and transport the one or more first inventory containers to a first work point in the target workstation according to an instruction; and
the second autonomous mobile robot is configured to take one or more second inventory containers from the one or more inventory areas and transport the one or more second inventory containers to a second work point in the target workstation according to an instruction;
wherein the first work point and the second work point are two adjacent work points in the target workstation.
2 . The inventory management system of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more control systems is further configured to, determine a target height based at least in part on a workstation where any one of the multiple autonomous mobile robots is located, and schedule the any one of the multiple autonomous mobile robots to take out a target inventory container transported thereby and adjust the target inventory container to the target height to wait for subsequent operation.
3 . The inventory management system of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more control systems is further configured to, in a case that it is determined that there is an empty inventory container transported by any one of the multiple autonomous mobile robots, issue a prompt message for taking out the empty inventory container.
4 . The inventory management system of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more control systems is further configured to schedule any one of the multiple autonomous mobile robots to take a target inventory container containing unpackaged items from the one or more inventory areas and transport the target inventory container to the one or more workstations for replenishment of the unpackaged items, and after the replenishment is completed, transport the target inventory container to a designated inventory area and place the target inventory container in a designated storage location.
5 . The inventory management system of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more control systems is further configured to, in a case that it is determined that the first autonomous mobile robot and the second autonomous mobile robot are performing tasks in the target workstation, alternately schedule one of the first autonomous mobile robot or the second autonomous mobile robot to take out in advance an inventory container transported thereby to wait for subsequent operation when an operation on an inventory container transported by another robot of the first autonomous mobile robot or the second autonomous mobile robot is performed.
6 . The inventory management system of claim 5 , wherein each of the one or more control systems is further configured to alternately schedule one of the first autonomous mobile robot or the second autonomous mobile robot to take out in advance the inventory container transported thereby and adjust the inventory container to a specified height to wait for subsequent operation when the operation on the inventory container transported by another robot of the first autonomous mobile robot or the second autonomous mobile robot is performed.
7 . The inventory management system of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more control systems is further configured to schedule any one of the multiple autonomous mobile robots to take over packaged items at the one or more workstations, transport the packaged items to a designated inventory area and place the packaged items into a designated storage location.
8 . The inventory management system of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more control systems is further configured to schedule any one of the multiple autonomous mobile robots to travel to a first end of a buffer roller line, and take over the packaged items at the first end of the buffer roller line, wherein the packaged items are loaded onto the buffer roller line at a second end of the buffer roller line and transferred to the first end of the buffer roller line.
9 . The inventory management system of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more control systems is further configured to schedule any one of the multiple autonomous mobile robots to take over a target inventory container containing unpackaged items at the one or more workstations, transport the target inventory container to a designated inventory area and place the inventory container into a designated storage location.
10 . The inventory management system of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more control systems is further configured to schedule any one of the multiple autonomous mobile robots to travel to a first end of a buffer roller line, and take over a target inventory container containing the unpackaged items at the first end of the buffer roller line, wherein the target inventory container containing the unpackaged items is loaded onto the buffer roller line at a second end of the buffer roller line and transferred to the first end of the buffer roller line.
11 . An inventory management method, applied in a control system of an inventory management system, the inventory management system comprising one or more inventory areas, a plurality of autonomous mobile robots and one or more workstations, and the plurality of autonomous mobile robots at least comprising a first autonomous mobile robot and a second autonomous mobile robot, the method comprising:
scheduling the first autonomous mobile robot and the second autonomous mobile robot to travel to a target workstation to perform tasks according to task information;
controlling the first autonomous mobile robot to take one or more first inventory containers from the one or more inventory areas and transport the one or more inventory first containers to a first work point in the target workstation according to an instruction; and
controlling the second autonomous mobile robot to take one or more second inventory containers from the one or more inventory areas and transport the one or more second inventory containers to a second work point in the target workstation according to an instruction;
wherein the first work point and the second work point are two adjacent work points in the target workstation.
12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising: determining a target height based at least in part on a workstation where any one of the autonomous mobile robots is located, and scheduling the any one of the autonomous mobile robots to take out a target inventory container transported thereby and adjust the target inventory container to the target height to wait for subsequent operation.
13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising: in a case that it is determined that there is an empty inventory container transported by any one of the autonomous mobile robots, issuing a prompt message for taking out the empty inventory container.
14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising scheduling any one of the autonomous mobile robots to take a target inventory container containing unpackaged items from the one or more inventory areas and transport the target inventory container to the one or more workstations for replenishment of the unpackaged items, and after the replenishment is completed, transport the target inventory container to a designated inventory area and place the target inventory container in a designated storage location.
15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising: in a case that it is determined that the first autonomous mobile robot and the second autonomous mobile robot are performing tasks at the target workstation, alternately scheduling one of the first autonomous mobile robot or the second autonomous mobile robot to take out in advance an inventory container transported thereby to wait for subsequent operation when an operation on an inventory container transported by another robot of the first autonomous mobile robot or the second autonomous mobile robot is performed.
16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising alternately scheduling one of the first autonomous mobile robot or the second autonomous mobile robot to take out in advance the inventory container transported thereby and adjust the inventory container to a specified height to wait for subsequent operation when the operation on the inventory container transported by another robot of the first autonomous mobile robot or the second autonomous mobile robot is performed.
17 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising scheduling any one of the autonomous mobile robots to take over packaged items at the one or more workstations, transport the packaged items to a designated inventory area and place the packaged items into a designated storage location.
18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising scheduling any one of the autonomous mobile robots to travel to a first end of a buffer roller line, and take over the packaged items at the first end of the buffer roller line, wherein the packaged items are loaded onto the buffer roller line at a second end of the buffer roller line and transferred to the first end of the buffer roller line.
19 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising scheduling any one of the autonomous mobile robots to take over a target inventory container containing unpackaged items at the one or more workstations, transport the target inventory container to a designated inventory area and place the target inventory container into a designated storage location.
20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising scheduling any one of the autonomous mobile robots to travel to a first end of a buffer roller line, and take over a target inventory container containing the unpackaged items at the first end of the buffer roller line, wherein the target inventory container containing the unpackaged items is loaded onto the buffer roller line at a second end of the buffer roller line and transferred to the first end of the buffer roller line.