User-configurable guidance system of an order-picking warehouse and method for configuring the order-picking warehouse

• US 8,626,334 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2012
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SSI Schaefer Peem GmbH
• Original Assignee: SSI Schaefer Peem GmbH
• Inventors: Buchmann, Rainer, Schlagbauer, Markus, Kottlan, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOGAN, KYLE O
• Application Number:
  US13/419,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20120232689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 700/216
• US Class Current: 700/216
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method for manually configuring an order-picking warehouse by using a guidance system comprises equipping at least some of the storage locations with respective storage-location displays; connecting the associated storage-location displays to a master computer via a controller, and allocating to each controller a dedicated controller address; and configuring the order-picking warehouse by assigning respectively dedicated storage-location addresses to the equipped storage locations. All of the displays, which have not yet been assigned a dedicated storage-location address, are visually activated. At least one visually activated display is selected, thereby selecting the associated storage location and causing visual deactivation of the selected storage-location display. Each of the selected storage locations is assigned one dedicated storage-location address. The steps are repeated until all of the associated storage locations have been assigned a dedicated storage-location address, or until the user no longer wishes to assign dedicated storage-location addresses.

Claims

1. In an order-picking warehouse which comprises:

a plurality of storage locations and a guidance system;

wherein the guidance system comprises a plurality of storage-location displays, a master computer, and at least one controller;

a method for manually configuring the order-picking warehouse by using the guidance system comprises the following steps;

equipping at least some of the storage locations with respectively one of the storage-location displays so that each of the equipped storage locations is associated with the one of the storage-location displays;

connecting the associated storage-location displays to the master computer via the at least one controller, and allocating to each of the controllers a dedicated controller address; and

configuring the order-picking warehouse by assigning respectively one dedicated storage-location address to each of the equipped storage locations in that;

i.) all of the associated storage-location displays, which have not yet been assigned a dedicated storage-location address, are visually activated;

ii.) at least one of the visually activated storage-location displays is selected by the user, thereby selecting the associated storage location and causing visual deactivation of the selected storage-location display;

iii.) each of the selected storage locations is respectively assigned one dedicated storage-location address; and

iv.) it is returned to step i.) until all of the associated storage locations, which have not yet been assigned a dedicated storage-location address, have been assigned a dedicated storage-location address, or until the user no longer wishes to assign dedicated storage-location addresses.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the master computer presets the storage-location addresses uniquely which are to be assigned to each of the selected storage locations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the storage-location addresses preset by the master computer are automatically incremented after each run through a cycle defined by the steps i.) to iii.).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage-location displays respectively comprise a push button, and wherein the step of selecting one of the visually activated storage-location displays comprises manually actuating the push button of the to be-selected storage-location display.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage-location displays respectively comprise a number display and wherein in the step i.) a lowest address number, which has not yet been assigned and corresponds to a dedicated storage-location address which is to be assigned next, is displayed in the respective number display of all of the storage-location displays which have not yet been selected.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a physical layout of the order-picking warehouse is manually mapped on a grid-shaped warehouse layout surface in a virtual manner in the master computer by using pre-defined warehouse elements such as storage racks locations of different sizes or pallet storage locations.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the user additionally assigns product data to each of the selected storage locations in that the user walks along the storage locations and assigns the product data by actuating the push buttons step-by-step in accordance with a list of product data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user additionally defines a sequence in which an order-picking person walks through the order-picking warehouse for retrieving and collecting products from the storage locations in accordance with a picking order.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the master computer comprises a display and wherein the user electronically stores in the master computer an assembly instruction including a plurality of assembling steps, the assembly instruction being associated with the picking order, wherein products are to be retrieved from the associated storage locations in accordance with individual assembling steps are displayed to the order-picking person on the display of the master computer in a graphical manner.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein a plurality of different picking orders is electronically stored in an order list within the master computer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the guidance system further comprises mounting rails which attachable to the storage locations and which are adapted to removably receive the storage-location displays.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is comprised by the master computer.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the master computer comprises a program memory.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the master computer comprises a display for assisting the user during configuration of the order-picking warehouse in a visual manner.

15. A user-configurable guidance system of an order-picking warehouse, which comprises a plurality of storage locations which can be of different types, wherein the guidance system comprises:

a plurality of storage-location displays;

a master computer adapted to transmit instructions to the storage-location displays for indicating to a user of the warehouse storage locations and quantities of items to be picked from the storage locations in accordance with a picking order; and

at least one controller connected to the plurality of storage displays and the master computer, the at least one controller allowing transmission of the instructions of the master computer in an addressed manner to the storage-location displays;

wherein respectively one of the storage-location displays is arranged at least at some of the storage locations so that the respectively one of the storage-location displays is associated with the corresponding storage location, wherein the storage-location displays respectively comprise a light, which can be activated and deactivated, and at least one push button; and

wherein the master computer is adapted to;

i.) visually activate all of the associated storage-location displays, which have not yet been assigned a dedicated storage-location address;

ii.) cause visual deactivation of one of the visually activated storage-location displays, if the one of the visually activated storage-location displays is selected by the user for selecting the associated storage location;

iii.) respectively assign one dedicated storage-location address to each of the selected storage locations; and

iv.) return to step i.) until all of the associated storage locations, which have not yet assigned a dedicated storage-location address, have been assigned a dedicated storage-location address, or until the user no longer wishes to assign dedicated storage-location addresses.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable data carrier comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the method of configuring an order-picking warehouse, the order-picking warehouse comprising:

a plurality of storage locations and a guidance system;

wherein the guidance system comprises a plurality of storage-location displays, a master computer, and at least one controller;

wherein at least some of the storage locations are equipped with respectively one of the storage-location displays so that each of the equipped storage locations is associated with the one of the storage-location displays;

wherein the associated storage-location displays are connected to the master computer via the at least one controller, and to each of the controllers a dedicated controller address is allocated;

the method comprising the step of configuring the order-picking warehouse by assigning respectively one dedicated storage-location address to each of the equipped storage locations in that;

i.) all of the associated storage-location displays, which have not yet been assigned a dedicated storage-location address, are visually activated;

ii.) at least one of the visually activated storage-locations display is selected by the user, thereby selecting the associated storage location and causing visual deactivation of the selected storage-location display;

iii.) each of the selected storage locations is respectively assigned one dedicated storage-location address; and

iv.) it is returned to step i.) until all of the associated storage locations, which have not yet assigned a dedicated storage-location address, have been assigned a dedicated storage-location address, or until the user no longer wishes to assign dedicated storage-location addresses.