Stack handling operation method, system, and computer program
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a crane; and
a computer configured to;
receive a current state of a plurality of stacks, wherein a stack from the plurality of stacks is used to store stackable inventory, and a state of the stacks comprises an order in which the stackable inventory is stored in the stacks;
determine a target state of the plurality of stacks based on a production schedule that is indicative of a sequence in which the stackable inventory is to be used;
identify one or more sequences of transitionable states to rearrange the inventory according to the target state from the current state, wherein a difference between consecutive transitionable states is a single operation;
calculate an operation cost of each of the sequences of transitionable states, based on a cost associated with movement of the inventory according to the transitionable states, and by identification of a plurality of cut-positions in the current state based on a comparison of the current state and the target state, wherein each cut-position is indicative of a separation for the crane to operate at least once, and wherein a first cut-position from the plurality of cut-positions is identified at a first position in the current state in response to;
the first position in the current state holding an inventory item that exists at a first target position in the target state; and
a second position in the current state, which is adjacent to the first position, holding an inventory item that does not match a corresponding adjacent position in the target state;
select a sequence of transitionable states to rearrange the inventory from the current state to the target state that minimizes the operation cost by using a heuristic search algorithm to minimize a number of cut-positions; and
instruct the crane to arrange the inventory according to the sequence of transitionable states selected from the one or more sequences of transitionable states.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for searching transition routes from an initial state of a plurality of stackable items to a target state by a computer at predetermined conditions includes connecting between transitionable states at an edge by a single handling operation transitioning from the initial state to the target state, to generate a state space graph; evaluating a lower bound of handling operation cost from a certain state to the target state, based on both the stacking sequence of the plurality of items in the certain state and the stacking sequence of the plurality of items in the target state; and searching a route from the initial state to the target state where the handling operation cost is minimal on the state space graph using a heuristic search algorithm based on the lower bound.
9 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a crane; and a computer configured to; receive a current state of a plurality of stacks, wherein a stack from the plurality of stacks is used to store stackable inventory, and a state of the stacks comprises an order in which the stackable inventory is stored in the stacks; determine a target state of the plurality of stacks based on a production schedule that is indicative of a sequence in which the stackable inventory is to be used; identify one or more sequences of transitionable states to rearrange the inventory according to the target state from the current state, wherein a difference between consecutive transitionable states is a single operation; calculate an operation cost of each of the sequences of transitionable states, based on a cost associated with movement of the inventory according to the transitionable states, and by identification of a plurality of cut-positions in the current state based on a comparison of the current state and the target state, wherein each cut-position is indicative of a separation for the crane to operate at least once, and wherein a first cut-position from the plurality of cut-positions is identified at a first position in the current state in response to; the first position in the current state holding an inventory item that exists at a first target position in the target state; and a second position in the current state, which is adjacent to the first position, holding an inventory item that does not match a corresponding adjacent position in the target state; select a sequence of transitionable states to rearrange the inventory from the current state to the target state that minimizes the operation cost by using a heuristic search algorithm to minimize a number of cut-positions; and instruct the crane to arrange the inventory according to the sequence of transitionable states selected from the one or more sequences of transitionable states. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus comprising:
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an interface to communicate with a crane; and a processor configured to; receive a current state of a plurality of stacks, wherein a stack from the plurality of stacks is used to store stackable items, and a state of the stacks comprises an order in which the items are stacked in the stacks; determine a target state of the plurality of stacks; identify one or more sequences of transitionable states to rearrange the items according to the target state from the current state; calculate an operation cost of each of the sequences of transitionable states, by identification of a plurality of cut-positions in the current state based on a comparison of the current state and the target state, wherein each cut-position is indicative of a separation for the crane to operate at least once, and wherein a first cut-position from the plurality of cut-positions is identified at a first position in the current state in response to; the first position in the current state holding an inventory item that exists at a first target position in the target state; and a second position in the current state, which is adjacent to the first position, holding an inventory item that does not match an inventory item at a corresponding position that is adjacent to the first target position in the target state; select a sequence of transitionable states to arrange the items from the current state to the target state that minimizes the operation cost by minimization of a number of cut-positions; and instruct the crane, via the interface, to arrange the items according to the sequence of transitionable states selected from the one or more sequences of transitionable states. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification