公开(公告)号：WO2022043404A1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-03

申请号：PCT/EP2021/073547

申请日：2021-08-25

Applicant: AUTOSTORE TECHNOLOGY AS

Inventor： HATTELAND, Tommy ,  LILLESKOG, Torgeir ,  SYRE-AAKER, Vegard

IPC: G05D1/02

Abstract: A method, control system (500) and computer program for routing and rerouting of container handling vehicles (201) handling storage containers (106) in an automated storage and retrieval system comprising a framework structure (100) forming a three-dimensional storage grid structure (104) for storing the storage containers 106 in storage columns (105), the framework structure including a grid-based rail system (108) arranged above the storage columns (105) with the rail system (108) providing available routes for the container handling vehicles (201) handling and transferring the storage containers (106) to and from the storage columns (105), and wherein each container handling vehicle (201) comprises a first set of wheels configured to move the vehicle along a first lateral direction (X) of the grid-based rail system and a second set of wheels configured to move the vehicle along a second lateral direction (Y) of the grid-based rail system (108), the second direction (Y) being perpendicular to the first direction (X), the movements of the container handling vehicles being controlled by a control system (500), that determines which tasks are to be done by specified container handling vehicles (201), destination locations for performing the tasks and which routes the container handling vehicles (201) are to travel on the rail system (108). The method comprises the following steps performed by the control system (500) when executing the computer program: running (410) a multi- agent pathfinding algorithm, MAPF, in the control system (500) for establishing and assigning routes on the rail system (108) for the container handling vehicles (201) from their current locations to assigned tasks at destination locations; determining (420) how far the container handling vehicles (201) can travel on a first part of the assigned routes within a set time interval, the first part being shorter than the assigned routes to the destinations; locking (430) the first parts of the assigned routes that the container handling vehicles (201) can travel within the set time interval; instructing (440) the container handling vehicles (201) to move from their current locations to an end location on the assigned locked routes; repeating steps above.

公开(公告)号：WO2021219742A1

公开(公告)日：2021-11-04

申请号：PCT/EP2021/061169

申请日：2021-04-28

Applicant: AUTOSTORE TECHNOLOGY AS

Inventor： SYRE-AAKER, Vegard

IPC: B65G1/04 ,  B65G1/137 ,  G05B19/418

Abstract: A method, control system (500) and computer program for utilizing operational capacity of container handling vehicles (201) when assigned tasks of delivering or retrieving identified storage containers (106) at same port (119') of an automatic storage and retrieval system (1) comprising a framework structure (100) defining a storage grid (104) for storing storage containers (106) in storage columns (105), and where the storage containers (106) are handled by the container handling vehicles (201) running on top of the storage grid (104), and where the port (119') is used for transferring storage containers (106) to and from the storage and retrieval system (1). The following steps are performed by the control system (500) communicating with a vehicle controller (230) in each container handling vehicle (201): assigning tasks without deadlines (310) for the container handling vehicles (201); calculating end times and end positions of the container handling vehicles (201) when the assigned tasks complete (330); assigning tasks with a deadline (320) for the container handling vehicles (201) to arrive at the port (119'); checking if the container handling vehicles (201) can meet the deadline after first completing the task without a deadline; ranking the tasks (360) assigned to the container handling vehicles (201), where tasks that can meet the deadline, after first finishing a task without a deadline, are ranked first, and further according to arrival times of the container handling vehicles (201) at the port (119'); executing tasks by communicating instructions to the container handling vehicles (201) according to the ranking of tasks (370).