Piling planning method and piling system of cargoes by palletizing robot

Abstract

A piling planning method for cargoes in which an operator can designate a piling position of each of the various cargoes, and by displaying the piling result graphically on a graphic terminal, a piling patern is determined so that vacant space is reduced, and by using a final piling pattern, a piling position and a piling order of each cargo, and a piling operation sequence of the palletizing robot are determined. A piling system is provided in which cargoes supplied thereto are piled on a pallet in accordance with piling planning data prepared by a piling planning device which executes the above piling planning method.

We claim: 
     
       1. A piling planning method for a palletizing robot for determining a cargo piling disposition on a pallet, a cargo piling order and a robot operation sequence to operate said palletizing robot to automatically pile cargoes of various sizes on said pallet by said robot, comprising storing in a memory means a pallet specification, a cargo specification, a cargo piling position, a cargo piling order and a robot operation sequence; calculating piling planning information using a computer; inputting to said computer command information for piling the cargoes on said pallet; displaying on a display terminal device a condition of piling disposition of the cargoes on said pallet outputted from said computer; producing documentation of a final condition of the cargo piling disposition and a final cargo piling order outputted from said computer; graphically displaying the condition of the cargo piling disposition on the pallet corresponding to said input information on said display terminal device thereby to determine the cargo piling disposition by a form of communication between an operator and said computer; and .[.simultaneously.]. obtaining the cargo piling order and the robot operation sequence required for the operation of said robot from said final cargo piling disposition. 
     
     
       2. A piling system for cargoes using a palletizing robot comprising, piling planning means for preparing a piling disposition of cargoes on a pallet, a piling order and a sequence of piling operations in response to data as to various sizes of the plurality of cargoes to be transported, control means receiving data from said piling planning means for controlling a piling operation in accordance with said data, marshalling means receiving said cargoes in an arbitrary order for sending out said cargoes in accordance with the piling order from said control means, supply means for supplying said cargoes from said marshalling means to certain positions on said pallet, and piling means for piling said supplied cargoes on said pallet in accordance with said operation sequence. 
     
     
       3. A piling system according to claim 2, wherein said piling planning means includes a data storage table for storing data for each pallet inputted before the start of the piling work, data of the cargoes to be transported, a disposition of each cargo on a predetermined pallet prepared from these data, a piling order to each cargo, and an operation sequence of said piling means. 
     
     
       4. A piling system according to claim 2, wherein said control means includes a first memory means for storing a work order and a piling pattern name inputted externally, and information of a work status inputted from said marshalling means, a second memory means for storing a piling order from said piling planning means and information of a piling status provided by a signal from said piling means, a third memory means for storing an operation sequence from said piling planning means and information of an operation status provided by a signal from said piling means, a fourth memory means for storing warehousing information of the cargo from said marshalling means and a stock status, and a fifth memory means for storing information of a supply status from said marshalling means and said supply means. .Iadd. 
     
     
       5.  A piling planning method for determining a cargo piling disposition and a cargo piling order to pile cargoes on a base for piling cargoes, comprising: storing an effective mounting space specification on said base and a cargo specification in a memory;   inputting information for piling cargoes on said base to a computer according to a stored program;   processing piling planning information in said computer;   determining a cargo piling disposition in said effective mounting space on said base corresponding to said inputted information; and   producing documentation graphically showing a condition of said cargo piling disposition and a final cargo piling order outputted from said computer. .Iaddend. .Iadd.6. A piling planning method according to claim 5, further comprising:   inputting information for designation of parallel movement and/or rotation of a cargo to said computer; and   modifying said graphically displayed condition of a cargo piling disposition on said base on said display terminal device corresponding to said inputted information for designation. .Iaddend. .Iadd.7. A piling planning method according to claim 6, further comprising:   inputting information for designation of deletion of a cargo to said computer; and   modifying the designated cargo from the cargoes which are graphically displayed as a condition of a cargo piling disposition on said base on said display terminal device, corresponding to said inputted information   
     
     
        for designation of deletion. .Iaddend. .Iadd.8.  A piling planning method according to claim 5, wherein further comprising: inputting information for designation of a rotation, accompanied by a suitable rotation angle, of the displayed condition of the cargo piling disposition to said computer; and   graphically displaying the displayed condition of the cargo piling disposition on said display terminal device in rotation corresponding to said input information for designation of the rotation. .Iaddend. .Iadd.9. A piling planning method according to claim 5, further comprising:   sending out said cargoes in said cargo piling order from a marshalling device in which said cargoes are stored in an arbitrary order. .Iaddend. .Iadd.10. A piling planning method according to claim 5, further comprising:   inputting first information for designating a partial mounting space of said effective mounting space to said computer;   inputting second information for piling cargoes on said partial mounting space to a computer;   processing piling planning information in said computer; and   graphically displaying on said display terminal device a condition of a cargo piling disposition on said partial mounting space corresponding to said inputted first and second information. .Iaddend. .Iadd.11. A piling planning method according to claim 5, wherein said base is a pallet. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. A piling planning method for determining cargo piling disposition and a cargo piling order to pile cargoes on a base for piling cargoes, comprising:   storing in a memory an effective mounting space specification on said base, a cargo specification and a condition of a cargo piling disposition and a cargo piling order as a piling pattern;   retrieving said piling pattern from said memory;   graphically displaying on a display terminal device said condition of the cargo piling disposition on said base corresponding to said effective mounting space specification and said cargo specification;   requesting documents which show said condition of the cargo piling disposition; and   producing documents of said condition of the cargo piling disposition and the cargo piling order corresponding to the document request. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. A piling planning method for determining a cargo piling order to pile cargoes on a base for piling cargoes, comprising:   storing an effective mounting space specification on said base and a cargo specification in a memory;   inputting information for piling cargoes on said base to a computer;   processing piling planning information in said computer;   determining a cargo piling order in said effective mounting space on said base corresponding to said inputted information; and   sending out said cargoes in said cargo piling order from a marshalling device in which said cargoes are stored in an arbitrary order. .Iaddend.   
     
     
        .Iadd.14.  A piling planning system for determining a cargo piling disposition and a cargo piling order to pile cargoes on a base for piling the cargoes, comprising: a memory unit for storing an effective mounting space specification on said base, a cargo specification, a cargo piling position and a cargo piling order;   a computer for processing piling planning information and for determining said cargo piling disposition on said base and a cargo piling order corresponding to an input information;   an input device for inputting information for piling cargoes on said base to said computer; and   an output device for outputting documents showing a condition of said cargo piling disposition and said cargo piling order. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15. A piling planning system for determining a cargo piling disposition and a cargo piling order to pile cargoes on a base for piling the cargoes, comprising:   a memory unit for storing an effective mounting space specification on said base, a cargo specification, a cargo piling position and a cargo piling order as a piling pattern;   a computer for processing piling planning information and for retrieving said piling pattern corresponding to an input information from said memory unit;   an input device for inputting information for piling cargoes on said base to said computer; and   an output device for outputting documents showing a condition of said cargo piling disposition and said cargo piling order which are retrieved from   
     
     
        said memory unit. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16.  A piling planning system for determining a cargo piling order to pile cargoes on a base for piling cargoes, comprising: memory means for storing an effective mounting space specification on said base and a cargo specification;   a computer for processing piling planning information and determining a cargo piling order in said effective mounting space on said base corresponding to input information;   inputting device for inputting information for piling cargoes on said base to said computer; and   means for sending out said cargoes in said cargo piling order from a marshalling device in which said cargoes are stored in an arbitrary order. .Iaddend. .Iadd.17. A piling planning method for determining a cargo piling disposition on a pallet and a cargo piling order to pile cargoes on said pallet, comprising:   storing in a memory a vacant piling space on said pallet and a cargo specification;   inputting information for piling cargoes on said pallet to a computer according to a stored program;   processing piling planning information in said computer;   graphically displaying on a display terminal device a condition of a cargo piling disposition on said pallet corresponding to said inputted information thereby to determine a cargo piling disposition by a form of communication between an operator and said computer; and   producing a document graphically showing a final condition of said cargo piling disposition and a final cargo piling order outputted from said computer. .Iaddend. .Iadd.18. A piling planning system for determining a cargo piling disposition on a pallet and a cargo piling order to pile cargoes on said pallet, comprising:   memory means for storing a vacant piling space on said pallet and a cargo specification;   means for inputting information for piling cargoes on said pallet to a computer;   means in said computer for processing piling planning information;   a display terminal device for graphically displaying a condition of a cargo piling disposition on said pallet corresponding to said inputted information;   means for requesting documents which show the condition of the cargo piling disposition within a predetermined condition from said computer; and   means for producing the requested documents of said condition of the cargo piling disposition and a final cargo piling order outputted from said computer. .Iaddend.