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CN-121988534-A - Method for loading packages for a transport unit

CN121988534ACN 121988534 ACN121988534 ACN 121988534ACN-121988534-A

Abstract

A method for loading packages (2) for at least one transport unit (13) is described and illustrated. In order to avoid package damage caused by the shipment of packages into a transport unit, it is proposed to scan the packages (2) in sequence with an optical scanner (7), to acquire at least one stability parameter by means of an image taken by the optical scanner (7) for each package (2) by an evaluation unit (11), to assign a stability score to each package (2) based on the at least one stability parameter by the evaluation unit (11), and to ship the packages (2) to different locations in the at least one transport unit (13) according to the respective stability scores.

Inventors

  • Frank Langer
  • Sara Pattan

Assignees

  • 德国邮政股份公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20251106
Priority Date
20241107

Claims (16)

  1. 1. A method for loading packages (2) for at least one transport unit (13), -Wherein the packages (2) are scanned sequentially with an optical scanner (7), Wherein at least one stability parameter is acquired by an evaluation unit (11) by means of an image recorded by the optical scanner (7) for each package (2), -Wherein the evaluation unit (11) assigns a stability score to each package (2) based on the at least one stability parameter, and -Wherein the packages (2) are transported to different locations in the at least one transport unit (13) according to the respective stability scores.
  2. 2. The method according to claim 1, -Wherein the packages (2) are transported to different levels (19, 20, 21) in the at least one transport unit (13) according to the respective stability scores, and -Wherein preferably, the packages (2) are transported at least to the different levels (19, 20, 21), i.e. high, medium, low, in the at least one transport unit (13) according to the respective stability scores.
  3. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, -Wherein the at least one transport unit (13) is a wheeled container, a grid box, a pallet, a walled pallet, a so-called exchange, a load-carrying vehicle or a Unit Load Device (ULD), and/or -Wherein the package (2) is scanned by a six-sided scanner (7) and/or a linear scanner, in particular an RGB linear scanner and/or a volumetric scanner.
  4. 4. A process according to claim 1 to 3, -Wherein the packages (2) are transported by at least one robot (14) and/or at least one staff member (15) to different locations in the at least one transport unit (13) according to respective stability scores, and -Wherein preferably information about the stability score and/or information about the shipping location determined by means of the stability score is displayed and/or communicated to the robot (14) and/or the staff member (15).
  5. 5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, -Wherein the packages (2) are scanned sequentially in a transport sequence (4) with the optical scanner (7), -Wherein, according to the stability score assigned to the package (2), the package (2) is arranged in a loading sequence (12) different from the transport sequence (4) and is loaded into the transport unit (13) in the loading sequence (12), and -Wherein preferably the packages (2) are transported in the loading sequence (12) to the robot (14) that loads the packages (2) into the transport unit (13) and/or to the staff (15) that loads the packages (2) into the transport unit (13).
  6. 6. The method according to claim 5, -Wherein the packages (2) are automatically arranged by a sorting device (6) into a loading sequence (12) different from the transport sequence (4), and/or according to the stability score assigned to the packages (2) -Wherein packages (2) to be considered as unstackable are rejected from the transportation sequence (4) and/or the loading sequence (12) by means of the assigned stability score, and/or -Wherein the package (2) is automatically transported in the loading sequence (12) by a transport device (9) to the robot (14) that loads the package (2) into the transport unit (13) and/or to the staff (15) that loads the package (2) into the transport unit (13).
  7. 7. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, -Wherein the evaluation unit (11) acquires at least one stability parameter of the package (2) in the form of a dimensional parameter, in particular in the form of a height, width and/or length, and/or -Wherein the evaluation unit (11) acquires at least one stability parameter of the package (2) regarding shape and/or surface.
  8. 8. The method according to claim 7, -Wherein the at least one stability parameter is associated with the acquired package type and/or acquired packaging material of the package (2) and/or acquired multilayering of the packaging material and/or coating of the packaging material and/or humidity of the packaging material and/or at least one stain of the packaging material, and/or -Wherein the stability parameter is associated with a logo, a sticker, a sender address and/or a return label.
  9. 9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, -Wherein the at least one stability parameter is associated with the type of tape applied to the package (2) and/or the arrangement of tape applied to the package (2) and/or the size of the open area of the package (2) and/or the arrangement of the open area of the package (2) on the package (2) and/or the degree of opening of the open area of the package (2).
  10. 10. The method according to claim 7 to 9, -Wherein the at least one stability parameter is associated with at least one degree of damage of the package (2), and -Wherein preferably the at least one degree of damage is associated with an edge shape of the package (2) and/or a corner shape of the package (2) and/or a seam shape of the package (2) and/or a surface shape between edges, corners and/or seams of the package (2).
  11. 11. The method according to claim 10, -Wherein the at least one stability parameter is associated with a surface shape, scratches, dents, creases, cracks and/or cuts on the surface of the package (2), and/or -Wherein the at least one stability parameter is associated with a reuse characteristic value of the package (2).
  12. 12. The method according to claim 7 to 9, -Wherein the evaluation unit assigns at least one stability parameter to the relative orientation of the package (2) with respect to the shape of the package (2), and -Wherein preferably the evaluation unit assigns each package (2) a direction dependent stability score based on the at least one stability parameter.
  13. 13. The method according to claim 12, -Wherein the packages (2) are loaded into the at least one transport unit (13) in a specific orientation according to the respective direction-dependent stability scores, and -Wherein preferably information about the direction-dependent stability score and/or information about the orientation of the package (2) when shipped to the transportation unit (13) is displayed and/or communicated to the robot (14) and/or the staff (15).
  14. 14. The method according to claim 1 to 13, -Wherein the evaluation unit (11) uses an automatic pattern recognition unit implemented by means of artificial intelligence to obtain at least one stability parameter, and -Wherein preferably the automatic pattern recognition unit is trained to obtain stability parameters based on images of the package (2) for training and stability information, stability parameters and/or stability scores respectively assigned to the package (2) by means of a plurality of images of the package (2) and a plurality of stability information, stability parameters and/or stability scores respectively assigned to the package (2).
  15. 15. The method according to claim 1 to 14, Wherein the stability score is calculated by means of the at least one stability parameter, Wherein preferably the at least one stability parameter has a value in the range of values between 0 and 1, -Wherein, more preferably, the stability parameters are calculated by multiplying each other to obtain the stability score, and -Wherein, even more preferably, the stability score has a value in the range of values between 0 and 1.
  16. 16. The method according to claim 14, -Wherein the pattern recognition unit is trained using real, accidentally damaged packages (2) and their actual stability parameters and/or purposefully damaged packages (2) and their actual stability parameters.

Description

Method for loading packages for a transport unit Technical Field The invention relates to a method for loading packages for at least one transport unit. Background Methods for loading packages for a transport unit are known from different applications, wherein the transport unit can be loaded manually or using a robot. If packages are of random size and weight and are shipped in random sequence into a shipping unit, the cargo space provided by the shipping unit is not always fully utilized. In addition, other packages that are subsequently loaded into the same shipping unit may cause damage to the package. This is particularly problematic for the methods known from different designs for redistributing packages in sorting stations, in which the packages are loaded into a number of generally identical transport units after they have been sorted by the sorting station. The package may be delivered, for example, to the bed of a truck or trailer, and then unloaded and distributed in a shipping sequence during the process. The packages are then scanned in a shipping sequence, wherein sorting parameters for sorting the packages are obtained. The packages are then distributed to different transport units according to the sorting parameters, and the packages are then transported away from the sorting station using these transport units. In many cases, the transport units are wheeled containers, grid boxes, trays, walled trays or container devices (Unit Load Devices, ULD) as opposed to the transport units unloaded in the sorting station. "packaging device" is a pallet and container for aircraft loading and is therefore adapted to the dimensional specifications of the aircraft fuselage. However, as transport units, what are known as exchange bodies, namely load-carrying vehicle carriages with support frames (support frames for parking without chassis and for running the chassis above for loading), can also be considered, both as transport units to be loaded and as transport units to be unloaded at the sorting station. After scanning, the package may be temporarily stored in a temporary storage (e.g., storage rack, etc.) until the package is further transported. The packages may then be removed from temporary storage in a particular or arbitrary sequence. However, to increase efficiency and reduce the time that the packages remain at the sorting station, temporary storage of the packages is typically omitted. The packages are transported from the transport unit unloading site to the shipping sites of other transport units by conveyor belts or similar equipment and sorted in the process. For example, it is contemplated to transfer a portion of the package from one conveyor belt to another conveyor belt or chute for sorting the package. As required, there is a shipping sequence according to which packages are then shipped, scanned and supplied to the sorting equipment. After sorting, the packages are typically loaded into different transport units, which are done by robots if necessary. In order to make efficient use of the space available in the transport unit, the size of the package is also measured in some cases. The loading algorithm may then specify where a particular package should be stacked in the shipping unit to reduce space wastage. The current loading state of the transport unit can be monitored by means of sensors to provide support. If the packages are temporarily stored in the sorting station, the packages may be removed from the temporary storage in a space-saving package stacking sequence. No matter how packages are sorted and no matter how space is saved or packages are randomly loaded by the shipping unit, the possibility of individual packages being damaged by other packages in the shipping unit is precluded. Here, the damage may only involve packaging. But this may thus lead to damage to the goods within the package or problems in the subsequent handling of damaged packages. Disclosure of Invention The object of the invention is therefore to devise and improve a method of the type mentioned at the outset and of the type described in detail above, so as to avoid damage to packages as a result of their shipment to a transport unit. According to claim 1, the object is achieved by a method for loading packages for at least one transport unit, Wherein the packages are scanned sequentially with an optical scanner, Wherein at least one stability parameter is acquired by the evaluation unit by means of an image taken by an optical scanner for each package, -Wherein the evaluation unit assigns a stability score to each package based on the at least one stability parameter, and -Wherein the packages are transported to different locations in the at least one transport unit according to the respective stability scores. In loading at least one transport unit, the packages are scanned by means of an optical scanner before loading the packages into the transport unit. Thus, the optical tensioner can generate image