# US 11,440,733 B2 · Picking assistance system and assistance method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,733 B2 - Document ID: US11440733B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/650,293 - Filed: 2019-02-19 - Published: 2020-07-23 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-27 - Assignees: Hitachi Industrial Products, Ltd. - Applicants: Hitachi Industrial Products, Ltd. - Inventors: Masaharu Kondou; Ryota Kamoshida; Hiroshi Yoshitake - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440733B2 ## CPC - B65G 1/1373: {for fulfilling orders in warehouses} - B65G 1/1378: {the orders being assembled on fixed commissioning areas remote from the storage areas} - B65G 1/10: with relatively movable racks to facilitate insertion or removal of articles {(cabinets with means for moving compartments up and down A47B51/00; cabinet system, e.g. consisting of cabinets arranged in a row with means to open or close passages between adjacent cabinets A47B53/02)} - G06Q 10/08: Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management - G06Q 10/08741: {by picking of items from inventory for fulfillment} - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Provided is a picking assistance system that can improve work efficiency. A picking assistance system includes: a plurality of movable shelves configured to be able to accommodate at least one article; and a control device configured to control the movement of each of the shelves. The control device causes a series of processes of moving a sorting shelf selected from the shelves to a work station selected from a plurality of work station and moving articles from a deposit shelf disposed at the selected work station to the sorting shelf by a picking operation to be executed repeatedly while changing the work station until the sorting shelf accommodates prescribed articles. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A picking assistance system that supports a picking operation, comprising: a plurality of movable shelves configured to be able to accommodate at least one article; and a control device configured to control the movement of each of the shelves, wherein the control device causes a series of processes of moving a sorting shelf selected from the shelves to a work station selected from a plurality of work stations, and moving articles from a deposit shelf disposed at the selected work station to the sorting shelf by a picking operation, the sorting shelf continuously moves to another work station of the plurality of work stations to move articles from a deposit shelf disposed at the another work station to the sorting shelf during a subsequent picking operation, wherein the sorting shelf continues to move to a further work station to repeat the picking operation until the selected sorting shelf accommodates all the predetermined articles, the control device moves the sorting shelf from a first predetermined position to a second predetermined position when a picking operation satisfies a predetermined condition at the second predetermined position, once items are filled at the first predetermined position, and the predetermined condition occurs when an estimated operation completion time required to complete a picking operation at the second predetermined position is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The picking assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the deposit shelf disposed at the work station is selected from the shelves. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The picking assistance system according to claim 2, wherein the causing the series of processes of moving the selected sorting shelf to the work station by the control device further comprises providing instructions for accommodating the predetermined articles in the selected sorting shelf. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The picking assistance system according to claim 3, wherein the control device moves the selected sorting shelf that has accommodated all of the predetermined articles to a shipping place, and the control device returns the selected sorting shelf to a shelf storage location comprising a plurality of shelves after the articles accommodated in the sorting shelf have been picked out at the shipping place. ### Claim 5 A picking assistance method for assisting a picking operation of moving articles to a movable shelf using a computer, the computer executing: selecting a sorting shelf from a plurality of movable shelves capable of accommodating at least one article; moving articles from a first deposit shelf to the sorting shelf by a picking operation performed at a predetermined position; moving the sorting shelf to a subsequent predetermined position; and moving articles from a second deposit shelf to the sorting shelf by a picking operation performed at the subsequent predetermined position, wherein the sorting shelf continuously moves to another work station of the plurality of work stations to move articles from a deposit shelf disposed at the another work station to the sorting shelf during a subsequent picking operation, the sorting shelf continues to move to a further work station to repeat the picking operation until the selected sorting shelf accommodates all the predetermined articles, the computer moves the sorting shelf from the predetermined position to the subsequent predetermined position when a picking operation satisfies a predetermined condition at the subsequent predetermined position, once items are filled at the predetermined position, and the predetermined condition occurs when an estimated operation completion time required to complete a picking operation at the subsequent predetermined position is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The picking assistance method according to claim 5, wherein the first and second deposit shelves are selected from the plurality of movable shelves, and the first and second deposit shelves are the same. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The picking assistance method according to claim 5, wherein the first and second deposit shelves are different from each other. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The picking assistance method according to claim 5, wherein the computer moves the sorting shelf from the predetermined position to the subsequent predetermined position when a picking operation is completed at the predetermined position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The picking assistance method according to claim 5, wherein the computer calculates the estimated operation completion time based on at least one of: the number of articles to be moved from the second deposit shelf to the sorting shelf by a picking operation, a type of the articles, and the number of sorting destinations thereof. ### Claim 10 A picking assistance method for assisting a picking operation of moving articles to a movable shelf using a computer, the computer executing: selecting a sorting shelf from a plurality of movable shelves capable of accommodating at least one article; moving articles from a first deposit shelf to the sorting shelf by a picking operation performed at a predetermined position; moving the sorting shelf to a subsequent predetermined position; and moving articles from a second deposit shelf to the sorting shelf by a picking operation performed at the subsequent predetermined position, wherein the sorting shelf continuously moves to another work station of the plurality of work stations to move articles from a deposit shelf disposed at the another work station to the sorting shelf during a subsequent picking operation, the sorting shelf continues to move to a further work station to repeat the picking operation until the selected sorting shelf accommodates all the predetermined articles, the computer moves the sorting shelf from the predetermined position to the subsequent predetermined position when a picking operation satisfies a predetermined condition at the subsequent predetermined position, once items are filled at the predetermined position, and the predetermined condition occurs when an estimated operation start time required to start a picking operation at the subsequent predetermined position is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The picking assistance method according to claim 10, wherein the estimated operation start time is calculated using at least one of: a time required for the second deposit shelf to arrive at the subsequent predetermined position, and a time required for the sorting shelf to arrive at the subsequent predetermined position.