JP7649708B2 - CRANE OPERATION SYSTEM AND CRANE OPERATION METHOD - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a crane operation system and a crane operation method, and more specifically, to a crane operation system and a crane operation method that move a hoisting device to a specified loading position by traversing a trolley and traveling with a traveling device.

A crane has been proposed that captures the area below using an imaging device installed on the boom or hoisting equipment, displays the captured image on a display device, allows any point on the image to be designated as a target position, and moves the hoisting equipment to the designated target position (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2020-117353 A

The crane described in Patent Document 1 is configured to calculate the target position by performing image processing on the image captured by the imaging device. Position detection using this type of image processing has low accuracy. Therefore, with this crane, the driver needs to correct his/her position when actually loading and unloading the cargo, which may reduce loading and unloading efficiency.

The objective of this disclosure is to provide a crane operation system and a crane operation method that improves loading efficiency by moving the hoisting equipment to a specified loading position with high precision.

In one embodiment of the present invention that achieves the above object, a crane operation system moves the hoisting device of a crane having a girder extending in one direction, a trolley that travels laterally along the girder, a hoisting device suspended from the trolley and capable of raising and lowering in the vertical direction and connected to a cargo to be handled, and a traveling device that travels the crane in a direction perpendicular to the one direction, to a loading position where a cargo is handled. The system includes a designation device that designates the loading position, a control device that controls the movement of the hoisting device by the lateral movement of the trolley and the traveling device's travel to the loading position designated by the designation device, and a coordinate acquisition device that acquires the position coordinates of the trolley or the hoisting device, the designation device having a display device that displays an area image including a cargo image showing a cargo present in a specified area, and an input device that performs an input to designate any point of the area image as the loading position, and the control device has When loading/unloading work of connecting or disconnecting the hoisting device to the cargo object is performed for the first time at the specified loading position, the position coordinates acquired by the coordinate acquisition device are stored as loading position coordinates, and the loading position coordinates are set as set coordinates of the cargo object image.If the arbitrary location input by the input device is within the range of the cargo object image and the set coordinates are set in the cargo object image, the set coordinates set as the position coordinates of the loading position specified by the input device are identified, and the hoisting device is moved to the identified set coordinates.If the arbitrary location is outside the range of the cargo object image, or if it is within the range of the cargo object image and the set coordinates are not set in the cargo object image, the coordinates of the arbitrary location are identified as the position coordinates of the loading position specified by the input device, and the hoisting device is moved to the identified coordinates .

In one embodiment of the present invention that achieves the above object, a crane operation method includes, when a loading position where a loading operation of a load is to be performed is designated by a designation device, a control device moves a hoisting tool to the loading position designated by the designation device by traversing a trolley and traveling by a traveling device, and when a loading operation of connecting or disconnecting the hoisting tool to a load is performed for the first time at the designated loading position, a coordinate acquisition device acquires position coordinates of the trolley or the hoisting tool, and the control device stores the position coordinates as loading position coordinates, and sets the loading position coordinates as setting coordinates of a loading object image showing a loading object present in a specified area included in an area image displayed on a display device of the designation device, and the designation device When an input is made to designate an arbitrary location of the area image as a loading position using an input device having a lock, if the arbitrary location is within the range of the loading object image and the set coordinates have been set in the loading object image, the control device identifies the set coordinates that have been set as the position coordinates of the loading position designated by the input device and moves the hoist to the identified set coordinates, and if the arbitrary location is outside the range of the loading object image or if the arbitrary location is within the range of the loading object image and the set coordinates have not been set in the loading object image, the control device identifies the coordinates of the arbitrary location as the position coordinates of the loading position designated by the input device and moves the hoist to the identified coordinates.

According to one aspect of the present invention, from the second time onwards (except for the first time), the lifting tool is moved to the loading position coordinates when the loading work of the cargo is actually performed, making it possible to align the loading position and the lifting tool with high precision. This is advantageous in shortening the time required to align to the loading position, and can improve loading efficiency.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an embodiment of a crane operation system. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the control device of FIG. 1 . 2 is a diagram showing an example of an area image and a cargo image displayed on the display device of FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method for operating a crane showing steps for creating an area image. FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating step S150 of FIG. 4. FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method for operating a crane, showing steps for setting a set coordinate. FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method for operating a crane, showing steps for identifying position coordinates of a load location and moving a lifting tool. FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram illustrating a modified example of an embodiment of a crane operation system. 9 is a diagram showing an example of an area image and a cargo image displayed on the display device of FIG. 8 .

The following describes an embodiment of the crane operation system and crane operation method of the present disclosure. In the figure, the X direction is the traverse direction of the trolley 3 that travels along the girder 2 of the crane 1, the Y direction is the horizontal direction perpendicular to the X direction and the travel direction in which the crane 1 travels on the traveling device 6, and the Z direction is the vertical direction in which the hoist 4 rises and falls.

As shown in FIG. 1, the operation system 10 of the crane 1 of the embodiment is configured to control the movement of the hoist 4 to a specified loading position Ta by the lateral movement of the trolley 3 and the travelling mechanism 6. Hereinafter, in this disclosure, the movement of the hoist 4 refers to the movement in the XY plane, and does not include the raising and lowering of the hoist 4 in the Z direction.

Crane 1 is a crane that travels in the Y direction across a storage lane 7 in the X direction where containers C, which are the cargo to be handled, are stored, and is equipped with a girder 2, a trolley 3, a hoisting device 4, a leg structure 5, and a traveling device 6. Crane 1 moves the hoisting device 4 by traversing the trolley 3 in the X direction and traveling in the Y direction using the traveling device 6, and performs loading and unloading operations on containers C by raising and lowering the hoisting device 4 in the Z direction and connecting or disconnecting the hoisting device 4 and container C.

The girder 2 extends in the X direction, and supports the hoist 4 by suspending it with a wire via the trolley 3. The trolley 3 is configured to be able to move laterally in the X direction along the girder 2 by a traverse device (not shown). The hoist 4 is configured to be able to rise and fall in the Z direction by a lifting device around which a wire suspended from the trolley 3 is wound. The hoist 4 is connected to the container C to hoist the container C, and the lifted container C is lowered to the loading position and the connection to the container C is released. The leg structure 5 supports the girder 2 at its upper end, and the traveling device 6 is arranged at its lower end. Each of the traveling devices 6 is arranged spaced apart in the X direction, and the crane 1 travels in the Y direction by rolling its tires.

The operation system 10 is a system that supports remote operation of the crane 1 from a remote location, and includes a designation device consisting of a display device 11, an input device 12, and an imaging device 13, a coordinate acquisition device 14, and a control device consisting of a crane control device 15 and a remote operation control device 16.

The designation device is a device that designates the loading position Ta where the crane 1 will perform the loading and unloading operation of the container C. The loading position Ta designated by the designation device is sent to the crane control device 15.

The display device 11 and input device 12 are combined into an integrated touch panel monitor and placed in a remote location. The display device 11 switches its display under the control of the remote operation control device 16. The display device 11 is a device that switches between displaying an area image 20 for specifying the loading position Ta and actual images of the hoisting device 4 and container C and images of a virtual operation device for remote operation by the driver.

The input device 12 is a device for inputting operation operations of the crane 1 from a remote location. The input device 12 is a device for inputting the designation of any location of the area image 20 displayed on the display device 11 as the loading position Ta in relation to the movement operation of the hoisting device 4. The input device 12 is also a device for inputting the virtual operation device displayed on the display device 11 in relation to the lifting operation of the hoisting device 4 and the operation of connecting it to the container C. Examples of detection methods for the input device 12 include a resistive film method, a capacitance method, an ultrasonic surface acoustic wave method, an infrared optical imaging method, and an electromagnetic induction method.

The imaging device 13 is installed on the trolley 3. The imaging device 13 captures an image 21, which is an image of the area below the trolley 3 in the Z direction. The captured image 21 may be a still image taken at a predetermined interval, or a video. The imaging device 13 only needs to be able to capture an image of the storage lane 7 in which the container C is stored and the transport chassis 8 traveling to the side of the storage lane 7 in the X direction, and the captured image 21 does not need to show the sling 4. If the sling 4 is not visible in the image 21 captured by the imaging device 13, another imaging device is provided that captures an image in which the sling 4 is visible.

The coordinate acquisition device 14 is installed on the trolley 3. The coordinate acquisition device 14 acquires the position coordinate Pn of the trolley 3 at a predetermined cycle. An example of the coordinate acquisition device 14 is an antenna of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The antenna of the global navigation satellite system measures absolute coordinates consisting of longitude, latitude, and altitude based on information such as time received from multiple artificial satellites at a predetermined cycle. Examples of methods for measuring absolute coordinates include single positioning, relative positioning, DGPS (differential GPS) positioning, and RTK (real-time kinematic GPS) positioning. The antenna of the global navigation satellite system may be configured to acquire longitude and latitude as the position coordinate Pn of the trolley 3. In addition, a combination of a traverse encoder and a traveling encoder is also exemplified as the coordinate acquisition device 14. The traverse encoder is a device that measures the traverse distance of the trolley 3, and the traveling encoder is a device that measures the traveling distance by the traveling device 6. The position coordinate Pn of the trolley 3 is acquired by combining the measured values of these devices.

The control device is composed of a crane control device 15 and a remote operation control device 16, and controls the display of the display device 11 and the driving of each device of the crane 1 in response to input from the input device 12. The crane control device 15 is installed on the crane 1 and controls the movement of the hoisting device 4 to the specified loading position Ta. The crane control device 15 also controls the raising and lowering of the hoisting device 4 and the connection of the hoisting device 4 and the container C based on the operation of the virtual operation device, controls the traverse of the trolley 3 and the running of the crane 1 by the running device 6 based on the operation of the virtual operation device. The remote operation control device 16 is installed in a remote location and controls the display of the area image 20 on the display device 11 and the transmission of the position coordinates of the loading position Ta specified by the input device 12 to the crane control device 15. The crane control device 15 and the remote operation control device 16 are connected so that they can communicate with each other.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, each of the crane control device 15 and the remote operation control device 16 is hardware consisting of a central processing unit (CPU) that performs various information processing, an internal memory device that can read and write the programs used for the various information processing and the results of the information processing, and various interfaces. The crane control device 15 is electrically connected to each of the traverse device (not shown) of the trolley 3, the lifting device (not shown) of the hoisting device 4, and the traveling device 6. The crane control device 15 is also electrically connected to the imaging device 13 and the coordinate acquisition device 14, and transmits the images and values acquired by these to the remote operation control device 16. The remote operation control device 16 is electrically connected to the display device 11 and the input device 12.

The crane control device 15 has a crane control unit 30 as a functional element. The remote operation control device 16 has an image creation unit 31, a coordinate setting unit 32, a display control unit 33, and a control command unit 34 as functional elements. Each functional element is stored as a program in the internal storage device of each control device, and is read out by the central processing unit and executed as appropriate. In addition to programs, examples of each functional element include electric circuits that function independently. Each functional element may also be configured with a programmable logic controller (PLC), and each control device may be a collection of multiple PLCs.

The crane control unit 30 is a functional element that receives a command signal generated by the control command unit 34 based on the input of the input device 12, and controls the traverse device of the trolley 3, the lifting device of the hoist 4, and the traveling device 6 based on the received command signal. Specifically, when the loading position Ta is input by the input device 12 and the position coordinates of the loading position Ta are received as a command signal from the control command unit 34, the crane control unit 30 controls the traverse device of the trolley 3 and the traveling device 6 to move the hoist 4 to the received position coordinates. In addition, when the operation of a virtual operation device is input by the input device 12 and the crane control unit 30 receives a command signal corresponding to the operation from the control command unit 34, the crane control unit 30 controls the traverse device of the trolley 3, the lifting device of the hoist 4, and the traveling device 6 according to the received command signal.

The image creation unit 31 is a functional element that receives the captured image 21 captured by the imaging device 13 and creates the area image 20. The image creation unit 31 performs the steps of stitching together the captured images 21, identifying the cargo object image 22 in the captured image 21, and calculating the center coordinate Om of the identified cargo object image 22 and setting the calculated center coordinate Om to the set coordinate.

The coordinate setting unit 32 is a functional element that receives the position coordinate Pn acquired by the coordinate acquisition device 14 and a signal indicating completion of the operation of connecting or disconnecting the hoist 4 and the container C performed by the crane control unit 30, and sets the loading position coordinate Qm to the set coordinate of the loading object image 22.

The display control unit 33 is a functional element that controls the display device 11 to display the area image 20 created by the image creation unit 31 with the set coordinates set by the coordinate setting unit 32.

The control command unit 34 is a functional element that generates a command signal according to the input of the input device 12 and transmits the generated command signal to the crane control unit 30. The command signal is a signal that includes the position coordinates of the loading position Ta when the loading position Ta is specified by the input device 12, and is a signal according to the operation when an operation of a virtual operating device is input by the input device 12.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the storage yard is set as a predetermined area in the area image 20. In this disclosure, the storage yard is an area where the crane 1 performs loading and unloading operations on the container C, and is made up of a number of storage lanes 7 lined up. The area image 20 is a planar image of the storage yard. The area image 20 is made up of a number of captured images 21, and includes a cargo image 22, a pointer image 23, and an undrawn image 24. The position coordinates on the area image 20 are linked to the position coordinates of the storage yard.

The captured image 21 is an image captured by the imaging device 13 while the hoist 4 is moving to the specified loading position Ta. The captured image 21 has position information in an image coordinate system centered on the optical axis of the imaging device 13. Multiple captured images 21 are continuously connected together in a unified coordinate system to form the area image 20.

The cargo image 22 shows an image of a container C present in the captured image 21. The cargo image 22 is identified by applying image processing to the captured image 21. Examples of image processing include pattern recognition, differential image calculation, and template matching for the purpose of identifying the container C. In addition, examples of image processing include image processing such as noise removal and edge emphasis to improve identification accuracy, and image correction such as contrast correction and color correction. Note that the cargo image 22 also includes an image of the container C placed on the transport chassis 8 present in the captured image 21.

The pointer image 23 is an image that indicates an arbitrary location designated as the loading position Ta by the input device 12. Examples of the pointer image 23 include a triangular shape, an arrow shape, and the shape of a hand with the second finger extended.

Undrawn image 24 shows a portion of area image 20 where captured image 21 does not exist. Captured image 21 is an image captured by imaging device 13 while sling 4 is moving, and is not captured in an area where sling 4 is not moving. Undrawn image 24 shows an area where sling 4 is not moving.

The set coordinates are the position coordinates of the identified cargo object image 22, and are a two-dimensional coordinate system consisting of X and Y coordinates. Either the cargo handling position coordinate Qm or the center coordinate Om is set as the set coordinate. The set coordinate is set to the coordinate with the higher priority, and the priority of the cargo handling position coordinate Qm is higher than the priority of the center coordinate Om. The set coordinates are not set in locations where the cargo object image 22 has not been identified.

The loading position coordinate Qm is the position coordinate Pn acquired by the coordinate acquisition device 14 when loading work of connecting or disconnecting the hoist 4 to the container C is performed for the first time at the specified loading position Ta. In this disclosure, the first time loading work of connecting or disconnecting the hoist 4 to the container C is performed varies for each crane 1 and for each work day. The first time loading work of connecting or disconnecting the hoist 4 to the container C is when the crane 1 lifts the container C with the hoist 4 at the specified loading position Ta on a certain work day, or when the lifted container C is lowered.

The center coordinate Om indicates the center position of the cargo image 22 in a planar view based on the shape information of the cargo image 22. Since the container C forms a rectangle in a planar view, the center coordinate Om indicates the center position of that rectangle.

As shown in Figs. 4 to 7, the method of operating the crane 1 includes a process in which the image creation unit 31 creates an area image 20 and displays the created area image 20 on the display device 11 (Figs. 4 and 5), a process in which the coordinate setting unit 32 sets the loading position coordinate Qm to the set coordinates (Fig. 6), and a process in which the control command unit 34 sends a command signal and the crane control unit 30 moves the hoist 4 based on the command signal (Fig. 7). Of the respective processes, the display process and the setting process are repeated at a predetermined cycle. The process of moving the hoist 4 starts when an input is made by the input device 12 and ends when the movement of the hoist 4 is completed. The predetermined cycle refers to the cycle in which the imaging device 13 captures the captured image 21 and the coordinate acquisition device 14 acquires the position coordinate Pn. The progress of one cycle in the flow diagram is indicated by "return."

4 and 5, the process of creating the area image 20 starts when the operation of the crane 1 is started, and continues until the operation of the crane 1 is finished. When the operation of the crane 1 is started, the imaging device 13 captures the captured image 21 (S110). Next, the image creation unit 31 performs image processing on the captured image 21 sent from the imaging device 13 to identify the cargo image 22 in the captured image 21 (S120). Next, the image creation unit 31 calculates the center coordinate Om of the identified cargo image 22 (S130). For the cargo image 22 of the container C stored in the storage lane 7, the center coordinate Om of the cargo image 22 is calculated by image feature extraction of the image processing. Also, for the cargo image 22 showing the container C loaded on the transport chassis 8, the container C is identified by image recognition, and the center coordinate Om of the image portion of the identified container C is calculated by image feature extraction. Next, the center coordinates Om calculated by the image creation unit 31 are set as the set coordinates of the cargo object image 22 (S140).

Next, the image creation unit 31 updates the area image 20 (S150). Specifically, the image creation unit 31 replaces a part of the stored area image 20 with the captured image 21 created in steps S110 to S140, and compares the part with the captured image 21 to be replaced to identify the changed parts of the image (S151). In this step S151, the number j of changed parts and their positions are identified. Next, the image creation unit 31 checks whether or not the cargo image 22 exists in all of the identified changed parts and updates the set coordinates accordingly (S152). The image creation unit 31 determines whether or not the cargo image 22 that was in the stored area image 20 does not exist in the captured image 21 (S153), and if it is determined that the cargo image 22 does not exist (S153: YES), erases the set coordinates (S154). Next, the image creation unit 31 determines whether or not the captured image 21 contains a cargo object image 22 that is not present in the area image 20 stored therein (S155), and if it is determined that the cargo object image 22 is present (S155: YES), the image creation unit 31 sets the set coordinates of the cargo object image 22 to the center coordinates Om (S156). Next, the image creation unit 31 determines whether or not the captured image 21 contains a cargo object image 22 that was present in the area image 20 stored therein (S157). Next, if it is determined that the cargo object image 22 is present (S157: YES), the image creation unit 31 determines whether or not the cargo handling position coordinates Qm are set to the set coordinates of the cargo object image 22 that it has determined to be present (S158). If the cargo handling position coordinates Qm are not set to the cargo object image 22 that it has determined to be present (S158: NO), the image creation unit 31 sets the set coordinates of the cargo object image 22 to the center coordinates Om (S156). If the cargo handling position coordinates Qm are set for the cargo handling image 22 that is determined to exist (S158: YES), the image creation unit 31 sets the set coordinates of the cargo handling image 22 to the cargo handling position coordinates Qm (S159). The above steps S153 to S159 are performed for all of the identified change locations.

Next, the area image 20 created by the image creation unit 31 is sent to the display control unit 33, and the display control unit 33 displays the area image 20 on the display device 11 (S160). Through the above process of creating the area image 20, the multiple captured images 21 captured by the imaging device 13 are continuously connected together in a unified coordinate system, and the cargo image 22 showing the container C present in the captured images 21 is identified by image processing, and the area image 20 with the set coordinates set for the identified cargo image 22 is displayed on the display device 11.

6, the process of setting the set coordinates begins when the operation of the crane 1 is started, and the coordinate setting unit 32 starts monitoring the control of the crane control unit 30, and is repeated until the operation of the crane 1 is completed. When the control monitoring starts, the coordinate setting unit 32 determines whether the movement of the hoist 4 is completed and the hoist 4 has arrived at the specified loading position Ta (S210). When it is determined that the hoist 4 has arrived at the loading position Ta (S210: YES), the coordinate setting unit 32 determines whether the loading operation of connecting or disconnecting the hoist 4 and the container C has been completed (S220). Next, the coordinate acquisition device 14 acquires the position coordinate Pn (S230). Note that the position coordinate Pn acquired by the coordinate acquisition device 14 is preferably the position where the loading operation of connecting or disconnecting the hoist 4 and the container C has been completed, and is preferably acquired at a timing between the completion of the loading operation and before the traverse of the trolley 3 or the traveling device 6 starts traveling. Next, the coordinate setting unit 32 sets the position coordinate Pn acquired at that timing as the loading position coordinate Qm, and sets the loading position coordinate Qm to the set coordinate of the loading object image 22 (S240). Through the above process of setting the set coordinates, the set coordinate of the loading object image 22 is set to the loading position coordinate Qm when the loading operation of the container C is actually performed.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the operation of the crane 1 is started, the process of moving the hoist 4 begins with the control command unit 34 starting to monitor the input of the input device 12. When input monitoring starts, the control command unit 34 determines whether or not a loading position Ta has been specified by the input device 12 at any point of the area image 20 displayed on the display device 11 (S310).

When it is determined that the loading position Ta has been specified at an arbitrary location (S310: YES), the control command unit 34 determines whether or not the arbitrary location is within the range of the loading object image 22 (S320). When it is determined that the arbitrary location is within the range of the loading object image 22 (S320: YES), the control command unit 34 determines whether or not set coordinates have been set for that loading object image 22 (S330). When it is determined that set coordinates have been set (S330: YES), the control command unit 34 identifies the set coordinates as the position coordinates of the loading position Ta (S340).

If it is determined that any location is outside the range of the cargo image 22 (S320: NO), or if it is determined that no set coordinates have been set (S330: NO), the control command unit 34 identifies the coordinates of the any location as the position coordinates of the cargo handling position Ta (S350).

Then, the control command unit 34 transmits a command signal including the identified position coordinates to the crane control unit 30 (S360). Next, the crane control unit 30 receives the transmitted command signal and moves the hoisting tool 4 to the position coordinates included in the command signal (S370). When the movement of the hoisting tool 4 is completed, this process ends. Through the above process of moving the hoisting tool 4, the hoisting tool 4 is moved to the loading position Ta specified by the input device 12. Note that if it is determined that the loading position Ta has not been specified (S310: NO), this is the case when the virtual operating device displayed on the display device 11 has been operated, and a command signal based on that operation is generated and transmitted to the crane control unit 30.

When the operation system 10 of the present disclosure performs the first loading operation of the loading object at the loading position Ta designated by the designation device, the position coordinate Pn acquired by the coordinate acquisition device 14 is stored as the loading position coordinate Qm. Then, when the same loading position Ta is designated again by the designation device after storing the loading position coordinate Qm, the operation system 10 moves the hoist 4 to the stored loading position coordinate Qm. In this way, according to the operation system 10, from the second time onwards, excluding the first time, the hoist 4 is moved to the loading position coordinate Qm when the loading operation of the container C was actually performed, thereby enabling highly accurate alignment to the designated loading position Ta. This is advantageous in shortening the time required for alignment to the loading position Ta, and can improve loading efficiency.

The operation system 10 is configured such that the designation device has a display device 11 and an input device 12, and the remote operation control device 16 determines whether the loading position Ta input by the input device 12 is within the range of the loading object image 22 of the area image 20 displayed on the display device 11, and whether the set coordinates are set in the loading object image 22. In this way, the operation system 10 can specify either the set coordinates set in the loading object image 22 or the coordinates of an arbitrary location as the position coordinates of the loading position Ta, and move the hoist 4 to the specified position coordinates. This makes it possible to roughly align the container C to a location where no loading work is being performed, or to a container C mounted on a transport chassis 8 and whose position coordinates are difficult to specify, thereby simplifying the operation of the crane 1. Note that even if the loading position Ta is specified on a non-illustrated image 24 in which the hoist 4 has not been moved, the coordinates of an arbitrary location are similarly specified as the position coordinates, and the hoist 4 can be moved within the range of the non-illustrated image 24.

The operation system 10 is configured to calculate a center coordinate Om indicating the center position of the cargo object image 22 in a planar view based on the shape information of the cargo object image 22, and set the calculated center coordinate Om as the set coordinate for the cargo object image 22 in the area image 20 whose cargo object position coordinate Qm is not set to the set coordinate. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of rough alignment for a location where a container C is stored but no cargo handling work is being performed there, or for a container C mounted on a transport chassis 8 and whose position coordinate is difficult to identify.

The operation system 10 is configured such that the designation device has an imaging device 13, and displays on the display device 11 an area image 20 in which captured images 21 captured by the imaging device 13 are continuously joined together in a unified coordinate system. The operation system 10 is also configured to identify a cargo object image 22 in the area image 20, and set coordinates for the identified cargo object image 22. In this way, the operation system 10 makes it possible to visually input the designation of the cargo handling position Ta. This avoids the complexity of operating the crane 1, and enables even an inexperienced driver to perform cargo handling work with high precision.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the operation system 10 and the method of operating the crane 1 of the present disclosure are not limited to specific embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

The operation system 10 can also be applied to cranes that handle objects other than containers C, and can be applied to any crane that handles objects that can be stacked vertically, such as containers C. Examples of such objects include steel pieces (slabs, blooms, billets, etc.) other than the containers C of this embodiment. The operation system 10 can also be applied to cranes other than the crane 1 that handles containers C across the storage lane 7 in the X direction, and examples of such cranes include cranes that handle containers C to ships docked at a quay and cranes that handle steel pieces. The configuration of the crane 1 can also be, for example, a configuration in which the traveling device 6 has wheels that roll on the lane, or a configuration without a leg structure like a so-called overhead crane, and is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment.

As illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, the operation system 10 of the present disclosure is applied to a crane 30 that loads and unloads containers C onto a ship 9 docked at a quay. The crane 30 loads and unloads containers C at a different location from the crane 1 described above, but the structure is the same, so the same reference numerals will be used for the same components and equipment. Note that the girder 2 of the crane 30 is structured to protrude in the X direction from the leg structure 5 relative to the girder 2 of the crane 1, but it extends in the X direction and is treated as the same component as the girder 2 of the crane 1.

The area image 20 of the operation system 10 of the crane 30 has the ship 9 and the quay where the transport chassis 8 is parked set as the predetermined area. The ship 9 has a cell structure consisting of cell guides erected in the Z direction at the four corners of the container C. The area image 20 is a planar image of the ship 9 and the quay.

The storage position of the container C of the ship 9 varies greatly from the storage yard depending on its shape and docking position, and can be difficult to predict. According to the operation system 10 disclosed herein, from the second time onwards, excluding the first time, the hoisting device 4 is moved to the loading position coordinate Qm when the loading and unloading work of the container C was actually performed, making it possible to align with the specified loading and unloading position Ta with high precision. This is advantageous in shortening the time required to align with the loading and unloading position Ta, even if the storage position changes for each docked ship 9, and can improve loading and unloading efficiency.

The designation device of the operation system 10 need only be capable of designating the loading position Ta, and need not be limited to the configuration of this embodiment. The operation system 10 of this embodiment is a system applied to remote operation of the crane 1 by an operator, and in the case where the operation system 10 is a system for automatically driving the crane 1, the designation device may be a host system that manages the container C. The host system designates the loading position Ta by dividing the storage lane 7 in the X direction as a bay, the Y direction as a row, and the Z direction as a tier. When the loading position Ta is designated by the host system, as in this embodiment, moving the hoist 4 to the loading position coordinate Qm from the second time onwards, except for the first time, is advantageous for improving loading efficiency.

In addition, when the operation system 10 is a system for remotely operating the crane 1, the designation device may be capable of visually designating the loading position Ta, and may not be limited to the configuration of this embodiment. The designation device may have a surveying device that surveys spatial information of a portion of a specified area instead of the imaging device 13. Examples of the surveying device include a two-dimensional laser scanner and a three-dimensional laser scanner. In this case, the remote operation control device 16 draws the portion of the storage yard surveyed by the surveying device as an area image 20 based on multiple pieces of spatial position information surveyed by the surveying device while the hoist 4 is moving to the designated loading position Ta. Next, the remote operation control device 16 may be configured to identify the shape of the container C present in the area image 20, draw the identified shape of the container C as a loading object image 22 in the area image 20, and control the display device 11 to display the area image 20 in a state in which the set coordinates are set in the drawn loading object image 22. In this way, the area image 20 does not have to be an actual image, and may be a modeled image.

The area image 20 may depict images other than the cargo image 22, the pointer image 23, and the blank image 24. For example, an image showing the position of the crane 1 may be drawn based on the position coordinates Pn of the trolley 3 acquired by the coordinate position acquisition device 14. Also, if the position of the transport chassis 8 can be identified, an image showing the transport chassis 8 may be drawn.

The input device 12 of the designated device is not limited to a touch panel, but may be any device (pointing device) that can point to and select any location on the area image 20 displayed on the display device 11. For example, a mouse is an example of the input device 12. The input device 12 may also be a keyboard that can input an address so that a higher-level system can specify an address, or a device that recognizes voice and converts it into a string of characters.

The display device 11 and input device 12 of the designated device are not limited to a touch panel monitor installed in a remote location, and may be replaced by, for example, a portable device that the driver can carry with him. Also, an operating device operated by the driver may be provided separately from the input device 12.

The imaging device 13 of the designated device is preferably installed on the trolley 3 since its position in the Z direction is approximately fixed, but it may also be installed on the sling 4. If the imaging device 13 is installed on the sling 4, it is possible to unify the coordinate system of each captured image 21 by taking into account the Z direction position coordinate of the sling 4 when creating the area image 20.

When multiple cranes 1 perform loading and unloading work on containers C in a storage yard, the area image 20 may be created by connecting the captured images 21 captured by the imaging devices 13 installed on each crane 1 in a unified coordinate system. In this case, the loading position coordinates Qm set in the loading object image 22 may use the position coordinates Pn acquired by the coordinate acquisition device 14 installed on each crane 1. However, the position coordinates at the same loading position Ta may differ for each crane 1 due to distortion of the structure or deterioration of the device over time. In addition, the slope of the road surface of the storage yard may change. For this reason, it is desirable to share the area image 20 with each crane 1 and set the set coordinates for each crane 1. For the same reason, when the same crane 1 performs loading and unloading work on containers C across days, it is desirable to reset the set coordinates for each work day or for each specified work schedule. Note that if the position coordinates do not differ, it is not necessary to reset the set coordinates.

The control device does not have to be separated into the crane control device 15 and the remote operation control device 16, and may be a single control device equipped with these functional elements. In addition, when the position coordinate Pn acquired by the coordinate acquisition device 14 when the container C is unloaded at the specified unloading position Ta differs from the set unloading position coordinate Qm, the control device may store the acquired position coordinate Pn as a new unloading position coordinate Qm and set the newly stored unloading position coordinate Qm to the set coordinate of the unloaded object image 22. This makes it possible to reset the unloading position coordinate Qm to match the changes in conditions even if the structure of the crane 1 is distorted, the device deteriorates over time, or the road surface of the storage yard changes, making it possible to suppress a decrease in the accuracy of alignment.

When the center coordinates Om or the coordinates of an arbitrary location are specified as the position coordinates of the loading position Ta, the position coordinates may be corrected to coordinates shifted from the center coordinates Om or the coordinates of the arbitrary location, or an alignment area based on those coordinates may be set. For example, when the loading position Ta is specified, the route for moving the hoist 4 to the loading position Ta may be predicted, and the coordinates may be set just before the hoist 4 reaches the center coordinates Om or the coordinates of the arbitrary location. The center coordinates Om and the coordinates of the arbitrary location are rough coordinate specifications, and when the crane 1 stops traveling in accordance with the center coordinates Om or the coordinates of the arbitrary location, the position where the loading and unloading work of the container C is actually performed may be passed. At this time, it is necessary to run the crane 1 again by the traveling device 6 or to move the trolley 3 again for alignment. In this way, moving the position of the hoist 4 again for alignment may not only increase the time required for alignment, but may also increase the swing of the hoist 4. Therefore, when specifying rough coordinates, it is advantageous for alignment to set the coordinates closer than the specified coordinates.

The undrawn image 24 is an image showing a portion of the area image 20 where the captured image 21 does not exist. However, if the cargo is arranged in a matrix like the container C as in this embodiment, the corresponding portion may be extracted and displayed from a design drawing or storage plan drawing of the storage yard in the upper system. Such a design drawing or plan drawing contains an image similar to the cargo image 22, and it is also possible to draw the cargo image 22 based on that image. In addition, when displaying the corresponding portion of such a design drawing or plan drawing in the undrawn image 24, the target storage position coordinates of the container C in the design drawing or plan drawing may be set as the set coordinates. In this way, by displaying the corresponding design drawing or plan drawing as the undrawn image 24 and setting the target storage position coordinates to an image similar to the cargo image 22 drawn in it, it is advantageous to improve the accuracy of rough alignment.

Reference Signs List 1 Crane 2 Girder 3 Trolley 4 Hoisting equipment 6 Traveling device 10 Operation system 11 Display device 12 Input device 13 Imaging device 14 Coordinate acquisition device 15 Crane control device 16 Remote operation control device

Claims (6)

A crane operation system that moves the hoisting device of a crane having a girder extending in one direction, a trolley that moves laterally along the girder, a hoisting device that is suspended from the trolley and can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction and is connected to a load, and a traveling device that travels the crane in a direction perpendicular to the one direction to a loading position where a loading operation of the load is performed,
A designation device that designates the loading position, a control device that controls the movement of the hoisting tool to the loading position designated by the designation device by the lateral movement of the trolley and the travel device, and a coordinate acquisition device that acquires the position coordinates of the trolley or the hoisting tool,
The designation device has a display device that displays an area image including a cargo object image showing cargo objects present in a predetermined area, and an input device that performs an input to designate any part of the area image as a cargo handling position,
When a loading operation of connecting or disconnecting the lifting tool to the loading object is performed for the first time at the specified loading position, the control device stores the position coordinates acquired by the coordinate acquisition device as loading position coordinates, and sets the loading position coordinates as the setting coordinates of the loading object image.
When the arbitrary point input by the input device is within the range of the cargo image and the set coordinates are set in the cargo image, the set coordinates are identified as the position coordinates of the cargo position specified by the input device, and the hoist is moved to the identified set coordinates;
A crane operation system characterized in that, when the arbitrary location is outside the range of the cargo handling image, or when it is within the range of the cargo handling image and the set coordinates are not set in the cargo handling image, the coordinates of the arbitrary location are identified as the position coordinates of the cargo handling position specified by the input device, and the hoisting device is controlled to move to the identified coordinates. the designation device has an imaging device that is installed on the trolley or the hoisting tool and captures an image of a portion of the area,
2. The crane operation system according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to continuously connect, in a unified coordinate system, a plurality of captured images taken by the imaging device while the hoisting tool is moving to a loading position specified by the input device, identify the loaded object image showing the loaded object present in the captured images by image processing of the captured images, and control the display device to display the area image with the set coordinates set for the identified loaded object image. the designation device has a surveying device that is installed on the trolley or the hoisting tool and that measures spatial position information of a portion of the area,
The crane operation system of claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to control the display device to draw the portion of the area surveyed by the surveying device as an area image based on multiple spatial position information surveyed by the surveying device while the hoisting device is moving to the loading position specified by the input device, identify the shape of the loading object present in the drawn area image, draw the identified shape of the loading object in the area image as the loading object image, and display the area image on the display device with the setting coordinates set in the drawn loading object image. The crane operation system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the control device is configured to calculate center coordinates indicating the center position of the specified cargo image in a planar view based on the shape information of the cargo image, and set the calculated center coordinates as the set coordinates of the cargo image in the area image for which the cargo position coordinates are not set as the set coordinates of the cargo image. The crane operation system according to claim 1, wherein the control device displays on the display device a design drawing or storage plan drawing of the storage yard where the cargo is stored as a blank image showing the area where the hoisting device is not moving, sets an image similar to the cargo image on the design drawing or storage plan drawing as the cargo image, and sets the target storage position coordinates on the design drawing or storage plan drawing as the position coordinates of the cargo image. A method for operating a crane, in which when a loading position for loading an object is designated by a designation device, a control device moves a hoisting tool to the loading position designated by the designation device by traversing a trolley and traveling with a traveling device, comprising:
When a loading operation of connecting or disconnecting the hoist to the cargo is performed for the first time at the specified loading position, the coordinate acquisition device acquires the position coordinates of the trolley or the hoist, the control device stores the position coordinates as loading position coordinates, and the loading position coordinates are set as the set coordinates of a loading object image showing the loading object present in a specified area included in an area image displayed on a display device of the designation device,
When an input is made to designate an arbitrary portion of the area image as a loading position by an input device of the designation device,
When the arbitrary location is within the range of the cargo image and the set coordinates are set in the cargo image, the control device identifies the set coordinates that are set as the position coordinates of the cargo position specified by the input device, and moves the hoist to the identified set coordinates;
A method of operating a crane, characterized in that when the arbitrary location is outside the range of the cargo handling image, or when it is within the range of the cargo handling image and the set coordinates are not set for that cargo handling image, the control device identifies the coordinates of the arbitrary location as the position coordinates of the cargo handling position specified by the input device, and moves the hoisting device to the identified coordinates.

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