JP7694473B2 - Transport container inspection device, transport container inspection method, and transport container loading/unloading system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a transport container inspection device, a transport container inspection method, and a transport container loading/unloading system.

Traditionally, in container transport operations, maintenance management of the container itself has been important to protect the cargo from temperature and humidity changes during transport. Therefore, the exterior and interior of the container are visually inspected when it is brought in and taken out. As a result, various technologies have been proposed to realize automation to reduce manpower and improve inspection quality.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an automated inspection method that detects images that include at least a portion of one of the bottom, back, front, sides, and/or roof of a shipping container and a container code that appears in at least one of the images, identifies one or more characteristics of the shipping container, and identifies and evaluates the condition of the shipping container based on the identified physical characteristics.

For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for detecting and predicting abnormalities in a transport container based on information obtained from a temperature sensor attached to the transport container, the technology having a first image acquisition means for irradiating a container with a predetermined light and capturing an image of the light reflected from the container surface to acquire image data, a second image acquisition means for capturing an image of a predetermined position on the container to acquire image data of the surface, a damage recognition means for recognizing damage on the container surface from the image data acquired by the first image acquisition means, a damage discrimination means for discriminating the type of damage to the container from the image data acquired by the first image acquisition means, and a display screen generation means for generating a screen that displays a superimposed image data acquired by the second image acquisition means and the damage discrimination result acquired by the damage discrimination means.

Special Publication No. 2022-514859 JP 2007-322173 A

However, when transport vessels such as containers are brought into and taken out of storage facilities such as multi-story hangars, it is very laborious to thoroughly inspect the condition of the entire surface of the transport vessel. However, neither of the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 nor 2 considers a specific method for detecting damage to the entire surface of the transport vessel, particularly the bottom surface. Therefore, there is a demand for a technique that can easily detect damage and other conditions over the entire surface of the transport vessel.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and its purpose is to provide a transport container inspection device, a transport container inspection method, and a transport container loading/unloading system that can easily inspect the condition of the entire surface of a transport container.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, a transport container inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a transport container inspection device used in a transport container input/output system having a loading and rotation mechanism having a base portion on which a transport container can be placed and configured to rotate around an axis in order to transport a transport container into or out of a designated storage facility, and a gripping and lifting mechanism configured to grip the transport container and lift the transport container above the base portion of the loading and rotation mechanism, the transport container inspection device having a grasping unit that grasps the outer surface condition of the transport container, and a control unit, the grasping unit performing a first acquisition operation of acquiring first outer surface information by scanning or imaging a first outer surface portion of the transport container placed on the base portion of the loading and rotation mechanism in conjunction with a rotation operation, and a second acquisition operation of acquiring second outer surface information by scanning or imaging a second outer surface portion of the transport container gripped above the base portion of the loading and rotation mechanism by the gripping and lifting mechanism, and the control unit generates outer surface condition information of the transport container based on the first outer surface information and the second outer surface information.

In the transport container inspection device according to one aspect of the present invention, in the above invention, the grasping unit includes a light emitting unit arranged at a predetermined position, and a light detecting unit that detects light information obtained from the transport container by irradiating the transport container with light irradiated from the light emitting unit in a predetermined range, and the first acquisition operation is an operation of scanning the first outer surface portion of the transport container placed on the base part of the placement and rotation mechanism with light irradiated from the light emitting unit in conjunction with a rotation operation, and acquiring the first outer surface information of the transport container from the light detecting unit, and the second acquisition operation is an operation of scanning the second outer surface portion of the transport container held above the base part of the placement and rotation mechanism by the gripping and lifting mechanism with light irradiated from the light emitting unit, and acquiring the second outer surface information of the transport container from the light detecting unit.

In the transport container inspection device according to one aspect of the present invention, in the above invention, the grasping unit includes an imaging unit arranged at a predetermined position, the first acquisition operation is an operation of acquiring the first outer surface information of the transport container obtained by imaging the first outer surface portion of the transport container placed on the base portion of the placement and rotation mechanism in conjunction with the rotation operation of the transport container with the imaging unit, and the second acquisition operation is an operation of acquiring the second outer surface information of the transport container obtained by imaging the second outer surface portion of the transport container gripped above the base portion of the placement and rotation mechanism by the gripping and lifting mechanism with the imaging unit.

In the transport container inspection device according to one aspect of the present invention, in the above invention, the first acquisition operation is controlled so that the light irradiated from the light emitting section scans the first outer surface portion of the transport container at regular intervals in response to the rotation of the transport container placed on the base section of the mounting and rotating mechanism.

In the transport container inspection device according to one aspect of the present invention, in the above invention, the light emission position of the light emission section of the grasping section can be changed between the first acquisition operation and the second acquisition operation.

In one aspect of the present invention, in the above invention, the imaging position of the imaging section of the grasping section can be changed between the first acquisition operation and the second acquisition operation.

In one aspect of the present invention, the transport container inspection device is the above invention, in which the first outer surface portion scanned or imaged by the grasping unit is an outer surface portion other than the placement surface on which the transport container is placed on the base unit, and the second outer surface portion scanned or imaged by the grasping unit is the placement surface portion.

A transport container inspection method according to one aspect of the present invention is a transport container inspection method in a transport container loading/unloading system having a mounting and rotating mechanism having a base portion on which a transport container is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis in order to load the transport container into or unload the transport container from a specified storage facility, and a gripping and lifting mechanism configured to grip the transport container and be liftable above the base portion of the mounting and rotating mechanism, and includes the steps of: performing a first acquisition operation to acquire first exterior information by scanning or imaging a first exterior portion of the transport container mounted on the base portion of the mounting and rotating mechanism in conjunction with a rotation operation; performing a second acquisition operation to acquire second exterior information by scanning or imaging a second exterior portion of the transport container gripped above the base portion of the mounting and rotating mechanism by the gripping and lifting mechanism; and generating exterior condition information of the transport container based on the first exterior information and the second exterior information.

A transport container loading/unloading system according to one aspect of the present invention is a transport container loading/unloading system for loading transport containers into or unloading them from a specified storage facility, and includes a loading/rotating mechanism having a base on which the transport container can be placed and configured to be rotatable around an axis, a gripping/lifting mechanism configured to grip the transport container and be liftable above the base of the loading/rotating mechanism, a grasping unit that grasps the external surface condition of the transport container, and a control unit, the grasping unit performs a first acquisition operation to acquire first external surface information by scanning or imaging a first external surface portion of the transport container placed on the base of the loading/rotating mechanism in conjunction with a rotation operation, and a second acquisition operation to acquire second external surface information by scanning or imaging a second external surface portion of the transport container gripped above the base of the loading/rotating mechanism by the gripping/lifting mechanism, and the control unit generates external surface condition information of the transport container based on the first external surface information and the second external surface information.

In one aspect of the present invention, the transport container loading/unloading system obtains identification information for identifying the transport container based on the exterior condition information of the transport container.

The transport container inspection device, transport container inspection method, and transport container loading/unloading system of the present invention make it possible to easily inspect the condition of the entire surface of a transport container.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a multi-story storage facility control system to which an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining a container inspection method in the multi-story storage facility control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method for controlling the rotational position of a turntable provided in a multi-level storage facility according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a method of controlling the rotational position of a turntable provided in a multi-level storage facility according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating a method for controlling the rotational position of a turntable provided in a multi-level storage facility according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating a method for controlling the rotational position of a turntable provided in a multi-level storage facility according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a method for detecting a damaged state of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating data flow in a hangar control system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings of the embodiment below, the same or corresponding parts are given the same reference numerals. The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below. The embodiment described below is, for example, a technology for improving the functionality of a multi-story hangar, and in particular, relates to the maintenance of transport vessels such as containers, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a storage facility control system as a transport container loading/unloading system according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, a storage facility control system 1 equipped with a transport container inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention has a learning device 10, a control device 20, and a multi-level storage facility 30 that can communicate with each other via a network 2. The control device 20 may be equipped with the learning device 10. The multi-level storage facility 30 may be equipped with at least one of the learning device 10 and the control device 20. Furthermore, only a storage section (not shown) for containers 38 in the multi-level storage facility 30 may be provided separately. The control device 20 is configured to be able to collect various information from the multi-level storage facility 30 via the network 2. When the multi-level storage facility 30 is equipped with the control device 20, the control device 20 executes the operations of the control unit 31 and the ID recognition unit 32 described below.

Network 2 is, for example, a public communication network such as the Internet, and is composed of one or more combinations of, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone, a public line, a VPN (Virtual Private Network), and a dedicated line. Network 2 appropriately combines wired communication and wireless communication.

(Multi-level storage facility)
The three-dimensional storage facility 30 as an inspection facility is, for example, a storage facility such as a three-dimensional hangar in which containers 38 as transport containers are stored. The three-dimensional storage facility 30 is provided with a control unit 31, an ID recognition unit 32, a sensor unit 33, an imaging unit 34, a turntable 37, a crane 39, and a storage unit (not shown). The storage unit is configured to be able to store the containers 38. It is also possible not to provide the imaging unit 34. At least one of the sensor unit 33 and the imaging unit 34 constitutes a grasping unit in the storage facility control system 1.

The control unit 31 has a communication unit 31a capable of communicating via the network 2. Specifically, the control unit 31 as a control means has a processor having hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and a main memory unit such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory) (none of which are shown). The communication unit 31a as a communication means is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board or a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. The LAN interface board and the wireless communication circuit are connected to the network 2. The communication unit 31a is connected to the network 2 and communicates with the learning device 10 and the control device 20.

The ID recognition unit 32 is configured to be able to recognize the container identification ID of the container 38 under the control of the control unit 31. The sensor unit 33 is configured with at least one distance measurement sensor. When the sensor unit 33 measures distance by irradiating a predetermined range of an object with light such as laser light, the sensor unit 33 is configured with a light emitting unit that emits laser light and a light detecting unit that detects transmitted light that has passed through the object to be irradiated and reflected light that has been reflected from the object as optical information. The sensor that constitutes the sensor unit 33 may specifically include a distance measurement sensor such as a LiDAR (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), a laser scan sensor, or a TOF (Time Of Flight) camera that irradiates laser light, an X-ray sensor that irradiates X-rays, and an infrared sensor that irradiates infrared light, or a sensor that combines these sensors. Here, the distance measurement sensor can measure the distance from the installation position to the surface of the container 38 by irradiating and reflecting a predetermined light such as laser light. The distance measurement sensor can perform so-called sensing, which measures the distance to the surface of the container 38 in association with two-dimensional position information from the installation position to the surface of the container 38. Sensing includes various measurements performed by the sensor unit 33, but it is particularly preferable to use measurements that include distance measurement (distance measurement) using light irradiation and reflection. As two-dimensional position information, coordinates P(x, y) on the xy plane and coordinates P(r, θ) at distance r and rotation angle θ can be used. The sensor unit 33 outputs the distance measurement value measured by sensing to the control unit 31. The control unit 31 transmits the acquired distance measurement value to the control device 20 via the communication unit 31a.

The imaging unit 34 is disposed at a predetermined position and is composed of at least one imaging device. Examples of the imaging device include a camera that captures still images and a camera that captures video. Here, the imaging device can capture the external surface condition of the surface of the container 38 by capturing images or videos based on the reflection of light from an object using, for example, a CCD camera. Note that sensing includes various types of imaging performed by the imaging unit 34.

The turntable 37 as a loading and rotating mechanism is provided, for example, at an entrance/exit for loading and unloading containers 38 in the multi-story storage facility 30. The turntable 37 has a base on which a container 38 brought in from the outside by a moving body such as a truck, cargo ship, or aircraft, or a container 38 transported from a storage facility (not shown) in the multi-story storage facility 30 can be placed, and is configured to be rotatable around a predetermined axis. The control unit 31 controls the rotation speed (rpm), rotation angular velocity (rad/s), rotation angle θ (rad), rotation start, rotation stop, stop position, rotation angle, and the like of the turntable 37. In other words, the multi-story storage facility 30 constitutes a turntable control system that controls the turntable 37 by the control unit 31.

The crane 39 as a gripping and lifting mechanism is composed of a ceiling crane or the like that is provided above the turntable 37 at the entrance/exit for loading and unloading the container 38 in the multi-story storage facility 30. The crane 39 is composed of, for example, a stacker crane that is capable of gripping and suspending the container 38. The gripping, release, horizontal movement, lifting, lowering, movement speed, stopping position, etc. of the container 38 in the crane 39 are controlled by the control unit 31. In other words, the multi-story storage facility 30 constitutes a crane control system that controls the crane 29 by the control unit 31.

(Learning device)
In this embodiment, the learning device 10 as a machine learning device is configured to be able to acquire sensor information such as point cloud information on the outer surface 38a of the container 38 obtained by detection by the sensor unit 33 in the multi-story storage facility 30, and image information of the container 38 obtained by imaging by the imaging unit 34. Note that video data obtained by imaging the video unit 34 can be treated as multiple image data, and therefore image data includes the concept of imaging data. The learning device 10 executes a data collection process to collect, via the network 2, various pieces of information transmitted from at least one multi-story storage facility 30 having a communication unit (not shown).

The learning device 10 is capable of performing machine learning using various collected information. The learning device 10 includes a control unit 11, a memory unit 12, a communication unit 13, an output unit 14, and an input unit 15. The control unit 11 and the communication unit 13 are functionally and physically configured in the same manner as the control unit 31 and the communication unit 31a, respectively. The communication unit 13 is connected to the network 2 and communicates with the control device 20 and the multi-level storage facility 30.

The storage unit 12 is physically composed of a storage medium selected from a volatile memory such as a RAM, a non-volatile memory such as a ROM, an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), and a removable medium. The removable medium is, for example, a universal serial bus (USB) memory, or a disk recording medium such as a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), or a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc (BD). The storage unit 12 may also be configured using a computer-readable recording medium such as an externally mountable memory card. The storage unit 12 can store an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, various databases, and the like for executing the operation of the learning device 10. The various programs include the learning model and neural network according to this embodiment. These various programs can also be recorded on computer-readable recording media such as hard disks, flash memory, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, and flexible disks, and widely distributed.

In this embodiment, the control unit 11 loads a program stored in the memory unit 12 into the working area of the main memory unit, executes it, and controls each component through the execution of the program, thereby realizing a function that meets a predetermined purpose. Specifically, the control unit 11 can realize the functions of the learning unit 111, the prediction unit 112, the calculation unit 113, and the state input unit 114 by executing the program.

The control unit 11 executes a program to execute the function of the learning unit 111. The learning unit 111 can perform machine learning based on an input/output data set received by the learning device 10. The learning unit 111 can perform machine learning using a teacher input/output data set in which sensor information such as point cloud information obtained by measurement by the sensor unit 33 and the like and image information obtained by image capture by the image capture unit 34 and the like are used as teacher input parameters, and container damage information of the container 38 is used as teacher output parameters. Machine learning by the learning unit 111 enables the control unit 11 to recognize, for example, damage information (also referred to as damage information) from the point cloud information and image information using a point cloud recognition algorithm and an image recognition algorithm. Note that the damage information includes not only specific damage to a container such as the container 38, but also deterioration.

The learning unit 111 stores the learning result regarding the determination of the state of the container 38, such as the damage state, generated by the learning in the storage unit 12 as the container state learning model 123 as a container state learning model. The learning unit 111 may store the latest learning model at a predetermined timing in the storage unit 12 separately from the neural network performing the learning. When storing in the storage unit 12, the old container state learning model 123 may be deleted and the latest container state learning model 123 may be stored as an update, or the latest container state learning model 123 may be stored while preserving a part or all of the old container state learning model 123. In addition, in generating the container state learning model 123, unsupervised learning may be adopted in addition to supervised learning. The container state learning model 123 may be various learning models generated by, for example, deep learning or a recurrent neural network (RNN) such as LSTM (Long short-term memory). In other words, various models can be used as long as they are models used in artificial intelligence (AI) that can extract abnormal parts from sensor information obtained by measuring an object using the sensor unit 33 and image information obtained by capturing an image of the object using the imaging unit 34.

The memory unit 12 stores a container information database 121 and a container identification ID database 122. The container information database 121 stores basic container information, such as the dimensions (length, width, height, and depth) and specifications of the container 38 (hereinafter, container basic information), in a searchable manner.

The container information database 121 further stores information on damage to the container 38 (container damage information) as container damage information, and information on changes over time of the container 38 (container aging information) as container aging information. The container information includes container basic information, container damage information, and container aging information. The container basic information, container damage information, and container aging information acquired by the status input unit 114 are associated with a container identification ID as identification information for the container 38, and are stored in the container information database 121 in a searchable state.

Container information as container information including container aging information as transport container aging information may include, for example, information such as the delivery route of the container 38, the orderer (ordering company), the delivery company, and repair history. The delivery route information includes, for example, information such as the country of origin and the country of destination, and the specific route. The repair history information includes, for example, information such as the time of repair and the repaired part. The container information may include image information capturing an image of the state of the container 38 and sensor information sensing the container 38. The sensor information may include at least one of distance information from a distance sensor, X-ray information from an X-ray sensor, and infrared information from an infrared sensor.

The container time information includes information in which container damage information associated with a container identification ID for identifying each container 38 is associated with time and organized in a chronological order. The container time information also includes image information (container damage information) as part of the exterior information obtained by capturing an image of the damage state of the container 38, and sensor information (damage sensor information) as part of the exterior information obtained by sensing the damage state of the container 38. The damage image information may be image information in which the damage state of the container 38 is divided by color or hatching. These various pieces of information regarding the container 38 are stored in the container information database 221 as container time information according to the time history, associated with the container identification ID, respectively. The container basic information, container damage information, and container time information may each be stored in the storage unit 22 as individual databases. Even in this case, the container basic information, container damage information, and container time information are each stored in the container identification ID database 222 and associated with the container identification ID, respectively. The container information is not limited to the information described above.

Container information database 121 stores searchable container information associated with a container identification ID. The container identification ID includes various pieces of information specific to container 38 for identifying each individual container 38 from others, and includes information necessary to access control device 20 and multi-level storage facility 30 when communicating information related to container 38. Each container identification ID stored in container identification ID database 122 is associated with the corresponding container 38 in container information database 121.

The output unit 14 as an output means is configured to notify the outside of specified information by displaying characters, figures, etc. on the screen of a display such as a liquid crystal display or plasma display, or by outputting sound from a speaker, according to the control of the control unit 11. Furthermore, the output unit 14 includes a printer that outputs the specified information by printing it on printing paper, etc. The various information stored in the memory unit 12 can be confirmed, for example, on a monitor of the output unit 14 installed in a specified office, etc.

The input unit 15 as an input means is, for example, a keyboard or a touch panel keyboard that is built into the output unit 14 and detects touch operations on the display panel, or a voice input device that enables calls to be made with the outside. The input unit 15 may be integrated with the output unit 14 to serve as an input/output unit such as a touch panel display or a speaker/microphone.

(Control device)
The control device 20 has a configuration capable of communicating with the learning device 10 and the three-dimensional storage facility 30 via the network 2. The control device 20 includes a control unit 21, a memory unit 22, a communication unit 23, an output unit 24, and an input unit 25. The control unit 21, the memory unit 22, the communication unit 23, the output unit 24, and the input unit 25 each have the same physical and functional configurations as the control units 11, 31, the memory unit 12, the communication units 13, 31a, the output unit 14, and the input unit 15 described above.

In this embodiment, the control unit 21 loads a program stored in the memory unit 22 into the working area of the main memory unit, executes it, and controls each component through the execution of the program, thereby realizing a function that meets a predetermined purpose. Specifically, the control unit 21 can realize the functions of the loading/unloading management unit 211 and the ID recognition unit 212 by executing the program.

The loading/unloading management unit 211 performs various management of the container 38, such as loading into and unloading from the multi-level storage facility 30. The ID recognition unit 212 acquires a unique container identification ID from each container 38 to identify the container 38 from each other. Since the unique container identification ID of the container 38 is often displayed on the outer surface of the container 38, the ID recognition unit 32 of the multi-level storage facility 30 can extract the container identification ID from image data or sensor information. That is, the container identification ID can be identified by transmitting image data of the container 38 captured by the imaging unit 34 or sensor information detected by the sensor unit 33 to the ID recognition unit 32. In addition, if the container identification ID is recorded by an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) device, the ID recognition unit 32 may sense the RFID and acquire the container identification ID from the container 38.

The ID recognition unit 32 of the multi-level storage facility 30 transmits the acquired container identification ID information to the ID recognition unit 212 of the control device 20. The ID recognition unit 212 stores the recognized container identification ID in the container identification ID database 222 and associates it with the corresponding container 38 in the container information database 221. The container information database 221 stores container information in a searchable manner, associated with the container identification ID. The container identification ID includes various information for identifying each container 38 from another, and includes information required to access the learning device 10 and the control device 20 when communicating information related to the container 38.

The storage unit 22 stores a container information database 221 and a container identification ID database 222. The container information database 221 stores information such as the dimensions (length, width, height, and depth) and specifications of the container 38 (hereinafter, container basic information) in a searchable manner as basic container information. The container information database 221 further stores information on damage to the container 38 (container damage information) as container damage information, and information on changes over time of the container 38 (container aging information) as container aging information. The container information includes container basic information, container damage information, and container aging information. The container basic information and container aging information acquired by the loading/unloading management unit 211 are associated with the container identification ID of the container 38 and stored in the container information database 221 in a searchable state. In addition, container IDs set for each shape of the container 38 (hereinafter, container shape identification IDs) can also be stored in the container identification ID database 122. The container shape identification ID is an ID that does not identify individual containers 38, but does identify the shape of the container 38.

In other words, in the memory unit 22 of the control device 20, previously stored container information (basic container information, container aging information, container damage information) is associated with the container identification ID and stored in a searchable container information database 221. The container information database 221 and container identification ID database 222 stored in the memory unit 22 are configured to be synchronized with the container information database 121 and container identification ID database 122 stored in the memory unit 12 of the learning device 10 as appropriate, at any time, or as needed.

The communication unit 23 is connected to the network 2 and is capable of communicating with the learning device 10 and the three-dimensional storage facility 30. The communication unit 23 collects various information, such as sensor information obtained by the sensor unit 33 and image information captured by the imaging unit 34, by command signals output based on the control of the control unit 21. Note that the information transmitted and received by the communication unit 23 is not limited to these pieces of information. In this embodiment, the control device 20 can also function as a cloud server capable of communicating via the network 2.

As described above, by configuring a multi-story storage facility control system using the control device 20 and the multi-story storage facility 30, it is possible to integrate and control the subsystems, and to control damage detection processing, storage in the container information database 221, etc.

(Container inspection method)
Next, a method for inspecting a container 38 by the storage facility control system 1 configured as above will be described. Fig. 2 is a flow chart for explaining the method for inspecting a container 38 according to this embodiment. In the following description, transmission, reception, supply, or acquisition of information between the learning device 10, the control device 20, and the multi-story storage facility 30 is performed via the communication units 13, 23, 31a and the network 2, but a detailed description of each will be omitted.

2, in step ST1, the container 38 is carried into the multi-story storage facility 30. When the container 38 is placed on the turntable 37 at the entrance of the multi-story storage facility 30, such as a hangar, the container 38 is automatically stored in a predetermined storage location in the multi-story storage facility 30 by the crane 39. That is, a moving body (not shown) such as a truck, a cargo ship, or an aircraft that has transported the container 38 arrives at the carrying-in area of the multi-story storage facility 30. Next, the container 38 is grasped and raised by a predetermined transport means, for example the crane 39 here, to be removed from the moving body. Next, the container 38 is moved above the turntable 37, and then the crane 39 is lowered, and the container 38 is released in a state where it is placed on the turntable 37. As a result, the container 38 is transferred from the moving body onto the turntable 37. Note that various methods can be adopted as a method for transferring the container 38 from the moving body onto the turntable 37. Thereafter, the control unit 31 controls the sensor unit 33 to sense the container 38. Additionally, the control unit 31 controls the imaging unit 34 to capture an image of the container 38 as necessary.

Next, proceeding to step ST2, after the container 38 is placed or during the transfer of the container 38, the ID recognition unit 32 acquires the container ID of the container 38 based on image information acquired by, for example, RFID or the image capturing unit 34. The ID recognition unit 32 transmits the acquired container ID to the control device 20. The ID recognition unit 212 of the control unit 21 of the control device 20 recognizes the container ID of the container 38. Since the container ID unique to the container 38 is often displayed on the outer surface of the container 38, the ID recognition unit 212 can extract and recognize the container ID from the image information. Note that, if the container ID is recorded by RFID or the like, the container ID may be acquired by an RFID device (not shown). The ID recognition unit 212 stores the recognized container ID in the container ID database 222 and also stores it in the container information database 221 as a registration key. In other words, the container ID recognition system composed of the ID recognition units 212 and 32 makes it possible to recognize the container ID of the container 38.

Then, the process proceeds to step ST3, where the ID recognition unit 212 outputs the recognized container identification ID to the loading/unloading management unit 211. Based on the acquired container identification ID, the loading/unloading management unit 211 reads out container information associated with the container identification ID from the container information database 221. In this way, the loading/unloading management unit 211 acquires basic container information including the dimensions of the container 38, etc.

Then, the process proceeds to step ST4, where the loading/unloading management unit 211 of the control unit 21 derives a method for controlling the rotational position of the turntable 37. That is, the loading/unloading management unit 211 derives a method for controlling the rotational speed in the rotational operation when the turntable 37 is rotated in the measurement by the sensor unit 33, and a rotational angle when a step rotation in which rotation and stopping are repeated is performed. The rotational position control method in step ST4 will be specifically described below.

(Rotational Position Control Method)
The rotational position control of the turntable 37 in the method of sensing the container 38 by the sensor unit 33 executed in step ST4 will be described below. Figures 3, 4, 5A, and 5B are diagrams for explaining the method of controlling the rotational position of the turntable 37 provided in the multi-level storage facility 30 according to this embodiment.

Conventionally, the turntable 37 rotates at a constant angular velocity. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, when the container 38 is sensed by the sensor unit 33, there is a possibility that the sensing measurement interval will vary (circles indicate sparse and dense areas in FIG. 3). According to the knowledge of the present inventor, if there is a sparse and dense measurement interval in sensing by the sensor unit 33, there is a possibility that sufficient resolution will not be obtained. Therefore, the present inventor has studied a method of sensing and imaging each surface of the container 38 by the sensor unit 33 such as a distance measuring sensor and the imaging unit 34 such as a camera in order to measure the shape of the container 38 when storing the container 38 in the multi-story storage facility 30. That is, the present inventor has studied a method of improving the resolution of the obtained data such as sensor information and image information by devising the control of the turntable 37 and the crane 39 when measuring the container 38 held by the crane 39 or placed on the turntable 37.

First, the inventors considered controlling the rotational position of the turntable 37 in order to detect the container 38 on the turntable 37 with a certain resolution when the container 38 rotates on the turntable 37. The inventors came to the conclusion that it would be preferable to obtain the overall rough dimensions of the container 38, i.e., the shape of the container 38, in advance, and control the rotation angle of the turntable 37 taking into account the positional relationship between the sensor unit 33 and the outer surface of the container 38 sensed by the sensor unit 33.

The shape of the container 38 is stored as container basic information in the container information database 221. The container basic information is associated with a container identification ID or a container shape identification ID. That is, the loading/unloading management unit 211 in the control unit 21 of the control device 20 can determine the shape of the container 38 by reading the container basic information from the memory unit 22 based on the container identification ID or container shape identification ID acquired from the multi-level storage facility 30. Since the shape of the container 38 is known, the loading/unloading management unit 211 can derive the rotation angle θ of the turntable by setting a constant measurement interval d by the sensor unit 33.

That is, as shown in Fig. 4, assuming that the container 38 rotates on the turntable 37, a constant measurement interval d is set on the outer surface 38a of the container 38, such as the side or top _surface , and a reference position P0 and measurement points _P1 , _P2 , _P3 , _P4 , ..., _Pn are set. In this case, the rotation angles _θ1 , _θ2 , _θ3 , _θ4 , ... are geometrically different angles. Therefore, in order to measure the outer surface 38a at constant intervals by the sensor unit 33, it is preferable to perform sensing by the sensor unit 33 every time the container 38 is rotated through the rotation angles _θ1 , _θ2 , _θ3 , _θ4 , ..., θn, which are rotation angles from the _reference . Furthermore, when the sensor unit 33 emits laser light at a predetermined cycle to measure distances, the carry-in/out management unit 211 derives the rotational angular velocity based on the rotation angles θ ₁ , θ ₂ , θ ₃ , θ ₄ , ... so that the outer surface 38a of the container 38 has a constant measurement interval d in the predetermined cycle. The same applies to the case where imaging is performed using the imaging unit 34 instead of the sensor unit 33.

Specifically, as shown in Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B, the rotation angle of the container 38 for periodically measuring at a constant measurement interval d can be expressed as follows. Here, the length of the container 38 in the longitudinal direction is 2L, and the length in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is 2W. In the example shown in Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B, for example, the front surface of the container 38 is the first surface 381, the rear surface is the second surface 382, the side surfaces are the third surface 383 (left side) and the fourth surface 384 (right side), the top surface is the fifth surface 385, and the bottom surface is the sixth surface 386. In this case, when the container 38 is placed on the turntable 37, the first surface 381 to the fifth surface 385 as the first outer surface portion are exposed surfaces, and the sixth surface 386 as the second outer surface portion is the unexposed surface of the bottom surface.

When set in this way, the case where the first surface 381 faces the sensor unit 33, in other words, the surface of the first surface 381 is perpendicular to the incident light of the laser light irradiated from the sensor unit 33, is taken as the reference. In this reference, the rotation angle θ of the turntable 37 about the rotation center O is set to 0 rad. Regarding the positional relationship of the container 38 with respect to the sensor unit 33, the rotation angle θ of the turntable 37 can be set to 0 rad in any state. In addition, if the distance from the sensor unit 33 to a predetermined measurement point _Pj on the outer surface 38a of the container 38 is set to distance _Dj , the coordinates of the measurement point _Pj can be expressed as measurement point _Pj (jd, _Dj ) using the measurement interval d.

Here, the direction in which the container 38 is placed on the turntable 37 and the dimensions of the container 38 are known based on the acquired basic container information. Therefore, the control units 21 and 31 can derive the distance _Dj from the rotation center O of the turntable 37 to the outer surface 38a of the container 38 from the rotation angle _θj . Note that, as a method of acquiring the dimensions of the container 38, in addition to the method of acquiring them from the basic container information associated with the container identification ID, when the container 38 is placed on the turntable 37, the dimensions may be acquired by so-called rough measurement in which the sensor unit 33 and the imaging unit 34 constituting the grasping unit measure the dimensions while the turntable 37 rotates at a constant angular velocity.

When such a measurement point _Pj is positioned directly opposite the sensor unit 33, i.e., the position (measurement point _Pj ) where the laser light emitted from the sensor unit 33 is irradiated, the rotation angle _θj of the turntable 37 is expressed by the following equation (1) or (2) depending on the surface.
θ _j = arctan (jd/L)…(1)
However, this is limited to the case of measuring the first surface 381 and the second surface 382 .
θ _j = arctan (jd/W)…(2)
However, this is limited to the case of measuring the third surface 383 and the fourth surface 384 .

Furthermore, the rotation angle θ _j of the turntable 37 of the first surface 381 shown in formula (1) is satisfied within the following range.
0≦θ _j ≦arctan (W/L), 2π−arctan (W/L)≦θ _j ≦2π
Furthermore, the rotation angle θ _j of the turntable 37 of the second surface 382 shown in formula (1) is satisfied within the following range.
π−arctan(W/L)≦θ _j ≦π+arctan(W/L)

Similarly, the rotation angle θ _j of the turntable 37 of the third surface 383 shown in formula (2) is satisfied within the following range.
arctan(W/L)≦θ _j ≦π−arctan(W/L)
Furthermore, the rotation angle θ _j of the turntable 37 of the fourth surface 384 shown in formula (2) is satisfied within the following range.
π−arctan(W/L)≦θ _j ≦π+arctan(W/L)

When set as above, in measuring the first surface 381 or the second surface 382 by rotating the turntable 37 by _θj (rad) from the reference position _P0 (0 rad), the turntable 37 is rotated based on _θj shown in formula (1) and stopped at the measurement timing, and this is repeated. Note that the control unit 31 can also control the angular velocity of the turntable 37 based on formula (1) or formula (2) depending on the surface to be measured so that the measurement interval is constant.

Based on the above, by rotating the turntable 37 with the container 38 placed on it, it becomes possible for the sensor unit 33 to sense the first surface 381 to the fourth surface 384, which are surfaces perpendicular to the horizontal plane, of the outer surface 38a of the container 38 at a predetermined measurement interval d. That is, as a first acquisition operation, the sensor unit 33 and the imaging unit 34, which are grasping units, scan or image the first surface 381 to the fourth surface 384 of a part of the first outer surface portion of the container 38 in conjunction with the rotational operation of the turntable 37. This allows the sensor unit 33 and the imaging unit 34 to acquire first outer surface information including imaging information and sensor information, and to grasp the first outer surface state of the exposed first outer surface portion other than the placement surface of the container 38 by measurement.

In addition, a plurality of sensor units 33 may be provided, and a sensor unit 33 for sensing the fifth surface 385 and a sensor unit 33 for sensing the surfaces (first surface 381 to fourth surface 384) of the outer surface of the container 38 that are perpendicular to the horizontal plane, i.e., the side surface of the container 38, may be provided separately. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1, at least one sensor unit 33 may be provided at a position higher than the height of the container 38 placed on the turntable 37 for sensing. As a result, the fifth surface 385, which is the upper surface of the container 38 and part of the first outer surface portion and is parallel to the horizontal plane, can be measured by sensing using the sensor unit 33 at a position higher than the height of the container 38. Note that one sensor unit 33 may be configured to be able to rise and fall, and the light emitting portion of the sensor unit 33 may be configured to raise the sensor unit 33 when sensing the fifth surface 385 and to lower the sensor unit 33 when sensing the first surface 381 to fourth surface 384. This completes sensing of the exposed surfaces other than the sixth surface 386, which is the bottom surface as the placement surface.

Returning to FIG. 2, when proceeding to step ST5, the control unit 21 acquires sensor information and image information on the measured front, side, rear, and top of the container 38, i.e., first exterior information indicating the first exterior state obtained by measuring the first exterior portion of the container 38. The control unit 21 associates the acquired sensor information and image information with the container identification ID acquired in step ST2 and adds it to the container information. The container information to which the sensor information and image information have been added is stored by the control unit 21 in the container information database 221 of the memory unit 22.

Next, moving to step ST6, the loading/unloading management unit 211 controls the crane 39 to grasp and lift the container 38. After that, it moves it in a predetermined direction to store it in the multi-level storage facility 30. At this time, as a second acquisition operation, the crane 39 is controlled to move the crane 39 so that the sensor unit 33 and the imaging unit 34 can sense and image at least a part, preferably the entirety, of the sixth surface 386, which is the second outer surface portion that is the bottom surface of the container 38. This allows the loading/unloading management unit 211 of the control unit 21 to acquire sensor information and image information of the bottom surface (sixth surface 386) of the container 38, i.e., second outer surface information that indicates the second outer surface state of the second outer surface portion. In other words, the sensor unit 33 and the imaging unit 34 can measure and grasp the second outer surface state of the second outer surface portion of the container 38.

In steps ST5 and ST6, in the inspection by sensing and imaging the container 38 in the three-dimensional storage facility 30, by installing a sensor unit 33 such as a LiDAR or an imaging unit 34 such as an image camera at the entrance of the three-dimensional storage facility 30, it becomes possible to scan all six surfaces (first surface 381 to sixth surface 386) of the container 38, including the bottom surface. That is, the sensor unit 33 and the imaging unit 34 can scan the upper surface of the fifth surface 385 and the side surfaces of the first surface 381 to fourth surface 384 when the turntable 37 rotates when the container 38 is brought in. In addition, the sensor unit 33 and the imaging unit 34 can scan the bottom surface of the sixth surface 386 when the container 38 is stored in the three-dimensional storage facility 30 in a suspended state by the crane 39. This makes it possible to scan the entire outer surface 38a of the container 38 by the sensor unit 33 and the imaging unit 34 when the container 38 is stored in the three-dimensional storage facility 30. Therefore, the control device 20 can integrate the container information related to the container 38 acquired in this manner to acquire point cloud information and image information of the entire surface of the container 38. In addition, the light emitting unit and the imaging unit 34 of the sensor unit 33 may be configured to be able to change the light emitting position and the imaging position during the first acquisition operation and the second acquisition operation. This makes it possible to sense the entire surface of the outer surface 38a of the container 38 by the sensor unit 33 and the imaging unit 34.

(Container damage detection)
Next, the process proceeds to step ST7, where the loading/unloading management unit 211 of the control device 20 transmits the acquired sensor information and image information to the learning device 10 and executes damage determination. It is also possible for the control device 20 to read the container state learning model 123 and execute damage determination. The learning device 10 reads the container state learning model 123, and based on the acquired sensor information and image information, inputs the sensor information and image information of the first surface 381 to the sixth surface 386, which are the outer surface 38a of the container 38, as input parameters to the container state learning model 123. Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining a method for detecting damage to a container 38 according to this embodiment.

As shown in Figures 1 and 6, by scanning the entire outer surface 38a of the container 38 using the sensor unit 33 and the imaging unit 34, it is possible to derive values for each surface of the container 38, the first surface 381 to the sixth surface 386, that are significantly different from the actual distance from the sensor unit 33, and to detect damaged areas. Furthermore, by capturing an image of the outer surface of the container 38 using the imaging unit 34, image information of the outer surface 38a of the container 38 can also be obtained.

Then, the loading/unloading management unit 211 can detect damage by generating exterior surface condition information of the container 38 using information on the exterior surfaces 38a of the first surface 381 to the sixth surface 386 of the container 38, i.e., the first exterior surface information and the second exterior surface information, as point cloud information and image information. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, machine learning is performed by the learning device 10 using the damage information based on the point cloud acquired by the sensor unit 33 as teacher data, and image information on the first surface 381 to the sixth surface 386 acquired by the imaging unit 34 is input to the learning device 10 as measurement data, making it possible to detect damaged parts of the container 38. The detected and obtained container damage information of the container 38 is transmitted to the control unit 21.

It is also possible to perform machine learning by the learning device 10 using an input/output data set that combines the point cloud information from the sensor unit 33 and the image information from the imaging unit 34 as teacher data. It is also possible to perform machine learning by the learning device 10 using damage information from images acquired by the imaging unit 34 as teacher data, and to generate exterior surface condition information of the container 38 and detect damaged parts by inputting sensor information such as point cloud information of the first surface 381 to the sixth surface 386 as the first exterior surface information and the second exterior surface information obtained by the sensor unit 33 into the learning device 10 as measurement data. By performing damage judgment on the container 38 using these methods, it is possible to judge the damage to the container 38 with high accuracy.

In this manner, the control unit 21 acquires container damage information based on the sensor information and image information obtained by scanning the first surface 381 to the sixth surface 386 of the container 38 using the sensor unit 33 and the imaging unit 34. The control unit 21 stores the acquired container damage information in the container information database 221 of the storage unit 22. This completes the damage detection process for the container 38 according to this embodiment.

According to the embodiment described above, it is possible to grasp the container condition, including the underside of the container 38, which is generally difficult to inspect, by the sensor unit 33 and the imaging unit 34. In addition, the measurement data by the sensor unit 33 and the imaging unit 34 can be accumulated in a database (container information database 221). Therefore, it is possible to predict damage to the container 38 using the database in conjunction with the multi-level storage facility 30. Furthermore, it is possible to grasp the state and condition of damage to the container 38 in detail. In addition, by inspecting the container 38 when it is brought into the multi-level storage facility 30, a system configuration can be realized that can efficiently inspect and store the container 38.

In addition, since all six sides of the container, including the bottom, can be measured with high precision, damage to the container 38 can be detected with high precision. Furthermore, by automating the inspection of the bottom (bottom) of the container 38, it is possible to prevent problems caused by damage to the bottom, which has been easily overlooked in the past. In addition, the accumulation of image information and point cloud information as sensor information obtained by the sensor unit 33 makes it possible to predict damage with high precision, improving the possibility of preventing damage to the container 38. In addition, by improving the accuracy of sensing by the sensor unit 33 in combination with past measurement data stored in the container information database 221, scanning can be performed with high precision, making it possible to predict the possibility of damage occurring.

Specifically, container information including information on past damage detection results is obtained from the container information database 221 based on the container ID, and in the case of a container 38 that has been damaged in the past, the measurement interval d is made smaller and denser than usual for the location of the damage, and sensing by the sensor unit 33 and imaging by the imaging unit 34 are performed with high resolution in the vicinity of the location where the damage has occurred, making it possible to detect signs of minor damage, etc. Methods for making the measurement interval d smaller and denser include slowing down the moving speed of the crane 39 and reducing the rotation angle θ _j of the turntable 37 to reduce the step width. Furthermore, accumulation of container information enables prediction of damage with even higher accuracy, and information on damage to the container 38 is accumulated and learned from the point cloud/image history of the container, so that the probability of damage occurrence can be derived. Furthermore, when the probability of a sign is high, scanning with higher resolution to increase the resolution of the data makes it even easier to detect signs.

As shown in FIG. 7, the ID recognition unit 32, 212 recognizes the container identification ID from the container 38, and supplies this container identification ID to the storage facility 30 controlled by the control device 20. The control unit 31 of the multi-level storage facility 30 is controlled by the container identification ID, and the container information is stored in the container information database 221 of the storage unit 22 in association with the container identification ID, so that the measured information of the container 38 can be associated with the container identification ID and compiled into a database. As a result, a database can be obtained that accumulates a large amount of container information for the container 38, and damage to the container 38 can be predicted to prevent problems caused by the damage.

(Recording medium)
In the above-described embodiment, a program for executing the processing method executed by the learning device 10 or the control device 20 can be recorded on a recording medium that can be read by a computer or other machine or device such as a wearable device (hereinafter referred to as a computer, etc.). By having a computer, etc. read and execute the program from the recording medium, the computer, etc. functions as a mobile object control device. Here, a recording medium that can be read by a computer, etc. refers to a non-transient recording medium that accumulates information such as data and programs by electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical action and can be read from a computer, etc. Among such recording media, those that can be removed from a computer, etc. include, for example, flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-R/Ws, DVDs, BDs, DATs, magnetic tapes, and memory cards such as flash memories. In addition, as recording media fixed to a computer, etc., there are hard disks, ROMs, etc. Furthermore, SSDs can be used as recording media that can be removed from a computer, etc., and as recording media fixed to a computer, etc.

In addition, the learning device 10 and the program executed by the control device 20 in one embodiment may be configured to be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by downloading via the network.

Other Embodiments
In one embodiment, the above-mentioned "unit" can be read as a "circuit" etc. For example, the control unit can be read as a control circuit.

Note that in the explanation of the flowcharts in this specification, the order of processing between steps is clearly indicated using expressions such as "first," "next," "then," and "continue." However, the order of processing required to implement this embodiment is not uniquely determined by these expressions. In other words, the order of processing in the flowcharts described in this specification can be changed as long as there are no contradictions.

Further advantages and modifications can be easily derived by those skilled in the art. The broader aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Thus, various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. For example, the numerical values and types of information given in the above embodiment are merely examples, and different numerical values and types of information may be used as necessary, and the present invention is not limited by the description and drawings that form part of the disclosure of the present invention according to the above embodiment.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the learning device 10, the control device 20, and the three-dimensional storage facility 30 are described as separate entities in the storage facility control system 1, but this is not necessarily limited to being configured as separate entities. Specifically, the learning device 10 and the control device 20 may be configured as an integrated unit. When the learning device 10 and the control device 20 are configured as an integrated unit, the control device inputs sensor information and image information of the first surface 381 to the sixth surface 386 as input parameters to the container state learning model 123.

The three-dimensional storage facility 30 may also be equipped with the learning device 10. Furthermore, the learning device 10 may be provided in the storage facility in which the three-dimensional storage facility 30 is installed. The control device 20 may also be configured to be provided in the three-dimensional storage facility 30, or may be provided in a storage facility that includes the three-dimensional storage facility 30. When the control device 20 is provided in the three-dimensional storage facility 30, the control unit 31 and the communication unit 31a are respectively realized by the control unit 21 and the communication unit 23 of the control device 20. That is, the control units 21 and 31 can be realized by the same control unit physically and functionally. Furthermore, the learning device 10 and the control device 20 may be configured as one unit. In this case, the control unit 11 of the learning device 10 and the control unit 21 of the control device 20 can be realized by the same control unit physically and functionally. Furthermore, the three-dimensional storage facility 30 may also be equipped with the learning device 10 and the control device 20. In this case. The control unit 11 of the learning device 10, the control unit 21 of the control device 20, and the control unit 31 of the three-dimensional storage facility 30 can be realized by the same control unit physically and functionally.

1 Storage facility control system 2 Network 10 Learning device 11, 21, 31 Control unit 12, 22 Memory unit 13, 31a Communication unit 14, 24 Output unit 15, 25 Input unit 20 Control device 23 Communication unit 30 Multi-level storage facility 32, 212 ID recognition unit 33 Sensor unit 34 Imaging unit 37 Turntable 38 Container 38a Outer surface 39 Crane 111 Learning unit 112 Prediction unit 113 Calculation unit 114 State input unit 121, 221 Container information database 122, 222 Container identification ID database 123 Container state learning model 211 Carrying-in/out management unit 381 First surface 382 Second surface 383 Third surface 384 Fourth surface 385 Fifth surface 386 Sixth surface

Claims (10)

A transport container inspection device for use in a transport container loading/unloading system, the transport container inspection device having a base portion on which a transport container can be placed and configured to be rotatable about an axis in order to load a transport container into or unload the transport container from a specified storage facility, and a gripping and lifting mechanism configured to grip the transport container and lift the transport container above the base portion of the gripping and lifting mechanism,
A grasping unit for grasping an outer surface condition of the transport container;
A control unit,
The grasping unit is
a first acquisition operation of acquiring first outer surface information by scanning or imaging a first outer surface portion of the transport container placed on the base portion of the placement and rotation mechanism in conjunction with a rotation operation;
a second acquisition operation of acquiring second outer surface information by scanning or imaging a second outer surface portion of the transport container gripped by the gripping and lifting mechanism above the base portion of the placement and rotation mechanism;
The control unit is
generating outer surface condition information of the transport container based on the first outer surface information and the second outer surface information. the grasping unit includes a light emitting unit disposed at a predetermined position, and a light detecting unit that detects light information obtained from the transport container by irradiating the transport container with light irradiated from the light emitting unit to a predetermined range,
the first acquisition operation is an operation of scanning the first outer surface portion of the transport container placed on the base portion of the placement and rotation mechanism with light irradiated from the light emitting unit in conjunction with a rotation operation, and acquiring the first outer surface information of the transport container from the light detecting unit;
The transport container inspection device of claim 1, wherein the second acquisition operation is an operation of scanning the second outer surface portion of a transport container gripped above the base portion of the placement and rotation mechanism by the gripping and lifting mechanism with light irradiated from the light emitting unit, and acquiring the second outer surface information of the transport container from the light detecting unit. The grasping unit includes an imaging unit disposed at a predetermined position,
the first acquisition operation is an operation of acquiring the first outer surface information of the transport container by imaging the first outer surface portion of the transport container placed on the base portion of the placement and rotation mechanism in conjunction with a rotation operation of the transport container by the imaging unit;
The transport container inspection device of claim 1, wherein the second acquisition operation is an operation of acquiring the second outer surface information of the transport container obtained by imaging the second outer surface portion of the transport container gripped above the base portion of the placement and rotation mechanism by the gripping and lifting mechanism with the imaging unit. The transport container inspection device of claim 2, wherein the first acquisition operation is controlled so that light irradiated from the light emitting unit scans the first outer surface portion of the transport container at regular intervals in response to the rotation of the transport container placed on the base portion of the placement and rotation mechanism. The transport container inspection device according to claim 2 , wherein the light emitting portion of the grasping portion is capable of changing a light emitting position between the first acquisition operation and the second acquisition operation. The transport container inspection device according to claim 3 , wherein the imaging position of the imaging section of the grasping section is changeable between the first acquisition operation and the second acquisition operation. The transport container inspection device of claim 1, wherein the first outer surface portion scanned or imaged by the grasping unit is an outer surface portion other than a placement surface on which the transport container is placed on the base unit, and the second outer surface portion scanned or imaged by the grasping unit is a portion of the placement surface. A method for inspecting a transport container in and out of a transport container carrying-in/out system, the method comprising: a mounting and rotating mechanism having a base portion on which a transport container is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis, and a gripping and lifting mechanism configured to grip the transport container and be capable of lifting and lowering above the base portion of the mounting and rotating mechanism, for carrying the transport container into or out of a specified storage facility, the method comprising the steps of:
performing a first acquisition operation of acquiring first outer surface information by scanning or imaging a first outer surface portion of the transport container placed on the base portion of the placement and rotation mechanism in conjunction with a rotation operation;
performing a second acquisition operation of acquiring second outer surface information by scanning or imaging a second outer surface portion of the transport container gripped by the gripping and lifting mechanism above the base portion of the placement and rotation mechanism;
generating exterior condition information of the transport container based on the first exterior information and the second exterior information. A transport container loading/unloading system for loading a transport container into or unloading a transport container from a predetermined storage facility, comprising:
A placement and rotation mechanism having a base on which a transport container can be placed and configured to be rotatable around an axis; and a gripping and lifting mechanism configured to grip the transport container and be liftable above the base of the placement and rotation mechanism.
A grasping unit for grasping an outer surface condition of the transport container;
A control unit,
The grasping unit is
a first acquisition operation of acquiring first outer surface information by scanning or imaging a first outer surface portion of the transport container placed on the base portion of the placement and rotation mechanism in conjunction with a rotation operation;
a second acquisition operation of acquiring second outer surface information by scanning or imaging a second outer surface portion of the transport container gripped by the gripping and lifting mechanism above the base portion of the placement and rotation mechanism;
The control unit is
and generating exterior condition information of the transport container based on the first exterior information and the second exterior information. The transport container loading/unloading system according to claim 9 , further comprising: acquiring identification information for identifying the transport container based on the external surface condition information of the transport container.

Images