JP7804492B2 - Unloading device, control method for unloading device, and control program for unloading device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an unloading device for unloading cargo from a ship.

Unloading equipment that unloads cargo from a ship onto land is known as unloading equipment for unloading cargo from a ship. Among such unloading equipment, those that handle bulk cargo or bulk materials such as coal or iron ore are also called unloaders. They are also sometimes called continuous unloaders or continuous ship unloaders, as they continuously unload bulk materials loaded on a ship. In this specification, the abbreviation CSU may be used.

JP 2016-160034 A

To assist the CSU in removing cargo from the shed, a bulldozer that can move around the shed is sometimes used. The bulldozer collects cargo as it moves around the shed, and the CSU can efficiently remove the cargo collected by the bulldozer from the shed. However, because bulldozers are manually operated by an operator on board, the efficiency of collecting cargo (hereinafter referred to as collection efficiency or cargo collection efficiency), which is directly linked to the CSU's removal efficiency, varies greatly depending on the operator's experience and skill.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an unloading device that can stably increase the efficiency of unloading cargo from a shipyard.

To solve the above problem, one aspect of the present invention provides an unloading device that includes a consolidation device position detection unit that detects the position of a consolidation device that consolidates cargo within the warehouse; a discharge device control unit that causes the cargo within the warehouse to be discharged out of the warehouse by a discharge device; a cargo shape detection unit that detects the shape of the cargo within the warehouse; and a trajectory generation unit that generates a trajectory for the consolidation device within the warehouse based on the position of the consolidation device detected by the consolidation device position detection unit and the shape of the cargo detected by the cargo shape detection unit.

In this aspect, the position of a consolidation device such as a bulldozer and the shape of the cargo inside the warehouse are detected, and a trajectory for the consolidation device inside the warehouse is generated based on these. By operating the consolidation device according to this trajectory, the efficiency of consolidating or collecting cargo inside the warehouse can be improved, and ultimately the efficiency of cargo removal by the removal device can be improved.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method for controlling an unloading device. This method includes a consolidation device position detection step for detecting the position of a consolidation device that consolidates cargo within a shipyard; a discharge device control step for causing a discharge device to discharge the cargo within the shipyard out of the shipyard; a cargo shape detection step for detecting the cargo shape within the shipyard; and a trajectory generation step for generating a trajectory for the consolidation device within the shipyard in accordance with the position of the consolidation device detected in the consolidation device position detection step and the cargo shape detected in the cargo shape detection step.

In addition, any combination of the above components, and any transformation of the present invention into a method, device, system, recording medium, computer program, etc., are also valid aspects of the present invention.

This invention enables stable improvement in the efficiency of unloading cargo from a shipyard.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the overall configuration of the lifting device. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the lifting device. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the detailed configuration of the unloading section. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the appearance of a distance measuring sensor. FIG. 10 is a top view showing an example of the arrangement of distance measurement sensors. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a control system for a CSU and a bulldozer. 10 is a flowchart showing a specific example of control by the control system. A specific example of the cargo shape detection by the cargo shape detection unit will be described.

Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention will be given. In the description or drawings, the same or equivalent components, parts, and processes are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. The scale and shape of each part shown in the drawings have been set for convenience to facilitate explanation, and should not be interpreted as limiting unless otherwise specified. The embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the scope of the present invention in any way. All features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention.

Figure 1 shows the overall configuration of a lifting device 1 as a cargo unloading device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The lifting device 1 is a continuous unloader or a continuous ship unloader that unloads bulk cargo M loaded on a ship 200 or as cargo to land. Hereinafter, the lifting device 1 will also be referred to as a CSU 1. The CSU 1 continuously transports bulk cargo M stored in a ship 201 of a ship 200 docked at a quay 101 of a wharf 102 at a port or the like to land. Examples of bulk cargo M include coal, coke, ore, etc. The CSU 1 is operated by an operator in a main control room 16 provided in its main body. The control room for operating the CSU 1 may be provided elsewhere within the CSU 1, or may be provided at any location on land outside the CSU 1.

The wharf 102 where the ship 200 docks constitutes the land where bulk cargo M is unloaded, and is constructed of high-strength materials such as reinforced concrete. As shown in the perspective view of Figure 2, the wharf 102 is provided with a pair of parallel rails 3 as tracks that run along the longitudinal direction (perpendicular to the plane of Figure 1) of the ship 200 docked and anchored at the quay 101. The rails 3 form a track along which the traveling unit 2, which serves as the mobile unit of the CSU 1, can move or run. These rails 3 enable the CSU 1 to move relative to the anchored ship 200. As shown in Figure 2, the installation direction of the rails 3 is preferably aligned with the longitudinal direction of the anchored ship 200 or the quay 101, but may be any other direction. The rails 3 may also include curved or bent portions. When unloading cargo from the ship 200, the CSU 1 moves on the rails 3 to a position close to the opening 21 of the shiphouse 201 from which the cargo is to be unloaded. The traveling section 2, the swivel frame 5 (swivel section), and the lifting section 9 (unloading section or unloading device) are then driven to unload the bulk goods M from the warehouse 201.

At the wharf 102, a belt conveyor 45 is installed between the pair of rails 3 as a conveyor that transports unloaded bulk goods M in a certain direction. As shown in Figure 2, the installation direction of the belt conveyor 45, i.e., the transport direction, preferably coincides with the installation direction of the rails 3, but may be any other direction. The belt conveyor 45 may also include curved or bent portions. The belt conveyor 45 must be installed between the pair of rails 3 at the location where the bulk goods M unloaded from the CSU 1 are received, but may be installed outside the pair of rails 3 at other locations.

The CSU 1 comprises a traveling section 2 as a mobile section that can move relative to the ship 200, a swivel frame 5 that constitutes a swivel section that can swivel relative to the traveling section 2, and a lifting section 9 that is provided at the tip of the swivel frame 5 and serves as an unloading section or unloading device for unloading bulk cargo M. The swivel frame 5 is supported on the traveling section 2 so that it can swivel around a vertical (up and down in Figure 1) pivot axis. The swivel frame 5 is provided with a boom 7 that extends laterally and intersects the pivot axis, and a bucket elevator that constitutes the main part of the unloading section 9 is supported at the tip of the boom 7.

The lifting unit 9 maintains a vertical position regardless of the boom 7's hoisting angle (the angle of rotation around the hoisting axis perpendicular to the plane of the page in Figure 1) thanks to a parallel link mechanism formed between the swivel frame 5, boom 7, and parallel link 8. A counterweight 13 is attached to the rear end of the swivel frame 5, opposite the tip of the boom 7. The counterweight 13 is connected to the tip of the boom 7 via a balancing lever 12. The action of this counterweight 13 places the lifting unit 9 in a substantially unloaded state, achieving stable load balance. The main components of the swivel unit, including the swivel frame 5, boom 7, balancing lever 12, and counterweight 13, may be collectively referred to below as the main body.

A cylinder 15 is provided to adjust the boom 7's hoisting angle. When the cylinder 15 is at its standard length, the hoisting angle is 0°, meaning the boom 7 is parallel or horizontal to the ground (left and right in Figure 1). When the cylinder 15 is extended beyond its standard length, the tip of the boom 7 rises, resulting in a positive hoisting angle. When the cylinder 15 is shortened beyond its standard length, the tip of the boom 7 descends, resulting in a negative hoisting angle. The lifting unit 9 supported at the tip of the boom 7 rises while maintaining a vertical position when the boom 7's hoisting angle increases, and descends while maintaining a vertical position when the boom 7's hoisting angle decreases.

The main control room 16 for operating the CSU 1 is located in the main body. Specifically, the main control room 16 is located on the lifting unit 9 side of the revolving frame 5. An operator in the main control room 16 can safely operate the CSU 1 while visually checking the lifting unit 9. Parameters related to the position and attitude of the CSU 1, such as the position of the traveling unit 2, the rotation angle of the revolving frame 5, and the elevation angle of the boom 7, are controlled by operating the main control room 16. The operation of the lifting unit 9 to transport bulk goods M can also be controlled from the main control room 16.

The unloading section 9 is equipped with a scraping section 11 that scrapes off bulk goods M, and a bucket elevator that serves as an elevator section that transports the scraped bulk goods M upward. The scraping section 11 is located below the unloading section 9, and continuously excavates and scrapes off the bulk goods M in the warehouse 201 using a number of buckets 27 (see Figure 3) that are movably mounted along its periphery. The scraped bulk goods M are transported upward together with the buckets 27 by the bucket elevator.

Figure 3 shows the detailed configuration of the lifting section 9. The bucket elevator comprises a cylindrical elevator body 14 extending vertically and a chain bucket 29 that moves in circles relative to the elevator body 14. The chain bucket 29 comprises a pair of roller chains 25, each of which is an endless chain, and a plurality of buckets 27 supported on both sides by the pair of roller chains 25. Specifically, the pair of roller chains 25 are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 3 (B), and each bucket 27 is attached so that it is suspended between the pair of roller chains 25.

The bucket elevator is equipped with a drive roller 31a, driven rollers 31b and 31c, and a diverting roller 33 that guide the roller chain 25 that is stretched across it. The drive roller 31a is located at the top 9a of the bucket elevator and is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown) or similar device, causing the chain bucket 29 to move in an orbital motion. The driven roller 31b is located in front of the scraping section 11 (left side of Figure 3(B)), and the driven roller 31c is located behind the scraping section 11 (right side of Figure 3(B)), and each guides the orbiting chain bucket 29. The diverting roller 33 is a driven roller located below the drive roller 31a, and guides the orbiting chain bucket 29 and changes its direction of movement. An extendable cylinder 35 is located between the driven rollers 31b and 31c. When this cylinder 35 extends or retracts, the distance between the axes of the driven rollers 31b and 31c changes, changing the trajectory of the orbital motion of the chain bucket 29. The extension and retraction of the cylinder 35 can be controlled by operating the main operation room 16, or automatically by a computer built into the CSU 1 according to a program. Since two roller chains 25 are provided, two drive rollers 31a, two driven rollers 31b and 31c, and two deflection rollers 33 are also provided, and are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 3(B).

The rotational drive of the drive roller 31a causes the chain bucket 29 to move in an orbit relative to the elevator body 14. For example, the chain bucket 29 moves in an orbital motion counterclockwise along the arrow W shown in Figure 3(B). At this time, the chain bucket 29 moves back and forth between the scraping unit 11 located at the bottom of the bucket elevator and the drive roller 31a located at the top 9a of the bucket elevator.

Each bucket 27 of the chain bucket 29 rises within the elevator body 14 with its opening facing upward. As each bucket 27 passes over the drive roller 31a at the top 9a of the bucket elevator, its direction of movement changes from upward to downward, causing the opening of each bucket 27 to rotate from upward to downward. A discharge chute (not shown) is provided below the opening of each bucket 27 that has rotated downward in this way, and the bulk goods M scraped by each bucket 27 are discharged. The discharge chute discharges the bulk goods M onto a rotary feeder 37 (Figure 1) provided on the outer periphery of the upper part of the lifting section 9.

The rotary feeder 37 rotates around a rotation axis in the extension direction of the elevator body 14, i.e., the vertical direction, and transfers the bulk goods M discharged from the discharge chute to the boom conveyor 39 of the boom 7. The boom conveyor 39 transports the bulk goods M within the boom 7 to the vicinity of the rotation axis of the rotating frame 5 and supplies them to a hopper (not shown) installed there. An internal conveyor 43 that receives the bulk goods M is installed within the running section 2 below the hopper's discharge opening. The internal conveyor 43 transfers the bulk goods M to the aforementioned belt conveyor 45 installed on the pier 102, which serves as land.

Next, the basic lifting operation of the CSU1 having the above configuration will be explained. In this lifting operation, the lifting unit 9 and/or the CSU1 function as a carrying device that carries out the bulk cargo M (cargo) in the warehouse 201 out of the warehouse 201.

The operator of the CSU 1 operates the CSU 1 from the main control room 16. First, the running unit 2 travels on the rails 3 until it approaches the opening 21 of the shed 201, the target for unloading. Next, the swivel frame 5 is rotated around a vertical pivot point that overlaps the running unit 2 in a top view (as viewed from above in Figure 1), and the lifting unit 9 at the tip of the boom 7 is moved above the opening 21 of the shed 201, the target for unloading. Here, to prevent the lifting unit 9 from colliding with the wharf 102 or the ship 200, it is preferable to raise and lower the boom 7 in the forward direction (clockwise in Figure 1) and perform the running and swinging operations with the lifting unit 9 raised. Next, the boom 7 is raised and lowered in the reverse direction (counterclockwise in Figure 1), and the scraping unit 11 at the tip of the lifting unit 9 is inserted into the shed 201 through the opening 21. The movement of the travel section 2, the rotation of the swivel frame 5, and the raising and lowering of the boom 7 may be performed simultaneously.

After the scraping unit 11 is inserted into the ship shed 201, the roller chain 25 is rotated in the direction of arrow W. As the multiple buckets 27 attached to the roller chain 25 rotate together with the roller chain 25, they excavate and scrape up the bulk goods M stored in the ship shed 201. The bulk goods M scraped up by each bucket 27 are transported upward within the elevator body 14 as the roller chain 25 rotates.

The scraping unit 11 changes its three-dimensional position within the shed 201 as needed to efficiently scrape bulk goods M from various locations within the shed 201. For example, if the surface of the bulk goods M becomes lower as the unloading operation progresses, the boom 7 is raised and lowered in the negative direction to lower the scraping unit 11. Furthermore, to scrape bulk goods M near the walls of the shed 201, the running unit 2 and/or the swivel frame 5 may be operated to change the position of the scraping unit 11 in the horizontal plane. The scraping unit 11 can change not only its three-dimensional position but also its posture and shape. For example, the scraping unit 11 can rotate around a rotation axis in the extension direction of the elevator body 14, i.e., the vertical direction, and its orientation can be changed as desired. Furthermore, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 3(B), the scraping unit 11 can assume an inclined or horizontally elongated shape, contracting vertically and extending horizontally. This allows the scraping unit 11 to be moved closer to the wall, even in a shipyard 201 where the horizontal distance from the opening 21 to the wall is large, allowing the bulk cargo M to be scraped off efficiently.

Changes in the position, posture, and shape of the scraping unit 11 (unloading unit 9) within the shed 201 related to the unloading operation of the CSU 1 as described above may be performed autonomously by the CSU 1 using a ranging sensor or camera (described below) (i.e., the unloading unit 9 and/or CSU 1 may be operated automatically), or may be performed manually by an operator in the main control room 16 while communicating with workers in the shed 201.

After scraping out the bulk goods M from the warehouse 201, the bucket 27 rises within the elevator body 14 and rotates from an upward to a downward orientation as it passes over the drive roller 31a at its top 9a. The bulk goods M that fall as the bucket 27 rotates enters the discharge chute and is discharged onto the rotary feeder 37. The bulk goods M are then transported via the boom conveyor 39 and internal conveyor 43 to a belt conveyor 45 installed on the pier 102, which serves as land. By repeatedly performing the above-described discharge operation using multiple buckets 27, the bulk goods M from the warehouse 201 are continuously unloaded.

Next, we will explain the distance measurement sensor installed in CSU1 to improve the safety and efficiency of cargo unloading.

As shown in FIG. 1, the upper part of the lifting section 9 is provided with multiple distance measuring sensors 19 for measuring the distance to objects located below and to the side. During the illustrated lifting operation, the objects measured by the distance measuring sensors 19 include the edge of the opening 21, the ceiling/walls/bottom of the warehouse 201, bulk cargo M and other objects, people/structures within the warehouse 201, a bulldozer as a consolidation or collection device (described later), the scraping section 11, the ship 200, other parts of the CSU 1 such as the boom 7, rotating frame 5, running section 2, and main control room 16, the quay 101, the wharf 102, the rails 3, the belt conveyor 45, etc. The multiple distance measuring sensors 19 may be positioned, for example, on the upper part of the cylindrical elevator body 14, surrounding the outer periphery of the elevator body 14. Alternatively, the multiple distance measuring sensors 19 may be mounted on a flange 91 that rotatably supports the upper part of the elevator body 14, surrounding the outer periphery of the elevator body 14. It is preferable that the multiple distance measuring sensors 19 be installed below the connection between the lifting unit 9 and the boom 7 so that the boom 7 does not enter the measurement range below or to the sides of the multiple distance measuring sensors 19. On the other hand, if the multiple distance measuring sensors 19 are installed above the connection between the lifting unit 9 and the boom 7, each distance measuring sensor 19 should be installed in a position that does not overlap with the boom 7 when viewed from above (when viewed from above in Figure 1). Examples of the placement of the multiple distance measuring sensors 19 when viewed from above will be described later. The number of distance measuring sensors 19 is arbitrary. For example, any number of distance measuring sensors 19 that measure distances mainly below the lifting unit 9 and any number of distance measuring sensors 19 that measure distances mainly to the sides of the lifting unit 9 may be installed.

The scraping section 11 below the lifting section 9 is equipped with multiple distance measuring sensors 18 for measuring the distance to measurement targets above, to the sides, and below. During lifting as shown, the measurement targets of the distance measuring sensors 18 include the edge of the opening 21, the ceiling/walls/bottom of the shed 201, bulk goods M and other objects, people/structures within the shed 201, a bulldozer as a consolidation or collection device (described below), and other parts of the CSU 1, such as the boom 7. The distance measuring sensors 18 are provided at the front (left side of Figure 1) and rear (right side of Figure 1) of the scraping section 11. To avoid degradation of measurement accuracy due to dust from the bulk goods M scraped by the bucket 27 of the scraping section 11, it is preferable to install the multiple distance measuring sensors 18 at a location (above the scraping section 11) away from the location where the bucket 27 excavates the bulk goods M (below the scraping section 11). The number of distance measuring sensors 18 is optional. For example, any number of distance measurement sensors 18 that measure distances centered on the sides of the scraping unit 11 and any number of distance measurement sensors 18 that measure distances centered on the bottom of the scraping unit 11 may be provided.

Figure 4 shows the external appearance of distance measuring sensors 18, 19. Distance measuring sensors 18, 19 are laser sensors capable of measuring distances, and comprise a laser emitting unit (not shown) as a wave transmitting unit that transmits laser light to the object to be measured, and a laser receiving unit (not shown) as a wave receiving unit that receives the laser light reflected by the object to be measured, constituting a distance measuring unit that measures the distance to the object to be measured. A light-transmitting portion 171 that allows laser light to pass through is formed in an endless band shape around the entire periphery of the side of the cylindrical housing 17 of distance measuring sensors 18, 19.

Multiple laser emitters are provided in positions facing the light-transmitting portion 171 within the housing 17, and emit linear laser light through the light-transmitting portion 171 to the outside of the housing 17. Each laser emitter is spaced apart along the axis A of the housing 17 (the vertical direction in Figure 4), but Figure 4 shows the laser light emitted from a single point for simplicity's sake. As shown in the schematic diagram, the emission angles of each laser emitter differ by approximately 0.1° to 3°. This configuration allows the distance measuring sensors 18 and 19 to emit laser light within a predetermined angular range above and below the reference plane S, which is a plane perpendicular to the axis A of the housing 17. While θ- and θ+ can be set arbitrarily, in the following discussion, we will assume that -θ- = θ+ = 15°. In this case, the distance measuring sensors 18 and 19 emit laser light within a ±15° range centered on the reference plane S. Furthermore, these multiple laser emitters are integrally mounted so as to be rotatable 360 degrees around axis A of housing 17. With this configuration, distance measuring sensors 18 and 19 can irradiate laser light to all measurement targets around (to the sides of) housing 17. Note that it is preferable to use laser light with an invisible wavelength, such as near-infrared light, so as not to disturb people inside or around CSU 1 or ship 200.

Range measuring sensors 18, 19 rotate multiple laser emitters together, emitting pulsed laser light at predetermined rotation angles. The pulsed laser light emitted by each laser emitter is reflected or scattered by the object to be measured, returns to distance measuring sensors 18, 19, and is received by a laser receiver located inside housing 17 alongside each laser emitter. A calculation unit (not shown) in distance measuring sensors 18, 19 calculates the distance to the object to be measured based on the time between when the laser emitter emits a pulsed laser light and when the laser receiver receives the reflected pulsed laser light. This technology is also known as LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging).

While laser sensors have been used above as examples of distance measuring sensors 18 and 19, distance measuring sensors 18 and 19 may also use other types of electromagnetic waves. For example, millimeter-wave sensors using so-called millimeter waves with wavelengths of approximately 1 mm to 10 mm may be used as distance measuring sensors 18 and 19. Because millimeter waves have a high frequency of approximately 30 GHz to 300 GHz, they have high directionality and can be treated similarly to lasers. A millimeter-wave sensor can be configured similar to the laser sensor shown in Figure 4, except that instead of a laser emitter, it has a millimeter-wave transmitter that transmits millimeter waves to the object being measured, and instead of a laser receiver, it has a millimeter-wave receiver that receives millimeter waves reflected by the object being measured. Furthermore, optical sensors that use light other than laser light, such as Time of Flight (ToF) image sensors, may also be used as distance measuring sensors 18 and 19. Furthermore, distance measuring sensors 18 and 19 may not have a transmitter that transmits electromagnetic waves to the object being measured. For example, a stereo camera or the like that can measure distance by simultaneously photographing an object to be measured from different directions may be used as distance measurement sensors 18 and 19.

The distance measuring sensors 18 and 19 in Figure 4 can be attached to the CSU 1 in Figure 1 in any orientation depending on the purpose of measurement. For example, the distance measuring sensor 18 of the scraping unit 11 is attached so that axis A in Figure 4 is vertical and reference plane S is a horizontal plane. In this case, the distance measuring sensor 18 can measure distances within the warehouse 201, centered on the side of the scraping unit 11. The distance measuring sensor 18 may also be attached so that axis A in Figure 4 is horizontal and reference plane S is a vertical plane. In this case, the distance measuring sensor 18 can measure distances to the opening 21 above the scraping unit 11 and the bulk cargo M below the scraping unit 11. Note that the orientation of axis A of the distance measuring sensor 18 is not limited to vertical or horizontal and can be any orientation.

The distance measurement sensor 19 at the top of the loading section 9 is mounted so that axis A in Figure 4 is horizontal and reference plane S is vertical. In this case, the distance measurement sensor 19 can measure the distance to the edge of the opening 21 of the warehouse 201 below, the bulk cargo M inside the warehouse 201, etc. Note that this distance measurement sensor 19 can also emit laser light upward, but since there are no objects to be measured above, upward distance measurement can be disabled by covering the top of the distance measurement sensor 19 with a light-blocking cover, for example. The distance measurement sensor 19 may also be mounted so that axis A in Figure 4 is vertical and reference plane S is parallel to the horizontal plane. In this case, the distance measurement sensor 19 can efficiently measure the distance to objects to be measured outside the warehouse 201 to the side. The direction of axis A of the distance measurement sensor 19 can be any direction, not just horizontal or vertical, but the horizontal direction will be described in detail below.

By installing distance measuring sensors 18, 19 as described above in the lifting unit 9, it is possible to accurately determine the positions of various measurement targets, such as the edge of the opening 21, the ceiling/walls/bottom of the shed 201, bulk goods M and other objects, people/structures inside the shed 201, a bulldozer as a consolidation or collection device (described below), and the scraping unit 11. This prevents the lifting unit 9 from colliding with other objects during lifting, allowing bulk goods M to be lifted efficiently.

Figure 5 shows an example of the arrangement of distance measurement sensors 19 from a top view. Three distance measurement sensors 191, 192, and 193 are arranged as distance measurement sensors 19, surrounding the outer periphery of the flange portion 91 or the elevator body 14. Distance measurement sensor 191 is arranged so that axis A in Figure 4 is in the left-right direction in Figure 5, and reference plane S1 corresponding to reference plane S in Figure 4 is in the up-down direction in Figure 5. Distance measurement sensor 191 measures distance by emitting laser light within a range of ±15° centered on reference plane S1. Distance measurement sensors 192 and 193 are arranged so that axis A in Figure 4 is in the up-down direction in Figure 5, and reference planes S2 and S3 corresponding to reference plane S in Figure 4 are in the left-right direction in Figure 5. Distance measurement sensors 192 and 193 measure distance by emitting laser light within a range of ±15° centered on reference planes S2 and S3. The reference planes S2 and S3 of the distance measurement sensors 192 and 193 are different planes parallel to each other and perpendicular to the reference plane S1 of the distance measurement sensor 191.

The CSU 1 unloads bulk cargo M from the shed 201 with the posture shown in Figure 5 as the basic posture for unloading. In this basic posture, the traveling section 2 is positioned away from the front of the shed 201, and the rotating frame 5 and boom 7 are in a rotation position that forms an acute angle with the rail 3 that forms the track of the traveling section 2. At this time, the unloading section 9 is located above the shed 201 of the ship 200, and the scraping section 11 at its bottom is inserted into the shed 201 through the opening 21.

The opening 21 of the shipyard 201 is often rectangular and elongated in the direction of travel of the ship 200 (left-right in Figure 5). In this case, the upper edge E11 and lower edge E12 of the opening 21 can be detected by a distance measurement sensor 191 that emits laser light parallel to the short sides of the opening 21 (the sides in the vertical direction in Figure 5). Note that the points shown at the centers of edges E11 and E12 represent the positions where the laser light on the reference plane S1 of the distance measurement sensor 191 hits the edge of the opening 21, and the rectangle surrounding it schematically represents the range in which the laser light emitted within a ±15° range centered on the reference plane S1 hits the edge of the opening 21. The same notation will be used for distance measurement sensors 192 and 193 below.

Similarly, distance measurement sensors 192 and 193, which emit laser light parallel to the long sides of opening 21 (the left-right sides in Figure 5), can detect edges E21 and E31 on the left side and edges E22 and E32 on the right side of opening 21. By using two distance measurement sensors 192 and 193, distance measurement can be performed with high accuracy even in the long direction, which is more difficult to measure than in the short direction. In this way, the arrangement of distance measurement sensors 191, 192, and 193 in Figure 5 is suitable for detecting the edges of opening 21 that is long in one direction, such as a rectangle.

Even if the CSU1 is not in the basic position shown in Figure 5, if the loading/unloading unit 9 is within the opening 21 when viewed from above, the three distance measurement sensors 191, 192, and 193 can acquire six distance measurement point groups on the edge of the opening 21 corresponding to E11, E12, E21, E22, E31, and E32, and the position of the opening 21 can be accurately determined.

Furthermore, the basic position of the CSU 1 during lifting is not limited to that shown in Figure 5. For example, the basic position may be one in which the running unit 2 is located in front of the shipyard 201 and the swivel frame 5 and boom 7 are perpendicular to the rail 3. In this case, the extension direction of the boom 7 coincides with the short side direction of the opening 21, so the reference plane S1 of the distance measuring sensor 191 is parallel to the extension direction of the boom 7, and the reference planes S2 and S3 of the distance measuring sensors 192 and 193 are perpendicular to the extension direction of the boom 7. Here, if the distance measuring sensors 191, 192, and 193 are rotatable integrally around the axis of the cylindrical elevator body 14, it is possible to easily arrange the distance measuring sensors 191, 192, and 193 appropriately for the elongated opening 21 described above, depending on whether the basic position of the CSU 1 during lifting is changed.

The above number and arrangement of distance measuring sensors 19 are merely examples, and any number and arrangement can be adopted. It is preferable to have at least two distance measuring sensors 19 in order to efficiently measure the shape of the opening 21 surrounding the lifting section 9 when viewed from above. More preferably, three or more distance measuring sensors 19 are used. Multiple distance measuring sensors 19 may be arranged at equal intervals along the outer periphery of the flange section 91 or elevator body 14. In this case, the installation orientation of each distance measuring sensor 19 is arbitrary, but for example, each distance measuring sensor 19 is installed so that its reference surface S is in contact with the outer periphery of the flange section 91 or elevator body 14. Such a symmetrical arrangement allows the shape of the opening 21 to be measured stably regardless of the orientation of the CSU 1 during lifting.

By controlling each movable part of the CSU 1, namely the movable traveling part 2, the swivelable swivel frame 5, the raiseable boom 7, and the rotatable and deformable scraping part 11, etc., according to the distance to the measurement object inside or outside the shed 201 measured by the distance measuring sensors 18, 19 as described above, it is possible to prevent the lifting part 9 from colliding with other objects inside or outside the shed 201 during unloading, and to efficiently unload the bulk goods M. Note that in addition to or instead of the distance measuring sensors 18, 19, objects inside or outside the shed 201 may be detected by an image sensor or camera that photographs the measurement object.

As shown schematically in Figure 6, towards the end of the lifting operation by the lifting unit 9, a bulldozer 400 is used to collect the bulk goods M remaining at the bottom of the warehouse 201, etc., so that the lifting unit 9 can lift them. Hereinafter, the bulldozer 400's collection of the bulk goods M for the lifting unit 9 (discharge device) will be expressed as "aggregating (the bulk goods M)" or "collecting." The bulldozer 400 that aggregates or collects the bulk goods M (cargo) within the warehouse 201 is one aspect of an aggregation device or collection device.

Such bulldozers 400 used for so-called "dredging" the bottom of the shipyard 201 are typically manually operated by an operator on board. However, this not only requires the operator's human resources, but also presents a risk of collision between the bulldozer 400 and the landing unit 9, a large structure that can move within the shipyard 201. Another problem is that the bulldozer's 400's aggregation or collection efficiency, which is directly linked to the efficiency of the landing unit 9's bulk cargo removal, varies significantly depending on the operator's experience and skill. As described in detail below, this embodiment automatically generates a recommended trajectory for the bulldozer 400 within the shipyard 201 that prevents the bulldozer 400 from colliding with the landing unit 9 and improves the loading efficiency of the landing unit 9. This improves the safety and loading efficiency (i.e., the loading efficiency of the landing unit 9) of the bulldozer 400 during its cargo removal work. Furthermore, the bulldozer 400 may be automatically driven according to an automatically generated recommended trajectory, allowing load aggregation operations to be performed safely and efficiently without endangering the operator.

Figure 6 is a functional block diagram of the control system 300 for the CSU 1 (particularly the unloading unit 9) and bulldozer 400. The control system 300 includes an aggregation device position detection unit 301, a cargo shape detection unit 302, a carry-out device position detection unit 303, a trajectory generation unit 304, an approval reception unit 305, a carry-out device control unit 306, a trajectory candidate generation unit 307, a cargo shape prediction unit 308, and a cargo shape evaluation unit 309. These functional blocks are realized through the cooperation of hardware resources such as the computer's central processing unit, memory, input devices, output devices, and peripheral devices connected to the computer, as well as software executed using these resources. Regardless of the type of computer or its installation location, each of the above functional blocks may be realized by the hardware resources of a single computer or by combining hardware resources distributed across multiple computers. In particular, in this embodiment, some or all of the functional blocks of the control system 300 may be implemented by a computer in the CSU 1, by a computer in the bulldozer 400, or by a computer installed outside the CSU 1 and bulldozer 400 and capable of communicating with the CSU 1 and bulldozer 400.

The aggregation device position detection unit 301, the cargo shape detection unit 302, and the discharge device position detection unit 303 are one or more sensors provided on the CSU 1 (including the unloading unit 9) as the discharge device and/or the bulldozer 400 as the aggregation device. Each sensor may be a distance measurement sensor provided on the CSU 1 and/or the bulldozer 400 to measure the distance to the measurement object (the aforementioned distance measurement sensors 18 and 19 can be used as the distance measurement sensor for the CSU 1), an image sensor provided on the CSU 1 and/or the bulldozer 400 to photograph the measurement object, or any other sensor capable of detecting the measurement object. As described below, the main measurement objects in the illustrated example are the bulldozer 400 (aggregation device), the bulk load M (cargo), and the unloading unit 9 or scraping unit 11 (discharge device).

The aggregation device position detection unit 301 detects the position of the bulldozer 400, which serves as an aggregation device, within the shipyard 201. The aforementioned distance sensors 18, 19 or image sensors provided in the unloading unit 9 can be used as the aggregation device position detection unit 301. Alternatively, a positioning sensor using a satellite positioning system such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) provided on the bulldozer 400 itself, or a distance sensor or image sensor provided on the bulldozer 400 itself that detects its own position within the shipyard 201 by detecting the walls of the shipyard 201, etc., can also be used as the aggregation device position detection unit 301.

The cargo shape detection unit 302 detects the shape of the cargo (shape of the bulk cargo M) in the warehouse 201. The aforementioned distance measuring sensors 18, 19 and image sensors provided in the unloading unit 9 can be used as the cargo shape detection unit 302. Furthermore, distance measuring sensors and image sensors provided in the bulldozer 400 itself may also be used as the cargo shape detection unit 302.

The discharge device position detection unit 303 detects the position of the unloading unit 9 as a discharge device within the warehouse 201, specifically the position of the leading and trailing ends of the scraping unit 11 that scrapes off the bulk goods M in the unloading unit 9. The aforementioned distance sensors 18, 19 and image sensors provided on the unloading unit 9 itself can be used as the discharge device position detection unit 303. Furthermore, a distance sensor or image sensor provided on the bulldozer 400 may also be used as the discharge device position detection unit 303. Note that if the discharge device control unit 306 that controls the unloading unit 9 is able to recognize the position of the unloading unit 9 within the warehouse 201, the discharge device position detection unit 303 does not need to be provided.

The trajectory generation unit 304 generates a trajectory for the bulldozer 400 within the shed 201 based on the position of the bulldozer 400 detected by the consolidation device position detection unit 301, the shape of the load detected by the load shape detection unit 302, and the position of the unloading unit 9 detected by the carry-out device position detection unit 303. Specifically, the trajectory generation unit 304 automatically generates a recommended trajectory for the bulldozer 400 within the shed 201 based on the positions of the bulldozer 400 and the scraping unit 11 and the position and shape of the bulk load M, so that the bulldozer 400 does not collide with the scraping unit 11 of the unloading unit 9 and can efficiently collect the bulk load M for the scraping unit 11. This improves the safety and load consolidation efficiency (i.e., the carry-out efficiency of the unloading unit 9) of the bulldozer 400 during load consolidation operations. In order to reliably avoid collisions between the bulldozer 400 and the scraping unit 11, it is preferable that the trajectory generating unit 304 obtain and take into consideration trajectory information and operation information of the unloading unit 9 from the carrying-out device control unit 306 when generating a recommended trajectory for the bulldozer 400.

The bulldozer 400 may be operated automatically according to the trajectory generated by the trajectory generating unit 304. Alternatively, the recommended trajectory generated by the trajectory generating unit 304 may be displayed to the operator of the manned bulldozer 400 on a display screen in the bulldozer's 400 control room or on a display screen of a mobile device used by the operator, and the operator may manually operate the bulldozer 400 according to the recommended trajectory.

The control system 300 may also include an approval receiving unit 305 that receives approval for the trajectory generated by the trajectory generation unit 304. For example, the operator of the bulldozer 400, an operator in the main control room 16 of the CSU 1, or an administrator of the control system 300 has the authority to approve the trajectory generated by the trajectory generation unit 304 and can input approval or rejection to the approval receiving unit 305. When the approval receiving unit 305 is provided, the bulldozer 400 may be automatically driven according to the trajectory approved by the approval receiving unit 305, or the operator who receives the trajectory approved by the approval receiving unit 305 may manually operate the bulldozer 400.

The carrying-out device control unit 306 causes the unloading unit 9, which serves as a carrying-out device, to carry out the bulk cargo M from the shipyard 201 to the outside of the shipyard 201. The carrying-out device control unit 306 moves the unloading unit 9 within the shipyard 201 so as not to interfere with the trajectory of the bulldozer 400 generated by the trajectory generation unit 304 (or, if an approval reception unit 305 is provided, the trajectory of the bulldozer 400 approved by the approval reception unit 305). At this time, the carry-out device control unit 306 may automatically generate a recommended trajectory for the scraping unit 11 within the warehouse 201, which will prevent the scraping unit 11 of the unloading unit 9 from colliding with the bulldozer 400 and will ensure high efficiency in carrying out the bulk material M by the scraping unit 11, based on the trajectory of the bulldozer 400 generated by the trajectory generation unit 304, the positions of the bulldozer 400 and scraping unit 11 detected by the aggregation device position detection unit 301, the cargo shape detection unit 302, and the carry-out device position detection unit 303, and the position and shape of the bulk material M. The scraping unit 11 may be automatically operated according to the recommended trajectory, or may be manually operated by an operator in the main operation room 16 or the like who is presented with the recommended trajectory or the trajectory of the bulldozer 400 generated by the trajectory generation unit 304.

The trajectory candidate generation unit 307, cargo shape prediction unit 308, and cargo shape evaluation unit 309 enable more precise trajectory generation for the bulldozer 400 (and the lifting unit 9).

The trajectory candidate generation unit 307 generates multiple trajectory candidates for the bulldozer 400 within the warehouse 201 based on the position of the bulldozer 400 detected by the aggregation device position detection unit 301, the cargo shape detected by the cargo shape detection unit 302, the position of the unloading unit 9 detected by the unloading device position detection unit 303, and the trajectory information and operation information of the unloading unit 9 provided by the unloading device control unit 306.

The cargo shape prediction unit 308 predicts the cargo shape after the bulldozer 400 is operated according to each trajectory candidate generated by the trajectory candidate generation unit 307. Note that since the cargo shape also changes depending on the unloading unit 9 that unloads the bulk goods M while the bulldozer 400 is operating, it is preferable that the cargo shape prediction unit 308 predicts the cargo shape taking into account the trajectory information and operation information of the unloading unit 9 provided by the unloading device control unit 306.

The cargo shape evaluation unit 309 evaluates the ease of removal by the unloading unit 9 for each cargo shape predicted by the cargo shape prediction unit 308. Note that the cargo shape evaluation unit 309 may also evaluate the ease of removal by the unloading unit 9 for the current cargo shape detected by the cargo shape detection unit 302. Specific examples of evaluations by the cargo shape evaluation unit 309 will be described later.

The trajectory generation unit 304 may generate a trajectory for the bulldozer 400 within the warehouse 201 based on the evaluation by the cargo shape evaluation unit 309. For example, the trajectory generation unit 304 may generate the trajectory that has received the highest evaluation by the cargo shape evaluation unit 309 from among multiple trajectory candidates generated by the trajectory candidate generation unit 307.

Next, a specific example of control by the control system 300 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 7. In the flowchart, "S" denotes a step or process. In the example in Figure 7, the entire CSU 1 or the unloading unit 9 as the unloading device, and the bulldozer 400 as the aggregation device, are both operated automatically. As mentioned above, the trajectory of the unloading unit 9 is generated by the unloading device control unit 306, and the trajectory of the bulldozer 400 is generated by the trajectory generation unit 304.

In S1, the relative position of the unloading unit 9 or scraping unit 11 of the CSU 1 and the warehouse 201 is detected. Specifically, the relative position between the position of the opening 21 of the warehouse 201 detected by the distance sensors 18, 19 and image sensors provided in the unloading unit 9 and the position of the unloading unit 9 or scraping unit 11 recognized and controlled by the carry-out device control unit 306 is detected. Note that the position of the unloading unit 9 or scraping unit 11 may be detected by the carry-out device position detection unit 303. The following description is given in a three-dimensional coordinate system (also referred to as the warehouse coordinate system) with an arbitrary reference point fixed to the warehouse 201 as the origin. The position/posture of the scraping unit 11 at time k in the warehouse coordinate system detected in S1 is represented as x _c ^k . Note that the subscript "c" refers to CSU 1. x _c ^k is a vector representing the position (for example, three-dimensional coordinates) and orientation (for example, a rotation angle around a three-dimensional coordinate axis) of one or more representative points (for example, the leading or trailing end) of the scraping part 11 .

In S2, the position/posture x _b ^k of the bulldozer 400 at time k in the shed coordinate system is detected by the aggregation device position detection unit 301. The subscript "b" denotes the bulldozer 400. As described above for the aggregation device position detection unit 301, x _b ^k is measured by the aforementioned distance measuring sensors 18, 19 and image sensors provided at the unloading unit 9, or distance measuring sensors, image sensors, positioning sensors, etc. provided at the bulldozer 400 itself. When the bulldozer 400 is detected by the aforementioned distance measuring sensors 18, 19 and image sensors, etc. provided at the unloading unit 9, the detection accuracy of the bulldozer 400 can be improved by providing the bulldozer 400 with reflectors that reflect laser light from the distance measuring sensors 18, 19 or markers that are easily detected by the image sensors. x _b ^k is a vector representing the position (e.g., three-dimensional coordinates) and attitude (e.g., a rotation angle around a three-dimensional coordinate axis) of one or more representative points (e.g., the center of the bulldozer 400 or the tip of the blade) of the bulldozer 400. If the bottom of the shed 201 in which the bulldozer 400 moves is substantially flat, each representative point of the bulldozer 400 can be represented by a total of three parameters: two parameters representing a position in a two-dimensional coordinate system within that plane, and one parameter representing a rotation angle (attitude) around the normal to that plane.

In S3, the cargo shape detection unit 302 detects the cargo shape (shape of the bulk cargo M) in the cargo hold 201. FIG. 8 shows a specific example of cargo shape detection by the cargo shape detection unit 302. A two-dimensional coordinate system with X and Y axes is set on a plane that approximates the bottom of the cargo hold 201, and the bottom of the cargo hold 201 is divided into a grid pattern along the X and Y axes. In the example of FIG. 8, the bottom of the cargo hold 201 is divided into a total of 450 sections, consisting of 30 sections along the X axis and 15 sections along the Y axis. The cargo shape detection unit 302 detects the height of the bulk cargo M in each section. The height of the bulk cargo M in the ith section (i = 1 to 450 in the example of FIG. 8) at time k is represented as h _i ^k . The cargo shape detection unit 302 detects the cargo shape h ^k at time k as the aggregate or set of h ₁ ^k to h ₄₅₀ ^k . In addition, if the cargo shape detection unit 302 is unable to measure the height of the bulk cargo M in some sections due to objects or people inside the warehouse 201, including the bulldozer 400 and the unloading unit 9, the height of the bulk cargo M in that section may be estimated using an interpolation technique such as Semantic Scene Completion.

In S4, it is determined whether the load (bulk goods M) is sufficiently small. Specifically, it is determined whether the sum of the heights h _i ^k of the bulk goods M in each section detected in S3 (Σ _i h _i ^k = h ₁ ^k + h ₂ ^k + ... + h ₄₅₀ ^k ) is equal to or less than a predetermined carry-out completion threshold. If the determination in S4 is Yes, the automatic operation of the unloading unit 9 and bulldozer 400 is stopped, and the carry-out of the bulk goods M by the scraping unit 11 with the assistance of the bulldozer 400 is completed. If the determination in S4 is No, the process proceeds to the next S5.

In S5, the trajectory candidate generation unit 307, the cargo shape prediction unit 308, the cargo shape evaluation unit 309, the trajectory generation unit 304, and the unloading apparatus control unit 306 generate a trajectory (position/posture) x _b ^k+1:H of the bulldozer 400 from future time k+1 to H and a trajectory (position/posture) x _c ^k+1:H of the unloading unit 9 from future time k+1 to H. Details of S5 will be described later. In S6, the bulldozer 400 is automatically driven (trajectory tracking control) in accordance with the trajectory x _b ^k+1:H of the bulldozer 400 generated by the trajectory generation unit 304 in S5, and the unloading unit 9 is automatically driven (trajectory tracking control) in accordance with the trajectory x _c ^k+1:H of the unloading unit 9 generated by the unloading apparatus control unit 306 in S5. After S6, the process returns to S1, and the series of steps S1 to S6 are repeated intermittently or continuously until a Yes is determined in S4 (unloading of the bulk goods M is completed).

Next, details of S5 will be explained. In S5, a trajectory x _b ^{k+1:H of the bulldozer 400 from future time k+1 to H} and a trajectory x _c ^k+1 :H of the unloading unit 9 from future time k+1 to H are generated, but here, the control state y c k of the unloading unit 9 or CSU 1 at time k, such as the scraping speed of the scraping unit 11, and the control state y _b ^k of the _bulldozer 400 at time ^k , such as the up and down position of the blade of the bulldozer 400, are also taken into consideration. Note that the future time H that determines the range of prediction or generation of the trajectory and control state will be referred to as the prediction horizon H below. The combination of ^the trajectory _xck and control state _yck of the unloading unit 9 at time ^{k is} defined as the ^state _zck = ( _xck , _yck ) of the unloading unit 9 at time ^k , and the combination of the trajectory _xbk and control state _ybk of the bulldozer 400 at time k is defined as ^the state _zbk = ( ^xbk , _ybk ⁾ of _the ^bulldozer 400 at time ^k .

Based on these, consider a function _g that generates the states ⁽ _zc1 :H, zb1:H) of the unloading unit 9 and bulldozer 400 at future times 1 to H from a set ( _zc0 , _zb0 , ^h0 ) of the state ^{zc0 of} the unloading unit 9 at the current time k ^{= 0} , the state zb0 of the bulldozer 400 at the current time k=0, and the load shape h0 at the current time _{k=0. That is, (zc1} ^: _H ^{, zb1} _: ^{H )} = g( _zc0 , _zb0 , ^h0 ). Note that, in order to take into consideration the speed and acceleration of the unloading unit 9 and bulldozer 400, ^it _is preferable to input into function g the states ( _zc ^-L:0 , _zb ^-L:0 ) of the unloading unit 9 and bulldozer 400 from time -L, which is slightly before the current time 0, to the current time 0. L is, for example, 1. In this case, the function g is expressed as ( _zc1 ^:H , _zb1 ^:H ) = g( _zc ^-L:0 , _zb ^-L:0 , ^h0 ). The purpose of the trajectory generation process in S5 is to find an optimal function g that gives trajectories ( _zc1 :H, zb1:H) of the landing unit 9 and bulldozer 400 at future times 1 to H, so that the scraping unit 11 of the landing unit 9 does not collide with the _{bulldozer 400} ^and the efficiency of the scraping unit ¹¹ in carrying out the bulk material M can be maximized.

In ( _zc1 ^:H , _zb1 ^:H ) = g( _zc ^-L:0 , zb- _L ^:0 , ^h0 ), _zc ^-L:0 , _zb ^-L:0 , ^h0 , which are inputs to the function g on the right-hand side, are detected by the unloading device position detection unit 303 (and/or the unloading device control unit 306), the consolidation device position detection unit 301, and the cargo shape detection unit 302, respectively. The trajectory candidate generation unit 307, which has acquired these parameters ( _zc ^-L:0 , _zb ^-L:0 , ^h0 ), generates multiple trajectory candidates _zb1 ^:H for the bulldozer 400. Furthermore, the unloading device control unit 306, which has acquired the same parameters ( _zc ^-L:0 , _zb ^-L:0 , ^h0 ), generates multiple trajectory candidates _zc1 ^:H for the unloading unit 9. In this way, a plurality of trajectory candidates (z _c ^1:H , z _b ^1:H ) for the unloading unit 9 and the bulldozer 400 are generated by the unloading device control unit 306 and the trajectory candidate generation unit 307 .

The cargo shape prediction unit 308 predicts cargo shapes h1 to hH at future times 1 to H after the unloading unit 9 and bulldozer 400 have been operated according to the generated trajectory candidates ( _zc1 ^:H , _zb1 ^{:H )} . Here, the cargo shape hk at time ^k is expressed as hk = f( ^{hk -1 ,} _zck , _zbk ⁾ based on the cargo shape hk-1 at the previous time k- ¹ and the state of the unloading unit 9 and _bulldozer 400 at time _{k (zck} ^{, zbk )} . Here, the function f is prepared in advance by machine learning using a neural network or the like. The data used for machine learning may be data of the actual environment collected during manual operation by an operator, or may be data collected by simulation. The cargo shape prediction unit 308 sequentially inputs each trajectory candidate ( _zc1 ^:H , _zb1 ^:H ) and the cargo shape ^h0 at the current time detected by the cargo shape detection unit 302 into a function f, and predicts ^{each cargo shape h1 to hH at each future time 1 to H} for each trajectory candidate ( _zc1 ^{: H} , _zb1 : _H ) using ^h1 = f( ^{h0 ,} _zc1 , ^zb1 ), ^h2 = f( _h1 , ^zc2 , _zb2 ), ..., ^hH = f( _hH ^{- 1} , _zcH ^{, zbH )} .

As described above, for multiple trajectory candidates ( _zc1 ^:H , _zb1 ^:H ), a transition (h1:H, zc1:H, zb1:H | _zc ^-L:0 , _zb ^-L:0 , ^h0 ) is given from the initial state ( ^zc-L :0, _zb -L ^: 0, h0) of the unloading unit 9, bulldozer 400, and bulk load M at current time 0 to the state ( ^h1: H, _zc1 ^{: H} , _zb1 ^:H ) of the ^{unloading unit 9} , _bulldozer ⁴⁰⁰ , and _bulk load M at future _times ¹ to H. The cargo shape evaluation unit 309 evaluates each trajectory candidate ^{(zc1:H, zb1:H) using an evaluation function J (h1:H} , _zc1 ^:H , _zb1 ^:H | _zc ^-L:0 , _zb ^-L:0 , ^h0 ) that evaluates the ease of carrying out the bulk goods M during these transitions, and constraints b ( ^h1:H , _zc1 ^:H , zb1 ^:H | _zc - _L ^:0 , _zb ^-L:0 , ^h0 ) that allow the unloading unit ₉ and _bulldozer 400 to move at realistic speeds and accelerations while avoiding collisions during these ^transitions . The evaluation function J and constraints ^b will be described later.

The evaluation of multiple trajectory candidates ( _zc1 ^:H , _zb1 ^:H ) by the load shape evaluation unit 309 using the evaluation function J and constraint condition b can be treated as a constrained nonlinear optimization problem represented by the following formula. The evaluation may utilize the primal-dual interior point method, SQP (Sequential Quadratic Programming), random shooting, etc. As a result, the trajectory candidate ( _zc1 ^:H , _zb1 ^:H ) that has the highest evaluation is adopted by the trajectory generation unit 304 and used for automatic operation of the unloading unit 9 and the bulldozer 400.

The evaluation function J can be constructed by adding together a plurality of functions r _l (h ^1:H , z _c 1:H , z _b ^{1:H |} z _c ^-L:0 , z _b ^-L:0 , h ⁰ ) designed to correspond to a plurality of different evaluation viewpoints, appropriately weighted with weights α _l . That is, J = Σ _l α _l r _l (h ^1:H , z _c ^1:H , z _b ^1:H |z _c ^-L:0 , z _b ^-L:0 , h ⁰ ). Specific examples of the function r _l are given below.

The first function _r1 relates to the total amount of cargo (bulk goods M). Specifically, it is defined _{as r1} ( ^h1:H , _zc1 ^:H , _zb1 ^:H | _zc ^-L:0 , _zb ^-L:0 , ^h0 ) = _Σih1H . Since _r1 represents the total amount of bulk goods M in the prediction horizon H, it can be _said that the higher the evaluation (the smaller the value of _r1 ) ^, the higher the efficiency of the removal of bulk goods M by the scraping unit 11. In addition, an evaluation function may be provided that limits the fluctuations in the removal speed of bulk goods M by the scraping unit 11 (the amount of bulk goods M removed per unit time) over future times 1 to H so that they do not become excessive (the smaller the fluctuations in the removal speed, the higher the evaluation).

The second function _r2 relates to the concentration state of the cargo (bulk cargo M). For example, if the bulk cargo M is concentrated in the center of the warehouse 201, it can be efficiently scraped off by the scraping unit 11. Therefore, a relatively large weight w _i is set for the central section of the warehouse 201 (FIG. 8), and r2 is defined as _r2 = (h1 ^:H , _zc1 ^:H , _zb1 ^:H | _zc -L ^:0 , zb- _L ^:0 , ^h0 ) = _Σi w _i h _i ^H. The higher the evaluation of _r2 (the larger the value of _r2 ), the higher the concentration of bulk cargo M in the center of the warehouse 201.

The third function _r3 relates to the acceleration/deceleration of the unloading unit 9. Smaller acceleration/deceleration of the unloading unit 9 is preferable, and the absolute value of the acceleration of the unloading unit 9 is evaluated by _r3 . Specifically, the absolute value (a c 0:H-1 ) T (a _c 0: ^H -1 ) of the acceleration a _c 0:H-1 of the unloading unit 9 from the current time 0 onward is defined as r3, out of the acceleration a _c ^{-L+1:H -1} of the unloading unit 9 at each time _-L +1 to ^H-1 obtained by twice differentiating the trajectory x _c ^{-L:H of the unloading unit 9 at each time -L to H. The} _higher the evaluation of _r3 (the smaller the value of _r3 ), the smaller the acceleration/deceleration of the unloading unit 9. An evaluation function may also be provided that limits the curvature of the trajectory of the unloading unit 9 so that it does not become excessive (the smaller the curvature, the higher the evaluation). Similarly, an evaluation function may be provided that limits the fluctuation in the moving speed of the unloading unit 9 over future times 1 to H so that it does not become excessive (the smaller the fluctuation in the moving speed, the higher the evaluation).

The fourth function _r4 relates to the acceleration and deceleration of the bulldozer 400. Smaller acceleration and deceleration of the bulldozer 400 is preferable, and the absolute value of the acceleration of the bulldozer 400 is evaluated by _r4 . Specifically, the absolute value (a b ⁰ :H-1 ) T (a _b 0:H-1 ) of the acceleration a b 0:H-1 of the bulldozer 400 from the current time 0 onward is defined as r4, among the accelerations a _b ^{-L+1: H-1} of the bulldozer 400 at times -L ^{+1 to H-} 1 obtained by differentiating the trajectory x _{b -L} ^{:H of the bulldozer 400 twice with respect to time at times -L to H.} _{The higher} the evaluation of _r4 (the smaller the value of _r4 ), the smaller the acceleration and deceleration of the bulldozer 400. An evaluation function may also be provided that limits the curvature of the trajectory of the bulldozer 400 so that it does not become excessive (the smaller the curvature, the higher the evaluation). Similarly, an evaluation function may be provided that limits fluctuations in the movement speed of the bulldozer 400 over future times 1 to H so that they do not become excessive (the smaller the fluctuations in the movement speed, the higher the evaluation).

Next, a specific example of constraint b (h ^1:H , z _c ^1:H , z _b ^1:H |z _c ^−L:0 , z _b ^−L:0 , h ⁰ ) will be given.

The first constraint relates to the motion of the unloading unit 9. The trajectory or state z _c ^1:H of the unloading unit 9 must not involve motion parameters (velocity, acceleration, angular velocity, angular acceleration, curvature, etc.) that are physically impossible for the unloading unit 9 to achieve. Therefore, upper and lower limits for each of these motion parameters are set as constraints. For example, when limiting the absolute value of the velocity (speed) of the unloading unit 9 to an upper limit V _c , the absolute value of the velocity v _c ^1:H -1 of the unloading unit 9 from time 1 onward is limited to an upper limit V _c , out of the velocity v _c ^-L+1:H-1 of the unloading unit 9 at times −L+1 to H-1 obtained by time-differentiating the trajectory x _c -L ^:H of the unloading unit 9 at times −L to H. Specifically, a constraint expressed by the inequality 0≦V _c - |v _c ^1:H-1 | is set. It should be noted that the upper limit _Vc may be lowered to avoid collision when the unloading unit 9 is within a predetermined distance from structures such as the bulldozer 400 or the wall of the shipyard 201. Similarly, upper and lower limits may be set for the other motion parameters of the unloading unit 9.

The second constraint relates to the movement of the bulldozer 400. The trajectory or state z _b ^1:H of the bulldozer 400 must not involve movement parameters (speed, acceleration, angular velocity, angular acceleration, curvature, etc.) that are physically impossible for the bulldozer 400 to achieve. Therefore, upper and lower limits for each of these movement parameters are set as constraints. For example, when limiting the absolute value (speed) of the speed of the bulldozer 400 to an upper limit V _b or less, the absolute value of the speed v _b 1 ^:H -1 of the bulldozer 400 from time 1 onwards is limited to an upper limit V _b or less among the speeds v _b ^-L+1:H-1 of the bulldozer 400 at times −L+1 to H- ¹ obtained by time differentiating the trajectory x _b -L:H of the bulldozer 400 at times −L to H. Specifically, a constraint expressed by the inequality 0≦V _b -|v _b ^1:H-1 | is set. It should be noted that the upper limit _Vb may be lowered to avoid collision when the bulldozer 400 is within a predetermined distance from structures such as the unloading section 9 and the wall of the shipyard 201. Similarly, upper and lower limits can be set for the other motion parameters of the bulldozer 400.

The third constraint relates to avoidance of contact between the bulldozer 400 and the unloading unit 9. For example, by setting a constraint expressed by the inequality 0≦|x _c ^1:H-1 -x _b ^1:H-1 |-X _cb , it is possible to ensure that the bulldozer 400 and the unloading unit 9 do not come closer than the minimum approach distance X _cb . Similarly, it is possible to set a constraint that ensures that the bulldozer 400 and the unloading unit 9 do not come closer than a predetermined minimum approach distance to structures such as the walls of the shipyard 201.

The fourth constraint condition relates to the stability of the bulldozer 400. For example, a constraint condition is set to prevent the bulldozer 400 from becoming unstable due to running over an inclined bulk load M. Specifically, the inclination of the bulk load M at the position x _b ^1:H-1 of the bulldozer 400 is calculated from the load shape h ^1:H-1 detected by the load shape detection unit 302, and a constraint condition is set to limit the inclination to a predetermined upper limit.

The present invention has been described above based on an embodiment. The embodiment is merely an example, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component and each treatment process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention.

The present invention is not limited to the bucket elevator type continuous unloader described in the embodiment, but can also be applied to spiral type continuous unloaders and continuous unloaders equipped with an air conveying mechanism.

The functional configuration of each device described in the embodiments can be realized using hardware resources, software resources, or a combination of hardware and software resources. Processors, ROM, RAM, and other LSIs can be used as hardware resources. Operating systems, applications, and other programs can be used as software resources.

1. Cargo lifting unit (CSU), 9. Cargo lifting unit, 11. Scraping unit, 18. Distance measurement sensor, 19. Distance measurement sensor, 201. Warehouse, 300. Control system, 301. Aggregation device position detection unit, 302. Cargo shape detection unit, 303. Cargo device position detection unit, 304. Trajectory generation unit, 305. Approval reception unit, 306. Cargo device control unit, 307. Trajectory candidate generation unit, 308. Cargo shape prediction unit, 309. Cargo shape evaluation unit, 400. Bulldozer.

Claims (12)

a consolidation device position detection unit that detects the position of a consolidation device that consolidates cargo in a shipyard;
a carrying-out device control unit that causes the carrying-out device to carry out the cargo in the shed to the outside of the shed;
a cargo shape detection unit that detects the shape of cargo in the warehouse;
a trajectory generating unit that generates a trajectory of the aggregation device in the warehouse in accordance with the position of the aggregation device detected by the aggregation device position detecting unit and the cargo shape detected by the cargo shape detecting unit;
Equipped with
a cargo shape evaluation unit that evaluates the ease of carrying out the cargo shape detected by the cargo shape detection unit using the carrying-out device;
The trajectory generation unit is an unloading device that generates a trajectory within the warehouse of the aggregation device based on the evaluation by the cargo shape evaluation unit in addition to the position of the aggregation device . Further provided is a carry-out device position detection unit that detects the position of the carry-out device in the shipyard,
the trajectory generation unit generates a trajectory in the warehouse of the aggregation device according to the position of the carrying-out device detected by the carrying-out device position detection unit in addition to the position of the aggregation device and the cargo shape.
2. The unloading device of claim 1. The unloading device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the aggregation device is automatically operated according to the trajectory generated by the trajectory generation unit. further comprising an approval receiving unit that receives approval for the trajectory generated by the trajectory generating unit,
The aggregation device is automatically driven according to a trajectory related to the approval received by the approval receiving unit.
4. An unloading device according to claim 3. An unloading device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the unloading device control unit moves the unloading device within the warehouse so as not to interfere with the trajectory of the aggregation device generated by the trajectory generation unit. a trajectory candidate generation unit that generates a plurality of trajectory candidates within the warehouse of the aggregation device according to the position of the aggregation device detected by the aggregation device position detection unit and the cargo shape detected by the cargo shape detection unit;
a cargo shape prediction unit that predicts a cargo shape after the aggregation device is operated according to each of the trajectory candidates;
a cargo shape evaluation unit that evaluates the ease of carrying out by the carrying-out device for each cargo shape predicted by the cargo shape prediction unit;
Further provided with
the trajectory generation unit generates a trajectory that is most highly evaluated by the cargo shape evaluation unit from among the plurality of trajectory candidates.
An unloading device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . The unloading device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the consolidating device position detection unit and the cargo shape detection unit is a sensor provided in the carrying-out device. The unloading device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the collecting device position detection unit and the cargo shape detection unit is a sensor provided in the collecting device. The unloading device according to claim 7 or 8 , wherein the sensor is a distance measuring sensor that measures the distance to an object to be measured. The unloading device according to claim 7 or 8 , wherein the sensor is an image sensor that photographs an object to be measured. a consolidation device position detection step of detecting a position of a consolidation device that consolidates cargo in a shipyard;
a carrying-out device control step of carrying out the cargo in the warehouse to the outside of the warehouse by the carrying-out device;
a cargo shape detection step of detecting a cargo shape in a cargo hold;
a trajectory generating step of generating a trajectory of the aggregating device in the warehouse according to the position of the aggregating device detected by the aggregating device position detecting step and the cargo shape detected by the cargo shape detecting step;
Equipped with
a cargo shape evaluation step of evaluating ease of carrying out the cargo shape detected by the cargo shape detection step by the carrying-out device;
The trajectory generation step is a control method for an unloading device that generates a trajectory within the warehouse of the aggregation device based on the evaluation by the cargo shape evaluation step in addition to the position of the aggregation device . a consolidation device position detection step of detecting a position of a consolidation device that consolidates cargo in a shipyard;
a carrying-out device control step of carrying out the cargo in the warehouse to the outside of the warehouse by the carrying-out device;
a cargo shape detection step of detecting a cargo shape in a cargo hold;
a trajectory generating step of generating a trajectory of the aggregating device in the warehouse according to the position of the aggregating device detected by the aggregating device position detecting step and the cargo shape detected by the cargo shape detecting step;
on the computer ,
a cargo shape evaluation step of evaluating ease of unloading by the unloading device for the cargo shape detected by the cargo shape detection step;
The trajectory generation step is a control program for an unloading device that generates a trajectory within the warehouse of the aggregation device based on the evaluation by the cargo shape evaluation step in addition to the position of the aggregation device .