A ship automatic locking and releasing device and a control method thereof

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of marine engineering technology, specifically to a device and control method for automatic locking and releasing of a ship. The device includes a ship end and a shore end. The ship end includes a hook, a push rod, a charging module, a communication module, and a control module. The shore end includes a crossbar and a discharge module. A positioning connection is established between the shore end and the ship end via a positioning module. The charging module has a voltage boosting function, converting the low-voltage electricity transmitted through the hook into high-voltage electricity to charge the ship end's power battery. The positioning module includes a satellite positioning device and an acoustic positioning device, enabling absolute positioning of the ship end and relative positioning with respect to the shore end. The communication module enables communication between the ship end and the shore end to obtain the shore end's position. In operation, this automatic locking and releasing device can achieve automatic locking and charging functions at the ship end, combining these two functions into one, ensuring reliable contact between the ship and shore metal contacts.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of marine engineering technology, specifically to a device and control method for automatic locking and releasing of a ship. Background Technology

[0002] For small vessels (such as tourist boats and inland waterway transport vessels), berth locking, unberthing release, and power battery charging are core necessities in daily operation. However, existing solutions rely on manual operation, resulting in three major pain points: low efficiency, poor safety, and insufficient adaptability. During peak hours for tourist boats, manual mooring requires crew members to go ashore, taking 3-5 minutes per vessel and easily causing berth congestion. Charging inland waterway transport vessels requires manual plugging and unplugging of high-voltage cables, which not only poses a risk of electric shock but also easily leads to charging interface connection failures due to vessel positioning deviations (traditional manual visual positioning error exceeds 0.5 meters), delaying operations.

[0003] Existing automated attempts have significant limitations: First, they lack a precise collaborative positioning mechanism, relying solely on satellite positioning (with an error range of 1-3 meters), which fails to achieve reliable contact between ship and shore metal contacts. Second, the locking and charging functions are separated, requiring two independent devices and increasing vessel modification costs. Third, they lack adaptive path planning and trajectory tracking, necessitating manual assistance for docking, making them unsuitable for narrow waterways in scenic areas and complex inland waterways. These problems lead to low efficiency in the automated operation of small vessels, hindering the implementation of "smart maritime" in short-haul shipping scenarios. There is an urgent need for an integrated device that combines "automatic positioning, locking, charging, and releasing" to solve the problems of reliance on manual labor and insufficient collaborative accuracy. To address this, the inventors have developed a device and control method for the automatic locking and releasing of vessels. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a device and control method for automatic locking and releasing of a ship. It has the advantages of simple structure, reasonable design, automatic locking and charging functions at the ship end, and the combination of locking and charging functions. It achieves reliable contact between the ship and shore metal contacts and realizes the function of "automatic positioning-locking-charging-releasing". It has the advantages of high practicality and wide application prospects in small ship scenarios and solves the problems mentioned in the above technical background.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a device for automatic locking and releasing of a ship, comprising a ship end and a shore end. The ship end includes a hook, a push rod, a charging module, a communication module, and a control module. The shore end includes a crossbar and a discharge module. A positioning connection is established between the shore end and the ship end through a positioning module. Two hooks are provided, each hook being a quarter-circle arc shape. The two hooks are controlled by an electric push rod. Pushing the push rod forward raises the hooks, and pushing the push rod back lowers the hooks. The ends of the hooks are made of metal material, which is connected to the charging module through wires. The push rod can achieve linear reciprocating motion to control the hooks. The charging module has a voltage boosting function, which can convert the low-voltage electricity transmitted by the hooks into high-voltage electricity to charge the power battery of the ship end. The positioning module includes a satellite positioning device and an acoustic positioning device, which can realize the absolute position positioning of the ship end and the relative position positioning with respect to the shore end. The communication module enables communication between the ship and the shore, and obtains the location of the shore. Two metal plates are placed on the crossbar at the shore end. Both metal plates are connected to a discharge module via wires. The discharge module converts 220V AC mains power into 36V DC power and connects it to the crossbar. The communication module can communicate with the ship to obtain its status. During operation, the control module obtains the ship's current position and heading information, as well as the shore's position and orientation information, through the communication and positioning modules. Then, it plans a suitable path and uses a trajectory tracking algorithm to guide the ship along the planned path. When the ship reaches the designated position at the shore end, its speed is controlled to zero, and the push rod is moved to lower the hook. After the hook is lowered, the metal material at its end contacts the metal plate on the crossbar, introducing electricity to the charging module to charge the ship, thus completing the automatic locking and charging functions of the ship. When the ship needs to leave the berth, the control module controls the push rod to open, pulls up the hook, and releases it. Then, the motion control algorithm controls the ship to reverse. After leaving the berth, it switches to normal operation mode, realizing the automatic release of the ship.

[0006] Preferably, the acoustic positioning device includes a shore-end acoustic emission point and a ship-end detection point. There are three shore-end acoustic emission points and three ship-end detection points. The three shore-end acoustic emission points are respectively located at the left edge of the berth, the right edge of the berth, and the midpoint of the front end of the berth, forming a triangular positioning area. The three ship-end detection points are located at the center of the ship end and on both sides.

[0007] Preferably, to avoid mutual interference between the shore-end acoustic wave emission point and the ship-end detection point, three different frequency bands of acoustic waves are used. At the same time, to ensure consistent time triggering, the shore-end acoustic wave emission point emits an infrared signal while emitting acoustic waves, so that the ship-end detection point can accurately obtain the transmission time of the acoustic waves in the air.

[0008] Preferably, the three shore-end acoustic wave transmitting points synchronously transmit 40kHz acoustic wave signals at a fixed period (100ms), and the three shore-end acoustic wave transmitting points are respectively denoted as A, B, and C. The ship end is provided with three acoustic wave receiving points for receiving signals, and the three acoustic wave receiving points are respectively denoted as a, b, and c. Subsequently, the control module calculates the time difference (TOF) between the sound wave emission point and the sound wave receiving point at each shore end. The specific calculation formula is as follows: , , ; in, The trigger time of the transmitter signal. This refers to the signal acquisition time at the receiving end. Secondly, the distance is calculated based on the speed of sound in air (340m / s), using the following formula: , , ; Finally, a coordinate system is established at the shore end, with A as the origin, AB as the X-axis, and the perpendicular AB as the Y-axis. Substituting the three sets of distance values, the coordinates of the ship's end relative to the shore end are solved using a triangulation algorithm. .

[0009] Preferably, the satellite positioning device in the positioning module can obtain the current satellite positioning quality, i.e., the GNSS position accuracy factor (PDOP), and set a PDOP threshold. ,in, This indicates that GNSS has excellent accuracy. Poor precision The fused positioning coordinates are determined by the magnitude of jitter at the current location and the number of satellites acquired; An adaptive weighting algorithm is used: when hour: This indicates that GNSS has a high weighting and acoustic wave-assisted correction. when hour: This indicates that the acoustic wave weight is high, compensating for GNSS errors; when When the value is 1, the sound wave positioning is completely trusted.

[0010] Preferably, after the control module obtains the location data of the shore berth and the ship's end, it determines the width of the shore berth. The scenario planning involves three stages: For the long-distance segment, 50-30 meters from the berth: a straight track is used, with the goal of "aligning the ship with the berth's center point," and the heading deviation at the ship's end is controlled to be ≤±2° through fusion positioning; For the medium-distance segment, 30-10 meters from the berth: a circular transition track is used, with a set turning radius. The system uses algorithms such as A*, DWA, and MPC to avoid obstacles around the berth; for short-range segments (10-0 meters from the berth), it employs fine-tuning of the trajectory based on relative position. The course is corrected in real time to control the lateral distance deviation between the ship and the shore to ≤ ±0.05 meters, ensuring that the hook is aligned with the metal plate at the shore end.

[0011] Preferably, the control module adopts a "segmented deceleration + PID closed-loop" control strategy to ensure the speed when the ship is docked. Phase 1, 50-30 meters from the berth: Approach at a constant speed, set the target speed. Phase 2, 30-10 meters from the berth: proportional deceleration, target speed. ,in The distance to the berth is in meters, and the speed decreases linearly as the distance decreases; Stage 3, 10-0 meters from the berth: PID closed-loop control, speed controller parameters are set to... The system collects real-time data from the ship's end speed sensor, adjusts the propulsion motor torque accordingly, and controls the speed error to ≤ ±0.02m / s. Finally, berthing is triggered when the fusion positioning system indicates that the ship has reached the designated position at the berth. And speed At this time, the control module triggers the propulsion motor to stop, achieving a zero-speed docking.

[0012] Preferably, the control module has a four-step linkage mechanism of "position confirmation - command feedback - action execution - status verification"; Position confirmation: After the boat docks at zero speed, the communication module sends a "position in place" signal to the shore; Command feedback: After receiving the signal, the shore verifies that the position deviation of the boat is ≤ ±0.1 meters, replies with a "locking allowed" command, and starts the power supply module, that is, the end of the hook is energized with 36V; Action execution: After receiving the command, the control module drives the two push rods to fall back synchronously, lowering the hook to contact the metal plate at the shore. The contact pressure is detected by the push rod current. When the current rises to a certain value, it is determined that the contact is good; Status verification: The charging module detects the input voltage and feeds back "charging normal" to the control module, completing the automatic locking and charging start; If no voltage is detected within 3 seconds, the control module drives the push rod to fine adjust (±5mm) until the contact is completed.

[0013] Preferably, the push rod is in a retracted state when the power is off, and the hook is in a lowered state at this time. When the power is off at the boat end, the hook can still ensure that the boat end is in a locked state.

[0014] A control method for a ship's automatic locking and releasing device, the control method comprising the following steps: Step one: The control module establishes a closed-loop control system of "current-external force-safety linkage" by detecting the driving current of the push rod and inversely pushing the external force on the hook. When severe environmental interference is detected, such as wind or waves, the module automatically links to the shore end to stop charging, ensuring the safety of the charging module and mechanical structure. Since the driving current of the push rod is linearly positively correlated with the output thrust, when the hook is affected by wind or waves and generates external force... When the external force reacts to the push rod, it causes a deviation in the push rod's driving current—the greater the external force, the greater the current deviation. The larger the value, the more accurate the calculation; by using the calibrated conversion factor K, the total external force on the hook can be calculated in real time. ,in For the static contact pressure of the hook, Additional external forces caused by environmental disturbances; Step two: Real-time current acquisition and external force calculation. After the hook is lowered and charging is started at the end of the boat, the control module acquires the push rod drive current in real time through the Hall current sensor. Calculate once every 1 second and :like Smaller If the external force is small, the environment is considered stable; if Get bigger The safety threshold will be reached, and protection needs to be triggered. Step 3, the control module will calculate With safety threshold In contrast, the system operates in two levels: **Early Warning Level:** If increased environmental interference is detected, such as winds of force 4-5, the control module sends a "charging warning" signal to the shore via the ship's LoRa communication module. Simultaneously, the ship's control panel displays "Increasing wind and waves, pay attention to monitoring." Upon receiving the signal, the shore terminal does not immediately stop charging but initiates charging current fluctuation monitoring. If the charging current fluctuation exceeds ±5%, it immediately enters the emergency level. **Emergency Level:** If severe environmental interference is detected, such as winds ≥ force 6 or strong tides, the control module immediately triggers safety protection: it sends an "emergency power cut" command to the shore, including the current... Numerical and current sampling data are used for shore-side verification; the ship-side charging module first disconnects its internal boost circuit to avoid voltage surges when the shore-side power is cut off; after receiving the "emergency power failure" command, the shore-side disconnects the main charging circuit within 100ms, i.e., cuts off the 36V DC output via a relay, and sends a "power failure" confirmation signal back to the ship-side; after receiving the confirmation signal, the ship-side control panel displays "charging has stopped, severe environmental interference"; finally, when If the load drops to the safety threshold for 10 seconds, the control module will restart: send a "request to resume charging" signal to the shore, along with the latest external force data; after verification by the shore, the main charging circuit will be closed, and "charging can be resumed" will be returned; the ship will re-detect the charging circuit's continuity status, and resume normal charging after it is restored.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: 1. This invention provides a device and control method for automatic locking and releasing of a ship. The device and control method include a ship end and a shore end, with a reasonable overall design. The ship end includes a hook, a push rod, a charging module, a communication module, and a control module. The shore end includes a crossbar and a discharge module. The shore end and the ship end are connected by a positioning module, which includes a satellite positioning device and an acoustic positioning device, enabling absolute positioning of the ship end and relative positioning of the shore end. During operation, the control module obtains the current position and heading information of the ship end, as well as the position and orientation information of the shore end, through the communication module and the positioning module. Then, it plans a suitable path and uses a trajectory tracking algorithm to make the ship end sail along the planned path. When the ship end sails to the designated position on the shore end, the speed is controlled to zero, and the push rod is controlled to lower the hook. After the hook is lowered, the metal material at its end contacts the metal plate on the crossbar, introducing electricity into the charging module for charging. This completes the automatic locking and charging functions of the ship end, and the locking and charging functions are combined into one, achieving reliable contact between the ship and shore metal contacts.

[0016] 2. The communication module in this invention enables communication between the ship and the shore to obtain the position of the shore. Two metal plates are placed on the crossbar at the shore, and both metal plates are connected to the discharge module through wires. The discharge module converts 220V AC mains power into 36V DC power and connects it to the crossbar. The communication module can communicate with the ship to obtain the ship's status, thus eliminating the need for manual assistance in docking and realizing the function of "automatic positioning-locking-charging-releasing". It has high practicality and broad application prospects in small vessels, such as scenic cruise ships and inland waterway transport vessels. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a structural block diagram of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the ship end structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the state when the ship end and shore end of the present invention are connected.

[0018] The reference numerals and names in the figure are as follows: 10. Boat end; 11. Hook; 12. Push rod; 13. Charging module; 14. Communication module; 15. Control module; 20. Shore end; 21. Crossbar; 22. Discharge module; 23. Metal sheet. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "length," "width," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0021] In the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of the present invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0022] Please see Figure 1This invention provides an embodiment of an automatic locking and releasing device for a ship. The device includes a ship end 10 and a shore end 20. The ship end 10 includes hooks 11, push rods 12, a charging module 13, a communication module 14, and a control module 15. The shore end 20 includes a crossbar 21 and a discharge module 22. A positioning connection is established between the shore end 20 and the ship end 10 via a positioning module 30. Two hooks 11 are provided, each in a quarter-circle arc shape, and both hooks 11 are controlled by an electric push rod 12. The push rod 12 moves forward... Pushing the hook 11 will raise it, and pushing the rod 12 will lower the hook 11. The end of the hook 11 is made of metal material, which is connected to the charging module 13 through a wire. The rod 12 can achieve linear reciprocating motion to control the hook 11. The charging module 13 has a voltage boosting function, which can convert the low voltage electricity transmitted by the hook 11 into high voltage electricity and charge the power battery of the boat end 10. The positioning module 30 includes a satellite positioning device and an acoustic positioning device, which can realize the absolute position positioning of the boat end 10 and the relative position positioning with respect to the shore end 20. The communication module 14 enables communication between the ship end 10 and the shore end 20, and obtains the position of the shore end 20; Two metal plates 23 are placed on the crossbar 21 of the shore end 20. Both metal plates 23 are connected to the discharge module 22 via wires. The discharge module 22 converts 220V AC mains power into 36V DC power and connects it to the crossbar 21. The communication module 14 can communicate with the ship end 10 to obtain the status of the ship end 10. It can achieve the function of "automatic positioning-locking-charging-releasing" without manual assistance in docking. During the operation, the control module 15 obtains the current position and heading information of the ship end 10, as well as the position and orientation information of the shore end 20, through the communication module 14 and the positioning module 30. Then, it plans a suitable path and uses a trajectory tracking algorithm to make the ship end 10 sail along the planned path. After the end 10 sails to the designated position on the shore end 20, its speed is controlled to zero. At the same time, the push rod 12 is controlled to move to lower the hook 11. After the hook 11 is lowered, the metal material at its end contacts the metal piece 23 on the crossbar 21, introducing electricity into the charging module 13 to achieve charging, thereby completing the automatic locking and charging functions of the end 10. When the end 10 needs to leave the berth, the control module 15 controls the push rod 12 to open and pull up the hook 11 to achieve unhooking. Then, the motion control algorithm is used to control the boat to move backward. After leaving the berth, it switches to normal operation mode to achieve automatic release of the end 10. This invention has high practicality and broad application prospects in small vessels, such as scenic cruise ships and inland waterway transport vessels.

[0023] Specifically, the acoustic positioning device includes a shore-end acoustic emission point and a ship-end detection point. There are three shore-end acoustic emission points and three ship-end detection points. The three shore-end acoustic emission points are respectively located at the left edge of the berth, the right edge of the berth, and the midpoint of the front of the berth, forming a triangular positioning area. The three ship-end detection points are placed at the center of the ship end and on both sides.

[0024] Specifically, to avoid mutual interference between the shore-based acoustic wave transmitter and the ship-based detection point, three different frequency bands of acoustic waves are used. At the same time, to ensure consistent timing, the shore-based acoustic wave transmitter emits an infrared signal while transmitting the acoustic wave, so that the ship-based detection point can accurately obtain the transmission time of the acoustic wave in the air.

[0025] Specifically, the three shore-end acoustic wave transmitting points synchronously transmit 40kHz acoustic wave signals at a fixed period (100ms), and the three shore-end acoustic wave transmitting points are denoted as A, B, and C respectively. The ship end 10 is equipped with three acoustic wave receiving points for receiving signals, and the three acoustic wave receiving points are denoted as a, b, and c respectively. Subsequently, the control module 15 calculates the time difference (TOF) from each shore-end acoustic wave transmission point to the acoustic wave reception point, and the specific calculation formula is as follows: , , ; in, The trigger time of the transmitter signal. This refers to the signal acquisition time at the receiving end. Secondly, the distance is calculated based on the speed of sound in air (340m / s), using the following formula: , , ; Finally, a shore coordinate system is established with A as the origin, AB as the X-axis, and the perpendicular AB as the Y-axis. Substituting the three sets of distance values, the coordinates of ship end 10 relative to shore end 20 are solved using a triangulation algorithm. .

[0026] Specifically, the satellite positioning device in positioning module 30 can obtain the current satellite positioning quality, i.e., the GNSS position accuracy factor (PDOP), and set a PDOP threshold. ,in, This indicates that GNSS has excellent accuracy. Poor precision The fused positioning coordinates are determined by the magnitude of jitter at the current location and the number of satellites acquired; An adaptive weighting algorithm is used: when hour: This indicates that GNSS has a high weighting and acoustic wave-assisted correction. when hour: This indicates that the acoustic wave weight is high, compensating for GNSS errors; when When the value is 1, the sound wave positioning is completely trusted.

[0027] Specifically, after the control module 15 obtains the position data of the shore berth and the position data of the ship end 10, it determines the width of the shore berth. The scenario planning involves three stages: For the long-distance segment, 50-30 meters from the berth: a straight track is used, with the goal of "aligning the ship with the berth's center point," and the heading deviation at the ship's end is controlled to be ≤±2° through fusion positioning; For the medium-distance segment, 30-10 meters from the berth: a circular transition track is used, with a set turning radius. The system uses algorithms such as A*, DWA, and MPC to avoid obstacles around the berth; for short-range segments (10-0 meters from the berth), it employs fine-tuning of the trajectory based on relative position. The course is corrected in real time to control the lateral distance deviation between the ship and the shore to ≤ ±0.05 meters, ensuring that the hook 11 is aligned with the metal piece 23 on the shore end 20.

[0028] Specifically, control module 15 adopts a "segmented deceleration + PID closed-loop" control strategy to ensure the speed of the ship's end 10 when it is docked. Phase 1, 50-30 meters from the berth: Approach at a constant speed, set the target speed. Phase 2, 30-10 meters from the berth: proportional deceleration, target speed. ,in The distance to the berth is in meters, and the speed decreases linearly as the distance decreases; Stage 3, 10-0 meters from the berth: PID closed-loop control, speed controller parameters are set to... The system collects real-time data from the speed sensor on the hull end 10, adjusts the propulsion motor torque accordingly, and controls the speed error to ≤ ±0.02m / s. Finally, berthing is triggered when the fusion positioning shows that the hull end 10 has reached the designated position at the berth. And speed At that time, the control module 15 triggers the propulsion motor to stop, achieving a zero-speed stop.

[0029] Specifically, the control module 15 has a four-step linkage mechanism of "position confirmation - command feedback - action execution - status verification"; Position confirmation: After the boat end 10 stops at zero speed, the communication module 14 sends a "position in place" signal to the shore end 20; Command feedback: After receiving the signal, the shore end 20 verifies that the position deviation of the boat end 10 is ≤ ±0.1 meters, replies with a "locking allowed" command, and starts the power supply module, that is, the end of the hook 11 is energized with 36V; Action execution: After receiving the command, the control module 15 drives the two push rods 12 to fall back synchronously, lowering the hook 11 to contact the metal plate 23 of the shore end 20. The contact pressure is detected by the current of the push rod 12. When the current rises to a certain value, it is determined that the contact is good; Status verification: The charging module 13 detects the input voltage and feeds back "charging normal" to the control module 15, completing the automatic locking and charging start; If no voltage is detected within 3 seconds, the control module 15 drives the push rod 12 to fine adjust (±5mm) until the contact is completed.

[0030] Specifically, when the power is off, the push rod 12 is in the lowered state, and the hook 11 is in the lowered state. When the power is off at the boat end 10, the hook 11 can still ensure that the boat end 10 is in the locked state.

[0031] Please refer to it again. Figure 1 A control method for a ship's automatic locking and releasing device, the control method comprising the following steps: Step one: The control module establishes a closed-loop control system of "current-external force-safety linkage" by detecting the driving current of the push rod and inversely pushing the external force on the hook. When severe environmental interference is detected, such as wind or waves, the module automatically links to the shore end to stop charging, ensuring the safety of the charging module and mechanical structure. Since the driving current of the push rod is linearly positively correlated with the output thrust, when the hook is affected by wind or waves and generates external force... When the external force reacts to the push rod, it causes a deviation in the push rod's driving current—the greater the external force, the greater the current deviation. The larger the value, the more accurate the calculation; by using the calibrated conversion factor K, the total external force on the hook can be calculated in real time. ,in For the static contact pressure of the hook, Additional external forces caused by environmental disturbances; Step two: Real-time current acquisition and external force calculation. After the hook is lowered and charging is started at the end of the boat, the control module acquires the push rod drive current in real time through the Hall current sensor. Calculate once every 1 second and :like Smaller If the external force is small, the environment is considered stable; if Get bigger The safety threshold will be reached, and protection needs to be triggered. Step 3, the control module will calculate With safety threshold In contrast, the system operates in two levels: **Early Warning Level:** If increased environmental interference is detected, such as winds of force 4-5, the control module sends a "charging warning" signal to the shore via the ship's LoRa communication module. Simultaneously, the ship's control panel displays "Increasing wind and waves, pay attention to monitoring." Upon receiving the signal, the shore terminal does not immediately stop charging but initiates charging current fluctuation monitoring. If the charging current fluctuation exceeds ±5%, it immediately enters the emergency level. **Emergency Level:** If severe environmental interference is detected, such as winds ≥ force 6 or strong tides, the control module immediately triggers safety protection: it sends an "emergency power cut" command to the shore, including the current... Numerical and current sampling data are used for shore-side verification; the ship-side charging module first disconnects its internal boost circuit to avoid voltage surges when the shore-side power is cut off; after receiving the "emergency power failure" command, the shore-side disconnects the main charging circuit within 100ms, i.e., cuts off the 36V DC output via a relay, and sends a "power failure" confirmation signal back to the ship-side; after receiving the confirmation signal, the ship-side control panel displays "charging has stopped, severe environmental interference"; finally, when If the load drops to the safety threshold for 10 seconds, the control module will restart: send a "request to resume charging" signal to the shore, along with the latest external force data; after verification by the shore, the main charging circuit will be closed, and "charging can be resumed" will be returned; the ship will re-detect the charging circuit's continuity status, and resume normal charging after it is restored.

[0032] The specific implementation steps are as follows: Step 1: Device Initialization and Mode Activation 1) When the crew activates the cruise ship's "automatic docking" mode, the control module starts up, simultaneously activating the positioning module, communication module, charging module, and push rod drive unit, completing a self-check, and confirming that each module is fault-free.

[0033] 2) The shore end remains constantly powered on, and the discharge module converts the 220V mains power to 36V DC power, waiting for the ship to connect; the positioning module is synchronized and ready at a 100ms cycle, and the communication module enters the receiving state. The three shore end acoustic wave emission points of the positioning module are denoted as the left edge of the berth A, the right edge of the berth B, and the midpoint of the front end of the berth C.

[0034] Step 2: Merging and collecting positioning data 1) The ship's satellite positioning module acquires GNSS coordinates (X_GNSS, Y_GNSS) and calculates the position accuracy factor PDOP. In this embodiment, PDOP = 0.3, ≤ threshold 0.5. At the same time, the three acoustic receiving points at the ship's end receive 40kHz acoustic signals and synchronous infrared signals emitted by shore A / B / C, and accurately calculate the acoustic transmission time difference (TOF). The three acoustic receiving points are denoted as the bow center a, port b, and starboard c, respectively.

[0035] 2) Calculate the fused positioning coordinates using the adaptive weighting algorithm: X_fus = 0.7 × X_GNSS + 0.3 × X_rel, Y_fus = 0.7 × Y_GNSS + 0.3 × Y_rel. Since PDOP ≤ 0.5, the weight of GNSS is 70%. The relative coordinates (X_rel, Y_rel) are solved using a triangulation algorithm: based on the sound wave propagation speed of 340m / s, d_Aa=340×t_Aa, d_Bb=340×t_Bb, and d_Cc=340×t_Cc are calculated and substituted into the shore coordinate system (A is the origin, and AB is the X-axis) to obtain the coordinates.

[0036] Step 3: Three-stage path planning and trajectory tracking 1) Long-distance segment (50-30 meters from berth): The control module plans a straight track with the goal of "aligning the ship with the center of the berth". The heading is adjusted by fusing positioning data to ensure that the heading deviation is ≤±2° and the target speed v1=1m / s is maintained with a speed deviation of ≤±0.1m / s.

[0037] 2) Mid-distance section (30-10 meters from berth): Use a circular transition track, set the turning radius R=2×ship width=4.4 meters, use the A* algorithm to avoid floating obstacles around the berth, the target speed v2=0.5-0.008×D (D is the distance from the berth, such as when D=20 meters, v2=0.34m / s), and decelerate linearly with distance.

[0038] 3) Close-range section (10-0 meters from berth): Based on relative coordinates (X_rel, Y_rel), the trajectory is finely adjusted in real time to control the lateral distance deviation between the ship and the shore to ≤ ±0.05 meters, ensuring that the hook and the metal plate at the shore end are precisely aligned; at the same time, PID closed-loop speed control is started, with the speed controller parameters set to Kp, Ki, Kd, ​​and the propulsion motor torque is adjusted in real time to control the speed error to ≤ ±0.02m / s.

[0039] Step 4: Zero-speed docking trigger When the fusion positioning shows that the ship has reached the designated position (X_rel≤0.2 meters, Y_rel≤0.2 meters), and the ship's end speed sensor detects a speed ≤0.05m / s, the control module triggers the propulsion motor to stop, achieving zero-speed docking.

[0040] Step 5: Four-step linkage enables automatic locking and charging start-up. 1) Location confirmation: The communication module sends a "location in place" signal to the shore, along with fused positioning data and speed information.

[0041] 2) Command feedback: The shore verifies that the position deviation of the ship end is ≤ ±0.1 meters, and replies with the "Allow locking" command. At the same time, the power supply module is activated, and the two metal plates on the shore crossbar are connected to 36V DC power.

[0042] 3) Action execution: After receiving the command, the control module drives the two electric push rods to fall back synchronously (the default state is falling back when the power is off), and lowers the quarter-circle hook. The contact state is determined by detecting the push rod current - when the current rises to the calibrated value, it is confirmed that the metal body at the end of the hook is in good contact with the metal plate at the shore end.

[0043] 4) Status verification: When the ship's charging module detects a 36V input voltage, it starts the boost function to convert the low voltage to high voltage to charge the power battery, and sends a "charging normal" message back to the control module, completing the automatic lockout and charging start. If no voltage is detected within 3 seconds, the control module drives the push rod to fine-tune ±5mm until contact is made.

[0044] Step 6: Safety monitoring during the charging process 1) During charging, the control module collects the push rod drive current I_push every 1 second through the Hall current sensor, calculates the current deviation ΔI, and then obtains the additional external force F_ext=K×ΔI through the calibration conversion coefficient K (F_static=K×I_static is the static contact pressure).

[0045] 2) Graded protection: Warning level: When F_ext corresponds to a level 4-5 wind, the ship sends a "charging warning" signal, the shore starts monitoring the charging current fluctuation (if the fluctuation exceeds ±5%, emergency protection is triggered), and the ship's control panel displays "Increasing wind and waves, pay attention to monitoring".

[0046] Emergency Level: When F_ext corresponds to winds of ≥6 or strong tides, the ship immediately disconnects the internal boost circuit and sends an "emergency power failure" command to the shore; the shore cuts off the 36V DC output within 100ms and reports "power failure"; the ship's control panel displays "charging has stopped, severe environmental interference".

[0047] 3) Resume charging: When F_ext drops to the safety threshold for 10 seconds, the ship sends a "request to resume charging" signal. After verification by the shore, the circuit is closed. The ship then resumes normal charging after detecting the conduction status.

[0048] Step 7: Automatic Release and Departure 1) When the crew initiates the "automatic departure" mode, the ship's control module sends a "request to unhook" signal to the shore. The shore disconnects the 36V power supply and then sends a "can be unhooked" response.

[0049] 2) The control module drives the push rod forward to pull up the two hooks simultaneously, thus achieving unhooking; after unhooking, the communication module confirms that there is no power supply on the shore to avoid the risk of electric shock.

[0050] 3) The control module starts the motion control algorithm to control the cruise ship to move backward and exit the berth (reverse speed ≤ 0.3m / s). After exiting, it switches to normal operation mode and completes automatic release.

[0051] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A device for automatic locking and releasing of a ship, characterized in that: It includes a boat end and a shore end. The boat end includes a hook, a push rod, a charging module, a communication module, and a control module. The shore end includes a crossbar and a discharge module. The shore end and the boat end are connected by a positioning module. The device has two hooks, each in the shape of a quarter circle. Both hooks are controlled by an electric push rod. Pushing the push rod forward raises the hooks, while pushing the push rod back lowers them. The ends of the hooks are made of metal, which is connected to the charging module via wires. The push rod can perform linear reciprocating motion to control the hooks. The charging module has a voltage boosting function, which can convert the low-voltage electricity transmitted by the hook into high-voltage electricity and charge the power battery at the end of the boat. The positioning module includes a satellite positioning device and an acoustic positioning device, which can realize the absolute position positioning of the ship end and the relative position positioning with respect to the shore end. The communication module enables communication between the ship and the shore, and obtains the location of the shore. Two metal plates are placed on the crossbar at the shore end. Both metal plates are connected to a discharge module via wires. The discharge module converts 220V AC mains power into 36V DC power and connects it to the crossbar. The communication module can communicate with the ship to obtain its status. During operation, the control module obtains the ship's current position and heading information, as well as the shore's position and orientation information, through the communication and positioning modules. Then, it plans a suitable path and uses a trajectory tracking algorithm to make the ship sail along the planned path. When the ship reaches the designated position on the shore, its speed is controlled to zero, and the push rod is controlled to lower the hook. After the hook is lowered, the metal material at its end contacts the metal plate on the crossbar, introducing electricity into the charging module to charge it, thus completing the automatic locking and charging functions of the ship. When the ship needs to leave the berth, the control module controls the push rod to open and pull up the hook to release it. Then, the motion control algorithm is used to control the ship to reverse. After leaving the berth, it switches to normal operation mode, realizing the automatic release of the ship.

2. The automatic locking and releasing device for ships according to claim 1, characterized in that: The acoustic positioning device includes a shore-end acoustic emission point and a ship-end detection point. There are three shore-end acoustic emission points and three ship-end detection points. The three shore-end acoustic emission points are respectively located at the left edge of the berth, the right edge of the berth, and the midpoint of the front end of the berth, forming a triangular positioning area. The three ship-end detection points are located at the center of the ship end and on both sides.

3. The automatic locking and releasing device for ships according to claim 2, characterized in that: To avoid mutual interference between the shore-side acoustic wave emission point and the ship-side detection point, three different frequency bands of acoustic waves are used. At the same time, to ensure consistent timing, the shore-side acoustic wave emission point emits an infrared signal while emitting acoustic waves, so that the ship-side detection point can accurately obtain the transmission time of the acoustic waves in the air.

4. The automatic locking and releasing device for ships according to claim 2, characterized in that: The three shore-end acoustic wave transmitting points synchronously transmit 40kHz acoustic wave signals at a fixed period, and the three shore-end acoustic wave transmitting points are respectively denoted as A, B, and C. The ship end is equipped with three acoustic wave receiving points for receiving signals, and the three acoustic wave receiving points are respectively denoted as a, b, and c. Subsequently, the control module calculates the time difference (TOF) from each shore-end acoustic wave emission point to the acoustic wave receiving point, and the specific calculation formula is as follows: 、 、 ； in, The trigger time of the transmitter signal. Receiver signal acquisition time; Secondly, the distance is calculated based on the speed of sound in air (340m / s), using the following formula: 、 、 ； Finally, a coordinate system is established at the shore end, with A as the origin, AB as the X-axis, and the perpendicular AB as the Y-axis. Substituting the three sets of distance values, the coordinates of the ship's end relative to the shore end are solved using a triangulation algorithm. .

5. The automatic locking and releasing device for ships according to claim 1, characterized in that: The satellite positioning device in the positioning module can obtain the current satellite positioning quality, i.e., the GNSS position accuracy factor (PDOP), and set a PDOP threshold. ,in, This indicates that GNSS has excellent accuracy. Poor precision The fused positioning coordinates are determined by the magnitude of jitter at the current location and the number of satellites acquired; An adaptive weighting algorithm is used: when hour: This indicates that GNSS has a high weighting and acoustic wave-assisted correction. when hour: This indicates that the acoustic wave weight is high, compensating for GNSS errors; when When the value is 1, the sound wave positioning is completely trusted.

6. The automatic locking and releasing device for ships according to claim 1, characterized in that: After obtaining the location data of the shore berth and the ship's end, the control module determines the width of the shore berth. The scenario planning involves three stages: For the long-distance segment, 50-30 meters from the berth: a straight track is used, with the goal of "aligning the ship with the berth's center point," and the heading deviation at the ship's end is controlled to be ≤±2° through fusion positioning; For the medium-distance segment, 30-10 meters from the berth: a circular transition track is used, with a set turning radius. The system uses algorithms such as A*, DWA, and MPC to avoid obstacles around the berth; for short-range segments (10-0 meters from the berth), it employs fine-tuning of the trajectory based on relative position. The course is corrected in real time to control the lateral distance deviation between the ship and the shore to ≤ ±0.05 meters, ensuring that the hook is aligned with the metal plate at the shore end.

7. The automatic locking and releasing device for ships according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control module employs a "segmented deceleration + PID closed-loop" control strategy to ensure the speed when the ship is docked. Phase 1, 50-30 meters from the berth: Approach at a constant speed, set the target speed. Phase 2, 30-10 meters from the berth: proportional deceleration, target speed. ,in The distance to the berth is in meters, and the speed decreases linearly as the distance decreases; Stage 3, 10-0 meters from the berth: PID closed-loop control, speed controller parameters are set to... The system collects real-time data from the ship's end speed sensor, adjusts the propulsion motor torque accordingly, and controls the speed error to ≤ ±0.02m / s. Finally, berthing is triggered when the fusion positioning system indicates that the ship has reached the designated position at the berth. And speed At this time, the control module triggers the propulsion motor to stop, achieving a zero-speed docking.

8. The automatic locking and releasing device for ships according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control module has a four-step linkage mechanism of "position confirmation - command feedback - action execution - status verification". Position confirmation: After the boat docks at zero speed, the communication module sends a "position in place" signal to the shore. Command feedback: After receiving the signal, the shore verifies that the position deviation of the boat is ≤ ±0.1 meters, replies with a "locking allowed" command, and starts the power supply module, that is, the end of the hook is energized with 36V. Action execution: After receiving the command, the control module drives the two push rods to fall back synchronously, lowering the hook to contact the metal plate on the shore. The contact pressure is detected by the push rod current. When the current rises to a certain value, it is determined that the contact is good. Status verification: The charging module detects the input voltage and feeds back "charging normal" to the control module, completing the automatic locking and charging start. If no voltage is detected within 3 seconds, the control module drives the push rod to fine-tune ±5mm until the contact is completed.

9. The automatic locking and releasing device for ships according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the power is off, the push rod is in a retracted state, and the hook is in a lowered state. When the power is off at the boat end, the hook can still ensure that the boat end is locked.

10. A control method for a ship automatic locking and releasing device according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: Step one: The control module establishes a closed-loop control system of "current-external force-safety linkage" by detecting the driving current of the push rod and inversely pushing the external force on the hook. When severe environmental interference is detected, such as wind or waves, the module automatically links to the shore end to stop charging, ensuring the safety of the charging module and mechanical structure. Since the driving current of the push rod is linearly positively correlated with the output thrust, when the hook is affected by wind or waves and generates external force... When the external force reacts to the push rod, it causes a deviation in the push rod's driving current—the greater the external force, the greater the current deviation. The larger the value, the more accurate the calculation; by using the calibrated conversion factor K, the total external force on the hook can be calculated in real time. ,in For the static contact pressure of the hook, Additional external forces caused by environmental disturbances; Step two: Real-time current acquisition and external force calculation. After the hook is lowered and charging is started at the end of the boat, the control module acquires the push rod drive current in real time through the Hall current sensor. Calculate once every 1 second and :like Smaller If the external force is small, the environment is considered stable; if Get bigger The safety threshold will be reached, and protection needs to be triggered. Step 3, the control module will calculate With safety threshold In comparison, the process is divided into two levels: Early warning level: if the environmental interference is determined to be increasing, such as winds of level 4-5, the control module sends a "charging warning" signal to the shore through the ship's LoRa communication module, and simultaneously displays "increasing wind and waves, pay attention to monitoring" on the ship's control panel; Upon receiving the signal, the shore-side device does not immediately stop charging but initiates charging current fluctuation monitoring. If the charging current fluctuation exceeds ±5%, it immediately enters emergency mode. Emergency mode: If severe environmental interference is detected, such as winds ≥6 or strong tides, the control module immediately triggers safety protection: it sends an "emergency power cut" command to the shore-side device, including the current... Numerical and current sampling data are used for shore-side verification; the ship-side charging module first disconnects its internal boost circuit to avoid voltage surges when the shore-side power is cut off; after receiving the "emergency power failure" command, the shore-side disconnects the main charging circuit within 100ms, i.e., cuts off the 36V DC output via a relay, and sends a "power failure" confirmation signal back to the ship-side; after receiving the confirmation signal, the ship-side control panel displays "charging has stopped, severe environmental interference"; finally, when If the load drops to the safety threshold for 10 seconds, the control module will restart: send a "request to resume charging" signal to the shore, along with the latest external force data; after verification by the shore, the main charging circuit will be closed, and "charging can be resumed" will be returned; the ship will re-detect the charging circuit's continuity status, and resume normal charging after it is restored.

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