Cruise ship berthing system and operation method thereof

Abstract

The present invention discloses a cruise ship berthing system and an operation method thereof, wherein the cruise ship berthing system comprises a shipboard unit and a berthing locking unit; the shipboard unit comprises a human-computer interaction module, a first communication module, and a sensor module, wherein the human-computer interaction module and the sensor module are both connected to the first communication module; the berthing locking unit comprises a main control processing module, a second communication module, a driving module, a mechanical arm module, and an electric locking module, wherein the second communication module and the driving module are both connected to the main control processing module, and the mechanical arm module and the electric locking module are both connected to the driving module; the driving module is used to drive the mechanical arm and the electric locking module under the instruction of the main control processing module to perform touch, lock and berthing actions. The present invention is easy to operate and has good stability, and can be used for the berthing of electric boats at scenic spots to replace manual operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of transportation, and in particular to a cruise ship berthing system and an operation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] At present, the berthing of cruise ships is done manually. When the ship approaches the dock, the shore personnel hook the ship with a hook, pull it to the dock and lock it so that tourists can get on and off the ship safely. Each dock needs to arrange operators to work in shifts, which has high labor costs. Although the operation process is simple, accidental collisions of the hulls often occur.

[0003] At present, there are some berthing devices, such as magnetic mooring devices, which realize automatic berthing of ships through magnetic adsorption, but the magnetic force has high requirements for distance and needs to be accurately aligned with the magnetic device, which has high technical requirements for the driver. The outboard motor method is adopted to install a propulsion engine on the outside of the hull to assist the ship in berthing. There is also an automatic berthing system based on surround vision and ultrasound, which senses the state of the ship through data processing and controls the ship to dock. This automatic berthing system has a complex processing structure and is not accurate enough. It must be installed on every ship, and the cost is high. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide a new intelligent berthing method which is simple to operate, has good reliability and can effectively reduce costs.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides a cruise ship berthing system, comprising a shipboard unit and a berthing locking unit; the shipboard unit comprises a human-computer interaction module, a first communication module, and a sensor module, and the human-computer interaction module and the sensor module are both connected to the first communication module; the first communication module is used to communicate with the berthing locking unit to transmit the operator's instructions and various collected data; the human-computer interaction module is used to receive instructions issued by the operator and display the current state of the ship; the sensor module is used to collect water level, running speed, and ship angle information to perceive the real-time state of the ship; the berthing locking unit comprises a main control processing module, a second communication module, a drive module, a mechanical arm module, and an electric locking module, and the second communication module and the drive module are both connected to the main control processing module, and the mechanical arm module and the electric locking module are both connected to the drive module; the main control processing module is used to collect information, process it and send instructions; the second communication module is used to communicate with the first communication module; the drive module is used to drive the mechanical arm and the electric locking module under the instruction of the main control processing module to perform touch, lock and berthing actions.

[0006] Furthermore, the first communication module includes a communication chip and a single-ended antenna, and the communication chip has its own MCU.

[0007] Furthermore, the human-computer interaction module includes an input module and a first display module. The input module is used to input berth selection instructions, berthing instructions, and departure instructions. The first display module is used to display and remind drivers and tourists of the current running status and operation conditions.

[0008] Furthermore, the docking locking unit also includes a water level detection module and a pressure detection module. The water level detection module uses a float liquid level switch to obtain water level information, and the pressure detection module uses a thin film resistor pressure sensor to obtain pressure information. Both the water level detection module and the pressure detection module are connected to the main control processing module.

[0009] Furthermore, the berthing locking unit further comprises a distance measuring module, which sends distance measuring information under the instruction of the main control processing module to detect whether the vessel is within the berthing range and feeds back to the main control processing module.

[0010] Furthermore, the dock locking unit also includes a second display module for displaying information to tourists and drivers in a large-screen manner.

[0011] Furthermore, the shipboard unit is provided with a shipboard locking rod, and the electric locking module includes a mechanical locking structure with a touch locking function arranged at the top of the mechanical arm. Once it contacts the shipboard locking rod of the vessel, it will trigger a locking command to lock the shipboard locking rod.

[0012] Furthermore, the docking locking unit also includes a protection module for controlling the release and retraction of the robotic arm to prevent accidents and damage to passengers and the hull. The docking locking unit estimates the touch speed and sets the touch force. If it is greater than a threshold, the locking mechanism will be released and the robotic arm will be retracted.

[0013] An operating method of the cruise ship berthing system as described above includes: the shipboard unit receives a berth selection instruction and a berthing instruction, collects water level, running speed and angle parameters, and if the speed is too fast or the azimuth angle difference is too large, the first display module will prompt to slow down and adjust the angle. If the values ​​of each parameter are within the threshold range, these data are packaged together with the berthing instruction through the first communication module and sent to the berthing locking unit.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes: once the berthing locking unit receives the berthing instruction issued by the shipborne unit, it issues a distance measurement instruction. If it finds that the ship is within the set distance, it notifies the main control processing module to issue an instruction requesting speed, waterline, and angle data, communicates with the shipborne unit through the second communication module, obtains relevant parameters and performs calculations, estimates the contact point with the mechanical arm, calculates the angle of the mechanical arm, sends the relevant data to the drive module, drives the mechanical arm to move along a predetermined trajectory, and during the movement, determines in real time whether the electric locking module collides with the shipborne locking rod on the shipborne unit. If no collision occurs, the mechanical arm continues to move, and at the same time determines whether it reaches the limit position. If it reaches the limit position, the mechanical arm is retracted and waits for instructions; if a collision occurs, a locking instruction is sent to lock the shipborne locking rod; then the main control processing module is notified to send a rotation instruction to the drive module, retract the mechanical arm, and drive the ship to perform the berthing operation.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the operation is simple, safe and reliable, and the automatic berthing of cruise ships with less than 15 seats can be achieved. The cruise ship operator only needs to drive the ship into a specific area and issue a berthing command to automatically realize the berthing operation and fix the cruise ship at the dock, making it convenient for tourists to get on and off the ship and saving manpower.

[0016] The structure of the present invention is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a cruise ship berthing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the shipborne unit of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the berthing locking unit of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 It is a work flow chart of the shipborne unit of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 It is a working flow chart of the berthing locking unit of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 6 It is a state diagram of a part of the process of the cruise ship berthing system of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, a cruise ship berthing system includes a ship-borne unit and a berthing locking unit.

[0024] like Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown, the shipboard unit includes a human-computer interaction module, a first communication module, and a sensor module. The human-computer interaction module is connected to the first communication module through an I / O port, and the sensor module is connected to the first communication module through an SPI interface. The shipboard unit is provided with a shipboard locking rod for locking and fixing with the berthing locking unit.

[0025] The first communication module is used to communicate with the berthing locking unit to transmit the operator's instructions and various collected data. The first communication module may include a CC24XX chip and a single-ended antenna that supports the IEEE802.15.4 protocol. The CC25XX chip comes with an MCU (hereinafter referred to as the "ship-borne MCU"). Of course, you can also choose a communication chip without an MCU, but set up an MCU separately. The first communication module operates in the 2.4G frequency band and is equipped with 16 channels. It can be quickly connected to the berthing locking unit and supports communication with multiple ships docked at the same time. The ship-borne MCU has multiple IO ports and supports SPI, I 2 C. Communication port of serial communication protocol. The human-machine interaction module and the sensor module are connected to the first communication module in order to communicate with the shipboard MCU.

[0026] The human-computer interaction module is used to receive instructions from the operator and display the current status of the ship. The human-computer interaction module includes an input module and a first display module. The input module can input berth selection instructions, berthing instructions, and sailing instructions by pressing keys, etc., and is respectively provided with berth selection keys, berthing keys, and sailing keys. The first display module is used to display and remind the driver and tourists of the current operating status and operation status. It is composed of simple LED digital tubes, which is intuitive and reliable. The human-computer interaction module may also include a buzzer to provide voice prompts for the input and remind the driver and tourists of the current operating status and operation status.

[0027] The sensor module is used to collect information such as water level, running speed, and ship angle, and sense the real-time status of the ship. It can include a water level measurement module, a speed measurement module, and an angle measurement module. The water level measurement module uses a float level switch to collect water level information, which is simple and reliable, and communicates with the shipboard MCU using an IO port. The speed measurement module uses a Hall sensor to collect running speed information, and communicates with the shipboard MCU using a counter port. The angle measurement module uses an MPU6050 module to collect ship angle information, and communicates with the shipboard MCU using an I 2 C interface communication.

[0028] like Figure 1 , Figure 3 As shown, the docking locking unit includes a main control processing module, a second communication module, a second display module, a drive module, a mechanical arm module, a split electric locking module, a protection module, a distance measurement module, a water level detection module, a pressure detection module, and a detection switch.

[0029] The main control processing module is used to collect information, process it and send instructions. It is equipped with several communication ports that support SPI and dual serial communication protocols, and communicates with the second communication module, the second display module, the drive module, the protection module, the distance measurement module, the water level detection module, the pressure detection module, the distance measurement module, and the detection switch through the communication ports. Information processing includes establishing a berthing model and issuing control instructions based on the collected information. The main control processing module collects the switch information of the detection switch through the I / O port and the interrupt port to ensure real-time performance.

[0030] The water level detection module uses a float liquid level switch to obtain water level information, and the pressure detection module uses a thin film resistor pressure sensor to obtain pressure information. Both the water level detection module and the pressure detection module are connected to the A / D port of the main control processing module.

[0031] The ranging module sends out ranging information under the instruction of the main control processing module to detect whether the ship is within the berthing range and feed it back to the main control processing module. The ranging module can also be provided with an ultrasonic probe and a red LED light source. The ultrasonic probe is used to obtain the distance between the ship and the shore, and then the serial interface main control processing module is used to transmit the ranging data. The red LED light source indicates that the cruise ship has entered the berthing range and the next step will be taken.

[0032] The protection module is used to control the release and retraction of the robotic arm to prevent accidents and damage to passengers and the ship. It can estimate the touch speed and set the touch force. If it is greater than the threshold, the locking mechanism will be released and the robotic arm will be retracted. The protection module is connected to the interrupt port of the main control processing module, converting the set parameters into interrupt signals to provide protection tasks in a timely manner.

[0033] The second display module uses a 485 interface to communicate with the main control processing module and displays the information to tourists and drivers on a large screen.

[0034] The main control processing module communicates with the second communication module via a serial interface to set its working parameters and receive data from the shipborne unit.

[0035] The drive module communicates with the main control processing module through the SPI interface, and the drive module connects the manipulator and the electric locking module. Under the instruction of the main control processing module, the drive module drives the manipulator and the electric locking module to perform the touching, locking and berthing actions. The drive module includes two steering motors and one locking motor. The two steering motors are connected to the manipulator, so that the manipulator is controlled by the two steering motors to complete the motion trajectory in three-dimensional space and realize the touching and locking with the ship-borne locking rod. The locking motor is connected to the electric locking module to realize the locking and releasing with the ship-borne locking rod.

[0036] Specifically, the electric locking module may include a mechanical locking structure with a touch locking function disposed at the top of the mechanical arm. Once it contacts the ship's onboard locking rod, it will trigger a locking command to lock the ship's onboard locking rod.

[0037] The second communication module is used to receive instructions and data from the shipboard unit and feedback the corresponding information. It includes a CC24XX chip that supports the IEEE802.15.4 protocol and a single-ended antenna. The second communication module works in the 2.4G frequency band and can be set to 16 channels to avoid interference.

[0038] The workflow of the shipboard unit is as follows Figure 4 As shown, first press the berth selection button corresponding to the berth number, then press the berthing button, and the shipboard MCU will start to collect parameters such as water level (ship draft), running speed and angle (azimuth). If the speed is too fast or the azimuth difference is too large, the first display module will prompt to slow down and adjust the angle. If the values ​​of each parameter are within the threshold range, the first communication module will package these data together with the berthing instruction and send them to the berthing locking unit. If you need to set sail, press the sailing button to notify the berthing locking unit to release the locking mechanism.

[0039] The working process of the mooring lock unit is as follows Figure 5 As shown, the berthing locking unit is always in standby state. Once the berthing command issued by the shipborne unit is received, it will be activated and send a distance measurement command. If the ship is found to be within the set distance (i.e. less than the threshold), a prompt message will be issued through the LED display (optional), and the main control processing module will be notified to issue a command requesting speed, waterline, angle and other data. The second communication module communicates with the shipborne unit, calculates after obtaining relevant parameters, estimates the contact point with the manipulator, calculates the angle of the manipulator, and sends the relevant data to the drive module to control the steering motor to rotate and drive the manipulator to move along a predetermined trajectory. During the movement, it is judged in real time whether the locking structure at the top of the manipulator arm collides with the shipborne locking rod. If not, the manipulator arm continues to move, and at the same time, it is judged whether it reaches the limit stop position. If it reaches the limit stop position, the manipulator arm is retracted and waits for instructions. If it has collided, a locking command is sent to lock the shipborne locking rod. Then the main control processing module is notified through the switch signal, and a rotation command is issued to the drive module to retract the manipulator arm and drive the ship to perform the berthing operation. During the berthing process, determine whether it is in place. If it is in place, end the berthing operation and wait for instructions.

[0040] like Figure 6 As shown, the above berthing workflow mainly includes three parts: berthing execution, touch locking, and berthing locking. In the berthing execution stage, the mechanical arm is driven to move along a predetermined trajectory. In the touch locking stage, the electric locking module touches the ship-borne locking rod and locks the ship-borne locking rod. In the berthing locking stage, the mechanical arm is retracted to drive the ship to perform berthing operations.

[0041] If the mooring lock unit receives the start command, it will release the lock mechanism. During operation, the protection module always collects real-time pressure, speed, tension and other related information, and releases the lock mechanism if abnormal values ​​appear.

[0042] The communication between the shipboard unit and the berthing lock unit adopts short-range radio frequency communication with a range of 0-20m. It can support multiple berths, which are selected by the buttons of the shipboard unit, and different berths use different channels for communication. There are sound and text displays to remind the driver and tourists of the current operating status and operation. The protection module takes into account a variety of possible safety and damage situations, and takes measures to avoid them before accidents occur.

[0043] The present invention is easy and simple to operate and can replace the existing manual operation mode. The ISP interface reserved in the terminal supports system program download and software upgrade and can support multiple ships and multiple berths to work simultaneously.

Claims

1. A method for operating a cruise ship berthing system, characterized in that: The cruise ship berthing system includes a shipboard unit and a berthing locking unit; the shipboard unit includes a human-computer interaction module, a first communication module, and a sensor module, and the human-computer interaction module and the sensor module are connected to the first communication module; the first communication module is used to communicate with the berthing locking unit to transmit the operator's instructions and various collected data; the human-computer interaction module is used to receive instructions issued by the operator and display the current status of the ship; the sensor module is used to collect water level, running speed, and ship angle information to perceive the real-time status of the ship; the berthing locking unit includes a main control processing module, a second communication module, a drive module, a mechanical arm module, and an electric locking module, and the second communication module and the drive module are connected to the main control processing module, and the mechanical arm module and the electric locking module are connected to the drive module; the main control processing module is used to collect information, process it and send instructions; the second communication module is used to communicate with the first communication module; The driving module is used to drive the mechanical arm and the electric locking module under the command of the main control processing module to perform the touching, locking and berthing actions; the operation method includes: the shipboard unit receives the berthing selection instruction and the berthing instruction, collects the water level, running speed and angle parameters, if the speed is too fast or the azimuth angle difference is too large, the first display module will prompt to slow down and adjust the angle, if the value of each parameter is within the threshold range, then the first communication module will package these data together with the berthing instruction and send them to the berthing locking unit. Once the berthing locking unit receives the berthing instruction issued by the shipboard unit, it will issue a distance measurement instruction. If it is found that the ship is within the set distance, it will notify the main control processing module to send a request speed, draft, etc. The control module receives the instruction of line and angle data, communicates with the shipborne unit through the second communication module, calculates after obtaining the relevant parameters, estimates the contact point with the mechanical arm, calculates the angle of the mechanical arm, sends the relevant data to the drive module, drives the mechanical arm to move according to the predetermined trajectory, and judges in real time whether the electric locking module collides with the shipborne locking rod on the shipborne unit during the movement. If no collision occurs, the mechanical arm continues to move, and judges whether it reaches the limit position at the same time. If it reaches the limit position, the mechanical arm is retracted and waits for instructions; if it has collided, a locking instruction is sent to lock the shipborne locking rod; then the main control processing module is notified to send a rotation instruction to the drive module, retract the mechanical arm, and drive the ship to perform berthing operations.

2. The method for operating a cruise ship berthing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first communication module includes a communication chip and a single-ended antenna, and the communication chip has an MCU.

3. The method for operating a cruise ship berthing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The human-computer interaction module includes an input module and a first display module. The input module is used to input berth selection instructions, berthing instructions, and departure instructions. The first display module is used to display and remind drivers and tourists of the current running status and operation conditions.

4. The method for operating a cruise ship berthing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The docking locking unit also includes a water level detection module and a pressure detection module. The water level detection module uses a float liquid level switch to obtain water level information, and the pressure detection module uses a thin film resistor pressure sensor to obtain pressure information. Both the water level detection module and the pressure detection module are connected to the main control processing module.

5. The method for operating a cruise ship berthing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The berthing locking unit also includes a distance measuring module, which sends distance measuring information under the instruction of the main control processing module to detect whether the ship is within the berthing range and feeds back to the main control processing module.

6. The method for operating a cruise ship berthing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dock locking unit also includes a second display module for displaying information to tourists and drivers in a large-screen manner.

7. The method for operating a cruise ship berthing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shipboard unit is provided with a shipboard locking rod, and the electric locking module includes a mechanical locking structure with a touch locking function arranged at the top of the mechanical arm. Once it contacts the shipboard locking rod of the vessel, it will trigger a locking command to lock the shipboard locking rod.

8. The method for operating a cruise ship berthing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The docking locking unit also includes a protection module, which is used to control the release and retraction of the robotic arm to prevent accidents and damage to passengers and the hull. The docking locking unit estimates the touch speed and sets the touch force. If it is greater than the threshold, the locking mechanism will be released and the robotic arm will be retracted.

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