A steel tower segment hoisting path guidance system and method for tower crane hoisting

Abstract

The present invention discloses a tower crane hoisting path guidance system for steel tower segments. The tower crane system includes a control room in which a controller is installed and connected to a central server. The steel tower includes an installed steel tower segment and a steel tower segment to be installed. A camera is installed on a workbench on the installed steel tower segment. A mark is made at the center of the cross section corresponding to the steel tower segment to be installed and the installed steel tower segment. The camera is connected to the central server. The central server calculates the distance between the installed steel tower and the uninstalled steel tower, and the distance between two marked points. The central server transmits the identified contour and the calculated distance back to the controller, and the controller then gives corresponding tower crane path instructions. The present invention provides a path guidance method that can effectively provide tower crane operation instructions for the steel tower docking process, avoid the problems of excessive personnel requirements and inconvenient communication in traditional methods, improve construction efficiency, and ensure construction safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of steel tower segment hoisting path guidance for tower crane hoisting, and more specifically, to a steel tower segment hoisting path guidance system and method for tower crane hoisting. Background Art

[0002] Currently, in the field of bridge construction, concrete structures are most commonly used for cable-stayed or suspension bridge towers. However, steel towers are commonly used for lightweight bridges or those with spatial design requirements. Steel towers are generally prefabricated in sections at the factory and hoisted and connected on-site. However, the hoisting and docking of the steel towers is controlled by operators in the tower crane control room. Because the controllers lack access to the specific details of the hoisting and docking, they typically communicate with the controllers in the tower crane control room via intercoms, using multiple commanders on the work platforms where the steel towers are installed. This method relies solely on the commanders' experience and lacks precise control. It is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also inefficient and prone to steel tower collisions. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to achieve these purposes and other advantages according to the present invention, a steel tower segment hoisting path guidance system for tower crane hoisting is provided, comprising a tower crane, a steel tower, and a central server, wherein:

[0004] The tower crane system includes a control room, in which a controller is installed, which is connected to the central server;

[0005] The steel tower includes an installed steel tower segment and a steel tower segment to be installed. A camera is installed on a workbench on the installed steel tower segment to take photos of the top contour of the installed steel tower and the bottom contour of the steel tower to be installed; a mark is made at the center of the corresponding cross section of the steel tower segment to be installed and the installed steel tower segment, respectively, as a mark point A and a mark point B; the camera is connected to the central server to send the collected top contour of the installed steel tower and the bottom contour of the steel tower to be installed to the central server;

[0006] The central server calculates the distance between the installed steel tower and the uninstalled steel tower, and the distance between the marking point A and the marking point B based on the top outline of the installed steel tower and the bottom outline of the steel tower to be installed captured by the camera; and the central server transmits the identified outline and the calculated distance back to the controller, and the controller then gives the corresponding tower crane path instructions.

[0007] Preferably, there are four cameras installed on the workbench on the installed steel tower segment, which are located at the midpoints of the four long sides of the installed steel tower segment. At the same time, the installation height of the four cameras is a certain distance higher than the top of the installed steel tower, so as to facilitate 360-degree photography of the top outline of the installed steel tower and the bottom outline of the steel tower to be installed.

[0008] Preferably, the tower crane system further comprises a GPS positioning unit A, a GPS positioning unit B, a hoisting winch, a hoisting trolley, a luffing winch, a slewing motor, an encoder A and an encoder B.

[0009] The GPS positioning unit A is installed on the tower body of the tower crane to monitor the position of the tower crane; the hoisting winch, the hoisting trolley, the luffing winch, and the slewing motor are all installed on the boom of the tower crane; the encoder A is installed on the luffing winch to monitor the luffing situation; the encoder B is installed on the slewing motor to monitor the slewing angle of the tower crane; a GPS positioning unit B is also installed on the installed steel tower segment to monitor the position of the installed steel tower.

[0010] Preferably, the central server is equipped with an image recognition algorithm to calculate the distance between the installed steel tower and the uninstalled steel tower, and the distance between the marking point A and the marking point B based on the top outline of the installed steel tower and the bottom outline of the steel tower to be installed captured by the camera.

[0011] Preferably, the control room is also provided with a computer with built-in display software for displaying the relative positions of the tower crane and the steel tower. In the display software, the actual position of the tower crane monitored by the GPS positioning unit A is used as the origin, and the line connecting the actual position of the tower crane and the position of the installed steel tower is used as the X-axis, and a plane rectangular coordinate system is established according to the right-hand coordinate principle.

[0012] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a method for guiding the hoisting path of a steel tower segment by a tower crane, comprising the following steps:

[0013] S0. On the computer display software, use the actual position of the tower crane monitored by GPS positioning unit A as the origin, and the position coordinates of the installed steel tower in the first quadrant to establish a plane rectangular coordinate system, and obtain the relative plane coordinates (x1, y1) of mark point A and the relative plane coordinates (x2, y2) of mark point B;

[0014] S1. Use a tower crane to lift the steel tower segment to be installed to the top of the installed steel tower segment, and place the boom in the first quadrant of the rectangular coordinate system;

[0015] S2. The camera on the installed steel tower segment takes pictures of the steel tower segment to be installed and the installed steel tower segment, and transmits the picture information to the server;

[0016] S3: The central server uses a neural network-based image recognition algorithm to identify the top of the installed steel tower and the bottom outline of the steel tower to be installed, as well as marker points A and B. It also calculates the minimum distance between the installed steel tower and the steel tower to be installed, as well as the distance between marker points A and B.

[0017] S4: The controller obtains the top profile of the installed steel tower and the bottom profile of the steel tower to be installed through the central server, and obtains the distance between the installed steel tower and the uninstalled steel tower, and the distance between the marked point A and the marked point B;

[0018] S5: Based on the obtained minimum distance between the installed steel tower and the steel tower to be installed, the computer display software determines whether the x-axis spacing between mark point A and mark point B is not 0, or whether the y-axis spacing is not 0. If so, proceed to step S6; otherwise, mark point A is directly above mark point B, and only the weight needs to be lowered, and proceed to step S13.

[0019] S6: It is determined again whether the minimum height distance obtained is greater than or equal to the preset value. If so, the process proceeds directly to the next step S7. If not, a prompt is displayed on the software to lift the heavy object, and then the staff controls the hoisting winch to lift the heavy object to avoid collision between the steel towers during plane adjustment.

[0020] S7: The system again determines whether the minimum height distance is less than or equal to the preset value to prevent the lifted steel tower from being too high and beyond the camera's range. If so, the system proceeds to the next step. If not, the system displays a prompt on the software to lower the weight, and then the staff controls the hoisting winch to lower the weight.

[0021] S8: When the distance between the steel tower to be installed and the installed steel tower is 0.5≦h≦5m, the central controller determines based on the situation of the marked points. If the absolute value of the X-axis distance between the marked points A and B is greater than or equal to the absolute value of the Y-axis distance, the X-axis direction is adjusted, that is, step S9 is performed; otherwise, the Y-axis direction is adjusted, that is, step S11 is performed;

[0022] S9: The system again determines whether the X-axis distance between the marker point A and the marker point B is not 0. If so, the system proceeds to S10; if not, the system proceeds to S13;

[0023] S10: Determine whether the X-axis distance between the marking point A and the marking point B is greater than 0. If it is greater than 0, the software will prompt that the amplitude should be reduced. If it is less than 0, the software will prompt that the amplitude should be increased. Then, the staff will control the luffing winch to increase the amplitude.

[0024] S11: The system again determines whether the Y-axis distance between the marker point A and the marker point B is not 0. If so, it proceeds to S12; if not, it proceeds to S13;

[0025] S12: Determine whether the Y-axis distance between the marker point A and the marker point B is greater than 0. If it is greater than 0, the software prompts to rotate left. If it is less than 0, the software prompts to rotate right.

[0026] S13: Determine whether the Z-axis distance between the marking point A and the marking point B is greater than 0. If so, a prompt is given to lower the weight. If not, it indicates that the weight has been docked, and completion is displayed at this time.

[0027] The present invention includes at least the following beneficial effects: the tower crane-mounted steel tower segment lifting path guidance system of the present invention adopts image recognition and GPS positioning technology to measure the distance between the steel tower to be installed and the installed steel tower in real time, and uses the positional relationship between the tower crane, the steel tower to be installed and the installed steel tower to provide a path guidance method, which can effectively provide tower crane operation instructions for the steel tower docking process, avoid the problems of excessive personnel requirements and inconvenient communication in traditional methods, improve construction efficiency, and ensure construction safety.

[0028] Other advantages, objectives and features of the present invention will be reflected in part from the following description and will be understood by those skilled in the art through study and practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the hoisting system composition of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a flow chart of the lifting path guidance of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 3 It is a dynamic display diagram of the hoisting path on the computer display software in the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The present invention will be described in further detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can implement the invention with reference to the description.

[0033] The following description is intended to disclose the present invention so that those skilled in the art can implement the present invention. The preferred embodiments described below are for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other obvious variations. The basic principles of the present invention defined in the following description may be applied to other embodiments, variations, improvements, equivalents, and other technical solutions that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0034] Those skilled in the art should understand that, in the disclosure of the present invention, the terms "longitudinal", "transverse", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like to indicate orientations or positional relationships are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, which are only for the convenience of describing 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, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the above terms should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0035] It is to be understood that the term "one" should be understood as "at least one" or "one or more", that is, in one embodiment, the number of an element may be one, while in another embodiment, the number of the elements may be multiple, and the term "one" should not be understood as a limitation on the quantity.

[0036] like Figure 1-3 As shown, a tower crane-mounted steel tower segment hoisting path guidance system of the present invention includes a tower crane, a steel tower, and a central server, wherein:

[0037] The tower crane system includes a control room, in which a controller is installed, which is connected to the central server via a wireless module; the tower crane system also includes a GPS positioning unit A, a GPS positioning unit B, a hoisting winch, a hoisting trolley, a luffing winch, a slewing motor, an encoder A and an encoder B.

[0038] The GPS positioning unit A is installed on the tower crane body to monitor the position of the tower crane 1; the hoisting winch 2, the hoisting trolley 3, the luffing winch 4, and the slewing motor 5 are all installed on the boom 6 of the tower crane 1; the encoder A is installed on the luffing winch 4 to monitor the luffing situation; the encoder B is installed on the slewing motor 5 to monitor the slewing angle of the tower crane 1; a GPS positioning unit B is also installed on the installed steel tower segment to monitor the position of the installed steel tower.

[0039] The hoisting winch is used to control the lifting of the load after the lifting or lowering instruction is given; the hoisting trolley is a pulley structure set to facilitate the steering and luffing of the lifting wire rope during lifting; the luffing winch is used for horizontal lifting during tower crane lifting; the slewing motor is used to drive the tower crane to rotate.

[0040] The steel tower includes an installed steel tower segment 7 and a steel tower segment to be installed 8. A camera 9 is installed on a workbench on the installed steel tower segment 7 to take pictures of the top profile of the installed steel tower and the bottom profile of the steel tower to be installed. A mark is made at the center of the cross section corresponding to the to-be-installed steel tower segment and the installed steel tower segment, as a mark point A and a mark point B, respectively. The two mark points are sprayed with yellow paint. The camera is connected to the central server to send the collected top profile of the installed steel tower and the bottom profile of the to-be-installed steel tower to the central server.

[0041] The central server has a built-in image recognition algorithm to calculate the distance between the installed steel tower and the uninstalled steel tower, and the distance between the marking point A10 and the marking point B11 based on the top outline of the installed steel tower and the bottom outline of the steel tower to be installed captured by the camera 9; and the central server transmits the recognized outline and the calculated distance back to the controller, and the controller then gives the corresponding tower crane path instructions.

[0042] The controller obtains the top profile of the installed steel tower and the bottom profile of the steel tower to be installed through the central server, and obtains the distance between the installed steel tower and the uninstalled steel tower, and the distance between the marked point A and the marked point B;

[0043] The central server has a built-in image recognition algorithm to calculate the distance between the installed steel tower and the uninstalled steel tower, and the distance between the marked point A and the marked point B based on the top outline of the installed steel tower and the bottom outline of the steel tower to be installed captured by the camera.

[0044] The control room is also provided with a computer 12, which has built-in display software for displaying the relative positions of the tower crane and the steel tower. In the display software, the actual position of the tower crane monitored by the GPS positioning unit A is used as the origin, and the line connecting the actual position of the tower crane and the position of the installed steel tower is used as the X-axis, and a plane rectangular coordinate system is established according to the right-hand coordinate principle.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present invention, there are four cameras installed on the workbench on the installed steel tower segment, which are located at the midpoints of the four long sides of the installed steel tower segment. At the same time, the installation height of the four cameras 9 is a certain distance higher than the top of the installed steel tower. Specifically, the installation height of the four cameras 9 can be 20 cm higher than the top of the installed steel tower, which is convenient for 360-degree photography of the top outline of the installed steel tower and the bottom outline of the steel tower to be installed.

[0046] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a method for guiding the hoisting path of a steel tower segment by a tower crane, comprising the following steps:

[0047] S0. On the computer display software, use the actual position of the tower crane monitored by GPS positioning unit A as the origin, and the position coordinates of the installed steel tower in the first quadrant to establish a plane rectangular coordinate system, and obtain the relative plane coordinates (x1, y1) of mark point A and the relative plane coordinates (x2, y2) of mark point B;

[0048] S1. Use a tower crane to lift the steel tower segment to be installed to the top of the installed steel tower segment, and place the boom in the first quadrant of the rectangular coordinate system;

[0049] S2. The camera on the installed steel tower segment takes pictures of the steel tower segment to be installed and the installed steel tower segment, and transmits the picture information to the server. The shooting interval can be adjusted according to the actual situation, for example, 1 second;

[0050] S3: The central server uses a neural network-based image recognition algorithm to identify the top of the installed steel tower and the bottom outline of the steel tower to be installed, as well as marker points A and B. It also calculates the minimum distance between the installed steel tower and the steel tower to be installed, as well as the distance between marker points A and B.

[0051] S4: The controller obtains the top profile of the installed steel tower and the bottom profile of the steel tower to be installed through the central server, and obtains the distance between the installed steel tower and the uninstalled steel tower, and the distance between the marked point A and the marked point B;

[0052] S5: Based on the obtained minimum distance between the installed steel tower and the steel tower to be installed, the computer display software determines whether the x-axis spacing between mark point A and mark point B is not 0, or whether the y-axis spacing is not 0. If so, proceed to step S6; otherwise, mark point A is directly above mark point B, and only the weight needs to be lowered, and proceed to step S13.

[0053] S6: It is determined again whether the minimum height distance obtained is greater than or equal to the preset value. If so, the process proceeds directly to the next step S7. If not, a prompt is displayed on the software to lift the heavy object, and then the staff controls the hoisting winch to lift the heavy object to avoid collision between the steel towers during plane adjustment.

[0054] S7: The system again determines whether the minimum height distance is less than or equal to the preset value to prevent the lifted steel tower from being too high and beyond the camera's range. If so, the system proceeds to the next step. If not, the system displays a prompt on the software to lower the weight, and then the staff controls the hoisting winch to lower the weight.

[0055] S8: When the distance between the steel tower to be installed and the installed steel tower is 0.5≦h≦5m, the central controller determines based on the situation of the marked points. If the absolute value of the X-axis distance between the marked points A and B is greater than or equal to the absolute value of the Y-axis distance, the X-axis direction is adjusted, that is, step S9 is performed; otherwise, the Y-axis direction is adjusted, that is, step S11 is performed;

[0056] S9: The system again determines whether the X-axis distance between the marker point A and the marker point B is not 0. If so, the system proceeds to S10; if not, the system proceeds to S13;

[0057] S10: Determine whether the X-axis distance between the marking point A and the marking point B is greater than 0. If it is greater than 0, the software will prompt that the amplitude should be reduced. If it is less than 0, the software will prompt that the amplitude should be increased. Then, the staff will control the luffing winch to increase the amplitude.

[0058] S11: The system again determines whether the Y-axis distance between the marker point A and the marker point B is not 0. If so, it proceeds to S12; if not, it proceeds to S13;

[0059] S12: Determine whether the Y-axis distance between the marker point A and the marker point B is greater than 0. If it is greater than 0, the software prompts to rotate left. If it is less than 0, the software prompts to rotate right.

[0060] S13: Determine whether the Z-axis distance between the marking point A and the marking point B is greater than 0. If so, a prompt is given to lower the weight. If not, it indicates that the weight has been docked, and completion is displayed at this time.

[0061] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed above, they are not limited to the applications listed in the description and implementation methods. They can be fully applied to various fields suitable for the present invention. For those familiar with the art, additional modifications can be easily implemented. Therefore, without departing from the general concept defined by the claims and the scope of equivalents, the present invention is not limited to the specific details and illustrations shown and described herein.

Claims

1. A method for guiding the hoisting path of a steel tower segment by a tower crane, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S0. On the computer display software, establish a plane rectangular coordinate system with the actual position of the tower crane monitored by GPS positioning unit A as the origin and the position coordinates of the installed steel tower in the first quadrant. Mark the center of the cross section corresponding to the to-be-installed steel tower segment and the installed steel tower segment, respectively, as marking point A and marking point B. Obtain the relative plane coordinates (x1, y1) of marking point A and the relative plane coordinates (x2, y2) of marking point B. S1. Use a tower crane to lift the steel tower segment to be installed to the top of the installed steel tower segment, and place the boom in the first quadrant of the rectangular coordinate system; S2. The camera on the installed steel tower segment takes pictures of the steel tower segment to be installed and the installed steel tower segment, and transmits the picture information to the central server; S3: The central server identifies the top contour of the installed steel tower and the bottom contour of the steel tower to be installed, as well as marker points A and B, and calculates the minimum distance between the installed steel tower and the steel tower to be installed, as well as the distance between marker points A and B. S4: The controller obtains the top profile of the installed steel tower and the bottom profile of the steel tower to be installed through the central server, and obtains the minimum distance between the installed steel tower and the steel tower to be installed, and the distance between the marking point A and the marking point B; S5: Based on the obtained minimum distance between the installed steel tower and the steel tower to be installed, the computer display software determines whether the x-axis spacing between the marking point A and the marking point B is not 0, or whether the y-axis spacing is not 0. If so, proceed to step S6; otherwise, the marking point A is directly above the marking point B, and only the weight needs to be lowered, and proceed to step S13; S6: It is determined again whether the minimum height distance obtained is greater than or equal to the preset value of 0.5m. If so, the process proceeds directly to the next step S7. If not, a prompt is displayed on the software to lift the heavy object, and then the staff controls the hoisting winch to lift the heavy object to avoid collision between the steel towers during plane adjustment. S7: The system again determines whether the minimum height distance is less than or equal to the preset value of 5m to prevent the lifted steel tower from being too high and beyond the camera's range. If so, the system proceeds to the next step. If not, the system displays a prompt on the software to lower the weight, and then the staff controls the hoisting winch to lower the weight. S8: When the distance between the steel tower to be installed and the installed steel tower is 0.5≦h≦5m, the central controller determines based on the situation of the marked points. If the absolute value of the X-axis distance between the marked points A and B is greater than or equal to the absolute value of the Y-axis distance, the X-axis direction is adjusted, that is, step S9 is performed; otherwise, the Y-axis direction is adjusted, that is, step S11 is performed; S9: The system again determines whether the X-axis distance between the marker point A and the marker point B is not 0. If so, the system proceeds to S10; if not, the system proceeds to S13; S10: Determine whether the X-axis distance between the marking point A and the marking point B is greater than 0. If it is greater than 0, the software will prompt that the amplitude should be reduced. If it is less than 0, the software will prompt that the amplitude should be increased. Then, the staff will control the luffing winch to increase the amplitude. S11: The system again determines whether the Y-axis distance between the marker point A and the marker point B is not 0. If so, it proceeds to S12; if not, it proceeds to S13; S12: Determine whether the Y-axis distance between the marker point A and the marker point B is greater than 0. If it is greater than 0, the software prompts to rotate left. If it is less than 0, the software prompts to rotate right. S13: Determine whether the Z-axis distance between the marking point A and the marking point B is greater than 0. If so, a prompt is given to lower the weight. If not, it indicates that the weight has been docked, and completion is displayed at this time.

2. The method for guiding the hoisting path of a steel tower segment by a tower crane according to claim 1, wherein: The guidance method uses a guidance system, which includes a tower crane system, a steel tower, and a central server, wherein: The tower crane system includes a control room, in which a controller is installed, which is connected to the central server; The steel tower includes an installed steel tower segment and a steel tower segment to be installed. A camera is installed on a workbench on the installed steel tower segment to take photos of the top contour of the installed steel tower and the bottom contour of the steel tower to be installed; a mark is made at the center of the corresponding cross section of the steel tower segment to be installed and the installed steel tower segment, respectively, as a mark point A and a mark point B; the camera is connected to the central server to send the collected top contour of the installed steel tower and the bottom contour of the steel tower to be installed to the central server; The central server calculates the minimum distance between the installed steel tower and the steel tower to be installed, and the distance between the marking point A and the marking point B based on the top outline of the installed steel tower and the bottom outline of the steel tower to be installed captured by the camera; and the central server transmits the identified outline and the calculated distance back to the controller, and the controller then gives the corresponding tower crane path instructions.

3. The method for guiding the hoisting path of a steel tower segment by a tower crane according to claim 1, wherein: There are four cameras installed on the workbench on the installed steel tower segment, which are located at the midpoints of the four long sides of the installed steel tower segment. At the same time, the installation height of the four cameras is a certain distance higher than the top of the installed steel tower, which is convenient for 360-degree photography of the top outline of the installed steel tower and the bottom outline of the steel tower to be installed.

4. The method for guiding the hoisting path of a steel tower segment by a tower crane according to claim 1, wherein: The tower crane system also includes GPS positioning unit A, GPS positioning unit B, hoisting winch, hoisting trolley, luffing winch, slewing motor, encoder A and encoder B. The GPS positioning unit A is installed on the tower crane body to monitor the position of the tower crane; the hoisting winch, the hoisting trolley, the luffing winch and the slewing motor are all installed on the boom of the tower crane; the encoder A is installed on the luffing winch to monitor the luffing situation; the encoder B is installed on the slewing motor to monitor the slewing angle of the tower crane; a GPS positioning unit B is also installed on the installed steel tower segment to monitor the position of the installed steel tower.

5. The method for guiding the hoisting path of a steel tower segment by a tower crane according to claim 1, wherein: The central server has a built-in image recognition algorithm to calculate the minimum distance between the installed steel tower and the steel tower to be installed, and the distance between mark point A and mark point B based on the top outline of the installed steel tower and the bottom outline of the steel tower to be installed captured by the camera.

6. The method for guiding the hoisting path of a steel tower segment by a tower crane according to claim 1, wherein: A computer is also provided in the control room, which has built-in display software for displaying the relative positions of the tower crane and the steel tower. In the display software, the actual position of the tower crane monitored by the GPS positioning unit A is used as the origin, and the line connecting the actual position of the tower crane and the position of the installed steel tower is used as the X-axis, and a plane rectangular coordinate system is established according to the right-hand coordinate principle.

7. The method for guiding the hoisting path of a steel tower segment by a tower crane according to claim 6, characterized in that: In step S3, the central server uses a neural network-based image recognition algorithm to identify the top contours of the installed steel tower and the bottom contours of the steel tower to be installed, as well as marker points A and B, and calculates the minimum distance between the installed steel tower and the steel tower to be installed, as well as the distance between marker points A and B.

Images