Automated shore crane and control method, device and electronic equipment thereof

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of logistics, in particular to an automatic quay crane and a control method, device and electronic equipment thereof. The automatic quay crane and the control method thereof comprise the following steps: obtaining operation information, wherein the operation information comprises an operation sequence; the operation sequence is input by a driver through a preset human-computer interaction device; a control instruction is generated based on the operation information; and the hoisting machinery is controlled to grab containers according to the operation sequence through the control instruction. In this way, the hoisting machinery can be automatically controlled to assist the driver to grab the containers according to the operation sequence, the automation degree of the quay crane is improved, the process in which the driver needs to control during the container grabbing process is reduced, the energy consumed by the driver during the container grabbing process is reduced, the driver can complete more tasks under the same energy, and the efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of logistics-related technologies, specifically to an automated quay crane and its control method, device, and electronic equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, automated terminals in China are still in their infancy. The quay cranes in automated terminals directly operate on ships and horizontal transport vehicles, and are key large-scale equipment in the terminals.

[0003] In existing terminals, operations are primarily carried out by operators, resulting in low levels of automation. Operators expend considerable energy controlling the quay cranes. Furthermore, the operation of the quay cranes is limited by the operators' workload, leading to inefficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, this application aims to provide an automated quay crane and its control method, device and electronic equipment to solve the problem of low efficiency caused by the quay crane's operation being limited by the driver's energy.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of this application, an automated quay crane control method is provided, comprising:

[0006] Obtain job information, including the job sequence;

[0007] The work sequence is input by the driver through a preset human-machine interaction device;

[0008] Generate control instructions based on job information;

[0009] The control commands control the lifting machinery to grab the containers according to the work sequence.

[0010] In one embodiment, obtaining job information includes:

[0011] Obtain the work information input by the driver based on the preset human-machine interaction device;

[0012] The operational information includes: information about the vessels requiring the operation, information about the containers to be grabbed, and the operational sequence.

[0013] In one embodiment, control instructions are generated based on job information, including:

[0014] Generate a task list based on the assignment information;

[0015] The task list includes multiple tasks, each corresponding to a container to be grabbed, and the multiple tasks are arranged in order corresponding to the operation sequence.

[0016] Based on the task list, control commands are generated.

[0017] In one embodiment, control instructions are generated based on a task list, including:

[0018] Define the current task;

[0019] Generate control commands based on the current task;

[0020] The control command is used to control the lifting machinery to move the trolley of the lifting machinery to the target position, which is the position of the trolley when grabbing the container corresponding to the current task.

[0021] In one embodiment, determining the current task includes:

[0022] When the current task is first determined, the task with the sequence number 1 in the task list is designated as the current task.

[0023] In one embodiment, determining the current task includes:

[0024] When the current task is not determined for the first time, obtain the driver's operation instructions:

[0025] When the driver is determined to complete task number K in the task list based on the operation instructions, the task with the sequence number K+1 in the task list is determined as the current task.

[0026] Where K is a positive integer.

[0027] In one embodiment, it also includes:

[0028] Obtain the vehicle's location information;

[0029] Based on the vehicle's location information, the tasks that the driver is currently performing are numbered in the task list.

[0030] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of this application, an automated quay crane control device is provided, comprising:

[0031] The acquisition module is used to acquire job information, including the job sequence.

[0032] The generation module is used to generate control instructions based on job information;

[0033] The control module is used to control the lifting machinery through control commands, assisting the driver in grabbing containers according to the work sequence.

[0034] According to a third aspect of the embodiments of this application, an electronic device is provided, comprising:

[0035] processor;

[0036] Memory used to store processor-executable instructions;

[0037] The processor is used to execute the aforementioned automated quay crane control method.

[0038] According to a fourth aspect of the embodiments of this application, an automated quay crane is provided, including: an automated quay crane body and a controller disposed on the automated quay crane body;

[0039] The controller is used to execute the automated quay crane control method described above.

[0040] The solution provided in this application first acquires operational information, including the operational sequence; then, based on this information, control commands are generated; these commands control the lifting machinery to assist the driver in grabbing containers according to the operational sequence. This setup automatically controls the lifting machinery to assist the driver in grabbing containers according to the operational sequence, improving the automation level of the quay crane, reducing the number of steps requiring driver intervention during container grabbing, and minimizing the driver's effort in controlling the quay crane. Drivers can complete more tasks with the same amount of effort, thus improving efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0041] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this application will become more apparent from the more detailed description of the embodiments of this application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are provided to further illustrate the embodiments of this application and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of this application to explain this application and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings, the same reference numerals generally represent the same components or steps.

[0042] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a flowchart of an automated quay crane control method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0043] Figure 2 The diagram shown is a partial flowchart of an automated quay crane control method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0044] Figure 3 The diagram shown is a partial flowchart of another automated quay crane control method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0045] Figure 4 The diagram shown is a partial flowchart of another automated quay crane control method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0046] Figure 5 The diagram shown is a flowchart of another automated quay crane control method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0047] Figure 6 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of an automated quay crane control device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0048] Figure 7 The diagram shown is a structural block diagram of an electronic device provided in one embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0049] 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.

[0050] Application Overview

[0051] Currently, automated terminals in China are still in their infancy. The quay cranes in automated terminals directly operate on ships and horizontal transport vehicles, and are key large-scale equipment in the terminals.

[0052] In existing terminals, operations are primarily carried out by operators, resulting in low levels of automation. Operators expend considerable energy controlling the quay cranes. Furthermore, the operation of the quay cranes is limited by the operators' workload, leading to inefficiency.

[0053] To address the aforementioned issues, the solution provided in this application first acquires operational information, including the operational sequence. Then, based on this information, control commands are generated. These commands are used to control the lifting machinery, assisting the driver in grasping containers according to the operational sequence. This setup automatically controls the lifting machinery, assisting the driver in grasping containers according to the operational sequence, thus improving the automation level of the quay crane. It reduces the number of steps requiring driver intervention during container grasping, and decreases the effort required by the driver to control the quay crane. The driver can complete more tasks with the same amount of effort, improving efficiency.

[0054] Having introduced the basic principles of this application, various non-limiting embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0055] Exemplary methods

[0056] Reference Figure 1 This application provides an automated quay crane control method, comprising:

[0057] S110, Obtain job information, including job sequence.

[0058] The work sequence is input by the driver through a preset human-machine interface device. This preset human-machine interface device can be an input device installed on the crane, in which case the driver operates from the crane; alternatively, it can be an input device installed on the operator station, in which case the driver operates and controls the crane for lifting from the operator station.

[0059] The work sequence refers to the order in which the driver grabs the container, such as: layer by layer from landside to seaside, layer by layer from seaside to landside, starting from landside and alternating between inside and outside (first the landside, then the seaside, then landside again, then seaside again, etc.), starting from seaside and alternating between inside and outside (first the seaside, then the landside, then seaside again, then landside again, etc.), fixed arrangement, etc.

[0060] In the solution provided in this application, when the driver starts working, he needs to input the operation sequence based on his own habits. With this setting, in the subsequent automatic adjustment, the operation sequence input by the driver will assist the driver in grabbing the container.

[0061] S120 generates control commands based on job information.

[0062] It should be noted that the control commands generated in the solution provided in this application are mainly used to control the trolley of the automated quay crane, and to control the trolley to move to a suitable position to assist the driver in grabbing the container.

[0063] The S130 controls the lifting machinery to grab containers according to the work sequence via control commands.

[0064] This setup allows for automatic control of the lifting machinery, assisting the driver in grabbing containers according to the work sequence. It improves the automation level of the quay crane, reduces the number of steps the driver needs to take during container grabbing, and reduces the effort the driver needs to expend when controlling the quay crane to grab containers. The driver can complete more tasks with the same amount of effort, thus improving efficiency.

[0065] In one embodiment, step S110, "obtaining job information," includes: obtaining job information input by the driver based on a preset human-machine interface device; wherein, the job information includes: information about the vessel to be operated, information about the containers to be grabbed, and the job sequence. For example, at the start of the job, the driver selects the vessel to be operated on the human-machine interface, and then sets the maximum and minimum row sizes of the vessel and the job sequence on the touchscreen. Of course, in practical applications, it is also necessary to set the loading and unloading mode and other configurations.

[0066] In one embodiment, step S120, "generating control instructions based on job information," includes:

[0067] S121, Generate a task list based on job information.

[0068] The task list includes multiple tasks, each task corresponding to a container to be grabbed, or each task corresponding to a batch of containers to be grabbed, and the multiple tasks are arranged in order corresponding to the operation sequence.

[0069] Among them, a batch of containers to be seized can refer to a row of containers.

[0070] It should be noted that the tasks in the task list in step S121 are not mandatory, but are used to determine the next container to be grabbed after the current container grabbing task is completed.

[0071] S122 generates control commands based on the task list.

[0072] Specifically, in one embodiment, step S122 "generating control instructions based on the task list" includes:

[0073] Step S1221: Determine the current task.

[0074] It should be noted that the current task is "the task that the driver needs to perform at this moment".

[0075] If this is the first time the current task is determined, the task with the sequence number 1 in the task list is designated as the current task. If it is not the first time the current task is determined, the driver's operation instructions are obtained: when the operation instructions determine that the driver will complete the task with sequence number K in the task list, the task with sequence number K+1 in the task list is designated as the current task; where K is a positive integer.

[0076] This setup allows the driver to quickly grab the next container (or batch of containers) after completing a task or grabbing a batch of containers.

[0077] Step S1222: Generate control instructions based on the current task.

[0078] Specifically, in practical applications, the current task corresponds to one (or batch) of containers, and the control commands are used to move the trolley of the lifting machinery to the position where it can grab the corresponding one (or batch) of containers. Generally, simply controlling the trolley's movement is sufficient to move it to the appropriate position. However, in some special cases, it may be necessary to control the entire lifting machinery to move the trolley to a preset position.

[0079] It should be noted that some special situations may arise in practical applications. For example, the driver inputs data indicating that n rows of containers need to be grabbed in order from the first row to the nth row, but the (n-2)th row is actually empty. In this case, when the trolley is moved to the position to grab the containers in the (n-2)th row based on the task corresponding to that row, the driver can manually move the trolley to the position to grab the containers in the (n-1)th row. After grabbing the containers in the (n-1)th row, the trolley needs to grab the containers in the nth row. The solution provided in this application addresses this situation by referring to... Figure 4 It also includes:

[0080] S401, obtain the vehicle's location information;

[0081] Specifically, the vehicle's location information can be obtained based on preset position sensors, or it can be obtained from other related systems and devices.

[0082] S402, based on the vehicle's location information, determines the sequence number of the tasks the driver is currently performing in the task list.

[0083] This setup is designed to address the above situation. When the driver finds that the (n-2)th row is empty and there are no containers, and moves the trolley to grab the container in the (n-1)th row, the driver's current task can be determined based on the trolley's position information. The task number in the task list is n-1, meaning the driver is performing the task corresponding to the (n-1)th row.

[0084] Thus, in the next "determine current task", it can be determined that the task the driver just completed is the task with sequence number n-1, and the current task is the task with sequence number n. Then, the trolley is controlled to move to the position to grab the container in the nth row.

[0085] In conjunction with the above preferred embodiments, referring to Figure 5 The solutions provided in this application include:

[0086] S501, the driver selects a vessel, sets the maximum and minimum row size, and chooses the work sequence.

[0087] It should be noted that the "driver" refers to the remote-controlled quay crane operator, who remotely controls the quay crane via a control panel, including the movement of the main trolley, the movement of auxiliary trolleys, and the handling of containers. The control panel is equipped with a touchscreen, allowing the operator to configure operational information, such as setting the maximum and minimum berth information for the vessel, and the operational sequence mode. Additionally, the control panel is equipped with several main units, which can display video information and a human-machine interface, allowing the operator to select and operate vessels.

[0088] S502, the equipment management system determines the task list based on the location of the trolley, the information of the ship, the maximum and minimum row of the ship, and the selected operation sequence.

[0089] It should be noted that the equipment management system (TCS) here refers to the quay crane management system, which parses the work tasks and breaks them down into grab and release box instructions, then sends the instructions to the stand-alone automated control system (ACCS) for execution, and monitors the execution feedback of the ACCS.

[0090] S503, the equipment management system executes the tasks that need to be performed and determines the corresponding target position of the trolley.

[0091] S504, the equipment management system generates instructions to brake the trolley to the target position.

[0092] S505, the equipment management system sends instructions to the stand-alone automation control system.

[0093] The S506 is a stand-alone automated control system that executes commands to control the trolley to move to the target position.

[0094] It should be noted that the stand-alone automated control system (ACCS) receives instructions from the TCS, verifies the validity of the instructions, executes the instructions, and then feeds back the execution results to the TCS.

[0095] The S507 single-machine automated control system feeds back the actual position of the trolley and the driver's operation information to the equipment management system.

[0096] It should be noted that after executing step S507, the equipment management system re-executes step S503. During step S503, the equipment management system redetermines the task to be performed based on the location information and driver operation information, and determines the corresponding target position of the vehicle. The specific implementation of this process can be found in steps S1221 and S1222.

[0097] The solution provided in this application embodiment will be described below with reference to a specific application scenario:

[0098] When starting operations, the driver first selects the vessel to be operated on the human-machine interface, and then sets the maximum and minimum row sizes and the operation sequence on the touchscreen. Additionally, the loading / unloading mode and other configurations need to be set. For ease of understanding, let's assume the driver selects vessel A, sets its maximum row size to 8, its minimum row size to 1, the operation sequence mode to "from sea side to land side by layer," and the loading / unloading mode to unloading operation.

[0099] After the TCS detects the driver's vessel selection operation, it sends a ranking learning instruction to the ACCS. It should be noted that the "ranking learning instruction" is applicable to calibrating vessels and determining their ranking information.

[0100] After ACCS completes its ranking learning, TCS calculates the ship's working position for the first task as row 8 based on the ship's maximum row size of 8 and the "from sea side to land side" operation sequence mode (because the sea side is the far side, row 8 is the farthest side, and row 1 is the closest side), and generates a container grabbing command on the ship, which is then sent to ACCS.

[0101] The ACCS executes the command, controlling the trolley to automatically move to row 8, prompting the driver to manually engage and grab the container. If there is a container to unload at row 8, the driver grabs it there. After grabbing, the ACCS reports completion, indicating the actual grabbing position is row 8. After completing the subsequent container placement command, the TCS, based on the actual shipboard operating position of row 8 for this task, calculates the shipboard operating position for the second task to be row 7, and generates a shipboard container grabbing command to send to the ACCS for execution.

[0102] The ACCS control trolley automatically moves to row 7, prompting the driver to manually engage and grab the container. If there is no container at row 7 on the ship, or if there is a container but it cannot be accessed for some reason, the driver manually controls the handle to move the trolley to row 6 to grab the container. After grabbing the container, the ACCS reports the actual working position as row 6.

[0103] If TCS obtains the actual working position of the second task as row 6, it can calculate the ship's working position of the third task as row 5, and so on. When the actual ship's working position of a task is the smallest row 1, the ship's working position of the next task will be set to the largest row 8, and so on.

[0104] Suppose another vessel, B, arrives at the same bay, i.e., berthing in both directions (outside the vessel). If the driver wants to work on vessel B, they can select the vessel through the human-machine interface. The TCS (Traffic Control System) will recognize this as starting work on a new vessel and reissue the berthing learning command. After the berthing learning is complete, the working position on the vessel will be set according to the vessel's maximum and minimum berth positions and the work sequence mode, as before.

[0105] Exemplary device

[0106] The apparatus embodiments of this application can be used to execute the method embodiments of this application. For details not disclosed in the apparatus embodiments of this application, please refer to the method embodiments of this application.

[0107] Figure 6 The diagram shown is a block diagram of an automated quay crane control device according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 6 As shown, the automated quay crane control device includes:

[0108] Module 61 is used to acquire job information, including the job sequence.

[0109] Generation module 62 is used to generate control instructions based on job information;

[0110] The control module 63 is used to control the lifting machinery through control commands, assisting the driver in grabbing containers according to the work sequence.

[0111] In one embodiment, the acquisition module 61 is specifically used for:

[0112] Obtain the work information input by the driver based on the preset human-machine interaction device;

[0113] The operational information includes: information about the vessels requiring the operation, information about the containers to be grabbed, and the operational sequence.

[0114] In one embodiment, when the acquisition module 61 generates control instructions based on the job information, it is specifically used for:

[0115] Generate a task list based on the assignment information;

[0116] The task list includes multiple tasks, each task corresponding to a container to be grabbed, or each task corresponding to a batch of containers to be grabbed, and the multiple tasks are arranged in order corresponding to the operation sequence.

[0117] Based on the task list, control commands are generated.

[0118] In one embodiment, when the acquisition module 61 generates control instructions based on the task list, it is specifically used for:

[0119] Define the current task;

[0120] Generate control commands based on the current task;

[0121] The control command is used to control the lifting machinery to move the trolley of the lifting machinery to the target position, which is the position of the trolley when grabbing the container corresponding to the current task.

[0122] In one embodiment, when the acquisition module 61 determines the current task, it is specifically used for:

[0123] When the current task is first determined, the task with the sequence number 1 in the task list is identified as the current task.

[0124] When the current task is not determined for the first time, obtain the driver's operation instructions:

[0125] When the driver is determined to complete task number K in the task list based on the operation instructions, the task with the sequence number K+1 in the task list is determined as the current task.

[0126] Where K is a positive integer;

[0127] Obtain the vehicle's location information;

[0128] Based on the vehicle's location information, the tasks that the driver is currently performing are numbered in the task list.

[0129] Exemplary electronic devices

[0130] See Figure 7 , Figure 7 See the structural block diagram of the electronic device provided in the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 As shown, it may include: at least one processor 710, at least one communication interface 720, at least one memory 730 and at least one communication bus 740.

[0131] In this embodiment of the invention, the number of processor 710, communication interface 720, memory 730, and communication bus 740 is at least one, and the processor 710, communication interface 720, and memory 730 communicate with each other through communication bus 740; obviously, Figure 7 The communication connections shown for the processor 710, communication interface 720, memory 730, and communication bus 740 are optional.

[0132] The processor 710 may be a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement embodiments of the present invention.

[0133] The memory 730 stores the application program and may include high-speed RAM memory as well as non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage.

[0134] Specifically, the processor 710 is used to execute the application program in the memory to implement any embodiment of the above-described automated quay crane control method.

[0135] Exemplary computer program products and computer-readable storage media

[0136] In addition to the methods and apparatus described above, embodiments of this application may also be computer program products, which include computer program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps in the automated quay crane control methods according to various embodiments of this application as described in the "Exemplary Methods" section of this specification.

[0137] Computer program products can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages ​​to perform the operations of the embodiments of this application. The programming languages ​​include object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java and C++, as well as conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as C or similar languages. The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computing device, partially on the user's computing device, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server.

[0138] Furthermore, embodiments of this application may also be computer-readable storage media storing computer program instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps in the automated quay crane control methods according to various embodiments of this application described in the "Exemplary Methods" section above.

[0139] Computer-readable storage media may take the form of any combination of one or more readable media. A readable medium may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. A readable storage medium may, for example, include, but is not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include: electrical connections having one or more wires, portable disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0140] Exemplary quay bridge

[0141] This application also provides an automated quay crane, including: an automated quay crane body and a controller disposed on the automated quay crane body;

[0142] The controller is used to execute the automated quay crane control method described above.

[0143] The controller can be a device management system.

[0144] The above description has been given for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, this description is not intended to limit the embodiments of this application to the forms disclosed herein. Although numerous exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, alterations, additions, and sub-combinations thereof.

Claims

1. An automated quay crane control method, characterized in that, include: Obtain job information, including the job sequence; The work sequence is input by the driver through a preset human-machine interaction device; Based on the job information, control instructions are generated; The control commands control the lifting machinery to grab the container according to the specified work sequence; The step of generating control instructions based on the job information includes: Based on the job information, a task list is generated; The task list includes multiple tasks, each task corresponding to a container to be grabbed, or each task corresponding to a batch of containers to be grabbed, and the multiple tasks are arranged in order corresponding to the operation sequence. Based on the task list, control commands are generated; The generation of control instructions based on the task list includes: Define the current task; Based on the current task, generate control commands; The control command is used to control the crane to move the crane trolley to the target position, which is the position of the trolley when grabbing the container corresponding to the current task; Determining the current task includes: When the current task is not determined for the first time, obtain the driver's operation instructions: When the driver is determined to complete the task with sequence number K in the task list based on the operation instruction, the task with sequence number K+1 in the task list is determined as the current task; where K is a positive integer; Obtain the vehicle's location information; Based on the vehicle's location information, the tasks that the driver is currently performing are ranked in the task list.

2. The automated quay crane control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The acquisition of job information includes: Obtain the work information input by the driver based on the preset human-machine interaction device; The operational information includes: information about the vessels requiring the operation, information about the containers to be grabbed, and the operational sequence.

3. The automated quay crane control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining the current task includes: When the current task is first determined, the task with the sequence number 1 in the task list is designated as the current task.

4. An automated quay crane control device, characterized in that, For performing the automated quay crane control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the automated quay crane control device comprises: The acquisition module is used to acquire operation information, including the operation sequence; generate a task list based on the operation information; wherein the task list includes multiple tasks, each task corresponding to a container to be grabbed, or each task corresponding to a batch of containers to be grabbed, and the multiple tasks are arranged in order corresponding to the operation sequence; when the current task is not determined for the first time, the driver's operation instructions are acquired: when it is determined based on the operation instructions that the driver has completed the task with sequence number K in the task list, the task with sequence number K+1 in the task list is determined as the current task; wherein K is a positive integer; acquire trolley position information; determine the sequence number of the task being performed by the driver in the task list based on the trolley position information; generate control instructions based on the current task; wherein the control instructions are used to control the lifting machinery to move the trolley of the lifting machinery to the target position, the target position being the position of the trolley when grabbing the container corresponding to the current task; The work sequence is input by the driver through a preset human-machine interaction device; The generation module is used to generate control instructions based on job information; The control module is used to control the lifting machinery through the control commands, assisting the driver in grabbing the container according to the operation sequence.

5. An electronic device, comprising: processor; Memory used to store the processor's executable instructions; The processor is used to execute the automated quay crane control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. An automated quay crane, comprising: Automated quay crane body and controller mounted on the automated quay crane body; The controller is used to execute the automated quay crane control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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