Container yard container lock changing system, method, device and storage medium

Abstract

The application provides a container lock changing system, method, equipment and storage medium of a container terminal, and the system comprises at least one container with a built-in mechanical arm, which is arranged on one side of a vehicle passage, and at least one window is arranged on one side of the container and faces the vehicle passage; the mechanical arm extends from the window to a target space position of a target vehicle lock area of the container to dismount or install the lock of the target vehicle. The application can provide a modular and containerized automatic lock station solution, which can be easily moved and arranged at a target lock changing position, greatly saves the lock changing space position, and improves the lock changing speed of the container vehicle and the operation efficiency of the unmanned terminal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of process operation equipment for container terminals, and more specifically, to container lock changing systems, methods, equipment, and storage media for container terminals. Background Technology

[0002] Container shipping is now widespread, and containers on cargo ships require locks for secure fastening. Therefore, at ports, containers need to be locked before being moved from the storage area to the cargo ship. After unloading from the ship to the dock, the locks need to be removed before the containers are transferred to the storage area. This results in a significant amount of container locking and unlocking work at ports. In recent years, ports like Tianjin Port have begun to focus on developing unmanned port transportation systems, which are gradually being rolled out to other ports. However, compared to highly automated tasks such as transportation and crane operations, vehicle entry and exit from locking stations remains relatively unautomated, representing a bottleneck in fully enclosed automated operations and a key area for improvement.

[0003] Currently, lock stations are typically set up at ports for automated container lock assembly and disassembly. However, some steps in this process are still time-consuming. These include manually guiding trucks to their designated positions, requiring truck drivers to determine and verify the parking location (ensuring the containers on the trucks are in the correct assembly / disassembly positions after parking), and the mixing of various disassembled locks. This necessitates manual sorting of locks during assembly, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Furthermore, the mixed supply of locks to the automated assembly / disassembly unit often results in the unit encountering incorrect locks, preventing installation. There are also instances where large piles of unsuitable locks hinder lock transport, lock category identification, and lock supply, severely impacting installation efficiency. All of these factors necessitate improvements to the efficiency of lock stations.

[0004] Therefore, the present invention provides a container lock changing system, method, equipment and storage medium for container terminals. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the problems in the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a container lock changing system, method, equipment, and storage medium for container terminals. It overcomes the difficulties of the prior art, provides a modular and containerized automatic lock station solution, can be easily moved and deployed to the target lock changing location, and greatly saves lock changing space, thereby improving the lock changing speed of container vehicles and the operational efficiency of unmanned terminals.

[0006] Embodiments of the present invention provide a container lock-changing system for a container terminal, comprising:

[0007] A container with at least one built-in robotic arm is disposed on one side of a vehicle passage. The container has at least one window facing the vehicle passage on one side. The robotic arm extends out of the window from the container to reach a target spatial position in the lock area of ​​the target vehicle in order to remove or install the lock on the target vehicle.

[0008] Preferably, it further includes:

[0009] Several camera components are set on the edge of each window to capture images of the target vehicle. Spatial data is established based on the images captured by the camera components. The target area to be removed or installed by the lock is obtained by image recognition. The target spatial position in the spatial data is obtained according to the target area.

[0010] Preferably, a plurality of independent windows are provided on one side of the container along the vehicle passage, dividing the space of the vehicle passage into a plurality of sub-regions, each sub-region corresponding to a window. When the camera component to which the window belongs identifies the target area to be disassembled or installed in the corresponding sub-region, a lock-changing task is generated and sent to the robotic arm closest to the window. The robotic arm moves to the window according to the lock-changing task.

[0011] Preferably, the camera assembly has a flip axis based on the edge of the window, and the container has a working state in which the camera assembly flips to the outside of the container based on the flip axis and the robotic arm enters and exits the container through the window, and a transport state in which the camera assembly flips to the inside of the container based on the flip axis and the robotic arm remains inside the container.

[0012] Preferably, the container is provided with a pair of support frames and two crossbeams;

[0013] The support frame is respectively disposed at both ends of the container, and the two ends of the crossbeam are supported by the support frame. The extension direction of the crossbeam is parallel to the length direction of the container. At least one translation trolley is provided between the crossbeams. The lower part of the translation trolley is provided with the robotic arm. The translation trolley slides along the crossbeam to move the robotic arm to the area corresponding to different windows.

[0014] Preferably, the system comprises two 20-foot standard containers symmetrically distributed on both sides of the vehicle aisle, with the windows of the containers facing both sides of the vehicle aisle; or, two 40-foot standard containers symmetrically distributed on both sides of the vehicle aisle, with the windows of the containers facing both sides of the vehicle aisle; or, four 20-foot standard containers, wherein two containers are connected along the length direction to form a group, and two groups are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the vehicle aisle, with the windows of the containers facing both sides of the vehicle aisle; or, four 20-foot standard containers, wherein two containers are stacked along the height direction to form a group, and two groups are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the vehicle aisle, with the windows of the containers facing both sides of the vehicle aisle.

[0015] Preferably, the end of the robotic arm has two interchangeable gripping heads.

[0016] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a container lock changing method at a container terminal, employing the aforementioned container lock changing system at the container terminal, comprising the following steps:

[0017] Waiting for the target vehicle to arrive at the lock-changing area on one side of the container window along the vehicle passage, receiving the lock type information to be installed sent by the target vehicle, the robotic arm's gripping head changes the corresponding clamp according to the lock type information to be installed and grabs the lock.

[0018] When the target vehicle arrives at the lock-changing area, the camera component captures and identifies the target vehicle to obtain the target spatial location of the window where the lock is to be installed.

[0019] The robotic arm extends from the window into the container to the target space position, installs the lock on the target vehicle, and then returns to the container.

[0020] After the locks were installed, the target vehicle drove away from the lock-changing area.

[0021] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a container lock changing method at a container terminal, employing the aforementioned container lock changing system at the container terminal, comprising the following steps:

[0022] Waiting for the target vehicle to arrive at the lock-changing area on one side of the container window along the vehicle passage, receiving the lock type information to be removed sent by the target vehicle, the robotic arm's gripping head changes the corresponding clamp according to the lock type information to be removed;

[0023] When the target vehicle arrives at the lock-changing area, the camera component captures and identifies the target vehicle to obtain the target space location corresponding to the window where the lock needs to be removed.

[0024] The robotic arm extends from the window into the container to the target space position, disassembles the lock of the target vehicle, and then returns to the container carrying the lock.

[0025] After the locks are removed, the target vehicle drives away from the lock-changing area.

[0026] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a container lock changing method at a container terminal, employing the aforementioned container lock changing system at the container terminal, comprising the following steps:

[0027] Waiting for the target vehicle to arrive at the lock-changing area on one side of the container window along the vehicle passage, receiving information on the types of locks to be removed and the types of locks to be installed from the target vehicle, the first gripping head of the robotic arm changes the corresponding clamp according to the lock type information, and the second gripping head of the robotic arm changes the corresponding clamp according to the lock type information to be installed and grabs the corresponding lock.

[0028] When the target vehicle arrives at the lock-changing area, the camera component captures and identifies the target vehicle to obtain the target space location corresponding to the window where the lock needs to be removed, and establishes a lock-changing task based on the window and the target space location.

[0029] The robotic arm reaches the window based on the replacement task. The robotic arm extends from the window out of the container to reach the target space position. The first gripper head of the robotic arm disassembles the lock of the target vehicle and obtains the disassembled lock. Then, the end of the robotic arm rotates to interchange the positions of the first gripper head and the second gripper head. The second gripper head of the robotic arm installs the lock on the target vehicle and then returns to the container.

[0030] The target vehicle, after being disassembled, leaves the lock-changing area.

[0031] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a container lock changing device for a container terminal, comprising:

[0032] processor;

[0033] A memory in which executable instructions of the processor are stored;

[0034] The processor is configured to execute the steps of the container lock changing method at the container terminal by executing the executable instructions.

[0035] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program that, when executed, implements the steps of the container lock changing method at the container terminal described above.

[0036] The purpose of this invention is to provide a container lock changing system, method, equipment and storage medium for container terminals, which can provide a modular and containerized automatic lock station solution that can be easily moved and deployed to the target lock changing location, and greatly save lock changing space, thereby improving the lock changing speed of container vehicles and the operational efficiency of unmanned terminals. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a container in the container terminal lock-changing system of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 2 This is a partial perspective view of a container in the container terminal lock-changing system of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the internal components of the container lock changing system for container terminals according to the present invention.

[0041] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the beam support structure of the container lock changing system for container terminals according to the present invention.

[0042] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A magnified view of a portion of the image.

[0043] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the robotic arm in the container lock changing system of the container terminal of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the implementation status of the first container terminal container lock changing system of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the implementation status of the second type of container lock changing system in a container terminal according to the present invention.

[0046] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the implementation state of the third container lock-changing system for container terminals according to the present invention.

[0047] Figures 10 to 13 This is a top view of the process of disassembling locks in the third container lock changing system of the container terminal of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 14 This is a flowchart of the first container lock changing method at a container terminal according to the present invention.

[0049] Figure 15 This is a flowchart of the second container lock changing method at a container terminal according to the present invention.

[0050] Figure 16 This is a flowchart of the third container lock changing method at a container terminal according to the present invention.

[0051] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the container lock changing equipment for the container terminal according to the present invention.

[0052] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computer-readable storage medium according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] Figure Labels

[0054] Detailed Implementation

[0055] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation methods of this application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand the other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed herein. This application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this application can be modified or changed according to different viewpoints and application systems without departing from the spirit of this application. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0056] The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the application. This application may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0057] In this application, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics represented in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics represented may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate different embodiments or examples represented in this application, as well as features of different embodiments or examples.

[0058] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the representation of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0059] For the purpose of clearly describing this application, devices that are not relevant to the description are omitted, and the same or similar components throughout the specification are given the same reference numerals.

[0060] Throughout this specification, when it is said that a device is "connected" to another device, this includes not only "direct connection" but also "indirect connection" by placing other components in between. Furthermore, when it is said that a device "comprises" a certain constituent element, unless otherwise stated otherwise, this does not exclude other constituent elements, but rather implies that other constituent elements may be included.

[0061] When we say that a device is "above" another device, this can mean that it is directly above the other device, or it can mean that other devices are present in between. Conversely, when we say that a device is "directly" "above" another device, there are no other devices present in between.

[0062] Although the terms first, second, etc., are used in some instances herein to refer to various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, first interface and second interface, etc., are used. Furthermore, as used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to also include the plural forms unless the context indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, elements, components, items, kinds, and / or groups, but do not exclude the presence, occurrence, or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, items, kinds, and / or groups. The terms “or” and “and / or” as used herein are interpreted as inclusive, or mean any one or any combination thereof. Thus, “A, B, or C” or “A, B, and / or C” means “any one of: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B, and C.” Exceptions to this definition will only occur if the combination of elements, functions, steps, or operations is inherently mutually exclusive in some way.

[0063] The technical terms used herein are for reference only to specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. The singular form used herein includes the plural form unless the statement explicitly indicates otherwise. The word "comprising" as used in the specification means to specify a particular characteristic, region, integer, step, operation, element, and / or component, and does not exclude the presence or addition of other characteristics, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components.

[0064] Although not explicitly defined, all terms, including technical and scientific terms used herein, shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries shall be further interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the relevant technical literature and the content of this present application, and shall not be over-interpreted as having an ideal or overly formulaic meaning unless otherwise defined.

[0065] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a container in the container terminal lock-changing system of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a partial perspective view of a container in the container terminal lock-changing system of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the internal components of the container lock changing system for container terminals according to the present invention. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the beam support structure of the container lock changing system for container terminals according to the present invention. Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A magnified view of a portion of the image. (See attached image.) Figures 1 to 5As shown, the container lock-changing system for a container terminal of the present invention includes: at least one container 1 with a built-in robotic arm assembly, disposed on one side of a vehicle passage, with at least one window 11 facing the vehicle passage on one side of the container 1; a robotic arm 3 in the robotic arm assembly extends from the window 11 into the target space of the target vehicle's lock area to disassemble or install the lock on the target vehicle. The purpose of this invention is to provide a modular, containerized novel container lock-changing system. By encapsulating the lock-changing robotic arm assembly in a conventional container, it achieves rapid assembly, easy transportation, light weight, high reliability, and convenient mobile power supply. The outer shell of the container 1 in this invention is a standard 20-foot or 40-foot container, convenient for sea and land transportation. The container 1 in this invention can be installed on a flatbed trailer, facilitating rapid road transport to the destination and establishing a mobile container lock-changing station to change the locks on target vehicles. The container 1 in this invention requires less operating space, greatly reducing the overall space volume and facilitating layout in confined spaces throughout the terminal. This invention provides a modular and containerized automated lock station solution by setting a window 11 in container 1, allowing a robotic arm 3 located inside container 1 to extend from the window 11 to remove or install locks on target vehicles. Since the robotic arm 3 for changing locks is located inside container 1, the entire container lock changing system can be easily moved and deployed to the target lock changing location, greatly saving lock changing space and improving the lock changing speed of container vehicles and the operational efficiency of unmanned terminals.

[0066] Existing robotic arms require multiple jointly calibrated sensors in a fixed position to achieve precise operation. However, the container lock-changing system for the container terminal of this invention needs to be mobile or flexibly deployed. The traditional fixed sensor configuration is simply unsuitable for the environmental requirements of this invention. In a preferred embodiment, the system further includes: a plurality of camera components 12, positioned along the edge of each window 11, to capture images of the target vehicle; spatial data is established based on the images captured by the camera components 12; and a mapping relationship between the image data and the spatial data is established. The existing neural network-based image recognition algorithm identifies the target area (the location of the lock in the image) for lock removal or installation. Based on this target area, the corresponding spatial location is obtained from the spatial data (a corresponding spatial location with a mapping relationship is obtained based on the target area's position in the image). Multiple camera components 12 surrounding the window 11 capture images of the target vehicle and the robotic arm from multiple convenient locations. A virtual space is established using these images, and the target area for lock removal or installation and the spatial location of the robotic arm are identified within this virtual space. This improves the accuracy of the robotic arm during lock replacement and reduces the requirement for precise vehicle parking. Even if the target vehicle is not parked next to or parallel to the container lock replacement system, the virtual space can be used to locate the target area and the robotic arm, thus achieving accurate lock replacement. This invention ensures accurate detection regardless of movement by placing the robotic arm and camera components 12 on the same rigid object (the container). It is important to emphasize that the camera component 12 in this invention is not a traditional camera mounted on the end effector of a robotic arm. Traditional cameras, because they are located at the end effector of the robotic arm, need to move with the robotic arm, making it difficult to achieve precise positioning. However, the camera component 12 in this invention can capture the spatial position of the robotic arm and the target area where the lock is to be disassembled or installed from a circumferential perspective, greatly improving the accuracy of spatial positioning. This is suitable for the actual requirements of high-precision operations (removing or installing locks) performed by the robotic arm 3, which traditional end effector cameras cannot meet.

[0067] In a preferred embodiment, the container 1 is provided with a pair of support frames 21 and two crossbeams 22; the support frames 21 are respectively located at both ends of the container 1, and the two ends of the crossbeams 22 are supported by the support frames 21. The extension direction of the crossbeams 22 is parallel to the length direction of the container 1. At least one translation trolley 23 is provided between the crossbeams 22. The lower part of the translation trolley 23 is provided with a robotic arm 3. The translation trolley 23 slides along the crossbeams 22 to move the robotic arm 3 to the area corresponding to different windows 11, but is not limited thereto.

[0068] In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of independent windows 11 are provided along the vehicle passage on one side of the container 1, dividing the space of the vehicle passage into a plurality of sub-regions, each sub-region corresponding to a window 11. When the camera component 12 to which the window 11 belongs identifies the target area to be disassembled or installed in the corresponding sub-region, a lock replacement task is generated and sent to the robotic arm 3 closest to the window. The robotic arm 3 moves to the window 11 according to the lock replacement task. Since trucks may carry different numbers and lengths of containers (such as a 20-foot standard container at the front of a trailer, a 20-foot standard container at the rear of a trailer, a 40-foot standard container, two 20-foot standard containers, etc., and since the locks are located at the four corners of the container, the container 1 with the robotic arm 3 needs to deal with many different lock positions), even if the truck front can stop in a preset position, the lock position may appear in different sub-areas each time a lock is installed or removed. To address this need, the present invention uses multiple independent windows 11 in conjunction with the robotic arm 3 that can slide along the support frame 21 to make the container 1 suitable for the layout of locks under different numbers and sizes of container transport layouts, but is not limited thereto.

[0069] In a preferred embodiment, the camera assembly 12 has a flip axis (or an electric hinge based on the edge of the window 11) that allows the container 1 to be in a transport state where the camera assembly 12 flips through the window 11 to enter the inside of the container 1, the robotic arm 3 remains inside the container 1, and the window 11 is closed by a movable sliding plate. In this transport state, both the camera assembly 12 and the robotic arm 3 are located inside the container 1, and the container 1 is identical to a standard container in appearance and size, facilitating transport. Furthermore, the container 1 also has a working state where the camera assembly 12 flips through the window 11 to a preset position outside the container 1, while the robotic arm 3 enters and exits the container 1 through the window 11. In this working state, since the camera assemblies 12 in the preset positions have already undergone joint calibration, the camera assembly 12 can accurately acquire and locate the robotic arm 3 (and the target vehicle) regardless of where the container 1 is moved, but this is not a limitation.

[0070] In a preferred embodiment, a lock storage rack is also included below the support frame 21 for storing different locks. The robotic arm 3 places the disassembled locks into the lock storage rack, but this is not a limitation.

[0071] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the robotic arm in the container lock-changing system of the container terminal of the present invention. (See diagram below.) Figure 6As shown, in a preferred embodiment, the end of the robotic arm 3 has a first gripping head 36 and a second gripping head 38 with two replaceable clamps. The first gripping head 36 can be used to magnetically attract one type of clamp 37, and the second gripping head 38 can be used to magnetically attract another type of clamp 39. Thus, during lock changing, the first gripping head 36 of the robotic arm 3 can first carry a lock to be installed. After extending out of the window, the second gripping head 38 of the robotic arm 3 can remove the lock from the target vehicle using the clamp 39, and then the first gripping head 36 can install the lock to be installed into the lock position of the target vehicle. The robotic arm 3 also includes a multi-dimensional manipulator with multiple rotating axes 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35. The fixed end of the multi-dimensional manipulator is connected to the lower part of the translation trolley 23, and the free end of the multi-dimensional manipulator is connected to the first gripping head 36 and the second gripping head 38 respectively. By rotating the free end, the working positions of the first gripping head 36 and the second gripping head 38 can be interchanged. The two gripping heads can be used to temporarily store the locks, thereby avoiding the need for the robotic arm 3 to repeatedly enter and exit the window to retrieve different locks, and especially shortening the lock changing process.

[0072] In a preferred embodiment, the container lock-changing system may include two containers 1, which are 40-foot standard containers, symmetrically distributed on both sides of the vehicle aisle. The windows 11 of the containers 1 face the two sides of the vehicle aisle respectively. Through the cooperation of the robotic arm 3 with the windows at different positions, it is convenient to quickly change the locks of vehicles transporting 40-foot or 20-foot standard containers.

[0073] This invention provides a container lock positioning and planning scheme based on 3D reconstruction. This scheme does not require the robotic arm itself to be equipped with a camera at its end. It only needs to complete the spatial reconstruction through multiple camera components 12 around the window 11 of the container 1. The location of the lock can be accurately determined based on the reconstructed 3D model, and the path planning can be repeated multiple times. At the same time, multiple robotic arms can complete the operation in the same space, which helps to avoid trajectory conflicts between robotic arms.

[0074] This invention utilizes known extrinsic parameters and multiple cameras to construct a dense point cloud map. Then, based on the end effector position of the robotic arm and the target position, a suitable path is planned to achieve point-to-point robotic arm motion control. First, multiple cameras are installed on the outer casing of the locking station, and their extrinsic parameters are calibrated using a calibration board, thus obtaining the camera positions in three-dimensional space. Then, after the IGV enters the locking station, the cameras use the existing SFM algorithm to reconstruct a 3D sparse point cloud (SfM stands for Structure from Motion, which determines the spatial and geometric relationships of a target through camera movement; it is a common method for 3D reconstruction. It only requires ordinary RGB cameras, thus reducing costs and being less constrained by environmental conditions, allowing for use both indoors and outdoors). Here, a relatively sparse IGV straddle carrier shape can be constructed based on the cameras on both sides. To further improve accuracy and facilitate the robotic arm's assembly and disassembly of locks, it is necessary to further utilize existing technologies such as CMVS (cluster multi-view stereo) + PMVS (patch-based multi-view stereo) to reconstruct a multi-view dense point cloud. Simultaneously, each camera will segment the image of the lock or keyhole according to the assigned task and project it onto the CMVS+PMVS multi-view dense point cloud reconstruction area, thereby calculating the region of the lock or keyhole in three-dimensional space. This allows for the calculation of the target point that the robotic arm needs to reach. To reduce the complexity of trajectory collision detection, this patent converts the multi-view dense point cloud into an octree voxel map (an octree is a tree-like data structure used to describe three-dimensional space. Each node of an octree represents a volume element of a cube, and each node has eight child nodes. The sum of the volumes represented by these eight child nodes equals the volume of the parent node. Generally, the center point is used as the branching center of the node). After obtaining the current position of the robotic arm and the target point position, kinematic planning is performed using the OMPL library (an open-source motion planning library). The path is then reprocessed based on the robot's control parameters (velocity, acceleration limits, etc.) to generate a complete trajectory with timestamps, position, velocity, and acceleration information. (In fact, the subsequent steps are completed using Moveit in ROS). The FCL (Flexible Collision Calculation) algorithm is used to determine if collisions will occur on the planned trajectory, planning an algorithm that prevents collisions between robotic arms and avoids IGV (Intelligent Guided Vehicle) vehicles. Finally, the Trac-IK robot kinematic solver is used to calculate the robot's joint angles at each sampling point position, completing the entire process of disassembling and assembling the lock. ROS is the robot operating system, FCL is the collision detection library, and IGV is the intelligent guided vehicle.

[0075] Figure 7This is a schematic diagram illustrating the implementation status of the first type of container lock-changing system at a container terminal according to the present invention. For example... Figure 7 As shown, in a preferred embodiment, the container lock-changing system may include four containers 1, each a standard 20-foot container. Two containers 1 are stacked vertically as a group, and the two groups are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the vehicle aisle. The windows 11 of the containers 1 face both sides of the vehicle aisle. This facilitates the simultaneous removal of locks from the upper and lower parts of the target vehicle 4, which has upper locks 43 and lower locks 44, thereby speeding up the lock removal process.

[0076] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the implementation status of the second type of container lock-changing system at a container terminal according to the present invention. For example... Figure 8 As shown, in a preferred embodiment, the container lock-changing system may include four containers 1, each of which is a 20-foot standard container. Two containers 1 are connected along the length direction to form a group, and the two groups are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the vehicle aisle. The windows 11 of the containers 1 face both sides of the vehicle aisle, which is conducive to quickly changing the locks (e.g., locking the lock 43) of the target vehicle 4 carrying two 20-foot standard containers.

[0077] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the implementation state of the third container lock-changing system for container terminals according to the present invention. Figures 10 to 13 This is a top view of the process of disassembling locks in the third container lock-changing system of the container terminal according to the present invention. Figure 9 and 10As shown, the target vehicle 4 is loaded with a first container 41 and a second container 42, and each of the first container 41 and the second container 42 has an upper lock 43 or a lower lock 44 to be removed. The target vehicle 4 to be unlocked is driven to the lock-changing area between the two containers 1. The third container lock-changing system of the container terminal of the present invention may include two containers 1, which are 20-foot standard containers, symmetrically distributed on both sides of the vehicle aisle. The windows 11 of the containers 1 face both sides of the vehicle aisle, thereby reducing the volume of the lock station and facilitating the rapid lock-changing of the target vehicle 4 (unmanned truck) transporting 20-foot standard containers. The containers 1 are set on one side of the vehicle aisle, and three windows 11 facing the vehicle aisle are provided on one side of the containers 1. Two robotic arm assemblies are provided inside the containers 1. The robotic arm 3 of the robotic arm assembly extends from the window 11 of the containers 1 to the target space position of the lock area of ​​the target vehicle to remove the locks from the target vehicle. The conveyor belt 24 is parallel to the crossbeam 22 and is used to transport the locks to be installed to the free end of the robotic arm 3 or to transport the removed locks to the lock recycling station. The conveyor belt is located below the support frame 21. The checkerboard grid 25 is also located below the support frame 21. The checkerboard grid 25 contains different magnetic claws for installing different locks. The end of the robotic arm 3 replaces the claws by placing one type of magnetic claw in a space within the checkerboard grid 25 and then magnetically attracting another required magnetic claw from another space, thus accommodating the disassembly or installation of different types of locks. When the target vehicle 4, to be unlocked, approaches the lock-changing area between containers 1, the detection device 45 installed on the target vehicle 4 identifies the presence and type of the upper lock 43 or lower lock 44 on the vehicle body and wirelessly transmits this information to the robotic arm assembly. Figure 9 The viewpoint only shows a portion of the detection device 45). The robotic arm 3 changes the corresponding jaws according to the type of lock.

[0078] like Figure 11 As shown, multiple camera components 12 (see Figure 10The camera components 12 are positioned along the edges of each window 11 to collect the position information of the target vehicle 4 and the lock-changing action of the robotic arm 3. When the target vehicle 4 stops in the lock-changing area between containers 1, the camera components 12 capture images of the target vehicle. Spatial data is established based on the images captured by the camera components 12, and the target area to be disassembled is obtained through image recognition. The target spatial position is obtained from the spatial data based on the target area. Through multiple camera components 12 surrounding the window 11, images of the target vehicle 4 and the robotic arm can be captured from multiple convenient locations. A virtual space is established through the images, and the target area to be disassembled and the spatial position of the robotic arm are identified in the virtual space, enabling the robotic arm to accurately disassemble the lock of the target vehicle 4. In this embodiment, spatial data is established based on images captured by the camera components 12 using existing image spatial construction technology, and spatial identification of the target area to be disassembled of the target vehicle 4 is achieved based on existing image recognition and / or spatial object recognition technologies. These details will not be elaborated here.

[0079] like Figure 12 As shown, the robotic arm 3 uses its grippers to dismantle the target area where the lock is to be removed, and then returns to the container 1 carrying the dismantled lock. The process by which the robotic arm 3 sequentially removes the upper lock 43 or the lower lock 44 through preset dismantling actions will not be described in detail here.

[0080] like Figure 13 As shown, after the lock on target vehicle 4 is removed, target vehicle 4 drives away from the lock-changing area between containers 1, and the lock-changing process ends.

[0081] Figure 14 This is a flowchart of the first container lock changing method at a container terminal according to the present invention. Figure 14 As shown, the first container lock changing method of the present invention uses the above-mentioned container lock changing system for container terminals for lock installation, and includes the following steps:

[0082] S110. Wait for the target vehicle to arrive at the lock-changing area on one side of the container window along the vehicle passage, receive the lock type information to be installed sent by the target vehicle, and the robotic arm's gripping head changes the corresponding clamp according to the lock type information to be installed and grabs the lock.

[0083] S120. When the target vehicle arrives at the lock-changing area, the camera component captures and identifies the target vehicle to obtain the target space location of the lock to be installed corresponding to the window.

[0084] S130: The robotic arm extends from the window of the container to the target space position, installs the lock on the target vehicle, and then returns to the container.

[0085] S140. The target vehicle, after the locks have been installed, leaves the lock-changing area.

[0086] The container lock changing method for container terminals of the present invention can provide a modular, containerized automatic lock station solution that can be easily moved and deployed to the target lock changing location, and greatly save lock changing space, thereby improving the lock changing speed of container vehicles and the operational efficiency of unmanned terminals.

[0087] Figure 15 This is a flowchart of the second container lock changing method at a container terminal according to the present invention. Figure 15 As shown, the second container lock changing method of the present invention uses the above-mentioned container lock changing system for container terminals to disassemble the locks, and includes the following steps:

[0088] S210. Wait for the target vehicle to arrive at the lock-changing area on one side of the container window along the vehicle passage, receive the lock type information to be removed sent by the target vehicle, and change the gripper head of the robotic arm to the corresponding clamp according to the lock type information to be removed.

[0089] S220. When the target vehicle arrives at the lock-changing area, the camera component captures and identifies the target vehicle to obtain the target space location corresponding to the window where the lock needs to be removed.

[0090] S230: The robotic arm extends from the window of the container to the target space position, removes the locks of the target vehicle, and then returns to the container with the locks.

[0091] S240. The target vehicle, after the locks have been removed, leaves the lock replacement area.

[0092] The container lock changing method for container terminals of the present invention can provide a modular, containerized automatic lock station solution that can be easily moved and deployed to the target lock changing location, and greatly save lock changing space, thereby improving the lock changing speed of container vehicles and the operational efficiency of unmanned terminals.

[0093] Figure 16 This is a flowchart of the third container lock changing method at a container terminal according to the present invention. Figure 16 As shown, the second container lock replacement method of the present invention uses the above-mentioned container lock replacement system at the container terminal to replace the locks, and includes the following steps:

[0094] S310. Wait for the target vehicle to arrive at the lock-changing area on one side of the container window along the vehicle passage, receive the lock type information to be removed and the lock type information to be installed sent by the target vehicle, the first gripper head of the robotic arm changes the corresponding clamp according to the lock type information, and the second gripper head of the robotic arm changes the corresponding clamp according to the lock type information to be installed and grabs the corresponding lock.

[0095] S320. When the target vehicle arrives at the lock-changing area, the camera component captures and identifies the target vehicle to obtain the target space location corresponding to the window where the lock needs to be removed, and establishes a lock-changing task based on the window and the target space location.

[0096] S330: The robotic arm reaches the window based on the task change. The robotic arm extends from the window and reaches the target space position from the container. The first gripper head of the robotic arm disassembles the lock of the target vehicle and obtains the disassembled lock. Then, the end of the robotic arm rotates to exchange the positions of the first gripper head and the second gripper head. The second gripper head of the robotic arm installs the lock on the target vehicle and then returns to the container.

[0097] S340, The target vehicle, after being disassembled, leaves the lock-changing area.

[0098] The container lock changing method for container terminals of the present invention can provide a modular, containerized automatic lock station solution that can be easily moved and deployed to the target lock changing location, and greatly save lock changing space, thereby improving the lock changing speed of container vehicles and the operational efficiency of unmanned terminals.

[0099] This invention also provides a container lock-changing device for a container terminal, including a processor and a memory storing executable instructions for the processor. The processor is configured to execute steps of a container lock-changing method for a container terminal by executing the executable instructions.

[0100] As shown above, the container lock changing system of the container terminal of this invention in this embodiment can provide a modular and containerized automatic lock station solution, which can be easily moved and deployed to the target lock changing location, and greatly saves lock changing space, improves the lock changing speed of container vehicles and the operating efficiency of unmanned terminals.

[0101] Those skilled in the art will understand that various aspects of the present invention can be implemented as systems, methods, or program products. Therefore, various aspects of the present invention can be specifically implemented in the following forms: a completely hardware implementation, a completely software implementation (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or a combination of hardware and software aspects, collectively referred to herein as a "circuit," "module," or "platform."

[0102] Figure 17 This is a structural schematic diagram of the container lock changing device for a container terminal according to the present invention. See below for reference. Figure 17 To describe an electronic device 600 according to this embodiment of the present invention. Figure 17 The electronic device 600 shown is merely an example and should not impose any limitations on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0103] like Figure 17 As shown, the electronic device 600 is presented in the form of a general-purpose computing device. The components of the electronic device 600 may include, but are not limited to: at least one processing unit 610, at least one storage unit 620, a bus 630 connecting different platform components (including storage unit 620 and processing unit 610), a display unit 640, etc.

[0104] The storage unit stores program code, which can be executed by the processing unit 610 to perform the steps described in the above-described section on the electronic prescription transfer processing method according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. For example, the processing unit 610 can perform actions such as... Figure 13 Or the steps shown in 14.

[0105] Storage unit 620 may include readable media in the form of volatile storage units, such as random access memory (RAM) 6201 and / or cache memory 6202, and may further include read-only memory (ROM) 6203.

[0106] Storage unit 620 may also include a program / utility 6204 having a set (at least one) program module 6205, such program module 6205 including but not limited to: operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules and program data, each or some combination of these examples may include an implementation of a network environment.

[0107] Bus 630 can represent one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory cell bus or memory cell controller, a peripheral bus, a graphics acceleration port, a processing unit, or a local bus using any of the various bus structures.

[0108] Electronic device 600 can also communicate with one or more external devices 700 (e.g., keyboard, pointing device, Bluetooth device, etc.), and with one or more devices that enable a user to interact with electronic device 600, and / or with any device that enables electronic device 600 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., router, modem, etc.). This communication can be performed via input / output (I / O) interface 650. Furthermore, electronic device 600 can also communicate with one or more networks (e.g., local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and / or public networks, such as the Internet) via network adapter 660. Network adapter 660 can communicate with other modules of electronic device 600 via bus 630. It should be understood that, although not shown in the figures, other hardware and / or software modules can be used in conjunction with electronic device 600, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage platforms.

[0109] This invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program that, when executed, implements the steps of a container lock-changing method at a container terminal. In some possible implementations, various aspects of the invention can also be implemented as a program product comprising program code that, when run on a terminal device, causes the terminal device to perform the steps described in the above-described electronic prescription processing method section of this specification according to various exemplary embodiments of the invention.

[0110] As shown above, the container lock changing system of the container terminal of this invention in this embodiment can provide a modular and containerized automatic lock station solution, which can be easily moved and deployed to the target lock changing location, and greatly saves lock changing space, improves the lock changing speed of container vehicles and the operating efficiency of unmanned terminals.

[0111] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the computer-readable storage medium of the present invention. (Reference) Figure 18 As shown, a program product 800 for implementing the above-described method according to an embodiment of the present invention is described. It may employ a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) and include program code, and may run on a terminal device, such as a personal computer. However, the program product of the present invention is not limited thereto. In this document, the readable storage medium may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that may be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0112] The program product may employ 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 be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, 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 fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0113] Computer-readable storage media may include data signals propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. A readable storage medium may also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium that can transmit, propagate, or transfer a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The program code contained on the readable storage medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0114] Program code for performing the operations of this invention can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java and C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as C or similar languages. The program code can execute entirely on the user's computing device, partially on the user's 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. In cases involving remote computing devices, the remote computing device can be connected to the user's computing device via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or it can be connected to an external computing device (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0115] In summary, the purpose of this invention is to provide a container lock changing system, method, equipment, and storage medium for container terminals, which can provide a modular and containerized automatic lock station solution that can be easily moved and deployed to the target lock changing location, and greatly save lock changing space, thereby improving the lock changing speed of container vehicles and the operational efficiency of unmanned terminals.

[0116] The above description, in conjunction with specific preferred embodiments, provides a further detailed explanation of the present invention. It should not be construed that the specific implementation of the present invention is limited to these descriptions. For those skilled in the art, various simple deductions or substitutions can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and all such modifications and substitutions should be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A container lock-changing system for a container terminal, characterized in that, include: A container (1) with at least one built-in robotic arm (3) is set on one side of the vehicle passage. The container (1) has at least one window (11) facing the vehicle passage on one side. The robotic arm (3) extends out of the container (1) from the window (11) to reach the target space position of the target vehicle lock area, so as to disassemble or install the lock on the target vehicle. A number of camera components (12) are set on the edge of each window (11) to capture images of the target vehicle. Spatial data is established based on the images captured by the camera components (12), and the target area to be disassembled or installed is obtained by image recognition. The target spatial position in the spatial data is obtained according to the target area. The container (1) is provided with a pair of support frames (21) and two crossbeams (22); the support frames (21) are respectively located at both ends of the container (1), and the two ends of the crossbeams (22) are supported by the support frames (21). The extension direction of the crossbeams (22) is parallel to the length direction of the container (1). At least one translation trolley (23) is provided between the crossbeams (22). The lower part of the translation trolley (23) is provided with the robotic arm (3). The translation trolley (23) slides along the crossbeams (22) to move the robotic arm (3) to the area corresponding to different windows (11). One side of the container (1) Multiple independent windows (11) are set along the vehicle channel to divide the space area of ​​the vehicle channel into multiple sub-areas, each sub-area corresponding to one window (11). The camera component (12) has a flip axis based on the edge of the window (11). The container (1) has a working state in which the camera component (12) flips to the outside of the container (1) based on the flip axis and the robotic arm (3) enters and exits the container (1) through the window (11) and a transportation state in which the camera component (12) flips to the inside of the container (1) based on the flip axis and the robotic arm (3) remains inside the container (1).

2. The container lock changing system for a container terminal as described in claim 1, characterized in that, include: Two containers (1), each a 20-foot standard container, are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the vehicle aisle, with windows (11) of each container (1) facing both sides of the vehicle aisle; or Two containers (1), each a 40-foot standard container, are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the vehicle aisle, with windows (11) of each container (1) facing both sides of the vehicle aisle; or Four containers (1), each container (1) being a 20-foot standard container, wherein two containers (1) are connected along the length direction to form a group, and the two groups are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the vehicle passage, with the windows (11) of the containers (1) facing both sides of the vehicle passage respectively; or Four containers (1), each container (1) is a 20-foot standard container, wherein two of the containers (1) are stacked together along the height direction as a group, and the two groups are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the vehicle passage, and the windows (11) of the containers (1) face the two sides of the vehicle passage respectively.

3. The container lock changing system for a container terminal as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The end of the robotic arm (3) has a gripping head with two interchangeable grippers.

4. A method for changing locks on containers at a container terminal, characterized in that, The installation of locks using the container lock replacement system at the container terminal as described in claim 1 includes the following steps: Waiting for the target vehicle to arrive at the lock-changing area on one side of the container window along the vehicle passage, receiving the lock type information to be installed sent by the target vehicle, the robotic arm's gripping head changes the corresponding clamp according to the lock type information to be installed and grabs the lock. When the target vehicle arrives at the lock-changing area, the camera component captures and identifies the target vehicle to obtain the target spatial location of the window where the lock is to be installed. The robotic arm extends from the window into the container to the target space position, installs the lock on the target vehicle, and then returns to the container. After the locks were installed, the target vehicle drove away from the lock-changing area.

5. A method for changing locks on containers at a container terminal, characterized in that, The process of dismantling locks using the container lock changing system at the container terminal as described in claim 1 includes the following steps: Waiting for the target vehicle to arrive at the lock-changing area on one side of the container window along the vehicle passage, receiving the lock type information to be removed sent by the target vehicle, the robotic arm's gripping head changes the corresponding clamp according to the lock type information to be removed; When the target vehicle arrives at the lock-changing area, the camera component captures and identifies the target vehicle to obtain the target space location corresponding to the window where the lock needs to be removed. The robotic arm extends from the window into the container to the target space position, disassembles the lock of the target vehicle, and then returns to the container carrying the lock. After the locks are removed, the target vehicle drives away from the lock-changing area.

6. A method for changing locks on containers at a container terminal, characterized in that, The process of replacing locks using the container terminal lock replacement system as described in claim 3 includes the following steps: Waiting for the target vehicle to arrive at the lock-changing area on one side of the container window along the vehicle passage, receiving information on the types of locks to be removed and the types of locks to be installed from the target vehicle, the first gripping head of the robotic arm changes the corresponding clamp according to the lock type information, and the second gripping head of the robotic arm changes the corresponding clamp according to the lock type information to be installed and grabs the corresponding lock. When the target vehicle arrives at the lock-changing area, the camera component captures and identifies the target vehicle to obtain the target space location corresponding to the window where the lock needs to be removed, and establishes a lock-changing task based on the window and the target space location. The robotic arm reaches the window based on the replacement task. The robotic arm extends from the window out of the container to reach the target space position. The first gripper head of the robotic arm disassembles the lock of the target vehicle and obtains the disassembled lock. Then, the end of the robotic arm rotates to interchange the positions of the first gripper head and the second gripper head. The second gripper head of the robotic arm installs the lock on the target vehicle and then returns to the container. The target vehicle, after being disassembled, leaves the lock-changing area.

7. A container lock changing device for a container terminal, characterized in that, include: processor; A memory in which executable instructions of the processor are stored; The processor is configured to perform the steps of the container lock changing method for a container terminal according to any one of claims 4, 5, and 6 by executing the executable instructions.

8. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a program, characterized in that, When the program is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of the container lock changing method for the container terminal as described in any one of claims 4, 5, and 6.

Images