Tower crane control method, system, terminal and storage medium

Abstract

The application provides a tower crane control method, system, terminal and storage medium. The method comprises the following steps: obtaining a reported position; determining a target position of a hook according to the reported position, wherein the target position comprises a target longitude and latitude and a target elevation; obtaining an initial position of the hook, wherein the initial position comprises an initial longitude and latitude and an initial elevation; controlling the rotation of a lifting arm according to the target longitude and latitude and the initial longitude and latitude, and controlling the movement of the hook according to the target position and the initial position. The application provides a semi-automatic tower crane control mode. In actual operation, the dependence of a tower crane driver on a communication staff is reduced, and the influence of factors such as a complex construction site environment, poor communication between the communication staff and the driver, errors between ground and high-altitude perspectives, visual blind areas in the air, insufficient experience of the driver, and excessive fatigue of the driver is reduced, so that the tower crane operation efficiency and operation accuracy are higher.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of tower crane control, and in particular to a tower crane control method, system, terminal and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] A tower crane, also known as a tower hoist, consists of a hook and a jib. The hook is used for lifting and lowering heavy objects, while the jib moves the hook by rotating itself. The control system for a tower crane involves a site communicator communicating with the crane operator to determine the loading / unloading points. The crane operator then manually controls the hook or jib from their overhead cab to lift and transport heavy objects.

[0003] However, in the actual operation of tower cranes, due to factors such as the complex construction site environment and poor communication between the communicator and the driver, the driver has difficulty transporting heavy objects to the destination quickly and accurately, resulting in low tower crane operation efficiency and low operation accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above, it is necessary to provide a tower crane control method, system, terminal and storage medium that can improve operation efficiency and accuracy.

[0005] Firstly, embodiments of this application provide a tower crane control method.

[0006] A tower crane control method is applied to a tower crane, the tower crane including a jib and a hook, the method comprising: acquiring a reported position; determining a target position of the hook based on the reported position, wherein the target position includes target latitude and longitude and target elevation; acquiring an initial position of the hook, wherein the initial position includes initial latitude and longitude and initial elevation; controlling the jib to rotate based on the target latitude and longitude and the initial latitude and longitude; and controlling the hook to move based on the target position and the initial position, wherein the movement includes one or more of lifting and lowering and moving along the extension direction of the jib.

[0007] Optionally, determining the target position of the hook based on the reported position includes: obtaining a lifting task flow based on n reported positions, where n≥2; when there is a reported position in the lifting task flow that is in an unsigned state, updating the reported position in the unsigned state to the target position of the hook according to the priority label of the reported position.

[0008] Optionally, the method further includes: in response to the acceptance information from the user terminal at the target location, updating the reported location in the hoisting task flow corresponding to the target location to an accepted status.

[0009] Optionally, the reported location is the user's own location uploaded by the user terminal.

[0010] Optionally, the method further includes: obtaining an initial movement path based on the initial position and the target position; acquiring the shape information of the suspended object and the surrounding obstacle area; obtaining a hoisting movement area based on the shape information of the suspended object and the initial movement path; when the hoisting movement area overlaps with the surrounding obstacle area, updating the initial movement path based on the overlapping area until the hoisting movement area and the surrounding obstacle area no longer overlap, and obtaining the hoisting movement path based on the update result; and determining the movement path of the hook between the initial position and the target position as the hoisting movement path.

[0011] Optionally, obtaining the surrounding obstacle area includes: obtaining the obstacle position and the obstacle vertex height, and obtaining the surrounding obstacle area based on the obstacle position and the obstacle vertex height.

[0012] Optionally, obtaining the initial position of the hook includes: obtaining the initial position of the hook through a hook positioning terminal, wherein the hook positioning terminal is disposed on the hook and communicates with a global navigation satellite system.

[0013] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a tower crane control system.

[0014] A tower crane control system is applied to a tower crane, the tower crane including a jib and a hook. The system includes a tower crane control terminal, the tower crane control terminal including: an information reporting module for acquiring a reported position; a target acquisition module for determining a target position of the hook based on the reported position, wherein the target position includes target latitude and longitude and target elevation; a hook positioning module for acquiring an initial position of the hook, wherein the initial position includes initial latitude and longitude and initial elevation; and a motion control module for controlling the rotation of the jib based on the target latitude and longitude and the initial latitude and longitude, and controlling the movement of the hook based on the target position and the initial position, wherein the movement includes one or more of lifting and lowering and movement along the extension direction of the jib.

[0015] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a tower crane control terminal.

[0016] A tower crane control terminal includes a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the tower crane control method as described in any of the above technical solutions.

[0017] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a storage medium.

[0018] A storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the tower crane control method as described in any of the above technical solutions.

[0019] This application embodiment obtains the target position from the reported position, and uses the initial position and target position to control the movement of the hook, so that the hook approaches the target latitude and longitude from the initial latitude and longitude, and approaches the target elevation from the initial elevation. This allows the hook to automatically move to the loading point to load heavy objects, or automatically move to the unloading point to unload heavy objects. The above method provides a semi-automatic tower crane control method. In actual operation, it reduces the tower crane operator's reliance on communication with the communicator, and reduces the impact of various factors such as complex construction site environments, poor communication between the communicator and the operator, errors between ground and aerial perspectives, blind spots at high altitudes, insufficient operator experience, and excessive operator fatigue, achieving higher tower crane operation efficiency and accuracy. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of a tower crane related to the technology.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of the tower crane according to an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the tower crane control method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating the process of obtaining the target position in the tower crane control method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the sub-process of step S302 in the tower crane control method of the present application.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the tower crane control system according to an embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of updating the position of the tower crane control system according to an embodiment of this application.

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of semi-automatic tower crane operation using the tower crane control system according to an embodiment of this application.

[0028] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the tower crane control terminal according to an embodiment of this application.

[0029] Explanation of main component symbols

[0030]

[0031] The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, will further illustrate this application. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are some embodiments of this application, but not all embodiments.

[0033] In the following description, the reference numerals for steps, such as S301, S302, etc., do not necessarily indicate that these steps will always be performed. The order of steps may be interchanged or performed simultaneously where permissible. The term "implementation" as used in this specification means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment is included in at least some embodiments of the invention. Therefore, the terms "some embodiments" or "in embodiments" appearing throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but may refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, the particular features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. In case of any inconsistency, the meaning set forth in this specification or derived from the content described herein shall prevail. Furthermore, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments of this application only and is not intended to limit this application.

[0035] The following is a brief explanation of the relevant technologies.

[0036] Please see Figure 1 Tower cranes are commonly used on construction sites to transport heavy objects such as steel bars, concrete, and steel pipes by slinging. A tower crane includes a frame 10, a boom 20, a hook 30, a first drive unit, a second drive unit, and a third drive unit. The hook 30 is used for slinging heavy objects. One end of the boom 20 is rotatably connected to the upper part of the frame 10. The boom 20 is equipped with a sliding mechanism, which carries a hoisting rope mechanism. The hoisting rope mechanism is connected to the hook 30 via a hoisting rope.

[0037] The first drive unit is located between the lifting boom 20 and the frame 10. This first drive unit drives the lifting boom 20 to rotate horizontally, which in turn causes the hook 30 to move horizontally. The second drive unit is located in the lifting rope mechanism. This second drive unit can change the height of the hook 30 by winding or releasing the lifting rope, thus allowing the hook 30 to rise and fall vertically. The third drive unit is located in the sliding mechanism. This third drive unit drives the sliding mechanism to slide along the extension direction of the lifting boom 20, causing the lifting rope mechanism and the hook 30 to move along the lifting boom 20.

[0038] The upper part of the frame 10 is also equipped with a cab 40. The tower crane operator can operate the control panel in the cab 40 to control the boom 20 to rotate at a specified angle, or control the hook 30 to lift or lower at a specified height, so that the hook 30 moves to a specified position.

[0039] The most common operating mode of a tower crane is as follows: a ground-based communicator communicates remotely with the tower crane operator, informing the operator of the ground location, such as the loading point; then, the operator manually controls the hook 30 to move to the loading point to load the heavy object; after the heavy object is loaded, the communicator informs the operator of another ground location, such as the unloading point; then, the operator manually controls the hook 30 to move to the unloading point.

[0040] In actual operation, due to various factors such as complex construction site environment, poor communication between communicator and driver, error between ground view and high-altitude view, blind spots at high altitudes, lack of driver experience, and excessive driver fatigue, it is difficult for drivers to transport heavy objects to the destination quickly and accurately, resulting in low efficiency and precision of tower crane operation. In addition, the hook or heavy object may collide with obstacles during the movement, which may easily cause safety problems.

[0041] Therefore, this application provides a tower crane control method, system, terminal, and storage medium, which improves operational efficiency, accuracy, and safety. Please refer to... Figure 2 This application first provides a tower crane control method, which is applied to a tower crane. The tower crane includes a frame 1, a boom 2, a hook 3, a first drive device, a second drive device, a third drive device, and a tower crane controller.

[0042] The first, second, and third drive units are each signal-connected to the tower crane controller. The first drive unit, controlled by the tower crane controller's electrical signals, drives the boom 2 to rotate, thereby changing the latitude and longitude of the hook 3 in the horizontal direction. The second drive unit, controlled by the tower crane controller's electrical signals, operates the hoisting rope mechanism, thereby raising and lowering the hook 3, changing its elevation in the vertical direction. The third drive unit, controlled by the tower crane controller's electrical signals, drives the sliding mechanism to move along the extension direction of the boom 2, thereby moving the hook 3 along the extension direction of the boom 2, changing its latitude and longitude in the horizontal direction.

[0043] In this embodiment, the hook 3 is raised and lowered by retracting the lifting rope. In some embodiments, the raising and lowering of the hook 3 can also be controlled by a second drive device driving the boom 2 to swing up and down.

[0044] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 3 The tower crane controller is also connected to the tower crane control terminal 4. A tower crane control method provided in this embodiment can be executed by the tower crane control terminal 4. The method includes the following steps:

[0045] S301. Obtain the reported location.

[0046] The reported location is the destination to which hook 3 needs to be moved.

[0047] In practical applications, tower cranes should be stationed in at least two positions: a position for loading heavy objects and a position for unloading heavy objects. Therefore, the number of reported positions should be at least two. For example, the reported positions could be the loading point where hook 3 needs to be loaded with heavy objects, or the unloading point where heavy objects need to be unloaded from hook 3.

[0048] In one specific implementation, the method for obtaining the reported location is as follows: the tower crane control terminal 4 receives data uploaded by the user terminal to obtain the reported location.

[0049] The "user terminal" refers to the communication device used by the operator, which can be a smartphone, tablet, or other smart terminal. The operator can input the loading or unloading point location into the user terminal, which then reports the location based on the input. Each reported location can be obtained from location data uploaded by multiple different user terminals, or from multiple location data uploaded by a single user terminal.

[0050] For example, the operators include loading personnel and unloading personnel. The loading personnel input the loading point location through the user terminal, and the user terminal uploads the loading point location as the reported location. The unloading personnel input the unloading point location through the user terminal, and the user terminal uploads the unloading point location as the reported location. Then, the tower crane control terminal 4 needs to control the hook 3 to move from the starting point to the loading point location and the unloading point location in sequence.

[0051] In a preferred embodiment, the specific method for obtaining the reporting location is as follows: the tower crane control terminal 4 obtains the user terminal's own location and uses it as the reporting location.

[0052] Specifically, the user terminal communicates with the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The user terminal requests the latitude, longitude, and elevation of its own position from the GNSS. Then, the user terminal obtains its own position based on the request results and uploads it.

[0053] In this embodiment, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the user terminal and the reported location. In practical applications, operators can first arrive at the destination and then automatically upload data through the user terminal to generate the reported location. This method of setting the reported location is more convenient and can reduce the error between the uploaded location data and the actual location, allowing the hook 3 to be accurately moved to the location of the user terminal.

[0054] In one optional implementation, the specific method for obtaining the reported location is as follows: a BIM model (Building Information Model) is created based on the work site and sent to the user terminal. Operators can customize the location as the loading / unloading point location in the BIM model of the work site.

[0055] S302. Determine the target position of hook 3 based on the reported position.

[0056] The target location reflects the position that the hook 3 needs to move to at the current time. The target location includes target latitude and longitude and target elevation. The target latitude and longitude are the latitude and longitude that the hook 3 needs to reach after moving, and the initial elevation is the elevation that the hook 3 needs to reach after moving.

[0057] Each reported location corresponds to a specific location that hook 3 needs to pass through sequentially to complete the current tower crane operation. For example, if each reported location includes a loading point and an unloading point, hook 3 needs to move sequentially to the loading point and then to the unloading point. If hook 3 has not yet reached the loading point to load the load, its current target location should be the loading point. If hook 3 has already loaded the load and needs to reach the unloading point to unload the load, its current target location should be the unloading point.

[0058] S303. Obtain the initial position of the hook.

[0059] The initial position reflects the current position of hook 3, and includes initial latitude and longitude and initial elevation. The initial latitude and longitude are the latitude and longitude of the current position of hook 3, and the initial elevation is the elevation of the current position of hook 3.

[0060] In one specific embodiment, the initial position is obtained via a hook positioning terminal 5. The hook positioning terminal 5 is mounted on the hook 3, communicates with a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), and also communicates with a tower crane control terminal 4. The hook positioning terminal 5 requests its own latitude, longitude, and elevation from the GNSS, then generates an initial position based on the request and sends it to the tower crane control terminal 4.

[0061] Preferably, the hook positioning terminal 5 uses a GNSS module. Through global navigation satellite positioning technology, the hook positioning terminal 5 can acquire its initial position more accurately and quickly.

[0062] As an alternative implementation, the initial position can also be obtained by: obtaining the current slewing angle of the boom 2 and the current height of the hook 3, then calculating the initial latitude and longitude using the slewing angle, and calculating the initial elevation using the height.

[0063] S304. Control the rotation of the crane boom according to the target latitude and longitude and the initial latitude and longitude, and control the movement of the hook 3 according to the target position and the initial position.

[0064] Using the target latitude and longitude and the initial latitude and longitude, the amount of movement of the hook 3 from the initial position to the target position in latitude and longitude can be calculated, and the required rotation angle of the boom 2 can be calculated. By controlling the boom 2 to rotate according to the calculated result, the hook 3 can be made to approach the target latitude and longitude from the initial latitude and longitude.

[0065] The movement of the hook 3 in this step includes one or more of the following: lifting and lowering, and moving along the extension direction of the boom 2. Using the target elevation and the initial elevation, the amount of vertical movement or the path of movement of the hook 3 from the initial position to the target position can be calculated. The calculation results are used to control the lifting and lowering of the hook 3, allowing it to approach the target elevation from the initial elevation.

[0066] Simply rotating the boom 2 may not be enough to bring the hook 3 completely close to the target latitude and longitude. In this case, the target latitude and longitude and the initial latitude and longitude can be used to calculate the amount of latitude and longitude movement of the hook 3 from the initial position to the target position, and then converted into the amount of movement that the hook 3 needs to make along the extension direction of the boom 2. By controlling the hook 3 to move according to the converted result, the hook 3 can be brought closer to the target latitude and longitude from the initial latitude and longitude.

[0067] In this embodiment, the tower crane control terminal 4 calculates the movement path of the hook 3 based on the target latitude and longitude, the initial latitude and longitude, the target elevation, and the initial elevation, and converts it into the rotation angle of the boom 2, the lifting height of the hook 3, or the distance the hook 3 moves along the extension direction of the boom 2. Then, the conversion result is sent to the tower crane controller 8, and the tower crane controller 8 controls the first drive device, the second drive device, and the third drive device to work.

[0068] S305. In response to the receipt information from the user terminal at the target location, update the reported location in the hoisting task flow corresponding to the target location to the "received" status.

[0069] The reported location status includes unsigned and signed status. Each reported location is set to unsigned status by default after it is generated.

[0070] It is understandable that, since the target location is obtained by the operator based on the reported location uploaded by the operator, there is a corresponding relationship between the target location and the reported location.

[0071] When hook 3 reaches the target position, it is equivalent to the reported position corresponding to the target position. The operator who uploaded this reported position can send a receipt information through the same user terminal.

[0072] Specifically, after hook 3 moves to any target location, the operator needs to complete the designated task at that location. Then, the operator uploads the receipt information through the user terminal. An "unreceived" status indicates that hook 3 has not yet arrived at the reported location or the operator at that location has not completed the designated task, while a "received" status indicates that hook 3 has arrived at the reported location and the operator at that location has completed the designated task.

[0073] Since the reported location and receipt information are both sent from the same user terminal, it not only ensures that the hook 3 can accurately reach the reported location of the user terminal, but also ensures that the user terminal located at this reported location has completed the receipt, reducing the risk of the heavy object being mistakenly signed for, and is also beneficial for the backend to monitor the progress of the tower crane operation.

[0074] For example, after the hook 3 moves to the loading / unloading point, the operator completes the task of loading / unloading the heavy object at the loading / unloading point, and then uploads the receipt information through the user terminal to indicate that the heavy object has been received at this reporting location.

[0075] In one specific implementation, the status of each reported location is shared with all user terminals and the monitoring backend involved in this tower crane operation. Operators on all user terminals or managers on the monitoring backend can check the status of each reported location to know the current working status of the tower crane or the progress of this tower crane operation.

[0076] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 4 In one specific embodiment, the method for obtaining the target location may include the following steps:

[0077] S401. Based on the n reported locations, obtain the hoisting task flow.

[0078] Where n≥2, each reporting location corresponds to a priority label. The hoisting task flow includes all reporting locations, and all reporting locations are sorted according to the priority level of their priority labels. In a complete tower crane operation, hook 3 passes through all locations sequentially according to the order represented by the priority labels.

[0079] In one specific implementation, the system automatically assigns priority tags to the reported locations based on the acquisition time of the reported locations, with the higher the priority level of the reported locations acquired earlier.

[0080] In another specific implementation, when the user uploads the reported location, a priority tag for the reported location can be set, and the user can upload the same location twice, with different priority tags set for each time, thereby generating different reported locations.

[0081] For example, in a single loading and unloading tower crane operation, user terminal A1 is located at the loading point of the load. User terminal A1 uploads and reports location A1 based on its current location, setting the priority label of reported location A1 to 1. User terminal B is located at the unloading point of the load. User terminal B1 uploads and reports location B1 based on its current location, setting the priority label of reported location B1 to 2. Then, in the lifting task flow, reported location A1 and reported location B1 are ordered sequentially.

[0082] For example, in a tower crane operation involving continuous loading and unloading, user terminal A2 is located at the first loading point of the load. User terminal A2 uploads and reports location A2 based on its current location, setting the priority label of reported location A2 to 1. User terminal B2 is located at the first unloading point of the load. User terminal B2 uploads and reports location B2 based on its current location, setting the priority label of reported location B2 to 2. User terminal C2 is located at the second unloading point of the load. User terminal C2 uploads and reports location C2 based on its current location, setting the priority label of reported location C2 to 3. Therefore, in the lifting task flow, reported locations A2, B2, and C2 are ordered sequentially.

[0083] For example, in a tower crane operation involving repeated loading and unloading, user terminal A3 is located at the loading point of the load, and the load needs to be loaded twice. User terminal A3 uploads and reports both location A3 and location A3' based on its current location, setting the priority tag of location A3 to 1 and the priority tag of location A3' to 3. User terminal B3 is located at the first unloading point of the load, and uploads and reports location B3 based on its current location, setting the priority tag of location B3 to 2. User terminal C3 is located at the second unloading point of the load, and uploads and reports location C3 based on its current location, setting the priority tag of location C3 to 4. Therefore, in the lifting task flow, the reported locations A3, B3, A3', and C3 are ordered sequentially.

[0084] S402. When there are reported locations in the hoisting task flow that are in an unsigned state, update the reported locations in the hoisting task flow that are in an unsigned state to the target location of hook 3 according to the priority label of the reported locations.

[0085] If there is a reported location in the hoisting task flow that is in an unsigned state, it means that there is still a location that needs to be moved for hook 3. In this case, the reported location with the highest priority in the hoisting task flow that is in an unsigned state will be updated to the target location.

[0086] If there are no reported locations in the unsigned state in the hoisting task flow, it means that hook 3 does not have a location that needs to be moved, and this tower crane operation task is completed.

[0087] The specific implementation of step S402 is as follows: determine whether there is a reported location in the hoisting task flow that is in an unsigned state. If so, then take the reported location in the unsigned state with the highest priority as the target location according to the priority tag order. If not, then end and send task completion information to each user terminal.

[0088] In this embodiment, during the execution of tower crane operations, the initial position of the hook is equivalent to the starting position before the hook begins to move. Once the hook 3 reaches any target position, if a new reported position updates the target position, the old target position, i.e., the current position of the hook 3, becomes the initial position. If no new reported position updates the target position, the current tower crane operation is complete, and the tower crane control terminal 4 uses the default position as the target position, controlling the hook 3 to move to the default position. The default position is a system-preset position; when the tower crane is in standby or hibernation mode, the hook 3 is in the default position.

[0089] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 5 In one specific embodiment, step S304 may include the following steps:

[0090] S501. Based on the initial position and the target position, obtain the initial motion path.

[0091] The initial motion path is a motion path in which the hook 3 moves from the initial position to the target position.

[0092] Using the initial latitude, longitude, and initial elevation, the coordinates of the initial position in the world coordinate system can be calculated. Using the target latitude, longitude, and target elevation, the coordinates of the target elevation in the world coordinate system can be calculated. Using a path planning algorithm, the initial movement path can be obtained by combining the coordinates of the initial position and target elevation in the world coordinate system.

[0093] In this embodiment, the initial motion path is a motion path obtained based on the initial position and the target position. Since there may be obstacles on the initial motion path that could collide with the hook 3 or the heavy object, the initial motion path may need to be optimized in subsequent steps to improve the safety of the hook 3 when it moves along the motion path.

[0094] S502. Obtain information on the shape of the suspended object and the surrounding obstacle area.

[0095] The information on the suspended object's shape and the surrounding obstacle area are both obtained from data uploaded by the operator through the user terminal. The suspended object's shape information describes the space occupied by the heavy object suspended by hook 3. The surrounding obstacle area describes the space occupied by obstacles in the vicinity of the reported location. Here, obstacles refer to objects that are stationary during the tower crane's operation and may obstruct the execution of the tower crane's operation, such as large vehicles parked near the reported location or piles of raw materials.

[0096] Specifically, the lifting object shape information includes the lifting radius. Common heavy objects such as steel bars, timber, and steel pipes are usually bundled when loaded onto hook 3, and their shape in the suspended state is approximately cylindrical. The lifting radius reflects the radius of the heavy object when it is in the suspended state and describes the width of the heavy object.

[0097] In an optional implementation, the object shape information also includes the object length. The object length reflects the length of the object when it is suspended, and can be used in conjunction with the object radius to describe the space occupied by the object.

[0098] In practical applications, operators can estimate the dimensions of the load and upload the load shape information at the same time as uploading the reported location. Alternatively, after loading or unloading a load at the reported location, the operator can measure the dimensions of the load on-site and input the measurement results into the user terminal. The tower crane control terminal 4 then generates the load shape information based on the user terminal's input.

[0099] Specifically, the surrounding obstacle area includes the obstacle apex height, which reflects the height of the top of the obstacle. By moving the hook 3 and the load at a height higher than the obstacle apex height, the risk of the hook 3 or the load colliding with the obstacle can be reduced.

[0100] In one specific implementation, the method for obtaining the surrounding obstacle area is as follows:

[0101] Step 1: Obtain the user's own position uploaded by the user as the obstacle position, and obtain the user's own height uploaded by the user as the obstacle vertex height.

[0102] In practical applications, operators can move the user terminal to the vicinity of an obstacle and place it on top of the obstacle. The user terminal requests its current latitude and longitude and corresponding elevation from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Based on the request results, the user terminal generates and uploads its own position and height. The tower crane control terminal 4 uses the user terminal's own position as the obstacle's location and its own height as the obstacle's apex height.

[0103] Alternatively, operators can manually input the height of obstacles in the user terminal, and the tower crane control terminal 4 will generate the obstacle apex height from the user terminal input.

[0104] Step 2: Based on the location of the obstacle and the height of its apex, obtain the surrounding obstacle area.

[0105] In an optional implementation, the volume of space occupied by the obstacle can be calculated based on the obstacle apex height and obstacle position, combined with a preset obstacle area coefficient. The obstacle area coefficient is used to simulate the area of ​​an object in the horizontal direction; by using the obstacle position as the center and combining the obstacle area coefficient, the area of ​​the obstacle in the horizontal direction can be simulated.

[0106] In another optional implementation, when uploading obstacle locations, the operator can upload a group of obstacle locations. Each group corresponds to one obstacle, and each group contains at least three obstacle locations. The lines connecting these obstacle locations enclose a planar area of ​​the obstacle. In practical applications, the operator can move around the obstacle and stop at at least three locations to upload the obstacle locations. During the subsequent calculation of the surrounding obstacle area, the closed-loop planar area containing the obstacle is obtained from the lines connecting the obstacle locations in the group. This, combined with the obstacle's apex height, allows the calculation of the surrounding obstacle area.

[0107] S503. Based on the object shape information and the initial motion path, the hoisting motion area is obtained.

[0108] The hoisting motion area reflects the area traversed by the hook 3, which is carrying a heavy object, as it moves along the initial motion path.

[0109] The shape information of the object being lifted can reflect the space occupied by the object. By combining the shape information of the object being lifted with the initial movement path, the space occupied by the object can be reflected at each point in the initial movement path, thereby obtaining the lifting movement area.

[0110] S504. Determine whether there is an overlap between the hoisting movement area and the surrounding obstacle area. If yes, proceed to step S505; otherwise, proceed to step S506.

[0111] S505. Update the current initial motion path, and then return to step S504.

[0112] S506. Use the current initial motion path as the hoisting motion path.

[0113] S507. The hoisting motion path is used as the path for the hook 3 to move between the initial position and the target position.

[0114] In step S304, the hook 3 is moved according to the hoisting motion path from the initial position to the target position.

[0115] Steps S505-S507 above are equivalent to updating the initial motion path based on the overlapping area when there is an overlapping area between the hoisting motion area and the surrounding obstacle area, until there is no overlapping area between the hoisting motion area and the surrounding obstacle area, and obtaining the hoisting motion path based on the update result.

[0116] The hoisting motion area and the surrounding obstacle area are both data obtained through latitude, longitude, and elevation. The hoisting motion area and the surrounding obstacle area can be projected together into a three-dimensional coordinate system based on latitude, longitude, and elevation to obtain the motion area model corresponding to the hoisting motion area and the obstacle area model corresponding to the surrounding obstacle area.

[0117] If the hoisting movement area overlaps with the surrounding obstacle area, it indicates that during the actual movement of the hook 3 and the load, the load is likely to collide with the obstacle at the location corresponding to the overlapping area. Therefore, step S505 is executed to update the initial movement path, and after the update, the process returns to step S504.

[0118] If the hoisting movement area does not overlap with the surrounding obstacle area, it means that the heavy object is unlikely to collide with the obstacle during the movement, and step S507 is executed.

[0119] In the embodiments provided in this application, since the target location itself is uploaded by the user terminal held by the operator, the operator can upload and report the location from a relatively open ground location with fewer obstacles, which can effectively reduce the probability of the hook 3's movement path passing through obstacles and improve the safety of the hook 3's movement.

[0120] In one specific implementation, whenever the user uploads information about the shape of the suspended object, the surrounding obstacle area, or the target location is updated, the system will re-execute step S501 to replan the movement path of the hook 3.

[0121] In one specific implementation, step S505 updates the initial motion path by dividing the initial motion path into multiple segments and increasing the distance from each segment to the overlapping area according to the set distance parameters, so that the hook 3 can avoid obstacles when the suspended load moves along the initial motion path. The specific distance parameters and the direction in which each segment avoids obstacles can be set by the operator via a user terminal.

[0122] In an optional implementation, step S505 updates the initial movement path by first moving to a position higher than a specified height in the surrounding obstacle area or the highest position, then moving horizontally by approximating latitude and longitude, and after reaching above the target position, moving vertically by approximating elevation, finally reaching the target position. This updating method allows for the establishment of a safer movement path.

[0123] In one specific embodiment, step S505 further includes the following step:

[0124] S5051, determine whether the distance between the overlapping area and the target location reaches the preset distance threshold. If yes, execute S5052; otherwise, execute S5053.

[0125] S5052, send obstacle interference information to the user terminal at the reporting location corresponding to the target location, update the target location in response to the location update information sent by the user terminal, and return to step S505 after the update.

[0126] The obstacle interference information includes overlapping areas. This information is used to alert the operator on the user terminal that the current location may collide with hook 3 or the heavy object suspended by hook 3. It serves two purposes: firstly, it reminds the operator to leave the location, and secondly, it requests the operator to re-upload the reported location. If the operator re-uploads the reported location via the user terminal, the re-uploaded location will be used as the target location.

[0127] For example, operator A uploads a report location A at the loading point, and operator B uploads a report location B at the unloading point. When hook 3 moves to report location A and operator A completes loading the load, operator A can upload the load's shape information and receipt information. At this point, report location B is updated to the target location. Then, the lifting movement area and surrounding obstacle area are calculated, and it is analyzed whether the lifting movement area and surrounding obstacle area overlap. If the surrounding obstacle area interferes with the target location, operator B is prompted to move away from this target location and reselect a target location.

[0128] Before operator A completes the loading of the heavy object, operator B does not know the exact space occupied by the heavy object when it is suspended. Before that, operator B needs to select the unloading point location based on personal experience and upload the location. Therefore, the location uploaded by operator B may contain obstacles that could interfere with the movement of the heavy object, that is, the target location may be unsafe. However, by using the mechanism of updating the initial movement path, it is possible to detect whether the target location is safe in this situation and update the target location in a timely manner.

[0129] S5053, update the initial motion path, and then return to step S505.

[0130] The following combination Figure 5 The implementation principle of a tower crane control method according to an embodiment of this application is described as follows: By decomposing the tower crane operation process, key node positioning data within the operation process are collected to create a semi-automatic hoisting task flow. The hoisting task flow is established using reported positions, the target position is determined from the hoisting task flow, and the amount of movement between the initial position and the target position is calculated. The hook 3 is controlled to approach the latitude and longitude of the target position from the initial latitude and longitude of the initial position, and to approach the elevation of the target position from the initial elevation of the initial position. This allows the hook 3 to automatically move to the loading point to load heavy objects, or automatically move to the unloading point to unload heavy objects, thus achieving semi-automatic control of the tower crane operation process.

[0131] In actual operation, it reduces the tower crane operator's reliance on the communicator, and reduces the impact of various factors such as complex construction site environment, poor communication between the communicator and the operator, error between ground view and high-altitude view, blind spots at high altitudes, insufficient driver experience, and excessive driver fatigue. This results in higher tower crane operation efficiency and accuracy, and also reduces the risk of collision between the hook or heavy objects and obstacles during movement, thus improving safety.

[0132] Please see Figure 6 This application also provides a tower crane control system, which is applied to a tower crane. The tower crane control system includes a tower crane control terminal 4, a hook positioning terminal 5, an Internet of Things (IoT) platform 6 (also known as an IoT platform), and a tower crane business platform 7. The tower crane control terminal 4 is communicatively connected to the hook positioning terminal 5, the IoT platform 6, the tower crane business platform 7, and the tower crane controller. The IoT platform 6 communicates with the user terminal and the tower crane control terminal 4. The IoT platform provides uplink and downlink channels between the tower crane control terminal 4, the tower crane business platform 7, and the user terminal, supporting device reporting and command downlink. The IoT platform 6 is responsible for the production and management of semi-automatic operations. The IoT platform 6 can be a cloud platform or a locally configured client; this application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0133] Please see Figure 6 and Figure 7 The following example illustrates the steps of the cooperation between the user terminal, IoT platform 6, and tower crane business platform 7 in the tower crane control system of this application. The number of user terminals is 2, including user terminal A at the loading and unloading point and user terminal B at the unloading point.

[0134] In response to the operator's operation on user terminal A, user terminal A sends an update service request to tower crane business platform 7.

[0135] The tower crane business platform 7 sends a request to the IoT platform 6 to report information, and the request carries a task identifier.

[0136] The IoT platform 6 will send request reporting information carrying task identifiers to user terminal A and user terminal B respectively, requesting user terminal A and user terminal B to upload information.

[0137] User terminal A will report the location, the shape of the suspended object, and the surrounding obstacle area as the reporting information, and report the information to the IoT platform 6 along with the task completion tag.

[0138] User B will report the location, the shape of the suspended object, and the surrounding obstacle area as reported information, and will report the reported information to the IoT platform 6 along with the task completion tag.

[0139] The IoT platform 6 sends the content reported by user terminal A and user terminal B to the tower crane business platform 7.

[0140] The tower crane business platform 7 receives and stores the content reported by user terminal A and user terminal B, then generates a complete task record based on the content reported by user terminal A and user terminal B, and sends the task record to the Internet of Things platform 6.

[0141] The IoT platform 6 sends the task records to user terminal A and user terminal B respectively.

[0142] Client A receives and stores task records.

[0143] Client B receives and stores task records.

[0144] Please see Figure 6 and Figure 8 The following example of a semi-automated tower crane operation illustrates the steps of cooperation between the user terminal, IoT platform 6, tower crane control terminal 4, and tower crane business platform 7 in the tower crane control system of this application. The number of user terminals is 2, including user terminal A at the loading and unloading point and user terminal B at the unloading point.

[0145] The tower crane business platform 7 initiates the tower crane operation task. First, it determines whether the tower crane is currently in an idle state. If so, it determines whether the tower crane is in a normal start-up state. If so, it sends a task start command to the IoT platform 6.

[0146] The IoT platform 6 issues a service, sending the task start command to the user terminal A.

[0147] Once the operator confirms that the tower crane operation can begin, user terminal A sends a task receiving instruction to IoT platform 6.

[0148] The IoT platform 6 reports information and sends the task receiving instruction to the tower crane business platform 7.

[0149] The tower crane business platform 7 sends task execution instructions to the IoT platform 6.

[0150] The IoT platform 6 issues services and sends task execution instructions to the tower crane control terminal 4.

[0151] The tower crane control terminal 4 analyzes the target position A of user terminal A and calculates the hoisting movement path A based on the initial position.

[0152] The tower crane control terminal 4 controls the hook 3 to move to the target position A according to the hoisting movement path A.

[0153] After the operator at target location A has finished loading the heavy object, in response to the operator's signature, user terminal A sends a signature message to tower crane business platform 7.

[0154] The tower crane business platform 7 sends a receipt information to the IoT platform 6 and changes the current tower crane's operating status to "loading completed".

[0155] The IoT platform 6 distributes services and sends the receipt information to the tower crane control terminal 4.

[0156] After receiving the acceptance information, the tower crane control terminal 4 parses the target position B of the user terminal B and calculates the hoisting movement path B based on the initial position.

[0157] The tower crane control terminal 4 controls the hook 3 to move to the target position B according to the hoisting movement path B.

[0158] After the operator at the target location B has finished loading the heavy object, in response to the operator's signature, the user terminal B sends a signature message to the tower crane business platform 7.

[0159] The tower crane business platform 7 sends a receipt information to the IoT platform 6 and changes the current tower crane's operation status to "unloading completed".

[0160] The IoT platform 6 distributes services and sends the receipt information to the tower crane control terminal 4.

[0161] After receiving the acceptance information, the tower crane control terminal 4 sets the default position of the hook 3 as the target position and controls the hook 3 to move to the default position. Then, it sends the task completion information to the tower crane business platform 7.

[0162] The tower crane business platform 7 changes the current tower crane's operating status to "task completed".

[0163] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 9As an optional implementation, the tower crane control terminal 4 may include multiple functional modules composed of program code segments. The tower crane control terminal 4 can be divided into multiple functional modules according to the functions it performs. The functional modules include: an information reporting module 41, a target acquisition module 42, a hook positioning module 43, and a motion control module 44. The functions of each module are as follows:

[0164] Information reporting module 41 is used to obtain multiple reporting locations.

[0165] The target acquisition module 42 is used to determine the target position of the hook 3 based on the reported position.

[0166] The hook positioning module 43 is used to obtain the initial position of the hook 3.

[0167] The motion control module 44 is used to control the rotation of the lifting boom 2 according to the target latitude and longitude and the initial latitude and longitude, and to control the movement of the hook 3 according to the target position and the initial position, wherein the movement includes one or more of lifting and moving along the extension direction of the lifting boom 2.

[0168] As an optional implementation, the tower crane control terminal 4 includes a memory and at least one processor. The memory is used to store program code and various data. The memory may include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), one-time programmable read-only memory (OTPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, disk storage, magnetic tape storage, or any other computer-readable medium capable of carrying or storing data.

[0169] The processor may include integrated circuits, such as a single-packaged integrated circuit or multiple integrated circuits with the same or different functions, including combinations of microprocessors, digital processing chips, graphics processors, and various control chips. The at least one processor is the control unit of the controller, executing various functions and processing data of the tower crane control terminal 4 by running or executing programs or modules stored in the memory and calling data stored in the memory. The integrated unit implemented as a software functional module can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The software functional module, stored in a storage medium, includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, terminal, or network device, etc.) or processor to execute portions of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The memory stores program code, and the at least one processor can call the program code stored in the memory to execute related functions. In one embodiment of this application, the memory stores multiple instructions, which are executed by the at least one processor to implement the tower crane control method described above. Specifically, the specific implementation method of the instructions by the at least one processor can be referred to the description of the relevant steps in the tower crane control method described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0170] This application also provides a storage medium. The storage medium stores computer instructions, which, when executed on a computing device, enable the computing device to perform the crane control method provided in the foregoing embodiments.

[0171] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this application is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that this application can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of this application. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be considered exemplary and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of this application is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within this application.

Claims

1. A tower crane control method, applied to tower cranes, characterized in that, The tower crane includes a lifting boom and a hook, and the method includes: Get the reported location; the status of the reported location includes unsigned and signed status. Each reported location is in the unsigned status by default after it is generated. Once the hook has moved to any target location, the operator needs to complete the designated task at that location. Then, the operator uploads the receipt information through the user terminal. The unreceived status means that the hook has not yet arrived at the reported location or the operator at the reported location has not completed the designated task. The received status means that the hook has arrived at the reported location and the operator at the reported location has completed the designated task. Based on the reported location, the target location of the hook is determined, wherein the target location includes target latitude and longitude and target elevation; Obtain the initial position of the hook, wherein the initial position includes initial latitude and longitude and initial elevation; The crane boom is controlled to rotate according to the target latitude and longitude and the initial latitude and longitude, and the hook is controlled to move according to the target position and the initial position, wherein the movement includes one or more of lifting and moving along the extension direction of the crane boom; Determining the target position of the hook based on the reported position includes: Based on the n reported locations, a hoisting task flow is obtained, where n≥2; each reported location has a corresponding priority label. When there is a reported location in the hoisting task flow that is in an unsigned state, the reported location in the unsigned state is updated to the target location of the hook according to the priority tag of the reported location; The method further includes: In response to the acceptance information from the user terminal at the target location, the reported location in the hoisting task flow corresponding to the target location is updated to the accepted status; The reported location is the user's own location uploaded by the client.

2. The tower crane control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the initial position and the target position, an initial motion path is obtained; Obtain information about the shape of the suspended object and the surrounding obstacle area; Based on the object shape information and the initial motion path, the hoisting motion area is obtained; When the hoisting motion area overlaps with the surrounding obstacle area, the initial motion path is updated based on the overlapping area until the hoisting motion area and the surrounding obstacle area no longer overlap, and the hoisting motion path is obtained based on the update result. The movement path of the hook between the initial position and the target position is determined as the hoisting motion path.

3. The tower crane control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Acquiring the surrounding obstacle area includes: Obtain the obstacle location and obstacle vertex height, and obtain the surrounding obstacle area based on the obstacle location and obstacle vertex height.

4. The tower crane control method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, Obtaining the initial position of the hook includes: The initial position of the hook is obtained by a hook positioning terminal, wherein the hook positioning terminal is disposed on the hook and communicates with a global navigation satellite system.

5. A tower crane control system, applied to tower cranes, characterized in that, The tower crane control method as described in any one of claims 1-4, wherein the tower crane includes a jib and a hook, and the system includes a tower crane control terminal, the tower crane control terminal comprising: The information reporting module is used to obtain the reporting location; The target acquisition module is used to determine the target position of the hook based on the reported positions, wherein the target position includes target latitude and longitude and target elevation; determining the target position of the hook based on the reported positions includes: obtaining a lifting task flow based on n reported positions, wherein n≥2; when there is a reported position in the lifting task flow that is in an unacknowledged state, updating the reported position in the unacknowledged state to the target position of the hook according to the priority label of the reported position; A hook positioning module is used to obtain the initial position of the hook, wherein the initial position includes initial latitude and longitude and initial elevation; A motion control module is used to control the rotation of the crane boom according to the target latitude and longitude and the initial latitude and longitude, and to control the movement of the hook according to the target position and the initial position, wherein the movement includes one or more of lifting and lowering and moving along the extension direction of the crane boom.

6. A tower crane control terminal, characterized in that, The tower crane control terminal includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the tower crane control method as described in any one of claims 1-4.

7. A storage medium storing a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the tower crane control method as described in any one of claims 1-4.

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