A port unmanned truck in the mixed operation method of the wharf face of the collecting and distributing dual-purpose wharf

Abstract

The application discloses a port unmanned truck mixed operation method on a loading and unloading dual-purpose wharf wharf face, and provides a general and transplantable wharf face passing scheme for different ports. Specifically, through the division of the wharf face passing area, the binding of the buffer area and the passing port door, and the passing mode of the unmanned truck on the wharf face, the unmanned truck can still keep the correct operation route when facing the complex scenes of the wharf, such as the shore bridge moving, the mixed passing of manned and unmanned trucks, the optimal route selection, the box door adjustment, the congestion waiting, the cattle pushing scene and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of autonomous driving technology and relates to the passage of unmanned container trucks in ports. Specifically, it relates to a method for the mixed operation of unmanned container trucks on the dock surface of a port terminal that serves both collection and distribution purposes. Background Technology

[0002] Taking Quanzhou Port as an example to illustrate the existing technology, Quanzhou Port is a dual-purpose terminal for both container and cargo transport. "Container" refers to loading containers, while "cargo" refers to loading sand, gravel, coal, grain, etc. The problems are as follows: First, when driving on the dock, windy and sandy weather may occur, leading to unstable sensor detection and other difficult scenarios. Second, the 3-4-5-6 berths (operational berths for unmanned trucks) of Quanzhou Port are formed by land reclamation, which may result in road subsidence, water accumulation, and other difficult scenarios, as well as maintenance sections with unpredictable locations. Third, Quanzhou Port currently has a mixed traffic of manned and unmanned trucks. Due to road maintenance, there are no fixed routes, requiring unmanned trucks to combine cloud computing capabilities and their own perception capabilities to plan routes autonomously, avoiding maintenance areas and difficult subsidence areas, while following the operating routes of manned trucks. Fourth, due to the loading of grain, there are a large number of birds on the dock, which may also affect the perception system of unmanned trucks. Fifth, the routes for passage and crossing on the dock are not fixed at all, and routes cannot be planned using traditional high-definition map collection methods. It is necessary to provide the actual passable space (gate) of the dock so that unmanned trucks can plan their routes according to the passable space, without relying on high-precision maps. In real-world scenarios, unmanned trucks (UGCs) operating in mixed traffic at bulk cargo terminals can be categorized into two scenarios. Scenario 1: The operating lane is above the non-operating lane. UGCs travel in the non-operating lane, with two access gates between them. The quay crane is located to the left and above the operating lane in the UGC's direction of travel. The access gates are located on the left and right sides of the quay crane. UGCs need to choose different passage methods depending on the direction of the ship's bow. If the ship's bow is to the right, the UGC enters the operating lane directly from the left side of the quay crane, using an S-shaped passage method. If the ship's bow is to the left, the UGC passes the quay crane and enters the operating lane from its right side, using a U-shaped passage method. UGCs must also pass through the access gates designated by the system. Scenario 2: The working lane is above the non-working lane. The unmanned truck is in the working lane and has completed loading and unloading operations. It needs to choose different passage methods according to the target destination of the next task. There is a gate between the non-working lane and the working lane. The gate is located on the left side of the quay crane. At this time, if the target destination is to the right, the unmanned truck drives out of the quay crane and chooses the U-shaped passage method. If the target destination is to the left, the unmanned truck drives out of the quay crane and chooses the S-shaped passage method. At the same time, it must pass through the gate issued by the system.

[0003] Furthermore, the passage methods at the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Phase IV Port are explained as follows: First, the port's IECS issues fixed gates, but these gates do not take into account the construction area on the quay deck. If the quay crane moves, the original gates may be blocked, preventing unmanned trucks from passing through. Second, the gate issuance in the online scheme is not necessarily optimal, and there may be detours. Issuing the same gate can cause congestion on the quay deck, greatly affecting operational efficiency. Third, the physical structure and rules of different ports are not the same. Some ports have fixed routes for operations at certain berths, while others have restricted areas that do not allow unmanned trucks to pass through. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, the main objective of this invention is to design a method for the mixed operation of unmanned container trucks on the dock surface of a port terminal that serves both collection and distribution purposes, thereby resolving the issues of incompatibility and non-portability of unmanned container truck traffic under different port rules and scenarios.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A method for mixed operation of unmanned container trucks on the quay deck of a port terminal (for both collection and distribution) includes the following steps:

[0007] Step 1: Calculate the gate pool based on the obstacles on the dock surface that affect the passage of unmanned trucks, and issue the gates that meet the conditions for unmanned truck passage for use;

[0008] Step 2: The unmanned container truck enters the wharf and uses FMS to issue the optimal gate according to the orientation of the quay crane and the bow of the ship, and binds the quay crane, the optimal gate, and the second-best gate.

[0009] Step 3: Based on the vehicle position and destination position of the unmanned truck, determine the passage mode of the unmanned truck entering the dock surface using FMS;

[0010] Step 4: Calculate the current passage area attributes of the quay surface using FMS based on the selected gate and passage method. The passage area attributes include mandatory passage area, suggested passage area, and prohibited passage area.

[0011] Step 5: Bind the passage gate to the buffer zone. If congestion occurs, the unmanned truck will stop in the buffer zone of the bound gate for buffering. If there is no congestion, the unmanned truck will pass directly through the gate.

[0012] As a further description of the present invention, in step 1, the obstacles affecting passage are divided into the four corner coordinates of the quay crane, the hatch cover, and the maintenance area.

[0013] The gate pool is calculated by projecting the coordinates of all obstacles onto the same lane line, and the set of adjacent point pairs that are segmented is the gate pool of that berth.

[0014] As a further description of the present invention, the opening that satisfies the conditions for unmanned truck passage is greater than 35m.

[0015] As a further description of the present invention, in step 2, the optimal gate can also be bound through the FMS front-end configuration, and the bound gate has the highest priority.

[0016] As a further description of the present invention, when an unmanned container truck enters the dock surface, if the quay crane is operating and the position of the opening changes, and the unmanned container truck is not in the process of passing through, the FMS updates the latest position of the opening at a fixed frequency.

[0017] If an unmanned truck is passing through and the quay crane is moving, the FMS (Front-Side Controller System) will predict collisions based on the speed and direction of the quay crane's movement.

[0018] As a further description of the present invention, the position of the inlet of the working quay crane changes, and the unmanned container truck is not in the process of passing through. The update frequency of the inlet pool and the update frequency of the working quay crane's movement trajectory are both 10 Hz.

[0019] As a further description of the present invention, in step 3, the unmanned truck's travel methods include S-shaped travel, C-shaped travel, and U-shaped travel;

[0020] The vehicle position and end position angle of the unmanned truck are [0, 45°), and the FMS issues an S-shaped route.

[0021] The vehicle pose and destination pose angle of the unmanned truck are [45°, 135°), and the FMS issues a C-shaped pass-through.

[0022] The vehicle position and end position angle of the unmanned truck are [135°, 180°], and the FMS issues a U-shaped route.

[0023] As a further description of the present invention, in step 4, the areas that must be traversed are the dock surface operation lane and the dock surface non-operation lane.

[0024] The recommended access area is all accessible entrances and exits on the dock surface;

[0025] The restricted area is the area with obstacles on the dock surface.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the technical advantages of the present invention are as follows:

[0027] This invention provides a method for the mixed operation of unmanned container trucks on the wharf surface of a port terminal with both collection and distribution functions. By dividing the passage area on the wharf surface, binding the buffer zone and the passage gate, and the way unmanned container trucks pass on the wharf surface, the unmanned container trucks can maintain the correct operating route even in complex wharf scenarios, such as quay cranes moving, mixed traffic of manned and unmanned container trucks, optimal route selection, container gate handling, congestion waiting, and head-on situations. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the method flow of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the calculation of the inlet and outlet pool in step 1 of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the passage method of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating how the invention determines the entrance and passage method based on the endpoint's pose;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the passage area through which the onshore bridge of the present invention passes;

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the movable buffer of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the unmanned truck waiting in the buffer zone according to the present invention. Implementation

[0035] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0036] In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for mixed operation of unmanned container trucks on the quay deck of a port terminal is disclosed, with reference to... Figure 1-7 As shown in this embodiment, the terms involved are first explained as follows:

[0037] 1. Container area: The area in the port where containers are stored, where unmanned trucks load and unload containers;

[0038] 2. Wharf surface: The area where ships dock in the port, where unmanned trucks load and unload ships.

[0039] The entire wharf surface is divided into working lanes and non-working lanes; the working lanes are the lanes where QC actually loads and unloads ships, and the non-working lanes are the lanes for vehicles to pass through.

[0040] 3. Quay crane (QC): It is a specialized piece of equipment used in container terminals for loading and unloading container ships, and is generally installed on the quayside of the port terminal;

[0041] 4. RTG (Remote Transport Group): This is a specialized piece of equipment used in container terminals for loading and unloading operations in the container area, and it is generally installed in the container area;

[0042] 5. RTK (Real-time Dynamic Carrier Phase Differential Technology): Installed on QC and RTG, it can obtain GPS coordinates, speed and heading in real time;

[0043] 6. Bow orientation: Under normal circumstances, the containers on the ship should face the same direction as the bow. Unmanned trucks need to keep their cabs facing the same direction as the ship when they arrive at the quay crane to prevent the containers from being reversed in subsequent operations.

[0044] 7. Gate: The system marks a gate area on the quay crane, through which unmanned trucks need to pass to reach their destination;

[0045] 8. Movement of quay cranes: Quay cranes move frequently during operation, which can cause changes in the working destination of unmanned trucks;

[0046] 9. Buffer zone: The dock surface is often congested. Unmanned trucks can temporarily park in this area without affecting operations, and wait for the congestion to clear.

[0047] Specifically, in this embodiment, refer to Figure 1 As shown, the running method includes the following steps:

[0048] Step 1: Calculate the gate pool based on the obstacles on the dock surface that affect the passage of unmanned trucks, and issue the gates that meet the conditions for unmanned truck passage for use;

[0049] Step 2: The unmanned container truck enters the wharf and uses FMS to issue the optimal gate according to the orientation of the quay crane and the bow of the ship, and binds the quay crane, the optimal gate, and the second-best gate.

[0050] Step 3: Based on the vehicle position and destination position of the unmanned truck, determine the passage mode of the unmanned truck entering the dock surface using FMS;

[0051] Step 4: Calculate the current passage area attributes of the quay surface using FMS based on the selected gate and passage method. The passage area attributes include mandatory passage area, suggested passage area, and prohibited passage area.

[0052] Step 5: Bind the passage gate to the buffer zone. If congestion occurs, the unmanned truck will stop in the buffer zone of the bound gate for buffering. If there is no congestion, the unmanned truck will pass directly through the gate.

[0053] Specifically, this embodiment discloses the above-described operating method steps, the details of which are as follows:

[0054] In step 1, the entrance is the space through which an unmanned truck can pass from the non-operation lane to the operation lane;

[0055] On the dock surface, obstacles affecting passage are categorized into the four corner coordinates of the quay crane, hatch covers, and maintenance areas; such as Figure 2 As shown, RTK can be installed on the quay crane to obtain the quay crane coordinates, and the maintenance area and hatch cover area can be obtained based on the port's signals. The calculation of the port pool is as follows: the coordinates of all obstacles are projected onto the same lane line, and the set of adjacent point pairs that are segmented is the port pool of the berth.

[0056] In this embodiment, gates that meet the conditions for unmanned truck passage will be issued to downstream users. The gate condition is that the distance is greater than 35m to meet the passage conditions. Since there must be actual obstacles on both sides of the gate, in order to maintain a certain safety distance, the gates that meet the conditions need to have a buffer range of 3m subtracted from both ends to prevent collisions.

[0057] In step 2, because there are special circumstances where the wharf surface is impassable, the operator can also configure and bind a gate of a quay crane at the front end of the FMS. The bound gate has the highest priority.

[0058] Specifically, in this embodiment, FMS stands for Fleet Management System. Because ports have a large number of unmanned trucks, FMS mainly assigns tasks to unmanned trucks and performs task scheduling. More specifically, in this embodiment, FMS first selects a subset of gates based on the destination's orientation. For example, if the destination orientation needs to be to the right, the unmanned truck needs to move from left to right, so the gate must be to the left of the destination. FMS calculates the positions of all objects on the entire dock surface, and the spaces between these objects are the gates. FMS then issues the optimal gate based on the destination of the unmanned truck's operation, the task information of other unmanned trucks (to prevent congestion caused by all trucks using the same gate), and the shortest distance.

[0059] The optimal gate is the gate closest to the end point of the unmanned truck operation, and the gate space meets the conditions for unmanned truck passage. The second optimal gate is the second gate that may be congested at the optimal gate, or the gate that other vehicles also choose as the optimal gate. That is, the gate that is the second closest to the end point of the unmanned truck operation. If this gate is also congested, gates that are further away are selected in turn.

[0060] It should also be noted that the unmanned truck continuously receives the location of new gates, but at different frequencies. If the unmanned truck is not in the process of passing through and is only passing by the operating equipment (with no risk of collision), the update frequency is once every 3 seconds. If the unmanned truck has already accurately passed through (with a risk of collision), the update frequency is once every 5 seconds, and the movement trajectory of the unmanned truck is predicted, and collision prediction is performed. In addition, when the unmanned truck enters the wharf surface, if the operating quay crane moves the shell, causing the gate position to change, and the unmanned truck is not in the process of passing through, the FMS updates the latest gate position and the movement trajectory of the operating quay crane at a frequency of 10 Hz. If the operating quay crane moves the shell while the unmanned truck is passing through, the FMS performs collision prediction based on the speed and direction of the operating quay crane to ensure that the unmanned truck can pass through smoothly.

[0061] Typically, the FMS (Frontline Management System) is equipped with RTK (Real-Time Kinematics) technology, which directly obtains the coordinates and speed of the unmanned truck. Since the unmanned truck travels on a predetermined track, it possesses a motion path, speed, and coordinates, allowing the FMS to calculate its trajectory. The FMS inputs this trajectory into the unmanned truck, and its internal algorithm performs collision detection based on the vehicle's local path and the truck's trajectory. This internal algorithm can be any existing technology capable of performing collision detection based on the vehicle's local path and the truck's trajectory.

[0062] In step 3, the division and calculation of the access area attributes are similar to coarse-grained path planning. The FMS tells the unmanned truck which areas it can go through and which areas it cannot go through. When the unmanned truck enters the area, it combines its own perception system to make more detailed path planning.

[0063] Specifically, the travel methods of unmanned trucks include S-shaped, C-shaped, and U-shaped travel, such as... Figure 3 , 4 As shown;

[0064] The vehicle position and end position angle of the unmanned truck are [0, 45°), and the FMS issues an S-shaped route.

[0065] The vehicle pose and destination pose angle of the unmanned truck are [45°, 135°), and the FMS issues a C-shaped pass-through.

[0066] The vehicle position and end position angle of the unmanned truck are [135°, 180°], and the FMS issues a U-shaped route.

[0067] In step 4, the areas that must be traversed are the dock surface operation lanes and the dock surface non-operation lanes;

[0068] The recommended access area is all accessible entrances and exits on the dock surface;

[0069] The restricted area is the area with obstacles on the dock surface (hatch covers, stone blocks, maintenance areas).

[0070] Recommended passage area + required passage area = passable area = passable area.

[0071] like Figure 5 As shown, this is the passage area given by FMS based on the entrance gate when crossing the onshore bridge.

[0072] More specifically, in this embodiment, the elements of a quay crane typically fall into only three main categories:

[0073] 1. Lane area: The area occupied is set as S;

[0074] 2. Operating equipment and quay cranes: The area occupied is designated as A;

[0075] 3. Hatch covers, stone blocks, cones used for road closures, and maintenance sections: the area occupied is designated as B;

[0076] 4. Optimal entrance area: The area occupied is set as K1;

[0077] 5. Second-best entrance area: The area occupied is set as K2;

[0078] but:

[0079] The restricted areas are A+B;

[0080] The passable area is S-(A+B);

[0081] The area that must be traversed is the traversable area - (K1+K2).

[0082] The recommended travel area is K1+K2.

[0083] In step 5, the through gate is the optimal gate for the unmanned truck. The unmanned truck only accepts the single through gate. The buffer zone is formed because queuing, waiting and congestion often occur on the dock surface during operations. The unmanned truck needs to stop in the "buffer zone" to wait for the road to clear before starting operations, without affecting other operations.

[0084] like Figure 6 , 7 As shown, the passage gate selected by the unmanned trucks also serves as a buffer zone. The unmanned trucks stop sequentially from west to east, with a spacing of 2 meters, and wait for the congestion to clear before proceeding.

[0085] Because the buffer zone is linked to the passageway gate, it is more flexible and targeted, reducing congestion on the quay crane. At the same time, the unmanned trucks in the buffer zone are perpendicular to the work lane, making it easier to start the next task after the congestion disappears.

[0086] The technical solutions disclosed in the above embodiments of the present invention have the following advantages over the prior art:

[0087] 1. This invention combines the wharf surface buffer zone with the gate issuance, enabling FMS control to issue gates to unmanned trucks, which is equivalent to controlling the buffer zone. The buffer zone moves according to the gate, making it more intelligent, thereby reducing congestion on the quay crane and allowing unmanned trucks to pass as needed.

[0088] 2. The unmanned container truck of the present invention includes S-shaped, U-shaped, and C-shaped travel modes in port scenarios, which can ensure the correctness of operations;

[0089] 3. This invention divides the entire wharf surface into multiple areas for safe passage of unmanned container trucks, based on factors such as quay cranes, maintenance areas, hatch covers, passage methods, ship bow orientation, and entrances.

[0090] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Any other modifications or equivalent substitutions made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions of the present invention, as long as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for mixed operation of a port unmanned truck on a wharf face of a combined wharf, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: Step 1: Calculate the gate pool based on the obstacles on the dock surface that affect the passage of unmanned trucks, and issue the gates that meet the conditions for unmanned truck passage. The gate is the space that an unmanned truck can pass through from the non-operation lane to the operation lane. The gate that meets the conditions for unmanned truck passage is greater than 35m. Obstacles affecting passage are divided into the four corner coordinates of the quay crane, hatch cover, and maintenance area; the calculation of the berth gate pool is to project the coordinates of all obstacles onto the same lane line, and the set of adjacent point pairs that are divided out is the berth gate pool. Step 2: The unmanned container truck enters the wharf and uses FMS to issue the optimal gate according to the orientation of the quay crane and the bow of the ship, and binds the quay crane, the optimal gate, and the second-best gate. Step 3: Based on the vehicle position and destination position of the unmanned truck, the FMS determines the passage mode of the unmanned truck entering the dock. The passage modes of the unmanned truck include S-shaped passage, C-shaped passage and U-shaped passage. Step 4: Calculate the current passage area attributes of the quay surface using FMS based on the selected gate and passage method. The passage area attributes include mandatory passage area, suggested passage area, and prohibited passage area. Step 5: Bind the passage gate to the buffer zone. If congestion occurs, the unmanned truck will stop in the buffer zone of the bound gate for buffering. If there is no congestion, the unmanned truck will pass directly through the gate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the port unmanned truck in the mixed operation of the loading and unloading wharf is characterized in that: In step 2, the optimal gate also includes binding via FMS front-end configuration, with the bound gate having the highest priority.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the port unmanned truck in the mixed operation of the loading and unloading wharf is characterized in that: When an unmanned container truck enters the dock surface, if the quay crane is moving the shellfish and the position of the opening changes, and the unmanned container truck is not in the process of passing through, the FMS will update the latest position of the opening at a fixed frequency. If an unmanned truck is passing through and the quay crane is moving, the FMS (Front-Side Controller System) will predict collisions based on the speed and direction of the quay crane's movement.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the port unmanned truck in the mixed operation of the loading and unloading wharf is characterized in that: The quay crane is moving, the position of the inlet changes, and the unmanned truck is not in the process of passing through. The update frequency of the inlet pool and the update frequency of the quay crane's movement trajectory are both 10 Hz.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the port unmanned truck in the mixed operation of the loading and unloading wharf is characterized in that: In step 3, the vehicle pose and the destination pose angle of the unmanned truck are [0, 45°), and the FMS issues an S-shaped travel signal; The vehicle pose and destination pose angle of the unmanned truck are [45°, 135°), and the FMS issues a C-shaped pass-through. The vehicle position and end position angle of the unmanned truck are [135°, 180°], and the FMS issues a U-shaped route.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the port unmanned truck in the mixed operation of the loading and unloading wharf is characterized in that: In step 4, the areas that must be traversed are the dock surface operation lanes and the dock surface non-operation lanes; The recommended access area is all accessible entrances and exits on the pier surface; The restricted area is the area with obstacles on the dock surface.

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