Operation Method and System for the Interaction Area between External Towing and Rail Mounted Gantry Crane in Automated Terminal

Abstract

The present invention provides an operation method for the interaction area between external trailers and rail-mounted gantry cranes in an automated terminal, including: after the external trailer enters the interaction area, the TOS system prompts the external trailer to enter the target position in the interaction area through a mobile communication device or a loudspeaker; the camera device takes pictures of the positioning columns and the external trailer in the corresponding lane, and the video processing server obtains the real-time accurate position and speed of the external trailer by identifying and analyzing the positioning columns and the external trailer, and transmits the real-time accurate position and speed of the external trailer to the TOS system; the TOS system transmits the real-time accurate position of the external trailer to the BMS system and notifies the BMS system of the information that the external trailer is ready for operation; the BMS system controls the designated rail-mounted gantry crane to cooperate with the external trailer under the rail-mounted gantry crane for collaborative operation. The present invention also provides an operation system, including: a TOS system, a BMS system, a rail-mounted gantry crane, an external trailer, a mobile communication device, a camera device, a video processing server, and a positioning column; the present invention improves the operation efficiency in the interaction area between external trailers and rail-mounted gantry cranes in an automated terminal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automated terminal transportation and collaborative operations, and particularly to an operation method and system for the corresponding external tractor and gantry crane interaction area of an automated terminal. Background Art

[0002] In an automated terminal, external trailers (referred to as "external tractors" for short) need to perform container loading and unloading operations. Currently, most of these operations adopt the interaction area operation process, and some terminals also adopt limited mixed traffic (external tractors and IGVs drive in the same area at different times). Compared with the terminal's own horizontal transportation equipment, before the gantry crane performs operations on the external tractor (the gantry crane only detects the external tractor directly below), there are a series of problems such as being unable to confirm whether the external tractor has arrived at the operation position, whether the external tractor has taken the wrong position, whether the external tractor that has not started interaction blocks other external tractors that are in interaction, whether the driver falls asleep in the interaction area, and whether the driver plays with the mobile phone and cannot hear the operation instructions, resulting in low operation efficiency in the interaction area.

[0003] For the above reasons, some automated terminals have set up a design scheme applying RFID cards. Through RFID wireless readers, the relative positions of external tractors that have received RFID cards are read. However, the existing design schemes applying RFID cards have the following disadvantages:

[0004] 1) The investment cost is large. For example, to achieve the same accuracy requirements, the deployment of RFID readers is relatively complex and the number is large;

[0005] 2) The positioning accuracy is low. For example, if one RFID reader is installed every 10 meters, the accuracy is 5 meters (1 / 2 of 10 meters), and precise positioning cannot be achieved;

[0006] 3) The positioning stability is low. There is signal occlusion and attenuation for RFID cards, and the communication quality is difficult to guarantee;

[0007] 4) Communication other than position detection cannot be performed.

[0008] In addition, other positioning methods also have various drawbacks. For example, it is difficult to implement (such as UWB cannot block signals), Bluetooth has poor anti-interference ability, WIFI has regional restrictions, is easily interfered with and does not support some foreign mobile phones, and on-site manual communication with the driver consumes manpower and has poor communication efficiency. In the existing interaction area between external tractors and gantry cranes, when the operator cannot accurately grasp the dynamic position of the external tractor, after the gantry crane reaches the operation position, it is only then discovered that the external tractor has not arrived, wasting operation time and requiring re-adjustment of the operation logic, thus affecting the operation efficiency in the interaction area. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In view of this, it is necessary to propose an operation method and system for the interaction area between external trailers and rail-mounted gantry cranes in an automated terminal to address the above-mentioned problems and overcome the drawbacks in the background technology, thereby solving the following technical problems:

[0010] How to optimize the scheduling and interaction operation method between external trailers and rail-mounted gantry cranes in an automated terminal through the terminal operation scheduling system TOS, the rail-mounted gantry crane management system BMS, camera devices, and mobile communication devices, so as to improve the operation efficiency of the automated terminal.

[0011] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0012] The present invention proposes an operation method for the interaction area between external trailers and rail-mounted gantry cranes in an automated terminal, which is applied to an automated terminal. The automated terminal includes a terminal operation scheduling system TOS, a rail-mounted gantry crane management system BMS, a number of mobile communication devices located in external trailers, a number of rail-mounted gantry cranes, and a number of external trailers entering the automated terminal. The mobile communication devices interact with the terminal operation scheduling system TOS. The automated terminal further includes a camera device for photographing the interaction area between external trailers and rail-mounted gantry cranes, a video processing server for processing the video information transmitted back by the camera device, and positioning columns arranged on the corresponding lanes in the interaction area. The terminal operation scheduling system TOS communicates with the video processing server and the rail-mounted gantry crane management system BMS respectively. The operation method includes the following steps executed in sequence:

[0013] Step S1, after the external trailer enters the interaction area, the terminal operation scheduling system TOS prompts the external trailer of the target position in the interaction area through the mobile communication device or a loudspeaker;

[0014] Step S2, the camera device photographs the positioning columns and the external trailer on the corresponding lane, and the video processing server obtains the real-time accurate position and speed of the external trailer by identifying and analyzing the positioning columns and the external trailer, and transmits the real-time accurate position and speed of the external trailer to the terminal operation scheduling system TOS;

[0015] Step S3, the terminal operation scheduling system TOS transmits the real-time accurate position of the external trailer to the rail-mounted gantry crane management system BMS, and notifies the rail-mounted gantry crane management system BMS of the information that the external trailer is ready for operation;

[0016] Step S4, the rail-mounted gantry crane management system BMS controls the designated rail-mounted gantry crane to cooperate with the external trailer under the rail-mounted gantry crane for collaborative operation.

[0017] Further, before S1, the following steps are also included and executed in sequence:

[0018] Step S100, the external trailer driver obtains the route and instruction task of the external trailer going to the designated interaction area from the terminal operation scheduling system TOS through the mobile communication device, then enters the interaction area, and then executes step S200;

[0019] Step S200, when the external trailer meets the operation conditions in the interaction area, the gantry crane management system BMS notifies the terminal scheduling system TOS, and the terminal scheduling system TOS prompts the driver through the mobile communication device: The external trailer is allowed to enter the interaction area, and then step S1 is executed.

[0020] Further, before S100, the following steps are also included and executed in sequence:

[0021] Step S10001, install a camera device on the lamp post in the outermost lane of the interaction area. The detection angle of the camera device is parallel to the positioning column. Align the camera device with the interaction area so that the positioning column is in the middle of the vertical direction of the image. Set the actual position of the leftmost side of the interaction area as (0, 0), and the pixel coordinates corresponding to this actual position are (0, 0); then execute step S10002;

[0022] Step S10002, convert the pixel coordinates obtained by the camera device into actual coordinates according to the distortion coefficient obtained after calibrating the camera device; then execute step S100.

[0023] Further, in step S10001, by setting the virtual pixel area corresponding to the camera device, the camera device can identify the license plate number of the external trailer.

[0024] Further, in S4, the designated gantry crane is an idle gantry crane or a gantry crane that has ended the interaction with the previous external trailer.

[0025] Further, in step S2, the camera device sends the location information of the external trailer to the video processing server for data processing, and the video processing server then sends the location information of the external trailer to the terminal scheduling system TOS, so that the terminal scheduling system TOS obtains the real-time location of the external trailer.

[0026] Further, at least 300 bays are set in the interaction area, and the number of camera devices is at least 20; during the process of the external trailer driving to the task bay, the camera device at the alignment position starts to enable the positioning function, and sends the real-time location of the external trailer recognized by this camera device to the terminal scheduling system TOS through the video processing server; when the actual position of the external trailer recognized by this camera device is less than N1 bays away from the task bay, if there is no task for the available gantry cranes in the current interaction area, the terminal scheduling system TOS sends an instruction to the gantry crane management system BMS, and the gantry crane management system BMS controls the available gantry cranes to go to the task position to wait; if there is no idle gantry crane in the interaction area, the gantry crane management system BMS ignores the scheduling instruction of the terminal scheduling system TOS;

[0027] When the camera device recognizes that the actual position of the externally towed vehicle is less than <N2> bays away from the task bay, the terminal scheduling system TOS sorts the operation tasks according to the arrival information time and sends them to the gantry crane management system BMS. The gantry crane management system BMS adds the externally towed vehicle to the task sequence and dispatches a gantry crane to perform the operation; <N1> is greater than <N2>.

[0028] The present invention further provides an operation system for the interaction area between the externally towed vehicle and the gantry crane in an automated terminal, which is applied to an automated terminal. The operation system includes a terminal scheduling system TOS, a gantry crane management system BMS, several gantry cranes, several externally towed vehicles entering the automated terminal, a mobile communication device located inside the externally towed vehicle, a positioning column for the corresponding lane in the interaction area between the externally towed vehicle and the gantry crane, a camera device for photographing the externally towed vehicle, a video processing server, and a positioning column arranged on the corresponding lane in the interaction area;

[0029] The terminal scheduling system TOS communicates with the video processing server and the gantry crane management system BMS respectively, and the terminal scheduling system TOS interacts with each mobile communication device for information;

[0030] The video processing server is used to determine the execution of the operation task according to the information of the externally towed vehicle of the gantry crane management system BMS, and also processes the information transmitted back by the camera device to obtain the real-time position and real-time speed of the externally towed vehicle, and transmits the arrival situation of the externally towed vehicle and the normal / abnormal state situation of the externally towed vehicle to the terminal scheduling system TOS;

[0031] The terminal scheduling system TOS is used to, after the externally towed vehicle enters the interaction area, prompt the externally towed vehicle of the target position allowed to enter the interaction area through the mobile communication device or a loudspeaker; and is also used to transmit the real-time accurate position of the externally towed vehicle to the gantry crane management system BMS, and notify the gantry crane management system BMS of the information that the externally towed vehicle has the conditions for operation;

[0032] The mobile communication device is used as a communication device for notifying the driver and for manual intervention in case of abnormal behavior;

[0033] The gantry crane management system BMS is used to control the designated gantry crane to cooperate with the externally towed vehicle under the gantry crane for coordinated operation.

[0034] The present invention further provides an operation system for the interaction area between the externally towed vehicle and the gantry crane in an automated terminal, which is applied to an automated terminal. The operation system includes a terminal scheduling system TOS, a gantry crane management system BMS, several gantry cranes, several externally towed vehicles entering the automated terminal, a mobile communication device located inside the externally towed vehicle, a positioning column for the corresponding lane in the interaction area between the externally towed vehicle and the gantry crane, a camera device for photographing the externally towed vehicle, a video processing server for processing the video information transmitted back by the camera device, and a positioning column arranged on the corresponding lane in the interaction area;

[0035] The terminal operation scheduling system TOS communicates with the video processing server and the gantry crane management system BMS respectively, and the terminal operation scheduling system TOS exchanges information with each mobile communication device;

[0036] The terminal operation scheduling system TOS is used to, after the external trailer enters the interaction area, prompt the target position where the external trailer is allowed to enter the interaction area through a mobile communication device or a loudspeaker; the terminal operation scheduling system TOS is also used to determine the execution of operation tasks according to the external trailer information of the gantry crane management system BMS, and also obtain the real-time position and real-time speed of the external trailer from the information transmitted back by the video processing server, so as to obtain the arrival situation of the external trailer and the normal / abnormal state situation of the external trailer;

[0037] The video processing server is used to process the video information transmitted back by the camera device, and is also used to obtain the real-time accurate position and speed of the external trailer by identifying and analyzing the positioning columns and the external trailer, and transmit the real-time accurate position and speed of the external trailer to the terminal operation scheduling system TOS;

[0038] The camera device is used to photograph the positioning columns and the external trailer in the corresponding lane;

[0039] The mobile communication device is used as a communication device for notifying the driver and manually intervening in abnormal behaviors;

[0040] The gantry crane management system BMS is used to control the designated gantry crane to cooperate with the external trailer under the gantry crane for collaborative operations.

[0041] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0042] The visual positioning method of the present invention is relatively simple and has good visual coverage, can accept partial occlusion of positioning columns, and has the advantages of low hardware cost, small investment, convenient installation, and wide applicability; the positioning accuracy of the present invention is high, can detect the speed of the external trailer, belongs to meter-level positioning, has small errors, is suitable for confirming the position of the external trailer in the interaction area, and its positioning accuracy can be accurate to each container bay; the present invention overcomes the defect that there is poor communication between the operation personnel in the automated terminal operation area, port area or interaction area and the external trailer driver in the prior art, and also overcomes the defects that the dynamic position of the external trailer cannot be accurately grasped and the driver is not clear about the interaction process of the automated terminal in the prior art, thereby improving the operation efficiency of the interaction area between the external trailer and the gantry crane and the operation efficiency of the port; the present invention overcomes the defect that the dynamic position of the external trailer in the interaction area between the external trailer and the gantry crane of the automated terminal cannot be accurately grasped in the prior art, avoids the risk that the external trailer can only be detected whether it has arrived after the gantry crane reaches the operation position, thereby avoiding wasting operation time and the trouble of needing to readjust the operation logic. Description of the Drawings

[0043] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention, and the drawings are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, are used to explain the principles of the present invention. These figures are for illustrative purposes only and thus do not limit the present invention.

[0044] Figure 1 It is a flowchart of the operation method for the interaction area between the external tractor and the rail-mounted crane in an automated terminal of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of an operation system for the interaction area between the external tractor and the rail-mounted crane in an automated terminal in Embodiment 4 of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 3 It is a schematic working diagram of the positioning column and the camera device related to the present invention;

[0047] Figure 4 It is a top-down layout diagram of an automated terminal with parallel yard layout related to the present invention. Detailed Embodiments

[0048] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the present invention will be further described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0049] The following is a detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention depicted in the drawings. The embodiments are detailed to clearly convey the present invention. However, the amount of details provided is not intended to limit the expected variations of the embodiments; on the contrary, the purpose is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention defined by the appended claims.

[0050] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the present invention can be practiced without some of these specific details.

[0051] The embodiments of the present invention include various steps, which will be described below. These steps can be executed by hardware components or can be included in machine-executable instructions that can be used to program a general or special-purpose processor to execute these steps. Alternatively, the steps can be executed by a combination of hardware, software, and firmware and / or a human operator.

[0052] The various methods described herein can be practiced by combining one or more machine-readable storage media containing code in accordance with the present invention with suitable standard computer hardware to execute the code contained therein. Apparatus for implementing the various embodiments of the present invention may include one or more computers (or one or more processors within a single computer) and a storage system that includes or has network access to a computer program encoded according to the various methods described herein, and the method steps of the present invention may be accomplished by modules, routines, subroutines, or subparts of a computer program product.

[0053] If the specification states that a component or feature “may”, “is capable of”, “can”, or “might” include or have a feature, it is not necessary for the particular component or feature to be included or to have the feature.

[0054] As used in the specification and the subsequent claims of this application, the meanings of “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Further, as used in the description herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on”.

[0055] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments are shown. These exemplary embodiments are provided for illustrative purposes only and so that the present invention will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those of ordinary skill in the art. However, the disclosed invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Various modifications will be apparent to those of skill in the art. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications. In addition, all statements herein reciting embodiments of the present invention and specific examples thereof are intended to cover their structural and functional equivalents. Further, these equivalents are intended to include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future (i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function regardless of structure). Moreover, the terms and phrases used are for the purpose of describing exemplary embodiments and should not be considered limiting. Accordingly, the present invention is to be accorded the broadest scope, including various substitutions, modifications, and equivalents consistent with the disclosed principles and features. For the sake of clarity, details of technical materials known in the relevant art of the present invention have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention.

[0056] Thus, for example, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that schematic diagrams, schematic circuit diagrams, illustrations, etc. represent conceptual views or processes of the systems and methods embodying the present invention. The functions of the various elements shown in the figures can be provided by using dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing relevant software. Similarly, any switches shown in the figures are merely conceptual. Their functions can be performed by the operation of program logic, by dedicated logic, by the interaction of program control and dedicated logic, or even manually, and the specific technique can be selected by the entity implementing the present invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art should further understand that the exemplary hardware, software, processes, methods, and / or operating systems described herein are for illustrative purposes and are not intended to be limited to any particular named elements.

[0057] Embodiments of the present invention may be provided as a computer program product, which may include a machine-readable storage medium having instructions tangibly implemented thereon, which may be used to program a computer (or other electronic device) to perform a process. The term "machine-readable storage medium" or "computer-readable storage medium" includes, but is not limited to, fixed (hardware) drives, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, optical disks, compact disk read-only memories (CD-ROMs), and magneto-optical disks, semiconductor memories such as ROMs, PROMs, random access memories (RAMs), programmable read-only memories (PROMs), erasable PROMs (EPROMs), electrically erasable PROMs (EEPROMs), flash memories, magnetic or optical cards, or other types of media / machine-readable media suitable for storing electronic instructions (e.g., computer programming code such as software or firmware). The machine-readable medium may include non-transitory media, where data can be stored and does not include carrier waves and / or instantaneous electronic signals propagated by wireless or wired connections. Examples of non-transitory media may include, but are not limited to, magnetic disks or tapes, optical storage media such as compact disks (CDs) or digital versatile disks (DVDs), flash memories, memories or memory devices. The computer program product may include code and / or machine-executable instructions, which may represent any combination of processes, functions, subroutines, programs, routines, subroutines, modules, software packages, classes, or instructions, data structures, or program statements. By passing and / or receiving information, data, variables, parameters, or memory contents, code segments may be coupled with another code segment or hardware circuit. Information, variables, parameters, data, etc. may be passed, forwarded, or transmitted by any suitable means, including memory sharing, message passing, token passing, network transmission, etc.

[0058] In addition, embodiments may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, firmware, middleware, or microcode, the program code or code segments (e.g., computer program product) for performing the necessary tasks may be stored in a machine-readable medium. The processor may execute the necessary tasks.

[0059] The systems depicted in some of the figures may be provided in a variety of configurations. In some embodiments, the system may be configured as a distributed system, where one or more components of the system are distributed across one or more networks in a cloud computing system.

[0060] Each of the appended claims defines a separate invention, which for purposes of infringement is considered to include equivalents of the various elements or limitations specified in the claim. Depending on the context, all references herein to "the invention" may in some cases refer only to certain specific embodiments. In other cases, it should be recognized that references to "the invention" will refer to the subject matter recited in one or more but not necessarily all of the claims.

[0061] Unless otherwise specified herein or clearly contradicted by context, all of the methods described herein may be performed in any suitable order. The use of any and all examples or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein with respect to certain embodiments is only intended to better illustrate the invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention. Any language in the specification should not be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.

[0062] The various terms used herein are as follows. In the case where a term used in a claim is not defined below, the broadest definition should be given that has been given by persons skilled in the relevant art as reflected in printed publications and issued patents at the time of filing the application.

[0063] Embodiment 1

[0064] As Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 shown:

[0065] This embodiment provides an operation method for the interaction area between external trailers and gantry cranes in an automated terminal, which is applied to an automated terminal. The automated terminal includes a terminal operation scheduling system TOS, a gantry crane management system BMS, a number of mobile communication devices located in external trailers, a number of gantry cranes, and a number of external trailers entering the automated terminal. The mobile communication devices communicate with the terminal operation scheduling system TOS. The automated terminal further includes a camera device for photographing the interaction area between external trailers and gantry cranes, a video processing server for processing the video information transmitted back by the camera device, and positioning columns arranged on the corresponding lanes in the interaction area. The terminal operation scheduling system TOS communicates with the video processing server and the gantry crane management system BMS respectively. The operation method includes the following steps executed in sequence:

[0066] Step S1: After the external trailer enters the interaction area, the terminal scheduling system TOS prompts the target position of the external trailer entering the interaction area through a mobile communication device or a loudspeaker; then step S2 is executed;

[0067] Step S2: The camera device takes pictures of the positioning columns and the external trailer in the corresponding lane. The video processing server obtains the real-time accurate position and speed of the external trailer by identifying and analyzing the positioning columns and the external trailer, and transmits the real-time accurate position and speed of the external trailer to the terminal scheduling system TOS; then step S3 is executed;

[0068] Step S3: The terminal scheduling system TOS transmits the real-time accurate position of the external trailer to the gantry crane management system BMS, and notifies the gantry crane management system BMS of the information that the external trailer is ready for operation; then step S4 is executed;

[0069] Step S4: The gantry crane management system BMS controls the designated gantry crane to cooperate with the external trailer under the gantry crane for collaborative operation.

[0070] Specifically, the mobile communication device is a mobile client (such as a smart phone) used by the external trailer driver.

[0071] Specifically, the loudspeaker is controlled by the instruction of the terminal scheduling system TOS, and the loudspeaker is installed near the interaction area.

[0072] Embodiment 2

[0073] Embodiment 2 is an optimized design of any of the technical solutions in Embodiment 1;

[0074] As Figure 1 、 Figure 3 、 Figure 4 shown:

[0075] Before S1, the following steps are also included and executed in sequence:

[0076] Step S100: The external trailer driver obtains the route and instruction task of the external trailer going to the designated interaction area through the mobile communication device, then enters the interaction area, and then step S200 is executed;

[0077] Step S200: When the external trailer meets the operation conditions in the interaction area, the gantry crane management system BMS notifies the terminal scheduling system TOS, and the terminal scheduling system TOS prompts the driver through the mobile communication device that the external trailer is allowed to enter the interaction area, and then step S1 is executed.

[0078] Optimally, in S4, the designated gantry crane is an idle gantry crane or a gantry crane that has ended the interaction with the previous external trailer.

[0079] Further optimally, step S100 includes the following sub-steps:

[0080] Step S1001: Transmit the cabinet number information of the outward-dragged container or the received container through the mobile communication device, and after completion, notify the terminal scheduling system TOS.

[0081] Step S1002: The outward-dragged vehicle heads to the interaction area.

[0082] Embodiment 3

[0083] Embodiment 3 is an optimized design of any one of the technical solutions in Embodiment 2;

[0084] As Figure 1 、 Figure 3 、 Figure 4 shown:

[0085] Before S100, it further includes the following steps executed in sequence:

[0086] Step S10001: Install a camera device on the lamp post in the outermost lane of the interaction area. The detection angle of the camera device is parallel to the positioning column. Align the camera device towards the interaction area so that the positioning column is in the exact middle of the vertical direction of the image. Set the actual position at the far left of the interaction area as (0, 0), and the pixel coordinates corresponding to this actual position are (0, 0); then execute Step S10002;

[0087] Step S10002: According to the distortion coefficient obtained after calibrating the camera device, convert the pixel coordinates obtained by the camera device into actual coordinates; then execute Step S100.

[0088] Embodiment 4

[0089] Embodiment 4 is an optimized design of any one of the technical solutions in Embodiment 3;

[0090] As Figure 1 、 Figure 3 、 Figure 4 shown:

[0091] In Step S10001, by setting the virtual pixel area corresponding to the camera device, the camera device can identify the license plate number of the outward-dragged vehicle.

[0092] Embodiment 5

[0093] Embodiment 5 is an optimized design of any one of the technical solutions in Embodiment 1;

[0094] In Step S2, the camera device sends the location information of the outward-dragged vehicle to the video processing server for data processing, and the video processing server then sends the location information of the outward-dragged vehicle to the terminal scheduling system TOS, so that the terminal scheduling system TOS obtains the real-time location of the outward-dragged vehicle.

[0095] Embodiment 6

[0096] Example 6 is an optimized design of any one of the technical solutions in Example 1;

[0097] As Figure 1 、 Figure 3 、 Figure 4 shown:

[0098] The interactive area is provided with at least 300 bays, and the number of camera devices is at least 20; during the process of the external trailer driving to the task bay, the camera device at the alignment position starts to enable the positioning function, and sends the real-time position of the external trailer recognized by the camera device to the terminal scheduling system TOS through the video processing server;

[0099] When the actual position of the external trailer recognized by the camera device is less than N1 bays away from the task bay, if there is no task for the available gantry crane in the current interactive area, the terminal scheduling system TOS sends an instruction to the gantry crane management system BMS, and the gantry crane management system BMS controls the available gantry crane to go to the task position to wait; if there is no idle gantry crane in the interactive area, the gantry crane management system BMS ignores the scheduling instruction of the terminal scheduling system TOS;

[0100] When the actual position of the external trailer recognized by the camera device is less than N2 bays away from the task bay, the terminal scheduling system TOS sends the operation task sorted according to the arrival information time to the gantry crane management system BMS, and the gantry crane management system BMS adds the external trailer to the task sequence and sends a gantry crane to perform the operation; N1 is greater than N2.

[0101] Example 7

[0102] Example 7 is an optimized design of any one of the technical solutions in Example 1;

[0103] As Figure 1 、 Figure 3 、 Figure 4 shown:

[0104] The operation method of this example can be applied to an automated terminal with only one road before entering the interactive area. After entering the interactive area, the real-time position of the external trailer is realized by the visual positioning of the camera device (the positioning accuracy is centimeter level), and the principle is as follows:

[0105] Install a camera device on the high pole lamp in the outermost lane of the interaction area. The installation height of the camera device is 18m (adjustable), the visible angle of the camera device is 120°, that is, the horizontal field of view angle HFOV, the resolution is 1920*1080, the detection angle of view is parallel to the identification and positioning column in the interaction area, and the distance between the identification and positioning column and the camera device is 21m. The width per pixel = horizontal distance 21m × tan(HFOV / 2) / resolution 1920 / 2 = 2.32cm / pixel, and the accuracy can reach the centimeter level. Align the camera device with the interaction area so that it is in the exact middle of the vertical direction of the image. The leftmost side of the interaction area is set as the actual position (0, 0), and the corresponding pixel coordinates are (0, 0). Considering image distortion, the camera needs to be calibrated to obtain the distortion coefficient K (K1, K2, K3, K4...). Then the formula for converting pixel coordinates (x, y) to actual coordinates (X, Y) is (x, y) * width per pixel * K + n * (1920 * width per pixel) = (X, Y), where n is the number of the camera device, and the first one is 0; one camera device can monitor an interaction area of about 44 meters. In this area, high and low positioning columns are installed at intervals of 3 meters. The high positioning column is 2 meters, and the low positioning column is 1.5 meters, painted red to assist the camera device in position recognition. The setting of the high and low positioning columns can also be used for the calibration work of the pixel coordinates of the camera device in the early stage, accurately defining the pixel coordinates on the left and right of each positioning column. When the external trailer passes by and blocks the positioning column, the camera device reads the pixel coordinates (x1, y1) of the first positioning column on the left outside the blocked positioning column, and then reads the pixel coordinates (x2, y2) of the first positioning column on the right outside the most blocked positioning column. Convert (x2, y2) - (x1, y1) to the actual coordinates. The X value of this actual coordinate is the current position of the external trailer. By comparing every twelve frames of the image, the current speed of the external trailer can be obtained as (X2 - X1) / 1s, with the unit cm / s; the area monitored by the second camera device is 44 meters - 88 meters, and so on until the entire interaction area is monitored;

[0106] Set a virtual pixel area in the camera device. The camera device identifies the license plate number on the top or the front of the external trailer and sends the position information of the external trailer to the video processing server for data processing. The video processing server then sends the position information of the external trailer to the terminal scheduling system TOS, and the terminal scheduling system TOS can know the real-time position of the external trailer; in the interaction area of up to 360 bays, a total of 25 camera devices are required, and the interval between the camera devices is 44m;

[0107] During the process of towing the vehicle outside to the task quay position, the camera device on the high mast light starts to enable the positioning function, and sends the real-time position to the terminal scheduling system TOS through the video processing server. When the actual position is less than 20 quay positions away from the task quay position, if there is no task for the available gantry crane in the current interaction area, the terminal scheduling system TOS sends an instruction to the gantry crane management system BMS to let the available gantry crane go to the task position and wait; if there is no idle one, the information will be ignored;

[0108] When the actual position is less than 5 quay positions away from the task quay position, the terminal scheduling system TOS sorts the operation tasks according to the arrival information time and sends them to the gantry crane management system BMS. The gantry crane management system BMS adds the towed vehicle outside to the task sequence and sends a gantry crane to perform the operation.

[0109] Embodiment 8

[0110] As Figures 2-4 shown:

[0111] This embodiment proposes an operation system for the interaction area between the towed vehicle outside and the gantry crane in an automated terminal, which is applied to an automated terminal. The operation system includes a terminal scheduling system TOS, a gantry crane management system BMS, several gantry cranes, several towed vehicles entering the automated terminal, a mobile communication device located inside the towed vehicle, a positioning column for the corresponding lane in the interaction area between the towed vehicle and the gantry crane, a camera device for photographing the towed vehicle, a video processing server, and a positioning column arranged on the corresponding lane in the interaction area;

[0112] The terminal scheduling system TOS communicates with the video processing server and the gantry crane management system BMS respectively, and the terminal scheduling system TOS conducts information interaction with each mobile communication device respectively;

[0113] The video processing server is used to determine the execution of the operation task according to the information of the towed vehicle outside of the gantry crane management system BMS, and also processes the information transmitted back by the camera device to obtain the real-time position and real-time speed of the towed vehicle outside, and transmits the arrival situation of the towed vehicle outside and the normal / abnormal state situation of the towed vehicle outside to the terminal scheduling system TOS;

[0114] The terminal scheduling system TOS is used to, after the towed vehicle outside enters the interaction area, prompt the towed vehicle outside of the target position allowed to enter the interaction area through the mobile communication device or a loudspeaker; it is also used to transmit the real-time accurate position of the towed vehicle outside to the gantry crane management system BMS, and notify the gantry crane management system BMS of the information that the towed vehicle outside already has the operation conditions;

[0115] The mobile communication device is used as a communication device for notifying the driver and for manual intervention in case of abnormal behavior;

[0116] The gantry crane management system BMS is used to control the designated gantry crane to cooperate with the towed vehicle outside under the gantry crane for coordinated operation.

[0117] Preferably, the terminal operation scheduling system TOS is also used for dispatching operation tasks and overall control. After the external trailer enters the last gate, the operation tasks are sent to the video processing server.

[0118] Preferably, the terminal operation scheduling system TOS is also used for determining the dispatching of operation tasks and whether to perform manual intervention on abnormal situations according to the information transmitted from the video processing server.

[0119] Preferably, if the result that the external trailer stops moving and does not reach the target position appears, the video processing server pushes this result to the terminal operation scheduling system TOS.

[0120] Preferably, during the entire process of the operation of this operation system, the user can monitor the entire operation situation of the interaction area in real time in the intelligent control center to ensure that the external trailer can reach the target position in time and smoothly after entering the interaction area, and that after the external trailer is about to reach or reaches the target position, the gantry crane can come to execute the task in time, avoiding the situation that the gantry crane issues a task but the external trailer does not arrive or the external trailer arrives early but there is no gantry crane to pick up and deliver the container. The entire process conducts a full-cycle closed-loop management of the external trailers entering and leaving the interaction area, ensuring the service quality of the interaction area.

[0121] Specifically, the mobile communication device is a mobile client (such as a smart phone) used by the external trailer driver.

[0122] Specifically, the loudspeaker is controlled by the instruction of the terminal operation scheduling system TOS, and the loudspeaker is installed near the interaction area.

[0123] Further preferably, the operation system of this embodiment executes the operation method described in any one of Embodiments 1-7.

[0124] Embodiment 9

[0125] The present invention further provides an operation system for the interaction area of external trailers and gantry cranes in an automated terminal, which is applied to an automated terminal. This operation system includes a terminal operation scheduling system TOS, a gantry crane management system BMS, several gantry cranes, several external trailers entering the automated terminal, a mobile communication device located inside the external trailer, a camera device for photographing the positioning columns corresponding to the lanes in the interaction area of the external trailers and the external trailers, a video processing server for processing the video information transmitted back by the camera device, and positioning columns arranged on the corresponding lanes in the interaction area;

[0126] The terminal operation scheduling system TOS communicates with the video processing server and the gantry crane management system BMS respectively, and the terminal operation scheduling system TOS conducts information interaction with each mobile communication device respectively;

[0127] The terminal operation scheduling system TOS is used to, after the external trailer enters the interaction area, prompt the target position where the external trailer is allowed to enter the interaction area through a mobile communication device or a loudspeaker; the terminal operation scheduling system TOS is also used to determine the execution of operation tasks according to the external trailer information of the gantry crane management system BMS, and also obtain the real-time position and real-time speed of the external trailer from the information transmitted back by the video processing server, so as to obtain the arrival situation of the external trailer and the normal / abnormal state situation of the external trailer;

[0128] The video processing server is used to process the video information transmitted back by the camera device, and is also used to obtain the real-time accurate position and speed of the external trailer by identifying and analyzing the positioning columns and the external trailer, and transmit the real-time accurate position and speed of the external trailer to the terminal operation scheduling system TOS;

[0129] The camera device is used to photograph the positioning columns and the external trailer in the corresponding lane;

[0130] The mobile communication device is used as a communication device for notifying the driver and manually intervening in abnormal behaviors;

[0131] The gantry crane management system BMS is used to control the designated gantry crane to cooperate with the external trailer under the gantry crane for collaborative operations.

[0132] Further optimized, the operation system of this embodiment executes the operation method described in any one of Embodiments 1-6.

[0133] The above-described embodiments only represent several implementation manners of the present invention. The description is relatively specific and detailed, but it should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of the present invention patent. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the concept of the present invention, several deformations and improvements can still be made, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention patent should be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. An operation method for an automated terminal corresponding to an external tug and a rail crane interaction zone, applied to an automated terminal, the automated terminal comprising a terminal dispatching system TOS, a rail crane management system BMS, a plurality of mobile communication devices located in an external tug, a plurality of rail cranes and a plurality of external tugs entering the automated terminal, the mobile communication device performs information exchange with the terminal dispatching system TOS, characterized in that: The automated terminal also includes a camera device for photographing the interaction area between the external towing and the rail crane, a video processing server for processing the video information sent back by the camera device, and a positioning column arranged on the lane corresponding to the rail crane interaction area. The terminal dispatching system TOS communicates with the video processing server and the rail crane management system BMS respectively. The rail crane interaction area is provided with at least 300 bays, and the number of camera devices is at least 20. The operation method includes the following steps performed in sequence: Step S10001, install a camera device on the lamp post of the outermost lane of the track crane interaction area, the detection angle of the camera device is parallel to the positioning column, the camera device is facing the track crane interaction area, the positioning column is located in the middle of the image in the vertical direction, the actual position on the left of the track crane interaction area is set to (0, 0), and the pixel coordinates corresponding to the actual position are (0, 0); then execute step S10002; Step S10002, converting the pixel coordinates obtained by the camera device into actual coordinates according to the distortion coefficients obtained after calibrating the camera device; then executing step S100; Step S100, the tug driver obtains the route and instruction task of the tug to the designated rail crane interaction area from the terminal dispatching system TOS through a mobile communication device, and then enters the rail crane interaction area; then executes step S200; Step S200, when the towing vehicle meets the operating conditions in the rail crane interaction zone, the rail crane management system BMS notifies the terminal dispatching system TOS, and the terminal dispatching system TOS prompts the driver through the mobile communication device: the towing vehicle is allowed to enter the rail crane interaction zone; then execute step S1; Step S1, after the tow truck enters the rail crane interaction zone, the terminal dispatching system TOS prompts the tow truck to enter the target position of the rail crane interaction zone through a mobile communication device or a loudspeaker; then execute step S2; Step S2, the camera device shoots the positioning column and the outrigger of the corresponding lane, and the video processing server obtains the real-time accurate position and speed of the outrigger by identifying and analyzing the positioning column and the outrigger, and transmits the real-time accurate position and speed of the outrigger to the terminal dispatching system TOS; in step S2, the camera device sends the location information of the outrigger to the video processing server for data processing, and the video processing server then sends the location information of the outrigger to the terminal dispatching system TOS, so that the terminal dispatching system TOS obtains the real-time position of the outrigger; when the outrigger travels to the task bay, the camera device at the positioning position starts to enable the positioning function, and the real-time position of the outrigger identified by the camera device is sent to the terminal dispatching system TOS through the video processing server; then step S3 is executed; Step S3, the terminal dispatching system TOS transmits the real-time and accurate position of the outrigger to the rail crane management system BMS, and notifies the rail crane management system BMS that the outrigger has met the operating conditions; then executes step S4; Step S4, the rail crane management system BMS controls the designated rail crane to cooperate with the external tug under the rail crane to perform collaborative operations; in S4, the designated rail crane is an idle rail crane or a rail crane that has finished interacting with the previous external tug; when the camera device recognizes that the actual position of the external tug is less than N1 bays from the task position, if the operable rail crane in the current rail crane interaction area has no task, the terminal dispatching system TOS sends an instruction to the rail crane management system BMS, and the rail crane management system BMS controls the operable rail crane to go to the task position and wait; if there is no idle rail crane in the rail crane interaction area, the rail crane management system BMS ignores the dispatching instruction of the terminal dispatching system TOS; when the camera device recognizes that the actual position of the external tug is less than N2 bays from the task position, the terminal dispatching system TOS sorts the operation tasks according to the arrival information time and sends them to the rail crane management system BMS, and the rail crane management system BMS adds the external tug to the task sequence and sends the rail crane to the operation; N1 is greater than N2; In the area monitored by the camera, high and low positioning columns are installed at intervals, and the pixel coordinates of the left and right of each positioning column are accurately defined. When the external drag passes and blocks the positioning column, the camera device reads the pixel coordinates (x1, y1) of the first positioning column on the left outside the blocked positioning column, and then reads the pixel coordinates (x2, y2) of the first positioning column on the right outside the blocked positioning column, and converts (x2, y2)-(x1, y1) into actual coordinates. The X value of the actual coordinate is the current position of the external drag, and then the current speed of the external drag is obtained by comparing the images.

2. The method for operating the interaction zone between the external towing and the rail crane of the automated terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S10001, the camera device is enabled to recognize the license plate number of the towed vehicle by setting a virtual pixel area corresponding to the camera device.

3. An operation system for the interaction area between the external towing and the rail crane of an automated terminal, applied to an automated terminal, characterized in that: The operation system executes the operation method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, and the operation system includes a terminal dispatching system TOS, a rail crane management system BMS, a plurality of rail cranes, a plurality of outriggers entering the automated terminal, a mobile communication device located in the outriggers, a positioning column of a lane corresponding to the outrigger and rail crane interaction zone and a camera device for shooting the outrigger, a video processing server and a positioning column arranged on a lane corresponding to the rail crane interaction zone; The terminal dispatching system TOS communicates with the video processing server and the rail crane management system BMS respectively, and the terminal dispatching system TOS exchanges information with each mobile communication device respectively; The video processing server is used to determine the execution of the operation task according to the towing information of the rail crane management system BMS, and also processes the information transmitted back by the camera device to obtain the real-time position and speed of the towing, and transmits the arrival status of the towing and the normal / abnormal status of the towing to the terminal dispatching system TOS; The terminal dispatching system TOS is used to prompt the tug to enter the target position of the rail crane interaction area through a mobile communication device or a loudspeaker after the tug enters the rail crane interaction area; it is also used to transmit the real-time and accurate position of the tug to the rail crane management system BMS, and inform the rail crane management system BMS that the tug has met the operating conditions; The mobile communication device is used as a communication device for notifying the driver and manually intervening in abnormal behavior; The rail crane management system BMS is used to control the designated rail crane to work in coordination with the external tug under the rail crane.

4. An operation system for the interaction area between the external towing and the rail crane of an automated terminal, applied to an automated terminal, characterized in that: The operation system executes the operation method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, and the operation system includes a terminal dispatching system TOS, a rail crane management system BMS, a plurality of rail cranes, a plurality of outriggers entering the automated terminal, a mobile communication device located in the outriggers, a positioning column of a lane corresponding to the outrigger and rail crane interaction zone and a camera device for shooting the outrigger, a video processing server for processing video information returned by the camera device, and a positioning column arranged on a lane corresponding to the rail crane interaction zone; The terminal dispatching system TOS communicates with the video processing server and the rail crane management system BMS respectively, and the terminal dispatching system TOS exchanges information with each mobile communication device respectively; The terminal dispatching system TOS is used to prompt the towing machine to enter the target position of the rail crane interaction zone through a mobile communication device or a loudspeaker after the towing machine enters the rail crane interaction zone; the terminal dispatching system TOS is also used to determine the execution of the operation task according to the towing machine information of the rail crane management system BMS, and obtain the real-time position and real-time speed of the towing machine from the information transmitted back by the video processing server, so as to obtain the arrival status of the towing machine and the normal / abnormal status of the towing machine; The video processing server is used to process the video information sent back by the camera device, and is also used to obtain the real-time accurate position and speed of the outrigger by identifying and analyzing the positioning column and the outrigger, and transmit the real-time accurate position and speed of the outrigger to the terminal dispatching system TOS; The camera device is used to photograph the positioning pillars and external trailers of the corresponding lanes; The mobile communication device is used as a communication device for notifying the driver and for manual intervention in abnormal behavior; The rail crane management system BMS is used to control the designated rail crane to work in coordination with the external tug under the rail crane.

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