Container stacking control method and device and yard bridge

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a container stacking control method and device and a yard crane, and relates to the field of port container crane remote control systems. The method comprises the steps that the actual height difference between a container carried by a lifting appliance and a target container is obtained; when the actual height difference reaches a preset numerical value, target point cloud data are obtained through a radar installed on the lifting appliance; according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data, horizontal position information of a container carried by the lifting appliance and horizontal position information of a target container are determined; according to the horizontal position information of the container carried by the lifting appliance and the horizontal position information of the target container, the horizontal distance between the container carried by the lifting appliance and the target container is determined; and controlling the lifting appliance to move the container carried by the lifting appliance according to the horizontal distance. The method is used for more accurately calculating the horizontal distance between the two containers in an extremely small range so as to achieve the effect of accurately stacking the containers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of remote control systems for port container cranes, and in particular to a container stacking control method, device and yard crane. Background Art

[0002] With the development of automation technology, it is possible to automatically stack containers using sensors and intelligent control systems. In the process of controlling the automatic stacking of containers, accurately obtaining the distance between containers is the basis for achieving precise control.

[0003] In the prior art, the containers are mainly scanned by a radar installed in the middle of two containers, and the positions of the containers are distinguished based on point cloud data distributed on both sides of the radar, so as to calculate the distance between the two containers.

[0004] However, the above scheme has strict requirements on the installation position of the radar. Only by installing the radar between the two containers can the distance between the two containers be accurately calculated. Moreover, the distance range that can be detected is also limited. When the distance between the two containers is small, it is impossible to accurately distinguish the positions of the two containers, and thus the accurate distance cannot be calculated, and precise stacking control of the containers cannot be achieved. Summary of the invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a container stacking control method, device and yard crane, which are used to more accurately calculate the horizontal distance between two containers in a very small range, and achieve precise stacking of containers.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a container stacking control method, the method comprising:

[0007] Obtaining an actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and a target container; wherein the target container is a corresponding container to which the container carried by the spreader is about to approach in the horizontal direction;

[0008] When the actual height difference reaches a preset value, target point cloud data is obtained through a radar installed on the spreader; wherein the target point cloud data includes point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader and point cloud data of the target container;

[0009] Determining the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data;

[0010] Determining a horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container according to the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container;

[0011] According to the horizontal distance, the spreader is controlled to move the container carried by the spreader.

[0012] In a possible implementation, determining the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data includes:

[0013] Determining the identification point of the container carried by the spreader and the identification point of the target container according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data;

[0014] The horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader is determined according to the identification point of the container carried by the spreader, and the horizontal position information of the target container is determined according to the identification point of the target container.

[0015] In a possible implementation, determining the identification point of the container carried by the spreader and the identification point of the target container according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data includes:

[0016] A two-dimensional rectangular coordinate system is established with the radar as the origin, the horizontal direction pointing to the target container as the horizontal axis, and the vertical direction perpendicular to the radar as the vertical axis;

[0017] According to the actual height difference, determining in the target point cloud data, a point whose ordinate satisfies a first preset condition as an identification point of the container carried by the spreader;

[0018] The target point cloud data is projected onto the longitudinal axis, and in the projection point area with the highest density, a point whose abscissa satisfies a second preset condition is determined as the identification point of the target container.

[0019] In a possible implementation manner, determining the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader according to the identification point of the container carried by the spreader includes:

[0020] The horizontal position coordinates of the point with the largest horizontal coordinate value among the identification points of the container carried by the spreader are determined as the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader.

[0021] In a possible implementation manner, determining the horizontal position information of the target container according to the identification point of the target container includes:

[0022] The horizontal position coordinates of the point with the smallest horizontal coordinate value among the identification points of the target container are determined as the horizontal position information of the target container.

[0023] In a possible implementation, determining the horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container according to the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container includes:

[0024] The difference between the horizontal position coordinates of the point with the smallest value of the horizontal coordinate and the horizontal position coordinates of the point with the largest value of the horizontal coordinate is determined, and the difference is determined as the horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container.

[0025] In a possible implementation, controlling the spreader to move the container carried by the spreader according to the horizontal distance includes:

[0026] If it is determined that the horizontal distance is greater than the preset target distance, the spreader is controlled to move so that the container carried by the spreader moves toward the target container until the horizontal distance is equal to the preset target distance.

[0027] In a possible implementation, obtaining the actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container includes:

[0028] Obtaining a first height difference between the radar and the container carried by the spreader, and obtaining a second height difference between the radar and the target container;

[0029] An absolute difference between the first height difference and the second height difference is determined, and the absolute difference is determined as the actual height difference.

[0030] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a container stacking control device, the device comprising:

[0031] A first acquisition unit is used to acquire an actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and a target container; wherein the target container is a corresponding container to which the container carried by the spreader is about to approach in the horizontal direction;

[0032] A second acquisition unit is used to acquire target point cloud data through a radar installed on the spreader when the actual height difference reaches a preset value; wherein the target point cloud data includes point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader and point cloud data of the target container;

[0033] A processing unit, configured to determine horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and horizontal position information of the target container according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data;

[0034] a determining unit, configured to determine a horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container according to horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and horizontal position information of the target container;

[0035] The control unit is used to control the spreader to move the container carried by the spreader according to the horizontal distance.

[0036] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a field crane, wherein the field crane comprises the container stacking control device according to the second aspect above.

[0037] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which computer-executable instructions are stored. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor, they are used to implement the first aspect above and / or various possible implementations of the first aspect.

[0038] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, including a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the above first aspect and / or various possible implementation methods of the first aspect.

[0039] In the container stacking control method, device and yard bridge provided by the embodiment of the present application, the method includes: obtaining the actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container; wherein the target container is the corresponding container that the container carried by the spreader is about to approach in the horizontal direction; when the actual height difference reaches a preset value, the target point cloud data is obtained by the radar installed on the spreader; wherein the target point cloud data includes the point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader and the point cloud data of the target container; according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data, the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container are determined; according to the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container, the horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container is determined; according to the horizontal distance, the spreader is controlled to move the container carried by the spreader. By collecting the target point cloud data through the radar installed on the spreader, and analyzing the collected target point cloud data according to the actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container, the horizontal distance between the two containers in a very small range can be calculated, the calculation accuracy is higher, the practicability is stronger, and the precise stacking of containers can be achieved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0041] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a container stacking scenario provided for this application;

[0042] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a container stacking control method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a relative position relationship provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of another container stacking control method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a container stacking control device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a control device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0047] The above drawings have shown clear embodiments of the present application, which will be described in more detail later. These drawings and text descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the present application in any way, but to illustrate the concept of the present application to those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The implementations described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all implementations consistent with the present application. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0049] In modern logistics and transportation industries, containers are widely used. In order to improve space utilization, containers usually need to be stacked, and efficient stacking and handling of containers is the key to improving operational efficiency.

[0050] Traditional container stacking mainly relies on manual operation, which has problems of low efficiency and high safety risks. With the development of automation technology, it has become possible to automatically stack containers using sensors and intelligent control systems.

[0051] In the prior art, the containers are mainly scanned by a radar installed in the middle of two containers, and the positions of the containers are distinguished based on point cloud data distributed on both sides of the radar, so as to calculate the distance between the two containers.

[0052] However, the above scheme has strict requirements on the installation position of the radar. Only by installing the radar between the two containers can the distance between the two containers be accurately calculated. Moreover, the distance range that it can detect is also limited. When the distance between the two containers is small (for example, less than 5 cm), it is impossible to accurately distinguish the positions of the two containers, and thus the accurate distance cannot be calculated, and precise stacking control of the containers cannot be achieved.

[0053] However, in actual operation, there is usually a need to stack containers tightly (the left and right distance between two containers is close to 0). Therefore, how to detect the distance between containers within a very small distance range is still of great significance for realizing automatic tight stacking of containers.

[0054] For example, Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a container stacking scenario provided in this application. Figure 1 As shown, container 1 and container 3, container 2 and container 4 are stacked closely vertically, and container 1 and container 2, container 3 and container 4 are stacked closely horizontally.

[0055] In actual operation scenarios, there will be Figure 1 The requirements shown in the figure not only require that container 1 be accurately stacked on container 3, but also that the distance between container 1 and container 2 be as small as possible to improve space utilization. At this time, the horizontal distance between container 1 and container 2 needs to be accurately calculated to achieve accurate stacking.

[0056] In order to solve the above technical problems, the embodiment of the present application provides a container stacking control method, which controls the height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container, and then obtains the point cloud data of the container through the radar installed on the spreader, and then analyzes the position and density of the point cloud based on the height difference, and divides the point cloud of the container carried by the spreader and the point cloud of the target container, so as to calculate the horizontal distance between the two containers. The present application has no special requirements for the installation position of the radar on the spreader, and only needs to be able to collect the point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader and the point cloud data of the target container, and can calculate the horizontal distance between the two containers within a very small range, with higher calculation accuracy and stronger practicality, and can achieve accurate stacking of containers.

[0057] The technical solution of the present application and how the technical solution of the present application solves the above-mentioned technical problems are described in detail below with specific embodiments. The following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments. The embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0058] Figure 2A flowchart of a container stacking control method provided in an embodiment of the present application. Exemplarily, the execution subject of the embodiment of the present application may be a container stacking control device, which may be located on an electronic device, which may be a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, a tablet, a laptop computer, etc. The electronic device may be applied to an automatic control system for container stacking, which may be applied to a yard crane, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit this. The embodiment of the present application is described in detail by taking the execution subject as a container stacking control device as an example.

[0059] like Figure 2 As shown, the container stacking control method provided in the embodiment of the present application may include:

[0060] S201. Acquire an actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and a target container; wherein the target container is a corresponding container to which the container carried by the spreader is about to approach in the horizontal direction.

[0061] For example, in an embodiment of the present application, it is necessary to distinguish the point cloud data of the container carried by the sling and the target container by the height difference. Only when the height difference reaches a certain value can the distinction be made more easily, quickly and accurately. Therefore, in an embodiment of the present application, the actual height difference between the container carried by the sling and the target container can be controlled before obtaining the target point cloud data. When the actual height difference between the two reaches a preset value, the target point cloud data can be collected.

[0062] The target container in the embodiment of the present application refers to the corresponding container that the container carried by the spreader is about to approach in the horizontal direction. Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , if the container 1 located at another position is to be Figure 1 As shown, they are tightly stacked on the left side of container 2, so container 1 is the container carried by the spreader, and container 2 is the target container.

[0063] For example, the actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container can be determined in any manner. For example, with the ground or a fixed reference point as a reference, using a laser rangefinder, an ultrasonic rangefinder or other precise measuring equipment, the height of the container carried by the spreader and the target container can be determined respectively, and then the actual height difference between the two can be calculated. When the height difference between the two reaches a preset height difference value, the target point cloud data is collected.

[0064] Optionally, in a possible embodiment, obtaining the actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container may include:

[0065] S01, obtaining a first height difference between the radar and the container carried by the spreader, and obtaining a second height difference between the radar and the target container;

[0066] S02. Determine an absolute difference between the first height difference and the second height difference, and determine the absolute difference as an actual height difference.

[0067] Exemplarily, the radar is mounted on the spreader, and the radar can be used to measure not only the distance between the radar and the container carried by the spreader, but also the distance between the radar and the target container. It can be understood that when the spreader carries the container, the first height difference between the radar and the container carried by the spreader generally does not change, so it can be considered that the first height difference between the radar and the container carried by the spreader is a fixed value. During the movement of the spreader, it is mainly necessary to measure the second height difference between the radar and the target container in real time, and calculate the absolute difference between the first height difference and the second height difference, so as to determine the actual height difference.

[0068] The radar on the spreader is directly used to measure the first height difference between the radar and the container carried by the spreader, and the second height difference between the radar and the target container, without increasing the cost of additional measuring equipment, and is more practical.

[0069] In some other possible embodiments, the first height difference between the radar and the container carried by the sling, and the second height difference between the radar and the target container may also be determined by other methods, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0070] By controlling the actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container, the collection time of the target point cloud data can be determined, which can not only reduce the subsequent data processing volume and improve data processing efficiency; it can also more accurately segment the point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader and the point cloud data of the target container, thereby realizing the detection of extremely small distances between the two containers.

[0071] S202. When the actual height difference reaches a preset value, target point cloud data is obtained through a radar installed on the spreader; wherein the target point cloud data includes point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader and point cloud data of the target container.

[0072] For example, in the process of stacking containers, accurately obtaining the location information of the containers is the key to achieving automated and efficient stacking. In the embodiment of the present application, the radar is installed on the spreader, usually in an area that can cover the containers carried by the spreader and the target container, so that the radar can continuously obtain clear point cloud data during the movement of the spreader. For example, at least the point cloud data of the side points of the container carried by the spreader close to the target container and the point cloud data of the side points and top points of the target container can be scanned.

[0073] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present application, the radar installed on the sling can be a 2D single-line radar. Compared with the multi-line radar, the structure of the single-line radar is relatively simple and the manufacturing cost is low. The point cloud data of each spatial point obtained using the single-line radar at least includes the coordinates of the scanned spatial point. Of course, in some other embodiments, other suitable three-dimensional scanning devices can also be used. These devices can generate point cloud data of the surrounding environment by emitting laser beams and receiving reflected signals, which is not limited by the embodiment of the present application.

[0074] It is understandable that in the process of container stacking, it is usually necessary to move the containers from one position to another. The distance may be close or far. In actual operation, not only can their point cloud data be obtained throughout the movement process, but also when the distance between the container carried by the sling and the target container is close, for example, when the actual height difference between the container carried by the sling and the target container reaches a preset value, point cloud data can be collected to reduce the subsequent data processing volume and improve data processing efficiency.

[0075] In some other possible embodiments, the start time of collecting the target point cloud data may also be determined by other means. For example, when it is recognized that the container carried by the sling has moved to a fixed position, the target point cloud data collection begins, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0076] By controlling the actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container, and through the radar installed on the spreader, accurate point cloud data can be obtained, thus providing a data basis for subsequent position information determination, distance calculation and spreader movement control. In particular, when using a single-line radar, the number of points in a frame is within 10,000, and the calculation result can be obtained by traversing the point cloud once, and only the two-dimensional coordinates of the point cloud are used, without involving complex transformations, and the calculation is simple and efficient.

[0077] S203: Determine the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data.

[0078] Exemplarily, the acquired target point cloud data includes the point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader and the point cloud data of the target container. The point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader describes the position of the container currently carried by the spreader, and the point cloud data of the target container describes the position of the target container that the spreader is about to approach. By analyzing and identifying the target point cloud data, the point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader and the point cloud data of the target container can be identified, thereby determining the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container.

[0079] Optionally, in a possible embodiment, determining the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data may include:

[0080] S1. Determine the identification point of the container carried by the spreader and the identification point of the target container according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data;

[0081] S2. Determine the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader according to the identification points of the container carried by the spreader, and determine the horizontal position information of the target container according to the identification points of the target container.

[0082] For example, when determining the location information of a container, the identification points of the container may be determined first, and then the location information may be determined based on the identification points. The identification points may be corner points, edge points, or other points with significant geometric features of the container, and these identification points should be able to uniquely describe the location and posture of the container.

[0083] Optionally, in a possible embodiment, determining the identification point of the container carried by the spreader and the identification point of the target container according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data may include:

[0084] S11. Establish a two-dimensional rectangular coordinate system with the radar as the origin, the horizontal direction pointing to the target container as the horizontal axis, and the vertical direction perpendicular to the radar as the vertical axis;

[0085] S12, determining, based on the actual height difference, a point in the target point cloud data whose ordinate satisfies a first preset condition as an identification point of the container carried by the spreader;

[0086] S13, projecting the target point cloud data onto the vertical axis, and in the projection point area with the highest density, determining the point whose horizontal coordinate meets the second preset condition as the identification point of the target container.

[0087] Exemplarily, when processing point cloud data to determine the identification points of the container carried by the spreader and the target container, a two-dimensional rectangular coordinate system can be used to simplify the problem, and the spreader, radar, container carried by the spreader, and target container are simplified on a plane coordinate system to determine the identification points of the container carried by the spreader and the identification points of the target container.

[0088] For example, Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a relative position relationship provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3As shown, during the container stacking process, there will be a height difference (which can be recorded as h) between the container 300 carried by the sling and the target container 400. The radar 200 is installed on the sling 100. The radar 200 can collect point cloud data at the right side A of the container 300 carried by the sling, and can also collect point cloud data at the left side B and the top edge C of the target container 400.

[0089] When processing point cloud data, a two-dimensional rectangular coordinate system can be established with the radar 200 as the origin, the horizontal direction pointing to the target container 400 as the horizontal axis x, and the vertical direction perpendicular to the radar 200 as the vertical axis y (wherein, it should be noted that Figure 3 The coordinate system shown is only an example of direction, and the radar is not used as the origin). Based on this, it can be considered that the point cloud data of each spatial point collected at least includes the two-dimensional coordinates (x, y) of the scanned spatial point. By analyzing these two-dimensional coordinates, the identification points of the container carried by the spreader and the identification points of the target container can be determined.

[0090] Combination Figure 3 As shown, since there is a height difference between the container 300 carried by the spreader and the target container 400, the point cloud data within the height difference range should be the point cloud data of the container 300 carried by the spreader, and the ordinates of these point cloud data are all greater than the ordinates of the spatial points of the target container 400. In order to improve the accuracy of the data, a reasonable parameter can be set based on the actual height difference h. For example, it is determined that the points with ordinate y>-(h / 2) in the target point cloud data are all identification points of the container carried by the spreader. Among them, the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific value of the preset value corresponding to the actual height difference, which can be set in combination with the measurement accuracy of the radar used.

[0091] For the target container 400, the target point cloud data can be projected onto the longitudinal axis y. Since the point cloud data of the target container 400 includes the point cloud data of the left side B and the top edge C, when projected onto the longitudinal axis y, a high-density area will be formed. Therefore, the identification point of the target container can be determined in the projection point area with the highest density. Figure 3 As shown, it can be understood that the horizontal coordinates of the spatial points of the target container 400 are greater than the horizontal coordinates of the spatial points of the container 300 carried by the sling, and the differences in the horizontal coordinates between the spatial points of the target container should be small. Therefore, it can be determined that the points in the projection point area with the highest density whose horizontal coordinate differences are less than a preset distance (for example, less than 1 cm) are the identification points of the target containers.

[0092] It should be noted that when the established two-dimensional rectangular coordinate systems are different, the corresponding first preset conditions and second preset conditions will change accordingly, and the solutions with the same implementation principles should be included in the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present application.

[0093] After the identification points of the container carried by the spreader and the identification points of the target container are determined, the corresponding horizontal position information can be determined based on these identification points.

[0094] Optionally, in a possible embodiment, determining the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader according to the identification point of the container carried by the spreader may include:

[0095] The horizontal position coordinates of the point with the largest horizontal coordinate value among the identification points of the container carried by the spreader are determined as the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader.

[0096] Exemplarily, there are multiple identification points determined for the container carried by the spreader. When processing data, the horizontal position coordinates (i.e., the horizontal coordinate) of the point with the largest horizontal coordinate value among these identification points can be determined as the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader, which can be recorded as Xmax.

[0097] Optionally, in a possible embodiment, determining the horizontal position information of the target container according to the identification point of the target container may include:

[0098] The horizontal position coordinates of the point with the smallest horizontal coordinate value among the identification points of the target container are determined as the horizontal position information of the target container.

[0099] Exemplarily, there are multiple identification points of the target container determined. When processing data, the horizontal position coordinates (ie, the horizontal coordinate) of the point with the smallest horizontal coordinate value among these identification points can be determined as the horizontal position information of the target container, which can be recorded as Xmin.

[0100] The embodiment of the present application utilizes a two-dimensional coordinate system and a projection method, combined with the actual height difference between the container carried by the sling and the target container, to effectively extract the identification points of the container carried by the sling and the target container from the target point cloud data, and determine their respective horizontal position information, thereby improving the calculation efficiency and enhancing the robustness of recognition by using point density analysis.

[0101] Optionally, in order to improve data processing efficiency, before determining the identification points, the target point cloud data can be denoised and down-sampled to remove the point cloud data that is obviously not likely to be the container carried by the sling and the target container, and then perform subsequent processing to reduce computational complexity and improve data quality. This embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto.

[0102] S204: Determine a horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container according to the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container.

[0103] Exemplarily, after the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container are determined, the horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container can be determined based on the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container.

[0104] Optionally, in a possible embodiment, determining the horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container according to the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container may include:

[0105] Determine the difference between the horizontal position coordinates of the point with the smallest abscissa value and the horizontal position coordinates of the point with the largest abscissa value, and determine the difference as the horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container.

[0106] For example, in combination Figure 3 , when a two-dimensional rectangular coordinate system is established with the radar 200 as the origin, the horizontal direction pointing to the target container 400 as the horizontal axis x, and the vertical direction perpendicular to the radar 200 as the vertical axis y, the horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container = the horizontal position coordinate Xmin of the target container - the horizontal position coordinate Xmax of the container carried by the spreader. Based on this, the horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container can be calculated quickly and accurately.

[0107] Based on the solution of the embodiment of the present application, there is no need to limit the installation position of the radar on the spreader, and the distance between two containers within a very small range can be calculated, the calculation accuracy is higher, the practicality is stronger, and accurate stacking of containers can be achieved.

[0108] S205. Control the spreader to move the container carried by the spreader according to the horizontal distance.

[0109] For example, in different stacking scenarios, there are different stacking requirements. The automatic stacking system can accurately control the spreader to move the container carried by the spreader according to the distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container, so that the container reaches the target position.

[0110] Optionally, in a possible embodiment, controlling the spreader to move the container carried by the spreader according to the horizontal distance may include:

[0111] If it is determined that the horizontal distance is greater than the preset target distance, the spreader is controlled to move so that the container carried by the spreader moves in a direction close to the target container until the horizontal distance is equal to the preset target distance.

[0112] For example, in container stacking, in order to achieve precise control, it is necessary to control the movement of the spreader to adjust the position of the container carried by the spreader so that the horizontal distance between the spreader and the target container reaches a preset target distance.

[0113] It can be understood that the preset target distance refers to the desired spacing distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container. When tight stacking is desired, the preset target distance is 0. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific value of the preset target distance. In practical applications, based on the solution of the present application, not only can the tight stacking of containers be achieved, but also their stacking can be controlled at a specific position.

[0114] During the stacking process, it is necessary to determine whether the horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container has reached the preset target distance. If it has reached it, the spreader can be controlled to put down the container carried by the spreader so that it can be accurately stacked at the target position. If it has not reached it, it is necessary to control the spreader to move so that the container carried by the spreader moves toward the target container until the distance is equal to the preset target distance, and then control the spreader to put down the container carried by the spreader.

[0115] By setting an appropriate preset target distance, the spreader movement can be effectively controlled so that the distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container reaches the preset target, achieving accurate stacking of containers.

[0116] The container stacking control method provided by the embodiment of the present application includes: obtaining the actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container; wherein the target container is the corresponding container that the container carried by the spreader is about to approach in the horizontal direction; when the actual height difference reaches a preset value, the target point cloud data is obtained by the radar installed on the spreader; wherein the target point cloud data includes the point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader and the point cloud data of the target container; according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data, the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container are determined; according to the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container, the horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container is determined; according to the horizontal distance, the spreader is controlled to move the container carried by the spreader. The scheme of the present application, by controlling the height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container, and then collecting the target point cloud data by the radar installed on the spreader, and analyzing the collected target point cloud data based on the height difference, can calculate the horizontal distance between the two containers in a very small range, with higher calculation accuracy and stronger practicality, and can achieve accurate stacking of containers.

[0117] Figure 4 A flowchart of another container stacking control method provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 As shown, the container stacking control method provided in the embodiment of the present application may include:

[0118] S401. Obtain the actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container.

[0119] The target container is the corresponding container that the container carried by the spreader is about to approach in the horizontal direction.

[0120] S402: When the actual height difference reaches a preset value, the target point cloud data is obtained through the radar installed on the spreader.

[0121] The target point cloud data includes the point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader and the point cloud data of the target container.

[0122] S403, establishing a two-dimensional rectangular coordinate system with the radar as the origin, the horizontal direction pointing to the target container as the horizontal axis, and the vertical direction perpendicular to the radar as the vertical axis.

[0123] S404. Determine, based on the actual height difference, a point in the target point cloud data whose ordinate satisfies a first preset condition as an identification point of the container carried by the spreader.

[0124] S405: Project the target point cloud data onto the vertical axis, and in the projection point area with the highest density, determine the point whose horizontal coordinate meets the second preset condition as the identification point of the target container.

[0125] S406: Determine the horizontal position coordinates of the point with the largest horizontal coordinate value among the identification points of the container carried by the spreader as the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader.

[0126] S407: Determine the horizontal position coordinates of the point with the smallest horizontal coordinate value among the identification points of the target container as the horizontal position information of the target container.

[0127] S408, determining the difference between the horizontal position coordinates of the point with the smallest abscissa value and the horizontal position coordinates of the point with the largest abscissa value, and determining the difference as the horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container.

[0128] S409, controlling the spreader to move the container carried by the spreader according to the horizontal distance.

[0129] It should be noted that the specific implementation of the above steps in this embodiment can refer to the specific description of other embodiments, which will not be repeated here. In realizing the precise stacking control of containers, some or all of the above steps can be included.

[0130] The container stacking control method provided in the embodiment of the present application has no special requirements for the installation position of the radar on the sling. It only needs to be able to collect the point cloud data of the container carried by the sling and the point cloud data of the target container. By controlling the height difference between the container carried by the sling and the target container, the horizontal distance between the two containers in a very small range can be calculated. The calculation accuracy is higher and the practicability is stronger, so that accurate stacking of containers can be achieved.

[0131] The following are device embodiments of the present application, which can be used to execute the method embodiments of the present application. For details not disclosed in the device embodiments of the present application, please refer to the method embodiments of the present application.

[0132] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a container stacking control device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 As shown, the container stacking control device 50 provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a first acquisition unit 501 , a second acquisition unit 502 , a processing unit 503 , a determination unit 504 and a control unit 505 .

[0133] The first acquisition unit 501 is used to acquire the actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container; wherein the target container is the corresponding container to which the container carried by the spreader is about to approach in the horizontal direction;

[0134] The second acquisition unit 502 is used to acquire target point cloud data through a radar installed on the spreader when the actual height difference reaches a preset value; wherein the target point cloud data includes point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader and point cloud data of the target container;

[0135] The processing unit 503 is used to determine the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data;

[0136] A determination unit 504, configured to determine a horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container according to the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container;

[0137] The control unit 505 is used to control the spreader to move the container carried by the spreader according to the horizontal distance.

[0138] The device provided in this embodiment can be used to execute the method of the above embodiment. Its implementation principle and technical effect are similar and will not be described in detail here.

[0139] Based on the above device embodiment, in some possible examples, the processing unit 503 is specifically configured to:

[0140] Determine the identification points of the container carried by the spreader and the identification points of the target container based on the actual height difference and the target point cloud data;

[0141] The horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader is determined according to the identification points of the container carried by the spreader, and the horizontal position information of the target container is determined according to the identification points of the target container.

[0142] Based on the above device embodiment, in some possible examples, the processing unit 503 is further specifically configured to:

[0143] A two-dimensional rectangular coordinate system is established with the radar as the origin, the horizontal direction pointing to the target container as the horizontal axis, and the vertical direction perpendicular to the radar as the vertical axis;

[0144] According to the actual height difference, determine in the target point cloud data that the point whose ordinate satisfies the first preset condition is the identification point of the container carried by the spreader;

[0145] The target point cloud data is projected onto the vertical axis, and in the projection point area with the highest density, the point whose horizontal coordinate meets the second preset condition is determined as the identification point of the target container.

[0146] Based on the above device embodiment, in some possible examples, the processing unit 503 is further specifically configured to:

[0147] The horizontal position coordinates of the point with the largest horizontal coordinate value among the identification points of the container carried by the spreader are determined as the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader.

[0148] Based on the above device embodiment, in some possible examples, the processing unit 503 is further specifically configured to:

[0149] The horizontal position coordinates of the point with the smallest horizontal coordinate value among the identification points of the target container are determined as the horizontal position information of the target container.

[0150] Based on the above device embodiment, in some possible examples, the determining unit 504 is specifically configured to:

[0151] Determine the difference between the horizontal position coordinates of the point with the smallest abscissa value and the horizontal position coordinates of the point with the largest abscissa value, and determine the difference as the horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container.

[0152] Based on the above device embodiment, in some possible examples, the control unit 505 is specifically configured to:

[0153] If it is determined that the horizontal distance is greater than the preset target distance, the spreader is controlled to move so that the container carried by the spreader moves in a direction close to the target container until the horizontal distance is equal to the preset target distance.

[0154] Based on the above device embodiment, in some possible examples, the first acquisition unit 501 is specifically used to:

[0155] Obtaining a first height difference between the radar and the container carried by the spreader, and obtaining a second height difference between the radar and the target container;

[0156] An absolute difference between the first height difference and the second height difference is determined, and the absolute difference is determined as the actual height difference.

[0157] The device provided in this embodiment can be used to execute the method of the above embodiment. Its implementation principle and technical effect are similar and will not be described in detail here.

[0158] It should be noted that it should be understood that the division of the various modules of the above device is only a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into one physical entity, or they can be physically separated. And these modules can all be implemented in the form of software called by processing elements; they can also be all implemented in the form of hardware; some modules can also be implemented in the form of software called by processing elements, and some modules can be implemented in the form of hardware. In addition, it can also be stored in the memory of the above device in the form of program code, and the functions of the above data processing modules can be called and executed by a processing element of the above device. The implementation of other modules is similar. In addition, all or part of these modules can be integrated together, or they can be implemented independently. The processing element here can be an integrated circuit with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, each step of the above method or each module above can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of hardware in the processor element or instructions in the form of software.

[0159] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a control device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 As shown, the control device 60 provided in this embodiment includes: at least one processor 601 and a memory 602. Optionally, the device 60 also includes a communication component 603. The processor 601, the memory 602 and the communication component 603 are connected via a bus 604.

[0160] In a specific implementation process, at least one processor 601 executes the computer execution instructions stored in the memory 602, so that at least one processor 601 executes the above method.

[0161] The specific implementation process of the processor 601 can be found in the above method embodiment, and its implementation principle and technical effect are similar, so this embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0162] In the above embodiments, it should be understood that the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), etc. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in the invention may be directly implemented as being executed by a hardware processor, or may be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor.

[0163] The memory may include a high-speed memory (Random Access Memory, RAM), and may also include a non-volatile memory (Non-volatile Memory, NVM), such as at least one disk memory.

[0164] The bus may be an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, the bus in the drawings of the present application is not limited to only one bus or one type of bus.

[0165] The present application also provides a field crane, which includes any one of the above-mentioned container stacking control devices.

[0166] The present application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program, which implements the above method when executed by a processor.

[0167] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which computer-executable instructions are stored. When a processor executes the computer-executable instructions, the above method is implemented.

[0168] The above-mentioned readable storage medium can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic disk or optical disk. The readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general or special-purpose computer.

[0169] An exemplary readable storage medium is coupled to a processor so that the processor can read information from the readable storage medium and write information to the readable storage medium. Of course, the readable storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and the readable storage medium can be located in an application specific integrated circuit (Application Specific Integrated Circuits, referred to as: ASIC). Of course, the processor and the readable storage medium can also exist in the device as discrete components.

[0170] The division of units is only a logical function division, and there may be other divisions in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interface, device or unit, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0171] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0172] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present invention may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0173] If the function is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including several instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the methods of each embodiment of the present invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (ROM, Read-Only Memory), random access memory (RAM, Random Access Memory), disk or optical disk, etc. Various media that can store program codes.

[0174] Those skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the steps of implementing the above-mentioned method embodiments can be completed by hardware related to program instructions. The aforementioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, the steps of the above-mentioned method embodiments are executed; and the aforementioned storage medium includes: ROM, RAM, disk or optical disk and other media that can store program codes.

[0175] Finally, it should be noted that those skilled in the art will readily conceive of other embodiments of the present invention after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. The present invention is intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptations of the present invention, which follow the general principles of the present invention and include common knowledge or customary technical means in the art not disclosed by the present invention, are not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the drawings, and may be modified and changed in various ways without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A container stacking control method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Obtaining an actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and a target container; wherein the target container is a corresponding container to which the container carried by the spreader is about to approach in the horizontal direction; When the actual height difference reaches a preset value, target point cloud data is obtained through a radar installed on the spreader; wherein the target point cloud data includes point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader and point cloud data of the target container; Determining the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data; Determining a horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container according to the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container; According to the horizontal distance, the spreader is controlled to move the container carried by the spreader.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The step of determining the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data includes: Determining the identification point of the container carried by the spreader and the identification point of the target container according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data; The horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader is determined according to the identification point of the container carried by the spreader, and the horizontal position information of the target container is determined according to the identification point of the target container.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The step of determining the identification point of the container carried by the spreader and the identification point of the target container according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data comprises: Establish a two-dimensional rectangular coordinate system with the radar as the origin, the horizontal direction pointing to the target container as the horizontal axis, and the vertical direction perpendicular to the radar as the vertical axis; According to the actual height difference, determining in the target point cloud data, a point whose ordinate satisfies a first preset condition as an identification point of the container carried by the spreader; The target point cloud data is projected onto the longitudinal axis, and in the projection point area with the highest density, a point whose abscissa satisfies a second preset condition is determined as the identification point of the target container.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The step of determining the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader according to the identification point of the container carried by the spreader comprises: The horizontal position coordinates of the point with the largest horizontal coordinate value among the identification points of the container carried by the spreader are determined as the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The step of determining the horizontal position information of the target container according to the identification point of the target container includes: The horizontal position coordinates of the point with the smallest horizontal coordinate value among the identification points of the target container are determined as the horizontal position information of the target container.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The determining the horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container according to the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container comprises: The difference between the horizontal position coordinates of the point with the smallest value of the horizontal coordinate and the horizontal position coordinates of the point with the largest value of the horizontal coordinate is determined, and the difference is determined as the horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The step of controlling the spreader to move the container carried by the spreader according to the horizontal distance comprises: If it is determined that the horizontal distance is greater than the preset target distance, the spreader is controlled to move so that the container carried by the spreader moves toward the target container until the horizontal distance is equal to the preset target distance.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The step of obtaining the actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container includes: Obtaining a first height difference between the radar and the container carried by the spreader, and obtaining a second height difference between the radar and the target container; An absolute difference between the first height difference and the second height difference is determined, and the absolute difference is determined as the actual height difference.

9. A container stacking control device, characterized in that: The device comprises: A first acquisition unit is used to acquire an actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and a target container; wherein the target container is a corresponding container to which the container carried by the spreader is about to approach in the horizontal direction; A second acquisition unit is used to acquire target point cloud data through a radar installed on the spreader when the actual height difference reaches a preset value; wherein the target point cloud data includes point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader and point cloud data of the target container; A processing unit, configured to determine horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and horizontal position information of the target container according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data; a determining unit, configured to determine a horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container according to horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and horizontal position information of the target container; The control unit is used to control the spreader to move the container carried by the spreader according to the horizontal distance.

10. A field bridge, characterized in that: The field bridge comprises the container stacking control device according to claim 9.

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