Container stacking control method, device and yard crane

Abstract

The embodiment of the application provides a container stacking control method, device and yard crane, and relates to the field of remote control system of port container crane. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring an actual height difference between a container carried by a spreader and a target container; when the actual height difference reaches a preset value, acquiring target point cloud data through a radar installed on the spreader; determining 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; 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; and controlling the spreader to move the container carried by the spreader according to the horizontal distance. The method is used to more accurately calculate the horizontal distance between two containers in a very small range, so as to achieve the effect of accurate stacking of containers.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of remote control system of port container crane, in particular to a container stacking control method and device and yard crane. BACKGROUND

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

[0003] In the prior art, a radar is installed in the middle position of two containers to scan the 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 for the installation position of the radar, and only the radar installed in the middle of the two containers can accurately calculate the distance between the two containers. Moreover, the distance range that can be detected is limited, and when the distance between the two containers is small, the positions of the two containers cannot be accurately distinguished, so the accurate distance cannot be calculated, and the precise stacking control of the containers cannot be achieved. SUMMARY

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a container stacking control method, device and yard crane, which can 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, the embodiments of the present application provide a container stacking control method, which comprises:

[0007] 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;

[0008] when the actual height difference reaches a preset value, obtaining target point cloud data by 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 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;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0020] The horizontal position coordinate of the point with the maximum value of the transverse coordinate in the identification point of the container carried by the spreader is determined as the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader.

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

[0022] The horizontal position coordinate of the point with the minimum value of the transverse coordinate in the identification point of the target container is determined as the horizontal position information of the target container.

[0023] In a possible implementation, 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:

[0024] determining a difference between the horizontal position coordinate of the point with the minimum value of the abscissa and the horizontal position coordinate of the point with the maximum value of the abscissa, and determining the difference as the horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container.

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

[0026] if it is determined that the horizontal distance is greater than a preset target distance, controlling the spreader 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.

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

[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] determining an absolute difference between the first height difference and the second height difference, and determining the absolute difference as the actual height difference.

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

[0031] a first obtaining unit configured to obtain an actual height difference between a container carried by a spreader and a target container; wherein the target container is a corresponding container that is about to be close to the container carried by the spreader in a horizontal direction;

[0032] a second obtaining unit configured to, when the actual height difference reaches a preset value, obtain target point cloud data by using a radar installed on the spreader; wherein the target point cloud data comprises 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 the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container.

[0035] a control unit configured 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 yard crane, which comprises the container stacking control device according to the second aspect.

[0037] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer readable storage medium, which stores computer execution instructions. When the computer execution instructions are executed by a processor, the computer execution instructions are used to implement the first aspect and / or various possible implementation manners of the first aspect.

[0038] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which comprises a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the computer program implements the first aspect and / or various possible implementation manners of the first aspect.

[0039] The container stacking control method, device and yard crane provided by the embodiment of the present application, the method comprises: acquiring an actual height difference between a container carried by a spreader and a target container; wherein the target container is a corresponding container that the container carried by the spreader is about to approach in a horizontal direction; when the actual height difference reaches a preset value, acquiring target point cloud data through a radar installed on the spreader; wherein the target point cloud data comprises point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader and point cloud data of the target container; determining 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; 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; and controlling the spreader to move the container carried by the spreader according to the horizontal distance. Through the radar installed on the spreader, the target point cloud data is collected, and the collected target point cloud data is analyzed according to the actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container, so that the horizontal distance between the two containers in a very small range can be calculated, the calculation precision is higher, the practicality is stronger, and the accurate stacking of the containers can be realized. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

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

[0041] Figure 1 A container stacking scene schematic diagram provided by the present application;

[0042] Figure 2 A container stacking control method flowchart provided by an embodiment of the present application;

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

[0044] Figure 4 A flowchart of another container stacking control method provided for an embodiment of the present application;

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

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

[0047] The specific embodiments of the present application have been shown through the above-described drawings, and will be described in more detail hereinafter. These drawings and written descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept 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] The exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein with reference to the attached drawings. The same numbers are used in different drawings to represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all the implementations consistent with the present application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application as detailed in the appended claims.

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

[0050] Traditional container stacking mainly relies on manual operation, which has the problems of low efficiency and high safety hazard. With the development of automation technology, it is possible to use sensors and intelligent control systems for automatic stacking of containers.

[0051] In the prior art, a radar is installed in the middle position of two containers to scan the containers, and the positions of the containers are distinguished based on the 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 for the installation position of the radar, and only the radar installed between the two containers can accurately calculate the distance between the two containers; moreover, the distance range that can be detected is also limited, and when the distance between the two containers is small (for example, less than 5 cm), the positions of the two containers cannot be accurately distinguished, so the accurate distance cannot be calculated, and the precise stacking control of the containers cannot be achieved.

[0053] However, in actual operation, there is usually a demand for closely stacking containers (the distance between the two containers approaches 0). Therefore, how to detect the distance between the containers in a very small distance range is still of great significance for achieving automatic closely stacking containers.

[0054] Exemplarily, Figure 1 A scene diagram of container stacking is provided in the present application. As Figure 1 shown, the container 1 and the container 3 are closely stacked above and below, and the container 2 and the container 4 are closely stacked left and right.

[0055] In actual operation scenarios, there is a demand as Figure 1 shown, not only to control the container 1 to be precisely stacked on the container 3, but also to control the distance between the container 1 and the container 2 to be as small as possible to improve the space utilization. At this time, it is necessary to accurately calculate the horizontal distance between the container 1 and the container 2 to achieve precise stacking.

[0056] To solve the above technical problems, 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, acquires the point cloud data of the container through the radar installed on the spreader, 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 does not have 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 in a very small range, with higher calculation accuracy and stronger practicability, and can achieve precise stacking of containers.

[0057] The technical solutions of the present application and how the technical solutions of the present application solve the above technical problems will be described in detail in the specific embodiments below. The following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments. The embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the drawings.

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

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

[0060] S201, obtaining an actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container; wherein the target container is the corresponding container that will be close to the container carried by the spreader in the horizontal direction.

[0061] Exemplarily, in the embodiment of the present application, the point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader and the target container need to be distinguished by the height difference. Only when the height difference reaches a certain value, the more convenient, faster and more accurate distinction can be performed. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader 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 collection of the target point cloud data is performed.

[0062] In the embodiment of the present application, the target container refers to the corresponding container that will be close to the container carried by the spreader in the horizontal direction. For example, as shown in Figure 1 , if the container 1 located at other positions is to be closely stacked on the left side of the container 2 as shown in Figure 1 , the container 1 is the container carried by the spreader, and the container 2 is the target container.

[0063] Exemplarily, the actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container can be determined by any way. For example, taking the ground or a certain fixed reference point as the reference, the height of the container carried by the spreader and the target container can be determined by using a laser range finder, an ultrasonic range finder or other accurate measuring equipment, 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 collection of the target point cloud data is started.

[0064] Optionally, in a possible embodiment, obtaining the actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container can 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, determining the absolute difference between the first height difference and the second height difference, and determining the absolute difference as the actual height difference.

[0067] Exemplarily, the radar is installed 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. Understandably, when the spreader carries the container, the first height difference between the radar and the container carried by the spreader will not change generally, and thus the first height difference can be considered as a fixed value. During the movement of the spreader, the second height difference between the radar and the target container needs to be measured in real time, and the absolute difference between the first height difference and the second height difference is calculated to determine the actual height difference.

[0068] Directly using the radar on the spreader 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 can avoid the cost of adding additional measurement equipment, and is more practical.

[0069] In some other possible embodiments, 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 can also be determined by other manners, which are not limited in the embodiments of the application.

[0070] By controlling the actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container to determine the collection time of the target point cloud data, the subsequent data processing amount can be reduced, the data processing efficiency can be improved, and the segmentation of the point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader and the point cloud data of the target container can be more accurate, so that the detection of the extremely small distance between the two containers can be realized.

[0071] S202, when the actual height difference reaches a preset value, acquiring target point cloud data by using 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.

[0072] Exemplarily, during the stacking of the containers, accurately acquiring the position information of the containers is the key to realize the automation and efficient stacking. In the embodiments of the application, the radar is installed on the spreader and is usually located in a region capable of covering the container carried by the spreader and the target container, so that the radar can continuously acquire clear point cloud data during the movement of the spreader. For example, the point cloud data of the side edge points of the container carried by the spreader close to the target container and the point cloud data of the side edge points and the top points of the target container can be scanned at least.

[0073] Optionally, in the embodiments of the present application, the radar installed on the spreader can be a 2D single-line radar. Compared with a multi-line radar, the single-line radar has a relatively simple structure and a lower manufacturing cost. The point cloud data of each spatial point obtained by 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, which can generate point cloud data of the surrounding environment by emitting a laser beam and receiving a reflected signal, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0074] It can be understood that, during the container stacking process, it is usually required to move the container from one position to another position, which can be relatively close or relatively far away. In actual operation, not only the point cloud data of the containers can be obtained during the whole moving process, but also the point cloud data can be collected when the distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container is relatively close, for example, when the actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container reaches a preset value, so as to reduce the subsequent data processing amount and improve the data processing efficiency.

[0075] In some other possible embodiments, the start collection time of the target point cloud data can also be determined by other manners, for example, when it is identified that the container carried by the spreader moves to a certain fixed position, the collection of the target point cloud data is started, and the like, 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 by using the radar installed on the spreader, accurate point cloud data can be obtained, thereby providing a data basis for subsequent position information determination, distance calculation and spreader movement control. Especially, when a single-line radar is used, the number of points in one frame is within ten thousand, and the calculation result can be obtained by traversing the point cloud only once, and only the two-dimensional coordinates of the point cloud are used, without involving complex transformation, and the calculation is simple and efficient.

[0077] S203, determining 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.

[0078] Exemplarily, the obtained target point cloud data includes point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader and 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 which is about to be approached by the spreader. 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, the determining, according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data, of the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container can include:

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

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

[0082] Exemplarily, when determining the position information of the container, the identification point of the container can be determined first, and then the position information is determined based on the identification point. The identification point can be a corner point, an edge point or other points with significant geometric features of the container, which can uniquely describe the position and attitude of the container.

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

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

[0085] S12, determining, according to the actual height difference, that a point in the target point cloud data with a longitudinal coordinate satisfying a first preset condition as the identification point of the container carried by the spreader;

[0086] S13, projecting the target point cloud data onto the longitudinal axis, and determining, in a region of the projection point with the highest density, a point with a transverse coordinate satisfying a second preset condition as the identification point of the target container.

[0087] Exemplarily, when processing the 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, the radar, the container carried by the spreader, and the target container are simplified on the plane coordinate system, so as to determine the identification points of the container carried by the spreader and the target container.

[0088] Exemplarily, Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a relative position relationship provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 1, the relative position relationship between the container carried by the spreader and the target container is shown. Figure 3As shown, during the container stacking process, there is a height difference (denoted as h) between the container 300 carried by the spreader and the target container 400. The radar 200 is installed on the spreader 100, and the radar 200 can collect point cloud data at the right side A of the container 300 carried by the spreader, and can also collect point cloud data of the left side B and the upper top edge C of the target container 400.

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

[0090] In combination Figure 3 As shown, due to the 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 longitudinal coordinates of these point cloud data are all greater than the longitudinal coordinates of the spatial points of the target container 400. In order to improve the data accuracy, a reasonable parameter can be set based on the actual height difference h, for example, it is determined that the points with longitudinal coordinates y > -(h / 2) in the target point cloud data are the identification points of the container carried by the spreader. The specific value of the preset value corresponding to the actual height difference is not limited in the embodiments of the present application, and 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 upper top edge C, when it is projected onto the longitudinal axis y, a region with a relatively high density will be formed. Therefore, the identification points of the target container can be determined in the region of the projection points with the highest density. In combination Figure 3 As shown, it can be understood that the transverse coordinates of the spatial points of the target container 400 are all greater than the transverse coordinates of the spatial points of the container 300 carried by the spreader, and the difference between the transverse coordinates of the spatial points of the target container should be relatively small. Therefore, the points with a transverse coordinate difference less than a preset distance (for example, less than 1 cm) in the region of the projection points with the highest density can be determined as the identification points of the target container.

[0092] It should be noted that when the established two-dimensional rectangular coordinate system is different, the corresponding first preset condition and second preset condition will also change accordingly, and the schemes with the same implementation principle should be included in the scope protected by the embodiments of the present application.

[0093] When 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 according to the identification points.

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

[0095] The horizontal position coordinate of the point with the maximum value of the horizontal coordinate in the identification points of the container carried by the spreader is determined as the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader.

[0096] For example, there are multiple identification points of the container carried by the spreader, and when processing data, the horizontal position coordinate (that is, the horizontal coordinate) of the point with the maximum value of the horizontal coordinate in the identification points is determined as the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader, which can be denoted as Xmax.

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

[0098] The horizontal position coordinate of the point with the minimum value of the horizontal coordinate in the identification points of the target container is determined as the horizontal position information of the target container.

[0099] For example, there are multiple identification points of the target container, and when processing data, the horizontal position coordinate (that is, the horizontal coordinate) of the point with the minimum value of the horizontal coordinate in the identification points is determined as the horizontal position information of the target container, which can be denoted as Xmin.

[0100] The embodiments of the present application utilize a two-dimensional coordinate system and a projection method, and in combination with the actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container, the identification points of the container carried by the spreader and the target container can be effectively extracted from the target point cloud data, and the horizontal position information of each is determined, the calculation efficiency is improved, and the robustness of identification is enhanced by point density analysis.

[0101] Optionally, in order to improve the data processing efficiency, before the identification points are determined, the target point cloud data can also be denoised and down-sampled first to remove the point cloud data that is obviously impossible to be the container carried by the spreader and the target container, and then subsequent processing is performed, so as to reduce the calculation complexity and improve the data quality, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0102] S204, 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.

[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 according to 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 can include:

[0105] Determining the difference between the horizontal position coordinate of the point with the minimum value of the abscissa and the horizontal position coordinate of the point with the maximum value of the abscissa, and determining the difference as the horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container.

[0106] Exemplarily, in combination with 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 abscissa x, and the vertical direction perpendicular to the radar 200 as the ordinate 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 quickly and accurately calculated.

[0107] Based on the scheme of the embodiments of the present application, the installation position of the radar on the spreader does not need to be limited, and the distance between two containers in a very small range can be calculated, the calculation accuracy is higher, the practicality is stronger, and the precise stacking of containers can be realized.

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

[0109] Exemplarily, 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 as to make it reach 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 can 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 the direction close to the target container until the horizontal distance is equal to the preset target distance.

[0112] Exemplarily, in container stacking, in order to realize precise control, the position of the container carried by the spreader needs to be adjusted by controlling the spreader to move, so that the horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container reaches the preset target distance.

[0113] It can be understood that the preset target distance refers to the interval distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container, and when close stacking is desired, the preset target distance is 0. The specific value of the preset target distance is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. Based on the scheme of the present application, not only close stacking of containers can be achieved, but also the containers can be stacked at a specific position.

[0114] In 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, the spreader can be controlled to lower the container carried by the spreader so that it is accurately stacked at the target position. If it has not, the spreader needs to be controlled to move so that the container carried by the spreader moves towards the target container until the distance is equal to the preset target distance, and then the spreader is controlled to lower the container carried by the spreader.

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

[0116] The container stacking control method provided by the embodiments of the present application comprises: acquiring 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, acquiring target point cloud data by 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 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; and controlling the movement of the container carried by the spreader according to the horizontal distance. Through the scheme of the present application, the height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container is controlled, the target point cloud data is collected by the radar installed on the spreader, and the collected target point cloud data is analyzed based on the height difference, so that the horizontal distance between the two containers in a very small range can be calculated, the calculation accuracy is higher, the practicality is stronger, and accurate stacking of the containers can be achieved.

[0117] Figure 4 A flowchart of another container stacking control method provided by the embodiments of the present application is shown in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, the container stacking control method provided by the embodiments of the present application can comprise: Figure 4 S401, acquiring the actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container.

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

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

[0120] S402, when the actual height difference reaches a preset value, obtaining target point cloud data through a radar installed on the spreader.

[0121] The target point cloud data includes point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader and 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 transverse axis, and the vertical direction perpendicular to the radar as the longitudinal axis.

[0123] S404, determining, according to the actual height difference, that a point in the target point cloud data whose longitudinal coordinate satisfies a first preset condition is a mark point of the container carried by the spreader.

[0124] S405, projecting the target point cloud data onto the longitudinal axis, and determining, in a region of the projection point with the highest density, that a point whose transverse coordinate satisfies a second preset condition is a mark point of the target container.

[0125] S406, determining, as horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader, a horizontal position coordinate of a point in the mark point of the container carried by the spreader whose transverse coordinate has the maximum value.

[0126] S407, determining, as horizontal position information of the target container, a horizontal position coordinate of a point in the mark point of the target container whose transverse coordinate has the minimum value.

[0127] S408, determining, as a horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container, a difference between the horizontal position coordinate of the point whose transverse coordinate has the minimum value and the horizontal position coordinate of the point whose transverse coordinate has the maximum value.

[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 of the present embodiment can refer to the specific description of other embodiments, and will not be described here. In the implementation of the precise stacking control of containers, some or all of the above steps can be included.

[0130] The container stacking control method provided by the present embodiment has no special requirements for the installation position of the radar on the spreader, and only needs to be able to collect point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader and point cloud data of the target container. By controlling the 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 practicality is stronger, and the precise stacking of containers can be realized.

[0131] The following are device embodiments of the present application, which can be used to implement 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 obtaining unit 501 , a second obtaining unit 502 , a processing unit 503 , a determining unit 504 and a control unit 505 .

[0133] The first obtaining unit 501 is configured to obtain an actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and a target container; wherein the target container is a container that the container carried by the spreader is about to approach in the horizontal direction;

[0134] The second acquisition unit 502 is configured to acquire target point cloud data using a radar installed on the spreader when the actual height difference reaches a preset value; 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 determining unit 504 for determining a horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container based on 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 effects 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 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.

[0142] On the basis of the 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, a horizontal direction pointing to the target container as the transverse axis, and a vertical direction perpendicular to the radar as the longitudinal axis;

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

[0145] The target point cloud data is projected onto the longitudinal axis, and in the region of the projection point with the highest density, the point whose transverse coordinate satisfies the second preset condition is determined as the identification point of the target container.

[0146] On the basis of the device embodiment, in some possible examples, the processing unit 503 is further specifically configured to:

[0147] The horizontal position coordinate of the point with the maximum value of the transverse coordinate in the identification point of the container carried by the spreader is determined as the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader.

[0148] On the basis of the device embodiment, in some possible examples, the processing unit 503 is further specifically configured to:

[0149] The horizontal position coordinate of the point with the minimum value of the transverse coordinate in the identification point of the target container is determined as the horizontal position information of the target container.

[0150] On the basis of the device embodiment, in some possible examples, the determination unit 504 is specifically configured to:

[0151] The difference between the horizontal position coordinate of the point with the minimum value of the transverse coordinate and the horizontal position coordinate of the point with the maximum value of the transverse coordinate is determined as the horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container.

[0152] On the basis of the 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] On the basis of the device embodiment, in some possible examples, the first acquisition unit 501 is specifically configured to:

[0155] Acquire the first height difference between the radar and the container carried by the spreader, and acquire the second height difference between the radar and the target container;

[0156] Determine an absolute difference between the first height difference and the second height difference, and determine the absolute difference as the actual height difference.

[0157] The apparatus provided by the embodiment can be used to execute the method of the above embodiment, and has similar implementation principles and technical effects, which will not be described here.

[0158] It should be noted that the division of each module of the above apparatus is only a logical division of functions, and all or part of the modules can be integrated into one physical entity, or can be physically separated. The modules can all be implemented in the form of software called by a processing element, or all be implemented in the form of hardware, or part of the modules are implemented in the form of software called by a processing element, and part of the modules are implemented in the form of hardware. In addition, the functions of the above data processing modules can also be stored in the memory of the apparatus in the form of program code, called and executed by a processing element of the apparatus. The implementation of other modules is similar. In addition, all or part of the modules can be integrated together, or can be independently implemented. The processing element herein can be an integrated circuit having a signal processing capability. In the implementation process, each step of the above method or each of the above modules can be completed by the integrated logic circuit of hardware or the instruction of software in the processing element.

[0159] Figure 6 A structural schematic diagram of a control device provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 60 provided by the embodiment includes at least one processor 601 and a memory 602. Optionally, the device 60 further includes a communication component 603. The processor 601, the memory 602 and the communication component 603 are connected through a bus 604. Figure 6

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

[0161] The specific implementation process of the processor 601 can refer to the above method embodiments, which has similar implementation principles and technical effects, and will not be described here.

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

[0163] The memory can include a random access memory (RAM), and can also include a non-volatile memory (NVM), such as at least one disk memory.

[0164] The bus can be an industry standard architecture (ISA) bus, a peripheral component (PCI) bus, or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For the sake of representation, the bus in the drawings of the present application does not limit to only one bus or one type of bus.

[0165] The present application also provides a yard crane, which comprises the container stacking control device of any one of the above.

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

[0167] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer execution instructions, and when a processor executes the computer execution instructions, the above method is implemented.

[0168] The above-mentioned readable storage medium can be realized by any type of volatile or nonvolatile storage devices 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 storage, 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 the 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 an integral part of the processor. The processor and the readable storage medium can be located in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Of course, the processor and the readable storage medium can also exist as discrete components in the device.

[0170] The division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there can be another division manner, for example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between the units shown or discussed can be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

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

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

[0173] If the functions are implemented in the form of software function units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the present application or the parts of the technical solutions that essentially contribute to the prior art can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes a number of instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the embodiments of the method of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM, Read-Only Memory), a random access memory (RAM, Random Access Memory), a magnetic disk or an optical disk, and various media that can store program codes.

[0174] It can be understood by those skilled in the art that all or part of the steps of the above-mentioned method embodiments can be completed by program instruction related hardware. 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, magnetic disk or optical disk, and various media that can store program codes.

[0175] Finally, it should be noted that: those skilled in the art will easily think of other embodiments of the present application after considering the specification and practicing the application disclosed herein. The present application is intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptations of the present application that follow the general principles of the present application and include common knowledge or conventional technical means in the art that are not disclosed in the present application, and is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present application is only limited by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A container stacking control method characterized by, The method comprises: acquiring an actual height difference between a container carried by a spreader and a target container; wherein the target container is a corresponding container that the container carried by the spreader is about to approach in a horizontal direction; when the actual height difference reaches a preset value, acquiring target point cloud data through a radar installed on the spreader; wherein the target point cloud data comprises point cloud data of the container carried by the spreader and point cloud data of the target container; determining 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; 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; controlling the spreader to move the container carried by the spreader according to the horizontal distance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The determining of 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 comprises: determining a mark point of the container carried by the spreader and a mark point of the target container according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data; determining the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader according to the mark point of the container carried by the spreader, and determining the horizontal position information of the target container according to the mark point of the target container.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The determining of the mark point of the container carried by the spreader and the mark point of the target container according to the actual height difference and the target point cloud data comprises: establishing a two-dimensional rectangular coordinate system with the radar as the origin, with a horizontal direction pointing to the target container as the transverse axis, and with a vertical direction perpendicular to the radar as the longitudinal axis; determining, according to the actual height difference, that a point in the target point cloud data whose longitudinal coordinate satisfies a first preset condition is the mark point of the container carried by the spreader; projecting the target point cloud data onto the longitudinal axis, and determining, in a region of the projection point with the highest density, that a point whose transverse coordinate satisfies a second preset condition is the mark point of the target container.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The determining of the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader according to the mark point of the container carried by the spreader comprises: determining, as the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader, a horizontal position coordinate of a point in the mark point of the container carried by the spreader whose transverse coordinate has the largest value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The determining of the horizontal position information of the target container according to the mark point of the target container comprises: determining, as the horizontal position information of the target container, a horizontal position coordinate of a point in the mark point of the target container whose transverse coordinate has the smallest value.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The determining of 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: determining, as the horizontal distance between the container carried by the spreader and the target container, a difference between a horizontal position coordinate of a point whose transverse coordinate has the smallest value and a horizontal position coordinate of a point whose transverse coordinate has the largest value.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The 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 a 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.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The obtaining the actual height difference between the container carried by the spreader and the target container comprises: A first height difference between the radar and the container carried by the spreader is obtained, and a second height difference between the radar and the target container is obtained. 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 apparatus characterized by comprising: The device comprises: A first obtaining unit configured to obtain an actual height difference between a container carried by a spreader and a target container; wherein the target container is a corresponding container that the container carried by the spreader is about to approach in a horizontal direction; A second obtaining unit configured to, when the actual height difference reaches a preset value, obtain target point cloud data by using a radar installed on the spreader; wherein the target point cloud data comprises 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 the horizontal position information of the container carried by the spreader and the horizontal position information of the target container; A controlling unit configured to control the spreader to move the container carried by the spreader according to the horizontal distance.

10. A yard crane, characterized in that The yard crane comprises the container stacking control device according to claim 9. The yard crane comprises the container stacking control device according to claim 9.

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