A method and system for proactive and adaptive optimization of container handling sequences

Abstract

This invention discloses a forward-looking and adaptive optimization method and system for container loading and unloading sequence decision-making. The method includes the following steps: calculating the total profit and loss time of candidate operations based on the container's operational status; making a local optimal selection based on the total profit and loss time; executing the selected operation based on the local optimal selection; and dynamically optimizing the sequence based on deviations or interruptions in real-time operations. This invention exhibits high adaptability, allowing for real-time evaluation and adjustment of any operational interruption or deviation. It can be used for intelligent decision-making throughout the entire sequence during the operation planning stage through repeated calls to heuristic algorithms, and is also applicable to dynamic decision-making based on actual operational conditions during the real-time scheduling and control stage. It also demonstrates good global optimization performance, as the inclusion of future trajectory profit and loss time and future landing profit and loss time in the evaluation provides a forward-looking perspective to the step-by-step decision-making process, thereby systematically improving the sequence decision-making optimization effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of container port machinery scheduling, specifically to a forward-looking and adaptive optimization method and system for container loading and unloading sequence decision-making. Background Technology

[0002] In container port machinery loading and unloading operations, due to stringent requirements for safety and efficiency, container loading and unloading sequences are generally decided and designated in advance by operations planners, and manually controlled by on-site operations supervisors during real-time operations. However, achieving intelligent decision-making and automated control of port machinery operations is an inevitable trend in the future development of container ports. This process mainly includes the following three specific requirements: ensuring the safety and convenience of spreader operations, i.e., considering the impact of container bay morphology on spreader movement trajectory and operational difficulty; improving loading and unloading efficiency, i.e., port machinery spreaders completing container sequence loading and unloading operations in a shorter time, including support for same-bay loading and unloading processes; and having the ability to dynamically optimize the sequence order, i.e., adaptively adjusting the loading and unloading sequence plan based on deviations from the real-time operation process.

[0003] Existing technologies for container loading and unloading sequence decision-making primarily rely on fixed rules and manual adjustments. This involves planning loading and unloading operations based on the direction (from sea side to land side or from land side to sea side) and then fine-tuning the sequence based on real-time operational processes. While this method is well-suited for optimizing separate loading and unloading sequences, it is unsuitable for simultaneous loading and unloading of containers by port machinery, where one container is being loaded while another is being unloaded, as the optimal operating direction can change at any time due to loading and unloading alternation. Therefore, existing container loading and unloading sequence decision-making methods suffer from three main drawbacks: reliance on manual decision-making and a lack of foresight (i.e., low level of intelligence); inability to support efficient loading and unloading processes such as simultaneous loading and unloading by port machinery; and reliance on fixed rules, preventing efficient adaptive optimization. Furthermore, current research lacks sequence decision-making optimization methods based on the shortest loading and unloading operation time using port machinery spreader trajectories (considering operational safety and convenience), significantly limiting the application of current loading and unloading sequence decision-making algorithms. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing loading and unloading sequence decision-making methods, which lack consideration for container crane spreader trajectories and positioning environments, and suffer from three main drawbacks—low intelligence, lack of support for simultaneous loading and unloading within the same container, and inability to adaptively optimize—this invention provides a practical and forward-looking adaptive sequence optimization methodology for container terminal vessel loading and unloading operation sequence decision-making. The invention primarily solves two major technical problems: how to evaluate sequence decisions based on quay crane spreader trajectory control, and how to ensure that locally based sequence decisions possess global optimization capabilities.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this invention provides a forward-looking and adaptive optimization method for container loading and unloading sequence decision-making, comprising the following steps:

[0006] Calculate the total profit and loss time of candidate operations based on the container's operational status;

[0007] Based on the total profit and loss time, a locally optimal choice is made;

[0008] Based on the aforementioned local optimal choice, execute the selected task;

[0009] Dynamically optimize the sequence based on deviations or interruptions in real-time operations.

[0010] Preferably, the expression for the total profit and loss time is as follows:

[0011]

[0012] Among them, B s This indicates the total profit or loss time resulting from treating the loading / unloading operation at container location s as the next operation; This indicates the time of gain or loss in the current trajectory due to the loading / unloading operation at container position s being treated as the next operation; This indicates the time of gain or loss in the current trajectory due to the loading / unloading operation at container position s being treated as the next operation; This indicates the current placement gain or loss time resulting from treating the loading / unloading operation at container position s as the next operation; This represents the future trajectory gains and losses that will inevitably occur in the subsequent operations after the loading / unloading operation at container location s is completed. This indicates the timeframe for future positioning gains and losses that will inevitably occur after the loading / unloading operation at container location s is completed, which will affect subsequent operations.

[0013] Preferably, the and The calculation methods include:

[0014]

[0015] Where r and s represent the location of the containers inside the ship's hull, W D W represents the set of locations of unloaded containers; L Represents the set of locations of containers loaded on board; X rs =1 indicates that the container located at s is immediately followed by the container located at r; i0 is the lowest ship profile, that is, the ship profile when all loading and unloading containers have been emptied; i s A ship's hull profile during loading / unloading of containers located at position s; Indicates the current ship section i sThe time taken for the spreader to move unloaded from the truck position o to the container position s; This indicates the waiting time at the truck location from the release of the previous unloading container to the grabbing of the next loading container; Indicates the current ship section i s The time taken for the spreader to move unloaded from container position r to container position s; Indicates the current ship section i s The time taken for the spreader to move unloaded from container position r to truck position o; Indicates the current ship section i s The time taken for the spreader to move under heavy load from container position s to truck position o; This represents the time of the spreader's heavy-load movement trajectory from container position s to truck position o at the lowest ship section i0; Indicates the current ship section i s The time of the spreader's heavy-load movement trajectory from the truck position o to the container position s; This represents the time of the quay crane spreader's heavy-load movement trajectory from the truck position o to the container position s at the lowest ship section i0. Indicates the current ship section i s The time it takes for the unloaded spreader to land when grabbing the container located at s; Indicates the current ship section i s The time it takes for the heavy-duty spreader to be lowered when placing the container located at s; t L1 This indicates the shortest placement time for a container within the ship's hull when there are adjacent containers available for support; t D1 This indicates the shortest placement time for unloading containers within the ship's hold, provided that the placement guide can be lowered or there are adjacent containers to rely on.

[0016] Preferably, the and The calculation methods include:

[0017]

[0018] Where γ represents the position of the container inside the ship's shell; Y sγ =1 indicates that the container located at γ is processed after the container located at s; i s For loading / unloading the container located at position s, the ship's profile is shown, while i s’ A cross-section of the ship's shell after loading / unloading a container located at position s; This represents the time taken for the spreader to move under heavy load from the truck position o to the container position r in the ship's cross-section after the container at position s has been loaded and unloaded. This represents the time taken for the spreader to move under heavy load from the truck position o to the container position r in the ship's cross-section before the container at position s is loaded or unloaded. This indicates the placement time of the heavy-duty spreader when the container located at s is placed on the ship's shell profile below the container located at r; This indicates the placement time of the heavy-duty spreader when the container located at s is placed on the ship's shell profile before the container at s is loaded or unloaded. This indicates the time it takes for the empty spreader to land when the container at location r is grabbed from the ship's shell profile after the container at location s has been loaded and unloaded. This indicates the time it takes for the empty spreader to land when the container at location r is grabbed from the ship's cross-section before the container at location s is loaded or unloaded.

[0019] Preferably, the process of making the local optimal selection includes: using a heuristic greedy algorithm to determine the loading or unloading task of the next operation through local decision-making at each step, and finally forming a complete container loading and unloading sequence scheme.

[0020] The present invention also provides a forward-looking and adaptive optimization system for container loading and unloading sequence decision-making, the system being used to implement the above method, comprising: a calculation module, a selection module, an execution module, and an optimization module;

[0021] The calculation module is used to calculate the total profit and loss time of candidate operations based on the operational status of the containers.

[0022] The selection module is used to make a locally optimal selection based on the total profit and loss time;

[0023] The execution module is used to execute the selected job based on the local optimal selection;

[0024] The optimization module is used to dynamically optimize the sequence based on deviations or interruptions in real-time operations.

[0025] Preferably, the expression for the total profit and loss time is as follows:

[0026]

[0027] Among them, B s This indicates the total profit or loss time resulting from treating the loading / unloading operation at container location s as the next operation; This indicates the time of gain or loss in the current trajectory due to the loading / unloading operation at container position s being treated as the next operation; This indicates the time of gain or loss in the current trajectory due to the loading / unloading operation at container position s being treated as the next operation; This indicates the current placement gain or loss time resulting from treating the loading / unloading operation at container position s as the next operation; This represents the future trajectory gains and losses that will inevitably occur in the subsequent operations after the loading / unloading operation at container location s is completed. This indicates the timeframe for future positioning gains and losses that will inevitably occur after the loading / unloading operation at container location s is completed, which will affect subsequent operations.

[0028] Preferably, the workflow of the selection module includes: determining the loading or unloading task of the next operation through local decision-making at each step based on a heuristic greedy algorithm, and finally forming a complete container loading and unloading sequence scheme.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0030] This invention exhibits high adaptability, allowing for real-time evaluation and adjustment of any job interruption or deviation. It can be used for intelligent decision-making throughout the entire job planning phase through repeated calls to heuristic algorithms, and is also applicable to dynamic decision-making based on actual job conditions during the real-time scheduling and control phase. It also demonstrates good global optimization capabilities, as it incorporates future trajectory gain and loss time and future landing gain and loss time into the evaluation, giving the step-by-step decision-making process a forward-looking perspective and thus systematically improving the optimization effect of sequence decision-making. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the drawings used in the embodiments are briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0032] Figure 1 The examples in this invention are combinations of heavy-load and unloaded motion trajectories under various operation types; where (a) represents only loading operations within one motion cycle of the spreader, (b) represents only unloading operations within one motion cycle of the spreader, and (c) represents both loading and unloading operations within one motion cycle of the spreader.

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of various landing scenarios under the control of the lifting device in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of trajectory gains and losses and placement gains and losses in an embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a) shows the trajectory gains and losses caused by loading containers; and (b) shows the placement gains and losses caused by loading containers.

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of adaptive optimization in the method of this invention embodiment;

[0036] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the operation sequence decision during loading and unloading separation in an embodiment of the present invention; where (a) represents the unloading sequence decision; and (b) represents the loading sequence decision.

[0037] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the decision-making process for the loading and unloading operation sequence in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0039] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0040] Example 1

[0041] This embodiment provides a forward-looking and adaptive optimization method for container loading and unloading sequence decision-making, the steps of which include:

[0042] S1. Calculate the total profit and loss time of candidate operations based on the container's operational status.

[0043] First, we discuss how to evaluate each candidate operation, based on profit and loss time. Profit and loss time reflects the increase or decrease in operation time caused by the current candidate operation during execution (current profit and loss time), and the inevitable increase or decrease in operation time for future operations after the current candidate operation is executed (future profit and loss time). The former compares the merits of the current candidate operation under the current operation state, while the latter compares the impact of the current candidate operation on the future operation state. Both current and future profit and loss times consist of two parts: trajectory profit and loss, and landing profit and loss. The former assesses the impact of the ship's profile on trajectory time based on the curved trajectory of the quay crane spreader, while the latter assesses the impact of the landing environment on landing time based on the quay crane spreader's sway suppression and jamming. Different trajectory and landing profits and losses due to different loading and unloading sequences will be quantitatively calculated to support sequence decision optimization. Ultimately, profit and loss time can be divided into five main parts: current trajectory profit and loss time for unloaded movement, current trajectory profit and loss time for loaded movement, current landing profit and loss time, future trajectory profit and loss time, and future landing profit and loss time. Table 1 shows the parameter definitions required to calculate the profit and loss time.

[0044] Table 1

[0045]

[0046] The calculation of profit and loss time needs to be based on a certain operating time standard, that is, only the increase or decrease relative to a good operating time is calculated. The time standards on which the five types of profit and loss time are based are not entirely the same. The specific calculation process is as follows:

[0047] The standard for comparing the current trajectory gain and loss time of heavy-load motion is the shortest heavy-load trajectory time, that is, the heavy-load trajectory time when the ship's profile is at its lowest. The current trajectory gain / loss time of the heavy-load motion is the trajectory time of the current heavy-load motion (based on the ship's profile i). s The difference between the shortest heavy-load trajectory time and the shortest heavy-load trajectory time. For example... Figure 1 As shown, for unloading containers, the heavy-load movement is from the ship's hold position 's' to the truck position 'o'; while for loading containers, the heavy-load movement is from the truck position 'o' to the ship's hold position 's'. The calculation formula is as follows:

[0048]

[0049] Where s represents the location of the container inside the ship's hull, W D W represents the set of locations of unloaded containers; L This represents the set of container locations; i0 is the lowest ship profile, i.e., the ship profile when all loaded and unloaded containers have been emptied; i s A ship's hull profile during loading / unloading of containers located at position s; Indicates the current ship section i s The time taken for the spreader to move under heavy load from container position s to truck position o; This represents the time of the spreader's heavy-load movement trajectory from container position s to truck position o at the lowest ship section i0; Indicates the current ship section i s The time of the spreader's heavy-load movement trajectory from the truck position o to the container position s; This represents the time of the quay crane spreader's heavy-load movement trajectory from the truck position o to the container position s at the lowest ship section i0.

[0050] For the current trajectory gain / loss time of an empty-load movement, since the process of loading and unloading simultaneously within the same container bay is allowed, the optimal empty-load trajectory time can be the empty-load trajectory time between two relatively close container positions within the container bay, that is, from the container bay where the previous container was loaded to the container bay where the next container was unloaded. Its shortest time can approach zero; therefore, the actual empty-load movement trajectory time is directly used as the current trajectory gain / loss time for that empty-load movement. For example... Figure 1As shown, for a container whose previous operation was unloading, the empty movement is from the truck position o to the ship's hold s; for a container whose previous operation was loading, the empty movement is from the ship's hold r (the previous loading hold) to the current unloading hold s; for a container whose previous operation was unloading, the empty movement is the interval time spent waiting at the truck position o for the next container to be loaded; for a container whose previous operation was loading, the empty movement is from the ship's hold r (the previous loading hold) to the truck position o. The calculation formula is as follows:

[0051]

[0052] Among them, X rs =1 indicates that the container located at s is processed immediately after the container located at r; Indicates the current ship section i s The time taken for the spreader to move unloaded from the truck position o to the container position s; This indicates the waiting time at the truck location from the release of the previous unloading container to the grabbing of the next loading container; Indicates the current ship section i s The time taken for the spreader to move unloaded from container position r to container position s; Indicates the current ship section i s The time taken for the spreader to move unloaded from container position r to truck position o.

[0053] Regarding the current drop-off time, the drop-off time on the truck is not affected by the loading and unloading sequence and is therefore not considered; only the drop-off time of containers inside the ship's bay is taken into account. For example... Figure 3 As shown, there are some optimal placement environments that minimize placement time. Among these, containers need to be placed within the ship's bay, and when adjacent containers are available for support, such as... Figure 2 As shown in (L1), the swaying of the spreader can be quickly stabilized to minimize the landing time, denoted as t. L1 ; When unloading containers, they need to be positioned within the ship's hull. Positioning should be done when the positioning guide can be lowered or when there are adjacent containers to rely on. Figure 2 As shown in (D1), the swaying of the spreader can be quickly stabilized to minimize the landing time, denoted as t. D1 Therefore, if the actual placement time exceeds this minimum time, it will lead to an increase in potential operation time. The calculation formula is as follows:

[0054]

[0055] in, Indicates the current ship section i s The time it takes for the unloaded spreader to land when grabbing the container located at s; Indicates the current ship section is The time it takes for the heavy-duty spreader to be lowered when placing the container located at s.

[0056] The future profit and loss time is a key aspect of the forward-looking nature of this embodiment. By quantitatively assessing the impact of the current choice on future operation time, key evaluation factors for global optimization can be incorporated into the local optimization under the greedy algorithm, enabling the current decision to improve the overall operation efficiency. Before and after the container at position s is operated on, there are two ship profiles, i. s and i s’ This embodiment compares the operation time caused by the two ship profiles for all containers to be operated on subsequently, and uses i as the basis for comparison. s’ The resulting future work time is standardized as follows: i s The portion that is bound to increase or decrease is considered as future profit or loss.

[0057] Regarding the timing of future trajectory gains and losses, such as Figure 3 As shown in (a), when the red box is loaded, the heavy-load movement trajectory of the box operating on the sea side of the box will inevitably be raised, thus inevitably increasing the total operation time. Conversely, the operation trajectory of the box located on the land side of the box will not be affected. Regarding the future placement gain time, as... Figure 3 As shown in (b), loading the red box will inevitably lead to the presence of a blocking box, which in turn will inevitably increase the placement time. The inevitable impact of the current decision on future operation time will be quantified using the following formula:

[0058]

[0059] Where γ represents the position of the container inside the ship's shell; Y sγ =1 indicates that the container located at γ is processed after the container located at s; i s For loading / unloading the container located at position s, the ship's profile is shown, while i s’ A cross-section of the ship's shell after loading / unloading a container located at position s; This represents the time taken for the spreader to move under heavy load from the truck position o to the container position r in the ship's cross-section after the container at position s has been loaded and unloaded. This represents the time taken for the spreader to move under heavy load from the truck position o to the container position r in the ship's cross-section before the container at position s is loaded or unloaded. This indicates the placement time of the heavy-duty spreader when the container located at s is placed on the ship's shell profile below the container located at r; This indicates the placement time of the heavy-duty spreader when the container located at s is placed on the ship's shell profile before the container at s is loaded or unloaded. This indicates the time it takes for the empty spreader to land when the container at location r is grabbed from the ship's shell profile after the container at location s has been loaded and unloaded. This represents the time it takes for the empty spreader to position itself when the container at location r is grabbed from the ship's hull profile before the container at location s is loaded or unloaded. Therefore, the total profit / loss time is the sum of the five profit / loss times mentioned above, as shown in the formula below:

[0060]

[0061] S2. Based on the total profit and loss time, perform a locally optimal selection.

[0062] This container loading and unloading sequence decision-making method is based on a heuristic greedy algorithm. It determines the next loading or unloading task through local decisions at each step, ultimately forming a complete container loading and unloading sequence plan. Unlike traditional greedy algorithms that only evaluate candidates based on the current state, this method proactively considers the impact of the current decision on future states and decisions (look-ahead), thus possessing the characteristic of global decision optimization. The process and formula of the heuristic greedy algorithm in this embodiment are shown in Table 2.

[0063] Table 2

[0064]

[0065] S3. Based on the locally optimal choice, execute the selected job.

[0066] S4. Perform dynamic optimization of the sequence based on deviations or interruptions in real-time operations.

[0067] Based on the above assessment of profit and loss timing and the greedy algorithm process, a forward-looking adaptive optimization algorithm process for container loading and unloading sequence decision-making can be found here. Figure 4 .

[0068] Example 2

[0069] The following embodiment will be used to verify the superiority of the present invention compared to the prior art.

[0070] 1. When only unloading or loading containers is being performed, taking six containers that need to be unloaded as an example, such as... Figure 5As shown in (a). Initially, only containers a, b, and c can be unloaded. Their total profit and loss time is calculated according to equations (1)-(6). It is found that container a has the smallest total profit and loss time, so container a is listed as the first container to be unloaded. After updating the ship profile, containers d, b, and c can be unloaded. Their total profit and loss time is calculated again, and container d is listed as the second container to be unloaded. This process continues until the loading and unloading sequence of all containers is determined. When only loading container operations are performed, the decision-making process can refer to... Figure 5 (b) is similar to the unloading sequence decision-making process.

[0071] 2. When loading and unloading operations are carried out simultaneously, the decision-making process is as follows: Figure 6 As shown in the example, the profit and loss time is calculated according to the formulas given in equations (1)-(6). After the decision on the container for the third operation has been made, hatch 1 (leftmost) will be opened. Then the containers that can be used for the next operation include the topmost container in the hold below hatch 1 and the topmost container on the deck above hatches 2 and 3 (right). By comparing the total profit and loss time values, the container for the fourth operation can be determined to be a loading container as shown in the figure. Continue to update the ship's profile and the containers that can be operated. By comparing the total profit and loss time values, the container for the fifth operation can be determined to be a unloading container as shown in the figure. And so on, the loading and unloading sequence of the next containers can be determined. This sequence adopts the same loading and unloading process of loading and unloading at the same time.

[0072] Table 3

[0073]

[0074] The comparison test between the method and manual decision-making in production practice is shown in Table 3. It can be found that under this dataset, the decision-making method of the present invention increases the number of loading and unloading operations by an average of 12 times, and reduces the total operation time by 3.09%. Among them, the idle movement time is reduced by 10.60%, the heavy-load movement time is slightly increased by 0.95%, and the placement time is slightly reduced by 0.54%. The average calculation response time of the decision-making method of the present invention is 1.705s.

[0075] Example 3

[0076] The present invention also provides a forward-looking and adaptive optimization system for container loading and unloading sequence decision-making, comprising: a calculation module, a selection module, an execution module, and an optimization module; the calculation module is used to calculate the total profit and loss time of candidate operations based on the operational status of the containers; the selection module is used to perform a locally optimal selection based on the total profit and loss time; the execution module is used to execute the selected operation based on the locally optimal selection; and the optimization module is used to perform dynamic optimization of the sequence based on deviations or interruptions in real-time operations.

[0077] The following will describe in detail, with reference to this embodiment, how the present invention solves the technical problems in practical work.

[0078] First, the calculation module is used to calculate the total profit and loss time of candidate operations based on the container's operational status.

[0079] First, we discuss how to evaluate each candidate operation, based on profit and loss time. Profit and loss time reflects the increase or decrease in operation time caused by the current candidate operation during execution (current profit and loss time), and the inevitable increase or decrease in operation time for future operations after the current candidate operation is executed (future profit and loss time). The former compares the merits of the current candidate operation under the current operation state, while the latter compares the impact of the current candidate operation on the future operation state. Both current and future profit and loss times consist of two parts: trajectory profit and loss, and landing profit and loss. The former assesses the impact of the ship's profile on trajectory time based on the curved trajectory of the quay crane spreader, while the latter assesses the impact of the landing environment on landing time based on the quay crane spreader's sway suppression and jamming. Different trajectory and landing profits and losses due to different loading and unloading sequences will be quantitatively calculated to support sequence decision optimization. Ultimately, profit and loss time can be divided into five main parts: current trajectory profit and loss time for unloaded movement, current trajectory profit and loss time for loaded movement, current landing profit and loss time, future trajectory profit and loss time, and future landing profit and loss time. Table 1 shows the parameter definitions required to calculate the profit and loss time.

[0080] The calculation of profit and loss time needs to be based on a certain operating time standard, that is, only the increase or decrease relative to a good operating time is calculated. The time standards on which the five types of profit and loss time are based are not entirely the same. The specific calculation process is as follows:

[0081] The standard for comparing the current trajectory gain and loss time of heavy-load motion is the shortest heavy-load trajectory time, that is, the heavy-load trajectory time when the ship's profile is at its lowest. The current trajectory gain / loss time of the heavy-load motion is the trajectory time of the current heavy-load motion (based on the ship's profile i). s The difference between the shortest heavy-load trajectory time and the shortest heavy-load trajectory time. For example... Figure 1 As shown, for unloading containers, the heavy-load movement is from the ship's hold position 's' to the truck position 'o'; while for loading containers, the heavy-load movement is from the truck position 'o' to the ship's hold position 's'. The calculation formula is as follows:

[0082]

[0083] Where s represents the location of the container inside the ship's hull, W D W represents the set of locations of unloaded containers; L This represents the set of container locations; i0 is the lowest ship profile, i.e., the ship profile when all loaded and unloaded containers have been emptied; is A ship's hull profile during loading / unloading of containers located at position s; Indicates the current ship section i s The time taken for the spreader to move under heavy load from container position s to truck position o; This represents the time of the spreader's heavy-load movement trajectory from container position s to truck position o at the lowest ship section i0; Indicates the current ship section i s The time of the spreader's heavy-load movement trajectory from the truck position o to the container position s; This represents the time of the quay crane spreader's heavy-load movement trajectory from the truck position o to the container position s at the lowest ship section i0.

[0084] For the current trajectory gain / loss time of an empty-load movement, since the process of loading and unloading simultaneously within the same container bay is allowed, the optimal empty-load trajectory time can be the empty-load trajectory time between two relatively close container positions within the container bay, that is, from the container bay where the previous container was loaded to the container bay where the next container was unloaded. Its shortest time can approach zero; therefore, the actual empty-load movement trajectory time is directly used as the current trajectory gain / loss time for that empty-load movement. For example... Figure 1 As shown, for a container whose previous operation was unloading, the empty movement is from the truck position o to the ship's hold s; for a container whose previous operation was loading, the empty movement is from the ship's hold r (the previous loading hold) to the current unloading hold s; for a container whose previous operation was unloading, the empty movement is the interval time spent waiting at the truck position o for the next container to be loaded; for a container whose previous operation was loading, the empty movement is from the ship's hold r (the previous loading hold) to the truck position o. The calculation formula is as follows:

[0085]

[0086] Among them, X rs =1 indicates that the container located at s is processed immediately after the container located at r; Indicates the current ship section i s The time taken for the spreader to move unloaded from the truck position o to the container position s; This indicates the waiting time at the truck location from the release of the previous unloading container to the grabbing of the next loading container; Indicates the current ship section i s The time taken for the spreader to move unloaded from container position r to container position s; Indicates the current ship section i s The time taken for the spreader to move unloaded from container position r to truck position o.

[0087] Regarding the current drop-off time, the drop-off time on the truck is not affected by the loading and unloading sequence and is therefore not considered; only the drop-off time of containers inside the ship's bay is taken into account. For example... Figure 3 As shown, there are some optimal placement environments that minimize placement time. Among these, containers need to be placed within the ship's bay, and when adjacent containers are available for support, such as... Figure 2 As shown in (L1), the swaying of the spreader can be quickly stabilized to minimize the landing time, denoted as t. L1 ; When unloading containers, they need to be positioned within the ship's hull. Positioning should be done when the positioning guide can be lowered or when there are adjacent containers to rely on. Figure 2 As shown in (D1), the swaying of the spreader can be quickly stabilized to minimize the landing time, denoted as t. D1 Therefore, if the actual placement time exceeds this minimum time, it will lead to an increase in potential operation time. The calculation formula is as follows:

[0088]

[0089] in, Indicates the current ship section i s The time it takes for the unloaded spreader to land when grabbing the container located at s; Indicates the current ship section i s The time it takes for the heavy-duty spreader to be lowered when placing the container located at s.

[0090] The future profit and loss time is a key aspect of the forward-looking nature of this embodiment. By quantitatively assessing the impact of the current choice on future operation time, key evaluation factors for global optimization can be incorporated into the local optimization under the greedy algorithm, enabling the current decision to improve the overall operation efficiency. Before and after the container at position s is operated on, there are two ship profiles, i. s and i s’ This embodiment compares the operation time caused by the two ship profiles for all containers to be operated on subsequently, and uses i as the basis for comparison. s’ The resulting future work time is standardized as follows: i s The portion that is bound to increase or decrease is considered as future profit or loss.

[0091] Regarding the timing of future trajectory gains and losses, such as Figure 3 As shown in (a), when the red box is loaded, the heavy-load movement trajectory of the box operating on the sea side of the box will inevitably be raised, thus inevitably increasing the total operation time. Conversely, the operation trajectory of the box located on the land side of the box will not be affected. Regarding the future placement gain time, as... Figure 3 As shown in (b), loading the red box will inevitably lead to the presence of a blocking box, which in turn will inevitably increase the placement time. The inevitable impact of the current decision on future operation time will be quantified using the following formula:

[0092]

[0093] Where γ represents the position of the container inside the ship's shell; Y sγ =1 indicates that the container located at γ is processed after the container located at s; i s For loading / unloading the container located at position s, the ship's profile is shown, while i s’ A cross-section of the ship's shell after loading / unloading a container located at position s; This represents the time taken for the spreader to move under heavy load from the truck position o to the container position r in the ship's cross-section after the container at position s has been loaded and unloaded. This represents the time taken for the spreader to move under heavy load from the truck position o to the container position r in the ship's cross-section before the container at position s is loaded or unloaded. This indicates the placement time of the heavy-duty spreader when the container located at s is placed on the ship's shell profile below the container located at r; This indicates the placement time of the heavy-duty spreader when the container located at s is placed on the ship's shell profile before the container at s is loaded or unloaded. This indicates the time it takes for the empty spreader to land when the container at location r is grabbed from the ship's shell profile after the container at location s has been loaded and unloaded. This indicates the time it takes for the empty spreader to land when the container at location r is grabbed from the ship's cross-section before the container at location s is loaded or unloaded.

[0094] Therefore, the total profit and loss time is the sum of the five profit and loss times mentioned above, as shown in the formula below:

[0095]

[0096] The selection module then makes a locally optimal selection based on the total profit and loss time.

[0097] This container loading and unloading sequence decision-making method is based on a heuristic greedy algorithm. It determines the next loading or unloading task through local decisions at each step, ultimately forming a complete container loading and unloading sequence plan. Unlike traditional greedy algorithms that only evaluate candidates based on the current state, this method proactively considers the impact of current decisions on future states and decisions (look-ahead), thus possessing the characteristic of global decision optimization.

[0098] The execution module executes the selected job based on the locally optimal choice.

[0099] Finally, the optimization module performs dynamic optimization of the sequence based on deviations or interruptions in real-time operations.

[0100] Based on the above assessment of profit and loss timing and the greedy algorithm process, a forward-looking adaptive optimization algorithm process for container loading and unloading sequence decision-making can be found here. Figure 4 .

[0101] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications and improvements made to the technical solutions of the present invention by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of proactive and adaptive optimization of container handling sequence decisions, characterized by the steps of include: Calculate the total profit and loss time of candidate operations based on the container's operational status; The expression for the total profit and loss time is as follows: in, This indicates the total profit or loss time resulting from treating the loading / unloading operation at container location s as the next operation; This indicates the time of gain or loss in the current trajectory due to the loading / unloading operation at container position s being treated as the next operation; This indicates the time of gain or loss in the current trajectory due to the loading / unloading operation at container position s being treated as the next operation; This indicates the current placement gain or loss time resulting from treating the loading / unloading operation at container position s as the next operation; This represents the future trajectory gains and losses that will inevitably occur in the subsequent operations after the loading / unloading operation at container location s is completed. This indicates the timeframe for future positioning gains and losses that will inevitably occur after the loading / unloading operation at container location s is completed, which will affect subsequent operations. The , and The calculation methods include: in, r and s Indicates the location of containers inside the ship's hull. WD A set representing the locations of unloaded containers; WL A set representing the locations of containers loaded onto a ship; Xrs = 1 indicates that it is located at s The container was located immediately after r The containers were being processed; i 0 represents the lowest ship profile, indicating the ship profile when all loading and unloading containers have been emptied. is For loading / unloading at the location s A cross-section of the ship's shell in front of the container; Indicates the current ship shell profile is From the location of the container truck o To the container location s The time of the unloaded movement trajectory of the lifting device; This indicates the waiting time at the truck location from the release of the previous unloading container to the grabbing of the next loading container; Indicates the current ship shell profile is From the container location r To the container location s The time of the unloaded movement trajectory of the lifting device; Indicates the current ship shell profile is From the container location r to the truck location o The time of the unloaded movement trajectory of the lifting device; Indicates the current ship shell profile is From the container location s to the truck location o The time of the heavy-load motion trajectory of the lifting device; Indicates the lowest ship hull section i 0 from container position s to the truck location o The time of the heavy-load motion trajectory of the lifting device; Indicates the current ship shell profile is Next episode card location o To the container location s The time of the heavy-load motion trajectory of the lifting device; Indicates the lowest ship hull section i 0 Next episode card position o To the container location s The time of heavy-load movement trajectory of the quay crane spreader; Indicates the current ship shell profile is The lower pair is located in s The time it takes for the unloaded spreader to land when the container is being grabbed; Indicates the current ship shell profile is The lower pair is located in s The time it takes for heavy-duty spreaders to be lowered when placing containers; tL 1 indicates the shortest placement time for a container to be placed within the ship's bay, provided there are adjacent containers available for support. tD 1 indicates the shortest placement time when the unloading container needs to be positioned within the ship's canopy, and the placement guide can be lowered or there are adjacent containers to rely on. The and The calculation methods include: in, γ Indicates the location of the container inside the ship's hull. Ysγ = 1 indicates that it is located at γ The container was located at s The containers were being processed; is For loading / unloading at the location s The ship's shell profile in front of the containers, and is 'For loading / unloading located position s A cross-section of the ship's shell behind the container; Indicates that it is located at s The location of the container trucks in the ship's shell after loading and unloading. o To the container location r The time of the heavy-load motion trajectory of the lifting device; Indicates that it is located at s The location of the container truck under the ship's shell before loading and unloading. o To the container location r The time of the heavy-load motion trajectory of the lifting device; Indicates that it is located at s The lower section of the ship's shell after the containers were loaded and unloaded is located at... r The time it takes for heavy-duty spreaders to be lowered when placing containers; Indicates that it is located at s The container was placed under the ship's shell profile before loading and unloading. r The time it takes for heavy-duty spreaders to be lowered when placing containers; Indicates that it is located at s The lower section of the ship's shell after the containers were loaded and unloaded is located at... r The time it takes for the unloaded spreader to land when the container is being grabbed; Indicates that it is located at s The container was placed under the ship's shell profile before loading and unloading. r The time it takes for the unloaded spreader to land when the container is being grabbed; Based on the total profit and loss time, a locally optimal choice is made; Based on the aforementioned local optimal choice, execute the selected task; Dynamically optimize the sequence based on deviations or interruptions in real-time operations.

2. The forward-looking and adaptive optimization method for container loading and unloading sequence decision-making according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of making the local optimal choice includes: using a heuristic greedy algorithm to determine the next loading or unloading task through local decisions at each step, ultimately forming a complete container loading and unloading sequence scheme.

3. A forward-looking and adaptive optimization system for container loading and unloading sequence decision-making, said system being used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that, include: Calculation module, selection module, execution module, and optimization module; The calculation module is used to calculate the total profit and loss time of candidate operations based on the operational status of the containers. The selection module is used to make a locally optimal selection based on the total profit and loss time; The execution module is used to execute the selected job based on the local optimal selection; The optimization module is used to dynamically optimize the sequence based on deviations or interruptions in real-time operations.

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