Automatic wharf container checking system and method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of container inspection, in particular to an automatic wharf container inspection system and method.The system comprises a driving lane, an automatic straddle carrier and a purse seine, and an outer container truck interaction station is arranged at one end of the driving lane; one side of the driving lane communicates with the large-piece crane interaction station, and hoisting equipment is arranged on the side, away from the driving lane, of the large-piece crane interaction station; the other side of the driving lane is communicated with the checking station, and the checking station is communicated with the checking shed; the automatic straddle carrier is used for loading, unloading and carrying containers, and the automatic straddle carrier can automatically run in the driving lane, the large-piece crane interaction station and the inspection station; the surrounding net surrounds the driving lane, the large-piece crane interaction station, the checking station and the checking shed, and an access control device is arranged between the checking shed and the surrounding net; a barrier gate is arranged on the surrounding net between the driving lane and the outer container truck interaction station. According to the method, the container checking quality can be guaranteed, and the wharf operation safety and efficiency can also be guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of container inspection, and in particular to an automated terminal container inspection system and method. Background Art

[0002] Container shipping trade, with its advantages of high efficiency and high profitability, has become a key trend in international maritime trade. In recent years, container shipping has accounted for over 23% of foreign trade. While maintaining the growth of container import and export trade, ensuring the legality and security of containerized cargo and preventing illegal activities such as smuggling and contraband remains a technical challenge faced by customs authorities and container terminals.

[0003] Automated container terminals utilize a large number of automated port machinery to achieve unmanned operations throughout the entire container loading, unloading, transportation, and interaction process, laying the foundation for unmanned container inspection technology. By adding unmanned inspection equipment such as X-ray machines to the horizontal container transport process at automated terminals, and dispatching these equipment through the terminal's production system, unmanned container inspection can be completed, saving manpower and improving container inspection efficiency.

[0004] However, in actual application, due to cost issues, it is difficult to install unmanned container inspection equipment such as X-ray machines in every operating lane. Usually, manual inspection is used as the main method, supplemented by unmanned inspection, to save manpower and improve inspection efficiency. However, during manual inspection, the frequent cross-operation between humans and machines poses a safety hazard. When the X-ray machine is used for unmanned inspection, the specifications of the containers vary, while the operating lanes and the X-ray machine have a fixed passing width. When the unmanned straddle carrier carries the container through the X-ray machine, due to insufficient spacing and insufficient route accuracy of the unmanned straddle carrier, accidents such as the container scraping against the X-ray machine often occur, affecting work efficiency, operational safety and inspection accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve the technical problems that the existing container inspection method has safety hazards, affects operation efficiency and inspection accuracy, the present invention provides an automated terminal container inspection system, an automated terminal container inspection method and an automatic straddle carrier.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, in a first aspect, the technical solution adopted by an automated terminal container inspection system in the present invention is: An automated terminal container inspection system comprises a driving lane, an automatic straddle carrier and a fence. An external container truck interaction station is provided at one end of the driving lane, where external container trucks can be parked. One side of the driving lane is connected to a large-lift crane interaction station, where a lifting device is provided on the side of the large-lift crane interaction station away from the driving lane, where the lifting device can lift containers to the large-lift crane interaction station. The other side of the driving lane is connected to an inspection station, which is connected to an inspection shed. The automatic straddle carrier is used for loading and unloading containers and can automatically travel between the driving lane, the large-lift crane interaction station and the inspection station. The fence surrounds the driving lane, the large-lift crane interaction station, the inspection station and the inspection shed, with an access control device provided between the inspection shed and the fence. A barrier gate is provided on the fence between the driving lane and the external container truck interaction station. Several magnetic pins are buried in the ground of the driving lane, the large-lift crane interaction station, and the inspection station. Each magnetic pin is assigned a positioning number. A magnetic pin sensor is installed on the bottom of the automatic straddle carrier, and the automatic straddle carrier is equipped with a navigation module. The magnetic pin sensor can read the magnetic pin's positioning number and send it to the navigation module. The navigation module can control the automatic straddle carrier to move between the driving lane, the large-lift crane interaction station, and the inspection station based on the magnetic pin's positioning number and the preset path.

[0007] In order to facilitate the magnetic nail sensor to read the number of the magnetic nail, as a preferred implementation of an automated terminal container inspection system, the magnetic nail sensors are installed on the bottom of both sides of the automatic straddle carrier.

[0008] To accurately locate an automated straddle carrier, as a preferred implementation of an automated terminal container inspection system, the automated straddle carrier includes a frame with four wheels mounted at the four corners of the frame. The wheels on both sides of the straddle carrier's travel direction move synchronously. The front and rear wheels of the straddle carrier are equipped with wheel speed encoders, steering angle encoders, and gyroscope encoders. Each wheel speed encoder, steering angle encoder, and gyroscope encoder is electrically connected to a navigation module. When the magnetic pin sensor fails to read the magnetic pin's location number, the navigation module estimates the automated straddle carrier's location information based on an inertial navigation algorithm by reading information from each wheel speed encoder, steering angle encoder, and gyroscope encoder.

[0009] In order to facilitate the detection of container weight, as a preferred implementation of an automated terminal container inspection system, a first weighing scale is provided at one end of the driving lane close to the external container truck interaction station, and / or a second weighing scale is provided at the large crane interaction station.

[0010] In order to facilitate real-time monitoring of the location and work behavior of staff and improve safety, as a preferred implementation method of an automated terminal container inspection system, the inspection shed is equipped with several security cameras.

[0011] To facilitate recharging of the automatic straddle carrier, as a preferred implementation of an automated terminal container inspection system, a charging busbar is installed on the inner side of the driving lane near the external truck interaction station. The charging busbar is arranged along the length of the driving lane. A carbon brush power supply device is installed on the bottom side of the automatic straddle carrier. The carbon brush power supply device includes power supply carbon brushes, and the height of the power supply carbon brushes is consistent with the height of the charging busbar.

[0012] As an optimal implementation method of an automated terminal container inspection system, a lifting cylinder is provided on the top of the frame, a lifting platform is installed on the top of the lifting cylinder, a transverse cylinder is installed on the bottom of the lifting platform, the telescopic end of the transverse cylinder is connected to the spreader, the transverse cylinder can drive the spreader to move laterally, and the spreader is provided with a locking and unlocking structure, which can cooperate with the container lifting lug to realize automatic locking and unlocking.

[0013] As a preferred implementation of an automated terminal container inspection system, the lifting cylinder is equipped with a lifting displacement sensor, and the lateral displacement cylinder is equipped with a lateral displacement sensor. Both the lifting displacement sensor and the lateral displacement sensor are connected to the displacement controller.

[0014] In a second aspect, the technical solution adopted by an automated terminal container inspection method of the present invention is: An automated terminal container inspection method comprises the following steps: S1. The automated straddle carrier interacts with an external container truck or lifting equipment at the external container truck interaction station or large crane interaction station to load containers. S2. The navigation module controls the automatic straddle carrier based on the magnetic pin's positioning number and the preset path to transport the container to the inspection station via the driving lane; S3. The automated straddle carrier loads the inspected container at the inspection station. The navigation module controls the automated straddle carrier based on the magnetic pin's positioning number and the preset path to transport the inspected container back to the external truck interaction station or the large-lift crane interaction station via the driving lane. The automated straddle carrier loads the container at the external truck interaction station onto an external container truck, and the crane equipment removes the container from the large-lift crane interaction station.

[0015] Preferably, an automated terminal container inspection method further includes: establishing a navigation state equation for the automatic straddle carrier 15 under all operating conditions, linearizing the navigation state equation for the automatic straddle carrier 15 under all operating conditions to obtain a Jacobian matrix of the state equation, establishing an extended Kalman filter state equation and an observation equation based on the Jacobian matrix of the state equation, and obtaining more accurate navigation and positioning information for the automatic straddle carrier 15 based on the extended Kalman filter state equation and the observation equation using an extended Kalman filter algorithm.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention include: The inspection system designed in this application can complete the entire container inspection process, realize the separation of container loading and unloading operations and inspection operations at automated terminals, and solve the problem of unmanned container inspection technology scratching equipment and low accuracy of remote scanning container inspection. Although manual inspection is adopted, compared with the existing inspection method of manual inspection as the main method and unmanned inspection equipment as the auxiliary method, this application will not cause equipment scratches, thereby improving inspection efficiency and achieving higher inspection quality.

[0017] This embodiment uses an automatic straddle carrier to fully automate the container interaction and transportation process, which can solve the safety issues caused by the cross-operation of humans and machines in existing inspection technologies.

[0018] The site required for this application can use the original unmanned inspection site, which will not increase the site cost but will reduce the cost of unmanned inspection equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for the description. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of an automated terminal container inspection system in a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the magnetic pin distribution structure of an automated terminal container inspection system in a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a flow chart of an automated terminal container inspection method according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 It is a schematic side view of the structure of an automatic straddle carrier in a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the top view of the automatic straddle carrier in a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of a carbon brush power extraction device in a specific embodiment of the present invention when it contacts the charging busbar; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of navigation and positioning of an automatic straddle carrier in a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 It is a two-degree-of-freedom straight and oblique working condition navigation model of the automatic straddle carrier in a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 It is a two-degree-of-freedom steering navigation model of an automatic straddle carrier in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Description of reference numerals: 1. Driving lane; 2. External container truck interaction station; 3. Large crane interaction station; 4. Lifting equipment; 5. Inspection station; 6. Inspection shed; 7. Access control device; 8. Gate; 9. Magnetic nails; 10. Charging busbar; 11. First floor scale; 12. Second floor scale; 13. Security camera; 14. Fence; 15. Automatic straddle carrier; 16. Wheel; 17. Lifting cylinder; 18. Lifting displacement sensor; 19. Lifting platform; 20. Transverse cylinder; 21. Transverse displacement sensor; 22. Magnetic nail sensor; 23. Carbon brush power supply device; 24. Charging rectifier cabinet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In order to make the purpose, features, and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the specific embodiments. Obviously, the embodiments described below are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0023] This embodiment addresses the container inspection challenges faced by the rapid growth of import and export trade, and proposes an automated terminal container inspection system that can ensure both the quality of container inspection and the safety and efficiency of terminal operations. It also proposes an automated terminal container inspection method and an automated straddle carrier.

[0024] Reference Figure 1-2 The specific solution of the automated terminal container inspection system proposed in this embodiment is as follows: An automated terminal container inspection system comprises a driving lane 1, an automatic straddle carrier 15 and a fence 14. An external container truck interaction station 2 is provided at one end of the driving lane 1, where external container trucks can be parked. One side of the driving lane 1 is connected to a large-lift crane interaction station 3, where a lifting device 4 is provided on the side of the large-lift crane interaction station 3 away from the driving lane 1, where the lifting device 4 can lift containers to the large-lift crane interaction station 3. The other side of the driving lane 1 is connected to an inspection station 5, which is connected to an inspection shed 6. The automatic straddle carrier 15 is used for loading and unloading and carrying containers and can automatically travel among the driving lane 1, the large-lift crane interaction station 3 and the inspection station 5. The fence 14 encloses the driving lane 1, the large-lift crane interaction station 3, the inspection station 5 and the inspection shed 6, with an access control device 7 provided between the inspection shed 6 and the fence 14. A gate 8 is provided on the fence 14 between the driving lane 1 and the external container truck interaction station 2.

[0025] To facilitate positioning of the automated straddle carrier 15, in this embodiment, a plurality of magnetic pins 9 are embedded in the ground of the driving lane 1, the heavy-lift crane interaction station 3, and the inspection station 5. Each magnetic pin 9 is assigned a positioning number. Magnetic pin sensors 22 are mounted on the bottom of both sides of the automated straddle carrier 15. The magnetic pin sensors 22 can read the positioning numbers of the magnetic pins 9 and transmit them to a navigation module on the automated straddle carrier 15, thereby locating the automated straddle carrier 15. The navigation module can control the automated straddle carrier 15 to move between the driving lane 1, the heavy-lift crane interaction station 3, and the inspection station 5 based on the positioning of the automated straddle carrier 15 and a preset path, thereby facilitating interaction.

[0026] To facilitate recharging of the automatic straddle carrier 15 , in this embodiment, a charging busbar 10 is provided on the inner side of the driving lane 1 near the end of the external truck interaction station 2 . The charging busbar 10 is arranged along the length of the driving lane 1 . A carbon brush power supply device 23 is provided on the bottom side of the automatic straddle carrier 15 . The carbon brush power supply device 23 includes power supply carbon brushes, and the height of the power supply carbon brushes is consistent with the height of the charging busbar 10 . The carbon brush power supply device 23 is installed in the charging rectifier cabinet 24 .

[0027] In order to facilitate the detection of the weight of the container, in this embodiment, a first weighing scale 11 is provided at one end of the driving lane 1 close to the external container truck interaction station 2, and a second weighing scale 12 is provided at the large-piece crane interaction station 3.

[0028] In order to facilitate real-time monitoring of the positions and working behaviors of the staff and improve safety, in this embodiment, the inspection shed 6 is provided with a plurality of security cameras 13 .

[0029] Reference Figure 1 In this embodiment, the various workstations can be arranged in a manner with a high land utilization rate, so that the driving lane 1 is arranged around both sides of the inspection workstation 5, and the inspection shed 6 is arranged in the middle of the two inspection workstations 5. Figure 1 The lower right corner can be used to set up more inspection stations 5, as well as automatic straddle carrier maintenance stations and container temporary storage stations. The fence 1 in the lower right corner can also be used to set up access control for maintenance personnel. Maintenance personnel can enter the automatic straddle carrier maintenance station through the access control to repair and maintain the automatic straddle carrier. Figure 1 The outer side of the fence 1 in the lower right corner, that is Figure 1 Below the lower right corner.

[0030] The operation process of this embodiment can be divided into the inspection of the fence 14, the process of picking up the box, the process of delivering the box, the process of checking the box, and the process of returning the box. The details of each process are as follows: Check fence 14: Check fence 14 to ensure that the automated equipment and personnel inside the fence 14 are separated.

[0031] Container retrieval process: The automatic straddle carrier 15 interacts with the large-scale crane interaction station 3 or the external container truck interaction station 2 to take away the container from the large-scale crane interaction station 3 or the external container truck interaction station 2.

[0032] The containers in this embodiment are divided into two categories. One category is larger containers, which are lifted from outside the fence 14 to the large-piece crane interaction station 3 by the lifting equipment 4. The other category is smaller containers, which are transported to the external container truck interaction station 2 by external container trucks. During the container retrieval process, both the larger containers at the large-piece crane interaction station 3 and the smaller containers at the external container truck interaction station 2 can be loaded onto the automatic straddle carrier 15.

[0033] For larger containers, before the automated straddle carrier 15 removes the container from the heavy-lift crane interaction station 3, the lifting equipment 4 grabs the container and places it on the second weighbridge 12 for a weight check. For smaller containers, after the automated straddle carrier 15 removes the container, the weight check is completed when the automated straddle carrier 15 passes the first weighbridge 11.

[0034] Container delivery process: The automatic straddle carrier 15 travels on the driving lane 1 and transports the container to the inspection station 5. Then, the automatic straddle carrier 15 can complete the container return process or container retrieval process according to system instructions.

[0035] Inspection process: Each container has its own inspection station 5. The inspector enters the inspection shed 6 after verification by the access control device 7. He can enter the inspection station 5 of the designated container through the inspection shed 6 and conduct unpacking inspection on the container. During the inspection, the inspection stations 5 of other containers remain locked. The security camera 13 monitors the position and operation behavior of the inspector in real time.

[0036] Container return process: After the inspector completes the inspection and leaves the inspection station 5, the automated straddle carrier 15 travels to the designated inspection station 5 for the inspected container, grabs, and transports the container. For larger containers, the automated straddle carrier 15 transports them to the heavy lift crane interaction station 3. After the automated straddle carrier 15 leaves the heavy lift crane interaction station 3, the larger container is removed by the lifting equipment 4. For smaller containers, the automated straddle carrier 15 transports them to the external container truck interaction station 2 for interaction with an external container truck. While transporting the container to the external container truck interaction station 2, the automated straddle carrier 15 passes over the charging busbar 10, where the carbon brush power supply 23 contacts the charging busbar 10, allowing the automated straddle carrier 15 to recharge.

[0037] In this embodiment, when the automatic straddle carrier 15 interacts with the external container truck interaction station 2, the gate 8 is opened, and after the interaction is completed, the gate 8 is closed to improve safety.

[0038] The inspection system designed in this embodiment can complete the entire container inspection process, can realize the separation of container loading and unloading operations and inspection operations at automated terminals, solve the problems of unmanned container inspection technology scratching equipment and low accuracy of remote scanning and inspection of containers, and improve the inspection quality and efficiency.

[0039] This embodiment uses the automatic straddle carrier 15 to achieve full automation of the container interaction and transportation process, which can solve the safety issues caused by the cross-operation of humans and machines in existing inspection technologies.

[0040] like Figure 4-9 As shown, the automatic straddle carrier 15 includes a frame with four wheels 16 installed at the four corners of the bottom of the frame. The wheels 16 on both sides of the automatic straddle carrier 15 in the direction of travel move synchronously. A lifting cylinder 17 is provided on the top of the frame, and a lifting platform 19 is installed on the top of the lifting cylinder 17. A transverse cylinder 20 is installed at the bottom of the jacking platform 19. The telescopic end of the transverse cylinder 20 is connected to the spreader. The transverse cylinder 20 can drive the spreader to move laterally. The spreader is provided with a locking and unlocking structure that can cooperate with the container lifting lug to realize automatic locking and unlocking.

[0041] In this embodiment, the lifting cylinder 17 is equipped with a lifting displacement sensor 18, and the lateral displacement cylinder 20 is equipped with a lateral displacement sensor 21. Both the lifting displacement sensor 18 and the lateral displacement sensor 21 are connected to the displacement controller.

[0042] In this embodiment, the front and rear wheels 16 of the automatic straddle carrier 15 in the direction of travel are each equipped with a wheel speed encoder, a steering angle encoder, and a gyroscope encoder. Each wheel speed encoder, steering angle encoder, and gyroscope encoder is electrically connected to a navigation module. When the magnetic pin sensor 22 cannot read the positioning number of the magnetic pin 9, the navigation module can estimate the positioning information of the automatic straddle carrier 15 based on an inertial navigation algorithm by reading information from each wheel speed encoder, steering angle encoder, and gyroscope encoder.

[0043] The method for estimating the positioning information of the automatic straddle carrier 15 based on the inertial navigation algorithm is as follows: Reference Figure 7 A navigation coordinate system is established with the outermost corner of the fence 14 as the origin, the east-west direction as the X-axis, and the north-south direction as the Y-axis. The actual positions of the magnetic pins 9 and their respective magnetic pin 9 location numbers are accurately annotated in this coordinate system. During the straddle carrier's travel, the magnetic pin sensor 22 reads the magnetic pin 9 location numbers to automatically locate the straddle carrier 15.

[0044] At the same time, the heading angle range of the automatic straddle carrier 15 in the driving direction is defined as 0-360°. When the automatic straddle carrier 15 is driving along the positive coordinate direction of the X axis, the heading angle of the automatic straddle carrier 15 in the driving direction is 0°. When the automatic straddle carrier 15 is driving along the positive coordinate direction of the Y axis, the heading angle of the automatic straddle carrier 15 in the driving direction is 90°.

[0045] The wheels 16 on both sides of the automatic straddle carrier 15 are synchronously controlled, and the navigation model can be simplified to a two-degree-of-freedom model.

[0046] Reference Figure 8 , the center of mass P of the straddle carrier is the geometric center of the automatic straddle carrier's 15-degree-of-freedom navigation model, and the direction angle of the center of mass of the automatic straddle carrier's 15-degree-of-freedom straight and oblique working conditions is and vehicle speed for: (1), Where: The front wheel turning angle of the automatic straddle carrier is 15 degrees. The rear wheel turning angle of the automatic straddle carrier is 15. 15 front wheel speed for automatic straddle carrier, 15 rear wheel speed for automatic straddle carrier.

[0047] according to Figure 8 In the model shown, the forward direction of the automatic straddle carrier 15 is defined as the X direction, the transverse direction is defined as the Y direction, and the X-axis position coordinate x, Y-axis position coordinate y, and heading angle θ at the center of mass of the automatic straddle carrier 15 are selected as state variables. The navigation state equations for the automatic straddle carrier 15 in straight and oblique working conditions are established: (2).

[0048] Reference Figure 9 According to the geometric relationship of the model, the longitudinal distance a and the lateral distance b from the center of mass of the rear wheel of the automatic straddle carrier 15 to the instantaneous center of rotation M, the rotation radius R of the center of mass of the automatic straddle carrier 15 and the direction angle can be obtained. : (3), Where: It is the distance from the center of mass of the automatic straddle carrier 15 to the center of mass of the front and rear wheels.

[0049] According to formula (3), the X-direction displacement of the center of mass of the automatic straddle carrier 15 is obtained as △ x and X-direction displacement △ y : (4), Where: The direction of rotation of the automatic straddle carrier 15, =1 means the automatic straddle carrier 15 turns clockwise around the instantaneous center. =-1 means that the automatic straddle carrier 15 turns clockwise around the instantaneous center.

[0050] According to formula (4), the navigation state equation of the automatic straddle carrier 15 in the steering condition is established: (5).

[0051] According to equations (2) and (5), the navigation state equation of the automatic straddle carrier 15 in all operating conditions is established:

[0052] = (6), Where: n The automatic straddle carrier 15 is in operation state. n =1 means the straddle carrier is moving straight or obliquely. n =0 is the four-wheel steering working condition of the straddle carrier.

[0053] Linearize the nonlinear equation (6) to obtain the Jacobian matrix of the state equation: (7).

[0054] Establish the extended Kalman filter state equation and observation equation: (8), Where, is the state variable, is the observed variable, and are all zero-mean white noise sequences that obey Gaussian distribution. This is the state error caused by tire side slip or deformation when the straddle carrier is driving. This is the observation error caused by the encoder of the automatic straddle carrier 15.

[0055] Finally, according to formula (8), by extending the Kalman filter algorithm, more accurate navigation and positioning information of the automatic straddle carrier 15 is obtained.

[0056] In this embodiment, when the automatic straddle carrier 15 is at a non-magnetic pin 9 position, the automatic straddle carrier 15 reads information from its front and rear wheel speed encoders, steering angle encoders of each wheel 16 , and gyroscope encoders, and estimates the position of the automatic straddle carrier 15 using an inertial navigation algorithm.

[0057] Since inertial navigation has the problem of accumulated positioning errors, when the automatic straddle carrier 15 is at the position of the magnetic nail 9, the actual position of the automatic straddle carrier 15 can be located by the magnetic nail sensor 22, and the inertial navigation positioning information can be corrected, thereby eliminating or reducing the errors accumulated during the inertial navigation process.

[0058] The navigation module calculates the required speed and steering angle of the automated straddle carrier 15 based on the planned path and the real-time position of the automated straddle carrier 15. For example, if the automated straddle carrier 15 deviates from the planned path, the navigation module adjusts the speed of the motor driving the wheels 16 and the steering angle of the automated straddle carrier 15 based on the magnitude and direction of the deviation to return the automated straddle carrier 15 to the correct path.

[0059] like Figure 3 As shown below, an automated terminal container inspection method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is a method for inspecting containers at an automated terminal. The method for inspecting containers at an automated terminal and an automated terminal container inspection system of the above-mentioned embodiments belong to the same inventive concept. For details not fully described in the embodiment of the method for inspecting containers at an automated terminal, please refer to the embodiment of the above-mentioned automated terminal container inspection system.

[0060] An automated terminal container inspection method comprises the following steps: S1, the automatic straddle carrier 15 interacts with the external container truck or lifting equipment 4 at the external container truck interaction station 2 or the large crane interaction station 3 to load the container; S2. The navigation module controls the automatic straddle carrier 15 based on the positioning number of the magnetic pin 9 and the preset path to transport the container to the inspection station 5 via the driving lane 1; S3. The automated straddle carrier 15 loads the inspected container at the inspection station 5. The navigation module controls the automated straddle carrier 15 based on the positioning number of the magnetic pin 9 and the preset path to transport the inspected container back to the external truck interaction station 2 or the large-lift crane interaction station 3 via the driving lane 1. The automated straddle carrier 15 loads the container at the external truck interaction station 2 onto an external container truck, and the crane 4 removes the container from the large-lift crane interaction station 3.

[0061] The above description of the disclosed embodiments is intended to enable one skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown herein but is intended to conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An automated terminal container inspection system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a driving lane (1), an automatic straddle carrier (15) and a fence (14); an external container truck interaction station (2) is provided at one end of the driving lane (1); the external container truck interaction station (2) can park an external container truck; one side of the driving lane (1) is connected to a large crane interaction station (3); a lifting device (4) is provided on the side of the large crane interaction station (3) away from the driving lane (1); the lifting device (4) can lift a container to the large crane interaction station (3); the other side of the driving lane (1) is connected to an inspection station (5); the inspection station (5) is connected to an inspection shed (6); The automatic straddle carrier (15) is used for loading, unloading and carrying containers. The automatic straddle carrier (15) can automatically travel in the driving lane (1), the large crane interaction station (3) and the inspection station (5); The fence (14) encloses the driving lane (1), the large crane interaction station (3), the inspection station (5) and the inspection shed (6), and an access control device (7) is provided between the inspection shed (6) and the fence (14); the fence (14) between the driving lane (1) and the external container truck interaction station (2) is provided with a gate (8); A plurality of magnetic nails (9) are buried in the ground of the driving lane (1), the large crane interaction station (3) and the inspection station (5), each magnetic nail (9) is provided with a positioning number, a magnetic nail sensor (22) is provided at the bottom of the automatic straddle carrier (15), and the automatic straddle carrier (15) is provided with a navigation module, the magnetic nail sensor (22) can read the positioning number of the magnetic nail (9) and send it to the navigation module, and the navigation module can control the automatic straddle carrier (15) to move between the driving lane (1), the large crane interaction station (3) and the inspection station (5) based on the positioning number of the magnetic nail (9) and a preset path.

2. The automated terminal container inspection system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The magnetic nail sensors (22) are installed on the bottom of both sides of the automatic straddle carrier (15).

3. The automated terminal container inspection system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The automatic straddle carrier (15) includes a frame, and four wheels (16) are installed at the four corners of the bottom of the frame. The wheels (16) on both sides of the automatic straddle carrier (15) in the direction of travel move synchronously. The front and rear wheels (16) of the automatic straddle carrier (15) in the direction of travel are provided with a wheel speed encoder, a steering angle encoder and a gyroscope encoder. Each wheel speed encoder, steering angle encoder and gyroscope encoder is electrically connected to a navigation module. When the magnetic nail sensor (22) cannot read the positioning number of the magnetic nail (9), the navigation module can estimate the positioning information of the automatic straddle carrier (15) based on the inertial navigation algorithm by reading the information of each wheel speed encoder, steering angle encoder and gyroscope encoder.

4. The automated terminal container inspection system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first weighing scale (11) is provided at one end of the driving lane (1) close to the external container truck interaction station (2), and / or a second weighing scale (12) is provided at the large crane interaction station (3).

5. The automated terminal container inspection system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inspection shed (6) is provided with a number of security cameras (13).

6. The automated terminal container inspection system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A charging busbar (10) is provided on the inner side of one end of the driving lane (1) close to the external truck interaction station (2), and the charging busbar (10) is arranged along the length direction of the driving lane (1). A carbon brush power supply device (23) is provided on the bottom side of the automatic straddle carrier (15), and the height of the carbon brush power supply device (23) is consistent with the height of the charging busbar (10).

7. The automated terminal container inspection system according to claim 3, characterized in that: A lifting cylinder (17) is provided on the top of the vehicle frame, a lifting platform (19) is installed on the top of the lifting cylinder (17), a transverse cylinder (20) is installed on the bottom of the lifting platform (19), the telescopic end of the transverse cylinder (20) is connected to the spreader, and the transverse cylinder (20) can drive the spreader to move laterally. The spreader is provided with a locking and unlocking structure, and the locking and unlocking structure can cooperate with the container lifting lug to realize automatic locking and unlocking.

8. The automated terminal container inspection system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The jacking oil cylinder (17) is equipped with a jacking displacement sensor (18), and the lateral displacement oil cylinder (20) is equipped with a lateral displacement sensor (21). Both the jacking displacement sensor (18) and the lateral displacement sensor (21) are connected to the displacement controller.

9. An automated terminal container inspection method, characterized in that: The automated terminal container inspection system according to any one of claims 1 to 8 comprises the following steps: S1, the automatic straddle carrier (15) interacts with the external container truck or lifting equipment (4) at the external container truck interaction station (2) or the large crane interaction station (3) to load the container; S2, the navigation module controls the automatic straddle carrier (15) based on the positioning number of the magnetic pin (9) and the preset path to transport the container to the inspection station (5) via the driving lane (1); S3. The automatic straddle carrier (15) is loaded with the container inspected at the inspection station (5). The navigation module controls the automatic straddle carrier (15) based on the positioning number of the magnetic pin (9) and the preset path to transport the inspected container back to the external container truck interaction station (2) or the large-piece crane interaction station (3) via the driving lane (1). The automatic straddle carrier (15) loads the container at the external container truck interaction station (2) onto the external container truck, and the lifting equipment (4) takes the container at the large-piece crane interaction station (3) away.

10. The automated terminal container inspection method according to claim 9, characterized in that: include: The navigation state equation of the automatic straddle carrier (15) in all operating conditions is established, and the navigation state equation of the automatic straddle carrier (15) in all operating conditions is linearized to obtain the Jacobian matrix of the state equation. The extended Kalman filter state equation and observation equation are established based on the Jacobian matrix of the state equation. Based on the extended Kalman filter state equation and observation equation, more accurate navigation and positioning information of the automatic straddle carrier (15) is obtained through the extended Kalman filter algorithm.

Images