Area monitoring on an intermodal crane

Abstract

Container loading facility (1) with a control device (2), a container crane (3), and a work surface (4) below the container crane (3), wherein the container crane (3) has at least one support element (5) extending over the work surface (4), and wherein the work surface (4) has loading areas (6) and access areas (7), and the loading areas (6) are configured to accommodate transport vehicles (8), in particular rail vehicles (8), in sections for loading or unloading by the container crane (3), and the access areas (7) are each rectangular between two immediately adjacent loading areas (6), so that persons (11) have access to the loading areas (6), characterized in that a respective access area (7) has a monitoring area (9) which is monitored across its entire width by at least one 3D lidar sensor (10), at least during the loading of the transport vehicles (8), in particular the rail vehicles (8).wherein the 3D lidar sensor (10) is arranged above the respective access area (7), in particular centrally, on the support element (5), in particular immovably, and in particular independently sets up the monitoring area.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of a container loading facility in a container terminal. In such a container terminal, intermodal cranes are used to load containers onto and off transport vehicles. An intermodal crane is a special type of crane that loads and unloads different modes of transport in a multi-link transport or supply chain, for example by maneuvering containers from one transport vehicle to another, for example from a truck to a container train. Such a container crane is moved by a crane control system, with the picking up of the container and the movement of the container to its destination preferably taking place automatically, or at least partially automatically. A container crane can be designed as a rail-mounted gantry crane (RMG) or as a rubber-tyred gantry crane (RTG).

[0002] To load and unload a transport vehicle, the container crane spans an area designed as a work surface, into which the transport vehicles drive along transport vehicle tracks to position themselves beneath the container crane area for loading and unloading. Access areas are designed between such loading areas, particularly so that personnel can assist with loading and unloading operations.

[0003] Since the movement of a container crane is preferably partially automated, and a container crane operator has only a limited field of vision due to the spatial extent of the work area, it is necessary to monitor the loading processes using sensors. For example, to ensure that no people are present in the area when the container is moved by the crane over the access area, especially not in the area below the container.

[0004] EP 3894349 B1 describes a container loading facility and a method for monitoring the facility's operation. In the container loading facility described in EP 3894349 B1, the work area below the container crane has an elongated loading position for road transport vehicles. Several 3D laser scanners are mounted on the container crane above the work area and are configured to scan the work area and the road transport vehicle from an angle above. For this purpose, the 3D laser scanners perform at least one scan during a container loading process to generate a measurement point cloud. The measurement point cloud includes measurement points that allow identification of the work area and the road transport vehicles.

[0005] In one embodiment of EP 3894349 B1, the work surface can be divided into L-shaped sub-zones that complement each other to form a rectangle around the actual loading position, i.e., around the road transport vehicle positioned on the work surface, so that each laser scanner surveys an L-shaped sub-zone. For this purpose, the two laser scanners are positioned in two opposite corners of the work surface and aligned obliquely with respect to the work surface so that the L-shaped sub-zones can be detected.

[0006] The system also features a person detection unit. The person detection unit identifies the work area and the road transport vehicle from the measurement point cloud. If a measurement point within the measurement point cloud is located more than 0.5 m above the identified work area, the person detection unit issues a "probable person" signal, causing a safety control system to slow down or stop the crane movement.

[0007] The system described in EP 3894349 B1 has the disadvantage that an area of ​​the L-shaped sub-area is not detected by a 3D laser scanner precisely when the transport vehicle cannot fully enter the work area or drives beyond it, for example because different road transport vehicles generally have different lengths or because they are rail vehicles with a number of wagons. This is particularly disadvantageous if the area includes the explicitly designated personnel areas described in EP 3894349 B1, which are located at the edge or at a corner of the work area, as is the case in Fig. 2 of EP 3894349 B1.

[0008] EP 2858937 B1 describes a crane with a hoist for performing a lifting operation, wherein the hoist is movable in a lateral direction. The crane can have an imaging sensor for detecting a person in a defined safety zone. A control device of the crane is configured to block the operation of the hoist if the imaging sensor detects a person in the safety zone. EP 2858937 B1 discloses an infrared camera as a camera, wherein the camera is attached to the hoist so that the camera moves with the hoist.

[0009] A camera that moves with the hoist has the disadvantage that it only captures the area immediately surrounding the hoist or the container attached to it. Therefore, people are only captured by the camera when they are in this area around the container being transported, i.e., in the immediate danger zone. However, this does not allow people to be warned in time, for example, to allow them time to leave the area, because it can be assumed that people in the access area are not constantly aware of what is happening above them.

[0010] DE 102006044187 A1 describes a method for operating an optical sensor that is attached to a container crane to monitor protection zones. For monitoring, the sensor is continuously swiveled in the longitudinal and transverse directions. The protection zones are located below the crane frame and include access areas for persons as well as the vehicle lanes of the transport vehicles being loaded or unloaded. For this reason, one sensor monitors a protection zone that extends across several access areas and vehicle lanes (see Fig. 1b, DE 102006044187 A1).

[0011] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an alternative container loading system for monitoring access areas of a container loading system, which is particularly suitable for different transport vehicle lengths.

[0012] The object is achieved by the container loading system according to claim 1 and by a control device according to claim 8. Further embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0013] The container loading system according to the invention comprises a control device, a container crane and a work surface located below the container crane, wherein the container crane has at least one support element that extends across the work surface and wherein the work surface has loading areas and access areas, and the loading areas are designed to accommodate transport vehicles, in particular rail vehicles, in sections for loading or unloading by the container crane, and the access areas are each rectangular between two immediately adjacent loading areas so that people have access to the loading areas, characterized in that a respective access area has a monitoring area that is monitored across its entire width by at least one 3D lidar sensor, at least during the loading of the transport vehicles, in particular the rail vehicles,wherein the 3D lidar sensor is arranged above the respective access area, in particular centrally, on the support element, in particular immovably, and in particular independently sets up the monitoring area.

[0014] The container loading system according to the invention has the advantage that the 3D lidar sensor not only monitors the area immediately surrounding the lifting device or the container attached to the lifting device. Furthermore, it advantageously monitors not the entire work area, but rather a specific access area as such, thereby reducing the amount of data to be evaluated.

[0015] Due to the rectangular geometry of the access areas between directly adjacent loading areas, the entire access area is always monitored, regardless of the length of a transport vehicle, especially when multiple 3D lidar sensors monitor each access area in sections. Furthermore, due to the rectangular geometry of the access areas, less shadowing is to be expected during operation of the container loading facility than with angled access areas.

[0016] Furthermore, particularly due to the rectangular geometry of the access areas, the access areas can be independently detected by a 3D laser scanner and set up as a monitoring zone. This allows for safe, automated container loading operations.

[0017] In this case, a working area is understood to mean at least the area under a container crane which is designed for loading and unloading transport vehicles and thus includes loading areas and access areas.

[0018] The transport vehicles include trucks, ships and preferably rail vehicles.

[0019] In this case, a loading area is understood to be the immediate area around the transport vehicle, i.e., essentially the area on the work area delimited by the transport vehicle itself. This can also be a lane marked on the work area for a truck or the area delimited by a track bed for guiding a rail vehicle. A loading area can expand in width due to a very wide transport vehicle that extends beyond a track bed or a marked roadway lane. A loading area is therefore not only defined by a transport vehicle lane, for example a track bed, but also by the width of the respective transport vehicle.

[0020] A support element is understood to mean, in particular, a steel girder of the container crane that extends across the working surface, in particular across several tracks for rail vehicles arranged on the working surface. The tracks run essentially parallel to each other, so that the access areas are formed between the respective tracks.

[0021] The 3D lidar sensor is arranged above the respective access area, in particular centrally on the support element. This means that the 3D lidar sensor can be arranged centrally between the access areas in terms of width, i.e., it is located in the middle of the width of an access area.

[0022] The 3D lidar sensor preferably sets up the monitoring area independently. This means that the 3D lidar sensor detects the access areas that are immediately adjacent to one another, in particular those that run parallel to one another, for example parallel tracks. Based on the detected access areas, the 3D lidar sensor determines a monitoring area between the adjacent access areas according to predetermined criteria. These can depend on a particular design of the 3D lidar sensor, such as the spatial resolution or the size of the field of view of the 3D lidar sensor and / or depend on environmental parameters of the container facility or the container crane as such. Environmental parameters include, for example, the height of the attachment of the 3D lidar sensor above the work surface, or the movable, i.e.Pivotable or immovable attachment of the 3D lidar sensor to the support element, but also the width of a transport vehicle, because the width of a transport vehicle can be different for each transport vehicle, so that a first monitoring area created by the independent setup for a first transport vehicle is unsuitable for a subsequent second transport vehicle, for example, because the first vehicle is significantly wider than the second transport vehicle. In addition, the monitoring areas for several transport vehicles positioned simultaneously in the container loading facility can be individually dimensioned, in particular through automatic setup. This gives the container loading facility a high degree of flexibility to meet a wide variety of requirements. The independent, i.e.Automated setup of a monitoring area depending on the width of the transport vehicles positioned on loading areas immediately adjacent to one another can include the specification of, for example, rectangular monitoring areas, so that only the width of each monitoring area is adapted to the transport vehicles.

[0023] The respective 3D lidar sensors can be arranged immovably on the support element, i.e., attached. This means that the 3D lidar sensors are not pivotably mounted on the support element. This applies to embodiments of 3D lidar sensors in which planar scanning is possible without pivoting the sensor housing, for example, by the 3D lidar sensor having multiple scanning mirrors or comprising multiple light sources.

[0024] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the 3D lidar sensor is configured to detect objects, in particular persons, in the monitoring area and to generate a detection signal for forwarding to the control device.

[0025] The data evaluation is thus advantageously carried out decentrally in a respective 3D laser scanner, so that the control system only needs to evaluate the individual detection signals. This makes it easier to convert or modernize an existing control system to the loading system according to the invention.

[0026] In a further development of the embodiment, the 3D lidar sensor is configured to detect stationary objects in the monitoring area and to memorize them, i.e., to learn them, so that when stationary objects are detected, no detection signal is generated, or a detection signal specific to these objects is generated for forwarding to the control device. Stationary objects are understood to mean, in particular, stationary objects. Stationary objects include switch boxes, signals, and control systems for switches. Stationary objects detected by the 3D lidar sensor can be entered on a map by the control device, in which the control device receives and evaluates the detection signals specific to stationary objects.

[0027] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the 3D lidar sensor is configured to calculate a relative position between the object and a container crane position for forwarding to the control device.

[0028] By calculating the relative position, it can be estimated whether a warning signal and / or an emergency stop must be issued to, for example, a container crane control system. By calculating the trajectory of the crane movement from the target to the unloading location, the relative position can be used to check whether a minimum distance between the object and the container or container crane position is exceeded. This can be used to decide or estimate whether a warning signal should be issued.

[0029] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the control device issues a warning and / or an emergency stop, in particular to a container crane control, as soon as an object, in particular a person, is detected in the monitoring area by the 3D lidar sensor.

[0030] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the monitoring area is rectangular and aligned symmetrically to the access area.

[0031] This enables a particularly simple symmetrical geometry to be captured by the 3D lidar sensor's field of view, which, for example, does not require complex pivoting of the 3D lidar sensor. The 3D lidar sensor can therefore be attached to the support element using simple technical means, especially when the 3D lidar sensor is mounted completely immobile on the support element, where a planar scan is generated within the scanner itself.

[0032] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the monitoring area is wider than the access area, so that the monitoring area additionally covers a part of the loading areas immediately adjacent to one another.

[0033] In addition to the actual monitoring area, it can also be detected whether a transport vehicle is positioned within the adjacent loading area and, in particular, whether a transport vehicle needs to be loaded or unloaded.

[0034] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the container crane has a further support element on which a further 3D lidar sensor is arranged, in particular immovably, above the respective access area, so that the monitoring area of ​​the respective access area is monitored by the one and the further 3D lidar sensor.

[0035] This allows a larger area of ​​the access zone to be monitored. For 3D lidar sensors with a non-symmetrical field of view, the 3D lidar sensor is preferably tilted so that the field of view covers or monitors the access zone equally on both sides of the field of view.

[0036] The invention further relates to a control device which is suitable for use in a container loading facility and which comprises a receiving and processing unit, characterized in that the receiving and processing unit is configured to receive and process a detection signal of a 3D lidar sensor in order to output a warning signal and / or an emergency stop, in particular to a container crane control.

[0037] Furthermore, a method for monitoring access areas of a container loading facility with at least one 3D lidar sensor is provided, comprising the following steps: - Attaching the 3D lidar sensor above an access area, in particular centrally, on a support element of a container crane of the container loading facility, wherein the support element spans a working surface of the container loading facility, which comprises loading and access areas, wherein a respective access area between two immediately adjacent loading areas is rectangular in shape; - Aligning the 3D lidar sensor to the support element so that objects, in particular persons, in a monitoring area are detected by the 3D lidar sensor, wherein the monitoring area is formed as part of a respective access area; - Transmission of a detection signal by the 3D lidar sensor to a control device of the container loading facility as to whether or not an object has been detected in the monitoring area.

[0038] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the method, the alignment of the 3D lidar sensor comprises a further step in which the 3D lidar sensor automatically detects immediately adjacent loading areas and independently defines a monitoring area between two detected loading areas.

[0039] Further preferred embodiments of the container loading facility, the control device, or the method for monitoring access areas of a container loading facility with at least one 3D lidar sensor will become apparent from the following description of the exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the figures and their description. Identical components are essentially identified by identical reference numerals unless otherwise stated or apparent from the context. Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of the container loading system according to the invention with a container crane comprising a single support element and extending over three loading areas. Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of the Fig. 1, wherein the container crane has two support elements. Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of the control device according to the invention, which is designed to receive and process a detection signal.

[0040] In Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of the container loading system 1 according to the invention, comprising a container crane 3 that comprises a single support element 5 and extends over three loading areas 6. The container crane 3 has a trolley 13 that is attached to the support element 5 so that it can move in the X direction. A container 14 for loading and unloading transport vehicles can be attached to the trolley by means of a lifting gear (not shown). For this purpose, the support element 5 can move in the Y direction. The work surface 4 comprises three loading areas 6 arranged parallel to one another, which are separated by two access areas 7 that also run parallel to one another and parallel to the loading areas 6. From an access area 7 shown in hatched lines, persons 11 can inspect two adjacent loading areas 6.In the loading areas 6, transport vehicles 8 are positioned on transport vehicle tracks 19 for loading and unloading. In the . Fig. In the embodiment of the container loading facility shown in Figure 1, rail vehicles 8 with wagons 18 are shown, and the transport vehicle track 19 is designed in the form of a track bed. A container 14 is loaded as shown in Fig. 1, is moved by a first wagon 18 with the trolley over an access area 6. A person 11 is located at a distance dX from the side surface of the container 14 running in the Y direction. The distance is in Fig. 1 is indicated by a dashed arrow. The distance can be calculated automatically by the 3D lidar sensor from the measured data. In the Fig. In the case illustrated in Figure 1, the person would be endangered by the container moving toward them in the X direction. In such a case, the 3D lidar sensor would output a detection signal and the distance dX as a relative position to the container crane control device 12 and / or the control device 2. This would, for example, trigger an emergency stop of the container crane.

[0041] Surveillance area 9 is in the Fig. 1 sketched embodiment is shown with a dashed border and is rectangular in shape between the loading areas 6.

[0042] In this embodiment, the 3D lidar sensor 10 is mounted centrally on the support element with respect to the width of the access area 7 shown in hatched lines and monitors the monitoring area 9 shown in dashed lines. The monitoring area 9 borders on the width of the wagons 18 of the rail vehicles 8.

[0043] In Fig. 2 is the Fig. 1, in the embodiment with a container crane 3, which has two support elements 5. A first 3D lidar sensor 10 is located on the first support element 5 and a second 3D lidar sensor 10 on the second support element. The first 3D lidar sensor 10 is fastened centrally to the first support element 5, while the second 3D lidar sensor 10 is fastened offset from the center to the second support element 5. For simplification, a trolley 13 is not shown fastened between the first 5 and the second support element 5, but rather only the first support element 5 has the trolley 13. A container 14 is located on the middle wagon 18, which is positioned on the middle transport vehicle lane 19. The monitoring area 9 of the second 3D lidar sensor 10 overlaps in the X direction, i.e.in the direction of the width of the access area 7 with the loading area 6, whereby parts of the rail vehicle 8 are also detected by the 3D lidar sensor 10. This enables the additional detection of the loading state of the transport vehicle 8 by the 3D lidar sensor 10. In the in . Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the access area 7 is therefore monitored by two monitoring areas 9 of different widths. In the Y direction, i.e., in the longitudinal direction of the access areas 7, complete monitoring is not performed, while in the center of the access area 7, the respective monitoring areas 9 of the respective 3D lidar sensors 10 overlap. This allows a type of comparative measurement or redundant evaluation of the measurement data, so that shadows in the monitoring area 9 caused by a container 14 in the field of view of one 3D lidar sensor 10 can be supplemented by the still clear field of view of the other 3D lidar sensor 10. This increases the safety of the container loading facility 1.

[0044] In Fig.Figure 3 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of the control device 2 according to the invention, which is designed to receive and process a detection signal. The control device 2 comprises a receiving unit 15 and a processing unit 16. A 3D lidar sensor sends a detection signal (not shown) to the receiving unit 15 of the control device 2. The control device transmits the detection signal to the processing unit 16 for evaluation. The processing unit 16 sends, for example, a stop signal to the container crane control 12. Alternatively and / or additionally, a warning signal can be output to the container crane control 12. Further alternatively, the 3D lidar sensor 10 can transmit a relative position of an object to the control device 2.The control device 2 evaluates the relative position of the object with respect to a predetermined minimum distance and, if the minimum distance is exceeded, outputs a warning signal and / or a stop signal to the container crane control 12. List of reference symbols 1 container loading facility 2 Control device 3 container crane 4 Work surface 5 support element 6 loading areas (loading and unloading areas) 7 access areas 8 transport vehicles 9 Surveillance area 10 3D lidar sensors 11 Object, especially person 12 Container crane control 13 trolley 14 containers 15 Receiving unit 16 processing unit 17 container crane lanes 18 wagons 19 Transport vehicle lane QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] EP 3894349 B1 [0004, 0005, 0007] EP 2858937 B1

[0008] DE 102006044187 A1

[0010]

Claims

[1] Container loading system (1) with a control device (2), a container crane (3) and a working surface (4) below the container crane (3), wherein the container crane (3) has at least one support element (5) which extends over the working surface (4) and wherein the working surface (4) has loading areas (6) and access areas (7) and the loading areas (6) are designed to accommodate transport vehicles (8), in particular rail vehicles (8), for loading or unloading by the container crane (3) in sections and the access areas (7) are each rectangular between two immediately adjacent loading areas (6) so that persons (11) have access to the loading areas (6), characterized by , that a respective access area (7) has a monitoring area (9) which is monitored in its entirety by at least one 3D lidar sensor (10), at least during the loading of the transport vehicles (8), in particular the rail vehicles (8), wherein the 3D lidar sensor (10) is arranged above the respective access area (7), in particular centrally, on the support element (5), in particular immovably, and in particular sets up the monitoring area independently. [2] Container loading system according to claim 1, characterized by that the 3D lidar sensor (10) is configured to detect objects (11), in particular persons, in the monitoring area (9) and to generate a detection signal for forwarding to the control device (2). [3] Container loading system according to claim 2, characterized bythat the 3D lidar sensor (10) is configured to calculate a relative position between the object (11) and a container crane position for forwarding to the control device (2). [4] Container loading system according to claim 2, characterized by that the control device (2) issues a warning and / or an emergency stop, in particular to a container crane control (12), as soon as an object (11), in particular a person (11), is detected in the monitoring area (9) by the 3D lidar sensor (10). [5] Container loading system according to claim 1, characterized by that the monitoring area (9) is rectangular and is aligned symmetrically to the access area (7). [6] Container loading system according to claim 1, characterized by that the monitoring area (9) is wider than the access area (7), so that the monitoring area (9) additionally covers a part of the loading areas (6) immediately adjacent to one another. [7] Container loading system according to claim 1, characterized by that the container crane (3) has a further support element (5) and above the respective access area (7) on the further support element (5) a further 3D lidar sensor (10) is arranged, in particular immovably, so that the monitoring area (9) of the respective access area (7) is monitored by the one and the further 3D lidar sensor (10). [8] Control device (2) for use in a container loading facility, comprising a receiving (15) and processing unit (16), characterized by that the receiving (15) and processing unit (16) are configured to receive and process a detection signal from a 3D lidar sensor (10) in order to output a warning signal and / or an emergency stop, in particular to a container crane control (12).

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