Crane automatic driving system

Abstract

To provide a crane automatic driving system capable of improving working efficiency and capable of suppressing human error occurrence.SOLUTION: The present disclosure is a crane automatic driving system 100 comprising a control device 20 configured to control the driving device of a crane 1 and a terminal 30 connected communicably to the control device 20. The terminal 30 has a suspended-load position setting part 32 configured to set the suspended-load position information corresponding to at least one position information of the movement start position and the movement end position, and has a suspended load information setting part 33 configured to set the suspended-load information related to the suspended-load, and transmits the set suspended-load position information and suspended-load information to the control device 20. The control device 20 has a route generation part 21 configured to generate the route from the movement start position to the movement end position based on the suspended-load position information and the suspended-load information received from the terminal 30, and has a crane control part 22 configured to move the suspended-load supporting part of the crane 1 by automatically controlling the driving device of the crane 1 based on the route generated by the route generation part 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an automatic crane operation system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic crane operation device. This automatic operation device automatically operates a tower crane that includes a mast fixed on a foundation structure, a rotating body mounted on the mast so as to be rotatable left and right, a jib mounted on the rotating body so as to be able to be raised and lowered up and down, and a hook block suspended from the tip of the jib. When automatically operating a tower crane, an operator in a control room on the rotating body inputs the start and end points of the movement of the suspended load (hook block) into an operation schedule input device, and also inputs the location of any obstacles if any exist. The start and end points and the location of any obstacles input by the operator are input from the operation schedule input device to an automatic operation control device. The automatic operation control device calculates the movement path of the suspended load from the start point to the end point based on the start and end points and the location of any obstacles, and actually moves the suspended load. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-258989 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] At construction sites, there are multiple loading docks, which serve as the start and end points for the load, and multiple unloading docks, which serve as the end points for the lifting operation. Furthermore, the objects (lifted loads) vary widely. Therefore, when a new lifting operation is to be performed, the operator in the control room (hereinafter simply referred to as the "operator") must input this information into the crane's automatic operation device. However, because the control room of a tower crane is located at a relatively high position and there are often buildings under construction below the control room, it is difficult for the operator to visually confirm information about the object of the next lifting operation (type, size, weight, etc.) and the start and end points of the operation from the control room. For this reason, information about the object of the next lifting operation and the start and end points of the operation are typically communicated to the operator by a rigger or other worker at the new start or end point via a walkie-talkie, and the operator then inputs this information into the automatic crane operation system.

[0005] However, if information about the object of the lifting work, as well as the start and end points of the movement, is communicated to the operator by a worker such as a rigger, work efficiency will decrease and there is a risk of human error such as miscommunication, which will increase the burden on the operator.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an automatic crane operation system that can improve work efficiency and reduce the occurrence of human error. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a first aspect of the present invention is an automatic crane operation system that moves a load support part of a crane capable of supporting a load from a start position of movement to an end position of movement, the system comprising: a control device that controls a drive device of the crane; and a terminal that is communicatively connected to the control device, the terminal having: load position setting means that sets load position information, which is position information for at least one of the start position of movement and the end position of movement; and load information setting means that sets load information related to the load, the terminal transmitting the set load position information and load information to the control device, the control device having: route creation means that creates a route from the start position of movement to the end position of movement based on the load position information and the load information received from the terminal; and crane control means that automatically controls the drive device of the crane based on the route created by the route creation means to move the load support part of the crane.

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention is an automatic crane operation system of the first aspect described above, wherein the terminal has a display unit, a three-dimensional information acquisition means for acquiring three-dimensional information for recreating a construction site in a virtual space and displaying it in three dimensions on the display unit, and a display processing means for recreating the construction site in a virtual space based on the three-dimensional information acquired by the three-dimensional information acquisition means and displaying it on the display unit, and the load position setting means of the terminal sets the position specified at the construction site in the virtual space displayed on the display unit as the load position information.

[0009] A third aspect of the present invention is an automatic crane operation system according to the first or second aspect, wherein the terminal has a terminal position acquisition means for acquiring terminal position information that is the current position of the terminal, and transmits the terminal position information acquired by the terminal position acquisition means to the control device, and the control device has a terminal position determination means for determining whether the current position of the terminal and the position indicated by the suspended load position information are separated by a predetermined distance or more based on the terminal position information and the suspended load position information received from the terminal, and the crane control means does not execute automatic control of the drive device of the crane when the terminal position determination means determines that the current position of the terminal and the position indicated by the suspended load position information are separated by the predetermined distance or more.

[0010] A fourth aspect of the present invention is an automatic crane operation system of the first aspect described above, wherein the terminal has a terminal position acquisition means for acquiring terminal position information which is the current position of the terminal, and the suspended load information setting means of the terminal sets the terminal position information acquired by the terminal position acquisition means as the suspended load position information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an automatic crane operation system that can improve work efficiency and reduce the occurrence of human error. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic overall configuration diagram of an automatic crane operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an automatic crane operation system. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a display unit of a terminal. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart of the processing of the automatic crane operation system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a schematic overall configuration diagram of an automatic crane operation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the automatic crane operation system. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the display unit of a terminal. Fig. 5 is a flowchart of the processing of the automatic crane operation system.

[0015] An automatic crane operation system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention is a system that moves a load support unit 2 of a crane 1 capable of supporting a load O from a movement start position to a movement end position.

[0016] [crane] As shown in Fig. 1, the crane 1 of this embodiment is a fixed tower crane that includes a mast 4 that is fixed to a foundation 3 and extends in the vertical direction, a rotating body 5 that is rotatably supported on the upper part of the mast 4, a jib 6 that is supported on the rotating body 5 so that it can be raised and lowered, and a load support part 2 that is suspended from the tip of the jib 6. The mast 4 may also be fixed to a building.

[0017] The rotating body 5 is rotatably supported on the upper part of the mast 4 via a rotating device (drive device) 7. The rotating body 5 is rotatable about an axis (rotation axis) extending in the vertical direction. The rotating body 5 may also be supported on the mast 4 so as to be able to move up and down in the vertical direction.

[0018] The rotating body 5 is provided with a hoisting winch (drive device) 8 that enables the jib 6 to be raised and lowered, a lifting winch (drive device) 9 that enables the load support part 2 to be raised and lowered, and a support frame 10 that stands up from the rotating body 5.

[0019] A hoisting wire rope 11 is wound around the hoisting winch 8. The hoisting wire rope 11 extends from the hoisting winch 8 via a support frame 10 to the jib 6 and is connected to the tip of the jib 6. By driving the hoisting winch 8, the hoisting wire rope 11 is wound or let out, allowing the jib 6 to be raised or lowered with the base end as a fulcrum.

[0020] A lifting wire rope 12 is wound around the lifting winch 9. The lifting wire rope 12 extends downward from the tip of the jib 6, via the lifting winch 9, support frame 10, and the tip of the jib 6. A load support part 2 is connected to the tip of the lifting wire rope 12. By driving the lifting winch 9, the lifting wire rope 12 is wound or let out, allowing the load support part 2 to move up and down in the vertical direction. The load support part 2 is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of supporting the load O, and may be, for example, a hook block or a bucket.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the crane 1 is equipped with various sensors that acquire various state quantities of the crane 1. In this embodiment, the crane 1 includes a slewing angle encoder 13 that acquires the slewing angle of the rotating body 5, a hoisting angle encoder 14 that acquires the hoisting angle of the jib 6, and a lifting position encoder 15 that acquires the lifting position of the load support unit 2. The slewing angle encoder 13 acquires the slewing angle of the rotating body 5 from the rotation speed of the slewing device 7. This allows the slewing angle of the jib 6 to be acquired. The hoisting angle encoder 14 acquires the hoisting angle of the jib 6 from the rotation speed of the hoisting winch 8. The lifting position encoder 15 acquires the lifting position of the load support unit 2 from the rotation speed of the hoisting winch 9. Because the crane 1 is a fixed tower crane, its installation position (latitude, longitude, and altitude) is identified. The height of the mast 4 and the length of the jib 6 are also identified. Therefore, by obtaining a predetermined reference position of the crane 1 (for example, the center position of the rotation axis at the top of the mast 4) and various state quantities of the crane 1, the position (latitude, longitude, altitude) of the tip of the jib 6 at that time can be determined.

[0022] In this embodiment, the various state quantities of the crane 1 are obtained from information from the slewing angle encoder 13, the hoisting angle encoder 14, and the lifting position encoder 15, but this is not limitative and the various state quantities of the crane 1 can be obtained by various methods. For example, the various state quantities of the crane 1 may be obtained by a GPS (Global Positioning System) or a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) provided at the tip of the jib 6 or the load support part 2.

[0023] [Automatic crane operation system] 1 and 2, the automatic crane operation system 100 includes a control device 20 that controls the crane 1, and a terminal 30 that is communicatively connected to the control device 20. The control device 20 controls the driving devices of the crane 1, such as the slewing device 7, hoisting winch 8, and hoisting winch 9, based on various state quantities of the crane 1 from the various sensors described above (the slewing angle of the slewing body 5, the hoisting angle of the jib 6, and the raised / lowered position of the load support section 2).

[0024] (Hardware configuration) As shown in Figure 3, the control device 20 and the terminal 30 are devices that perform calculations such as computers, and are equipped with a CPU 41, a RAM 42, a ROM 43, a display unit 44, and a communication unit 45, which are connected so as to be accessible via a bus 46.

[0025] A CPU (Central Processing Unit) 41 is a central processing unit that loads a program stored in a ROM 43 into a RAM 42 and controls various controls and arithmetic processes in accordance with the program.

[0026] The RAM (Random Access Memory) 42 is a volatile memory that temporarily stores various data, calculation results by the CPU 41, and the like.

[0027] The ROM (Read Only Memory) 43 is a non-volatile memory that stores programs and the like (for example, applications and the like compatible with the automatic crane operation system 100 of this embodiment).

[0028] The display unit 44 is a touch panel display device that can handle various setting inputs. In addition to its display function, the display unit 44 also functions as an input unit for various inputs. Note that the control device 20 and the terminal 30 may each have an input unit separate from the display unit 44.

[0029] The communication unit 45 is a communication interface for controlling communication with an external device, such as a network interface or a wireless interface. The communication units 45 of the control device 20 and the terminal 30 of this embodiment are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a network N. The network N may be a closed network or an open network.

[0030] In the following explanation, when referring to the hardware configuration of each device of the control device 20 and the terminal 30, the CPU 41 provided in the control device 20 will be referred to as the "CPU of the control device 20", and the CPU 41 provided in the terminal 30 will be referred to as the "CPU of the terminal 30".

[0031] [Device] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the terminal 30 is a portable terminal such as a tablet that can be carried by the worker P. The terminal 30 has a terminal position acquisition unit (terminal position acquisition means) 31, a suspended load position setting unit (suspended load position setting means) 32, a suspended load information setting unit (suspended load information setting means) 33, a three-dimensional information acquisition unit (three-dimensional information acquisition means) 34, and a display processing unit (display processing means) 35. The CPU of the terminal 30 functions as the terminal position acquisition means, the suspended load position setting means, the suspended load information setting means, the three-dimensional information acquisition means, and the display processing means by executing information processing in cooperation with software such as a program stored in the ROM of the terminal 30. Note that, although the terminal position acquisition unit 31, the three-dimensional information acquisition unit 34, and the display processing unit 35 are provided in the terminal 30 in this embodiment, they may not be provided.

[0032] (Terminal location acquisition unit) The terminal position acquisition unit 31 acquires terminal position information, which is the current position of the terminal 30. The terminal position information is three-dimensional coordinate information (X coordinate, Y coordinate, Z coordinate). For example, the terminal position acquisition unit 31 may acquire information (latitude, longitude, altitude) from a GPS provided in the terminal 30 as the terminal position information of the terminal 30. Alternatively, the terminal position acquisition unit 31 may receive information (latitude, longitude, altitude) from a GNSS carried by the worker P and acquire it as the terminal position information of the terminal 30.

[0033] (Load position setting section) The load position setting unit 32 sets, in the control device 20, load position information, which is position information for at least one of the start position and end position of movement when moving the load O (both in this embodiment). The load position setting unit 32 accepts input or acquisition of load position information and transmits the input or acquired load position information to the control device 20. For example, in this embodiment, the load position setting unit 32 sets, in the control device 20, position information specified (input) in a three-dimensional model of a construction site in a virtual space VS (described later) displayed on the display unit of the terminal 30, as load position information. In another embodiment, on the assumption that a worker P performing slinging work or the like operates the terminal 30 at either the start position or the end position of movement, the terminal position information acquired by the terminal position acquisition unit 31 may be set as load position information in the control device 20.

[0034] The suspended load position information may be any information that allows the control device 20 to identify the position, and may be, for example, three-dimensional coordinate information (X coordinate, Y coordinate, Z coordinate). Alternatively, if the control device 20 pre-stores an area ID set for each position or area in association with the three-dimensional coordinate information of that position or area, the area ID may be used as the suspended load position information. Furthermore, the three-dimensional coordinate information as the suspended load position information may be three-dimensional coordinate information (X coordinate, Y coordinate, Z coordinate) that represents a pinpoint position, or may be three-dimensional coordinate information (X1-X2 coordinate, Y1-Y2 coordinate, Z1-Z2 coordinate) that represents a predetermined range (area). Furthermore, the three-dimensional coordinate information may be information indicating latitude, longitude, and altitude, or may be coordinate information (X coordinate, Y coordinate, Z coordinate) that corresponds to a three-dimensional model of a construction site in the virtual space VS, which will be described later.

[0035] In this embodiment, the load position setting unit 32 sets the load position information for both the movement start position and the movement end position to the control device 20, but this is not limited to this. For example, if one of the movement start position and the movement end position is a specific position that does not change and is set in advance on the control device 20 side, the load position setting unit 32 does not need to set the one of the load position information to the control device 20, and may set only the other of the load position information to the control device 20.

[0036] (Load information setting section) The load information setting unit 33 sets load information related to the load O in the control device 20. The load information is various information related to the load O, and is preferably information that allows the control device 20 to identify the size and weight of the load. The load information setting unit 33 accepts input of the load information and transmits the input load information to the control device 20. For example, if an ID number is associated with each load O in advance and information about the load O (size, weight, etc.) can be obtained by knowing the ID number, the load information setting unit 33 may use the input ID number as the load information.

[0037] (3D information acquisition department) The three-dimensional information acquisition unit 34 acquires three-dimensional information from a predetermined storage means for recreating the construction site in the virtual space VS and displaying it in three dimensions on the display unit of the terminal 30. The predetermined storage means for storing this three-dimensional information may be a predetermined storage unit (storage) of the terminal 30, or may be built in a database server. When built in a database server, the database server may be located on a local network, or may be a cloud server that stores the information via the Internet.

[0038] The three-dimensional information for recreating the construction site in the virtual space VS and displaying it in three dimensions on the display unit of the terminal 30 may be, for example, point cloud data of the construction site, a digital twin generated based on the point cloud data of the construction site, or a BIM (Building Information Modeling) model or CIM (Construction Information Modeling) model (hereinafter referred to as a "BIM / CIM model") in which attribute information is added to the digital twin of the construction site. Point cloud data is, for example, data indicating a set of points associated with each of three-dimensional coordinates. A digital twin is, for example, data in which a copy of a physical space is reproduced in a digital space (virtual space) based on information acquired from the physical space. A BIM / CIM model is a three-dimensional model of a building or construction site.

[0039] In this embodiment, the three-dimensional information acquisition unit 34 acquires three-dimensional information representing the state of the construction site according to the current construction progress from a cloud server (not shown) connected via a network N. The three-dimensional information stored in the cloud server may be, for example, three-dimensional information obtained from information acquired by a 3D-LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) device installed at the tip of the jib 6 of the crane 1. The 3D-LiDAR acquires information about the construction site, including construction objects around the crane 1, as three-dimensional point cloud data. The point cloud data acquired by the 3D-LiDAR represents the state of the construction site according to the current construction progress. For example, when structural elements such as beams and columns are installed according to the construction progress, the newly installed structural elements such as beams and columns can be detected. The data acquired by the 3D-LiDAR is transmitted to the cloud server via the network N.

[0040] If a 3D-LiDAR is installed at the tip of the jib 6 of the crane 1, the 3D-LiDAR's 3D point cloud data, defined by X, Y, and Z coordinates, can be converted to latitude, longitude, and altitude based on the position (latitude, longitude, and altitude) of the tip of the jib 6 of the crane 1. This makes it possible to determine the location (latitude, longitude, and altitude) at which a structure appears depending on the progress of construction, and to grasp the state of the construction site (three-dimensional information) according to the progress of construction at that time. Note that a GNSS may be installed on the crane 1 (e.g., the tip of the jib 6) to acquire coordinates that serve as the reference for the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the 3D point cloud data. Furthermore, the method by which the three-dimensional information acquisition unit 34 acquires three-dimensional information representing the state of the construction site is not limited to the above, and various other methods capable of acquiring three-dimensional information representing the state of the construction site according to the progress of construction can be applied.

[0041] (Display processing unit) 4, the display processing unit 35 recreates the construction site in the virtual space VS based on the three-dimensional information acquired by the three-dimensional information acquisition unit 34 and displays it on the display unit of the terminal 30. Hereinafter, the model recreated in the virtual space VS based on the three-dimensional information will be referred to as the "three-dimensional model."

[0042] [Control device] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the control device 20 controls the drive device of the crane 1 based on various state quantities of the crane 1 (the rotation angle of the rotating body 5, the hoisting angle of the jib 6, and the elevation position of the load support unit 2). The control device 20 includes a path creation unit (path creation means) 21 that creates a path from a start position of movement to an end position of movement, a crane control unit (crane control means) 22 that automatically controls the drive device of the crane 1 to move the load support unit 2, and a terminal position determination unit (terminal position determination means) 23 that determines whether the terminal 30 is located in the correct position. The CPU of the control device 20 functions as the path creation unit, the crane control unit, and the terminal position determination unit by executing information processing in cooperation with software such as a program stored in the ROM of the control device 20. The control device 20 of this embodiment also includes a three-dimensional information acquisition unit 24, similar to the three-dimensional information acquisition unit 34 of the terminal 30. While the control device 20 includes the terminal position determination unit 23 in this embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the terminal position determination unit 23 may not be provided. Furthermore, some of the functions of the CPU of the control device 20 may be extracted and provided in another information processing device, and processing may be executed using a plurality of information processing devices.

[0043] (3D information acquisition department) The three-dimensional information acquisition unit 24 is substantially the same as the three-dimensional information acquisition unit 34 of the terminal 30, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0044] (Route Creation Department) The route creation unit 21 creates a route (transport route) for the load O based on the load position information for the start and end positions set from the terminal 30 and the load information set from the terminal 30. The route creation unit 21 creates a route for the load O using a three-dimensional model of the construction site recreated based on the three-dimensional information acquired by the three-dimensional information acquisition unit 24. The route for the load O is the route of the load support unit 2 from the start position to the end position. The control device 20 creates a safe transport route from the start position to the end position on the three-dimensional model of the construction site according to the size of the load O so that the load O does not come into contact with surrounding obstacles (such as already-constructed buildings).

[0045] (Crane control unit) The crane control unit 22 automatically controls the driving device of the crane 1 to move the load support unit 2 based on the route created by the route creation unit 21 and the load information set from the terminal 30. The crane control unit 22 determines control parameters (acceleration and deceleration) that minimize load sway (swinging of the load) from the route created by the route creation unit 21 and the load information. For example, the crane control unit 22 determines a transport speed based on the size and weight of the load O using a speed determination table pre-stored in the control device 20. The crane control unit 22 acquires the rotation angle of the rotating body 5, the hoisting angle of the jib 6, and the elevation position of the load support unit 2 from the rotation angle encoder 13, the hoisting angle encoder 14, and the elevation position encoder 15, and automatically controls the rotation device 7, the hoisting winch 8, and the elevation winch 9 of the crane 1 to move the load support unit 2 from the start point of movement to the end point of movement at the determined speed along the route created by the route creation unit 21. The crane control unit 22 may automatically control the drive device of the crane 1 while correcting the control parameters based on external factors (for example, information from a wind speed sensor provided on the crane 1, load swing, etc.).

[0046] (Terminal position determination unit) Based on the terminal position information and the suspended load position information received from the terminal 30, the terminal position determination unit 23 determines whether the current position of the terminal 30 and the position indicated by the suspended load position information are separated by a predetermined distance (e.g., 10 m) or more. For example, if the suspended load position information is information indicating a pinpoint position, the terminal position determination unit 23 determines whether the terminal 30 is located within a spherical determination area having the suspended load position information as its center and the predetermined distance as its radius. On the other hand, if the suspended load position information is information indicating a predetermined range (area), the terminal position determination unit 23 may determine whether the terminal 30 is located within the predetermined area (determination area), or may determine whether the terminal 30 is located within a determination area obtained by expanding the predetermined area by the predetermined distance on both sides in each direction (X coordinate direction, Y coordinate direction, Z coordinate direction). If the terminal 30 is not located within the determination area, the terminal position determination unit 23 determines that the current position of the terminal 30 and the position indicated by the suspended load position information are separated by the predetermined distance or more.

[0047] If the terminal position determination unit 23 determines that the current position of the terminal 30 and the position indicated by the suspended load position information are separated by the above-mentioned predetermined distance or more, the crane control unit 22 does not execute the above-mentioned automatic control of the drive device of the crane 1. On the other hand, if the terminal position determination unit 23 determines that the current position of the terminal 30 and the position indicated by the suspended load position information are not separated by the above-mentioned predetermined distance or more, the crane control unit 22 executes the above-mentioned automatic control of the drive device of the crane 1.

[0048] (Input mode switching) The path creation unit 21 may be able to create a path for the load O based not only on the load position information and load information set from the terminal 30, but also on the load position information and load information set directly in the control device 20. For example, the control device 20 of this embodiment has a three-dimensional information acquisition unit and a display processing unit similar to those of the terminal 30, and is able to create a path for the load O based on the load position information specified (input) in the three-dimensional model of the construction site in the virtual space VS displayed on the display unit of the control device 20, and the load information input from the display unit of the control device 20. In this embodiment, the load position information and load information are assumed to be input by a crane operator from the three-dimensional model displayed on the display unit of the control device 20, and therefore the control device 20 is disposed in an operation room provided on the rotating body 5 of the crane 1. Note that the location of the control device 20 is not limited to the operation room on the rotating body 5 of the crane 1.

[0049] The control device 20 of this embodiment is switchable between a remote input mode in which the suspended load position information and suspended load information are input from the terminal 30, and a direct input mode in which the information is input directly to the control device 20. When creating a route for the suspended load O based on the suspended load position information and suspended load information set from the terminal 30, the remote input mode is turned ON (direct input mode is OFF), and when creating a route for the suspended load O based on the suspended load position information and suspended load information directly input to the control device 20, the direct input mode is turned ON (remote input mode is OFF).

[0050] The drive device of the crane 1 in this embodiment can also be manually controlled by a crane operator or the like via an operation lever or the like in an operation room provided on the rotating body 5 of the crane 1. For this reason, the control device 20 is provided with an automatic operation switch for switching between manual control and automatic control of the crane 1.

[0051] (Setting of hanging load position information and hanging load information) Next, an example of setting hoisted load position information and hoisted load information from the terminal 30 will be described. In this example, as shown in Fig. 4, a case will be described in which material C is hoisted from area A on the ground to area B on a building under construction. In this case, the person operating the terminal 30 is a worker P (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "operator P") who performs rigging work in area A on the ground or area B on the building.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 4, the display unit of the terminal 30 in this embodiment displays a three-dimensional model of a construction site in a virtual space VS (hereinafter simply referred to as the "three-dimensional model of the construction site"). In the three-dimensional model of the construction site on the display unit of the terminal 30, the operator P of the terminal 30 taps the three-dimensional model of material C, of ​​materials C and D that are placed in area A. As a result, the load position setting unit 32 of the terminal 30 transmits the position information of area A to the control device 20 as the load position information of the movement start point position and sets it. In addition, the load information setting unit 33 of the terminal 30 transmits the ID number of material C as the load information to the control device 20 and sets it. Next, the operator P of the terminal 30 taps area B in the three-dimensional model of the construction site on the display unit of the terminal 30. As a result, the load position setting unit 32 of the terminal 30 transmits the position information of area B to the control device 20 as the load position information of the movement end point position and sets it. That is, the suspended load position setting unit 32 of the terminal 30 sets the position designated in the three-dimensional model of the construction site in the virtual space VS displayed on the display unit as suspended load position information.

[0053] In this embodiment, the terminal 30 is provided with a three-dimensional information acquisition unit 34 and a display processing unit 35, and the suspended load position information and suspended load information are specified on a three-dimensional model of the construction site, but this is not limited to this. For example, multiple areas may be prepared in advance, and each area name or area ID may be associated with and pre-stored in association with location information such as three-dimensional coordinate information for that area. The suspended load position information may be set in the control device 20 by inputting the area name or area ID on the display unit of the terminal 30 or selecting it from a list, etc. Similarly, for suspended load information, an ID number may be assigned to each of various materials, and the ID number may be associated with and pre-stored in association with the suspended load information related to that material. The suspended load information may be set in the control device 20 by inputting the material's ID number on the display unit of the terminal 30 or selecting it from a list, etc.

[0054] As another example of setting the suspended load position information from the terminal 30, the operator P of the terminal 30 may transmit the terminal position information (information acquired by GPS or GNSS) acquired by the terminal position acquisition unit 31 to the control device 20 and set it as the suspended load position information of one of the movement start point position and movement end point position. In this case, the suspended load position information or the suspended load information of the other of the movement start point position and movement end point position may be set in the control device 20 by specifying the above-mentioned area ID or material ID number.

[0055] (Autonomous driving processing) Next, the automatic operation process executed by the automatic crane operation system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The automatic operation process is repeatedly executed from when the automatic crane operation system 100 is started until when it is stopped.

[0056] 5, in the automatic operation process, first, the control device 20 determines whether the automatic operation switch is ON or not (step S1). If the automatic operation switch is not ON (OFF) (step S1: NO), the crane 1 is manually controllable, so automatic control of the crane 1 is not executed and the determination in step S1 is repeated.

[0057] On the other hand, when the automatic operation switch is ON, the control device 20 determines whether the remote input mode is ON (step S2). When the remote input mode is ON (step S2: YES), the control device 20 determines whether the suspended load position information and suspended load information have been acquired from the terminal 30 (step S3). Note that the case when the remote input mode is not ON (OFF) (step S2: NO) will be described later.

[0058] When the control device 20 acquires the suspended load position information and suspended load information from the terminal 30 (step S3: YES), the control device 20 performs a determination by the terminal position determination unit 23 (step S4). On the other hand, when the control device 20 does not acquire the suspended load position information and suspended load information from the terminal 30 (step S3: NO), the control device 20 returns to step S1. That is, while waiting for the input of the suspended load position information and suspended load information from the terminal 30, the control device 20 determines whether the automatic operation switch is ON (step S1) and whether the remote input mode is ON (step S2).

[0059] The determination by the terminal position determination unit 23 in step S4 is to determine whether the current position of the terminal 30 and the position indicated by the suspended load position information are separated by the above-mentioned predetermined distance or more, based on the terminal position information and suspended load position information received from the terminal 30. If the terminal position determination unit 23 determines that the current position of the terminal 30 and the position indicated by the suspended load position information are separated by the above-mentioned predetermined distance or more (step S4: NO), it is considered that the operator P operating the terminal 30 is away from the movement start point position or the movement end point position. In this case (step S4: NO), there is a possibility that the operator P of the terminal 30 will not be able to supervise the work at the movement start point position or the movement end point position. Therefore, to ensure safety, the crane control unit 22 does not automatically control the drive device of the crane 1, and the process returns to step S1. In this embodiment, if the terminal position determination unit 23 determines that the current position of the terminal 30 and the position indicated by the load position information are separated by more than the above-mentioned specified distance (step S4: NO), the route creation unit 21 does not create a route for the load O, but this is not limited to this, and the route creation unit 21 may create a route for the load O.

[0060] On the other hand, if the terminal position determination unit 23 determines that the current position of the terminal 30 and the position indicated by the suspended load position information are not separated by more than the above-mentioned predetermined distance (step S4: YES), it is considered that the operator P operating the terminal 30 is near the start position or the end position of the movement. In this case (step S4: YES), it is presumed that the operator P of the terminal 30 can supervise the work at the start position or the end position of the movement, and safety can be ensured, so the path creation unit 21 creates a path for the suspended load O (step S5), and the crane control unit 22 starts automatic control of the drive device of the crane 1 (step S6).

[0061] When automatic control of the drive device of the crane 1 by the crane control unit 22 begins, the control device 20 determines whether the load support unit 2 of the crane 1 has reached the movement end position (step S7). While the load support unit 2 of the crane 1 has not reached the movement end position (step S7: NO), the control device 20 continues automatic control of the drive device of the crane 1 by the crane control unit 22. Then, when the load support unit 2 of the crane 1 has reached the movement end position (step S7: YES), the control device 20 ends this process.

[0062] Furthermore, in step S2, if the remote input mode is not ON (OFF) (step S2: NO), the control device 20 allows the reception of input of the suspended load position information and suspended load information from the display unit of the control device 20 (step S8). For example, if the remote input mode is ON, the reception of input (direct input) of the suspended load position information and suspended load information from the display unit of the control device 20 may be disabled, and if the remote input mode is OFF, the reception of input (direct input) of the suspended load position information and suspended load information from the display unit of the control device 20 may be enabled.

[0063] When the input of the load position information and the load information from the display unit of the control device 20 is permitted (step S8), the control device 20 determines whether or not the load position information and the load information have been input from the display unit of the control device 20 (step S9). If the load position information and the load information have not been input from the display unit of the control device 20 (step S9: NO), the process returns to step S1. That is, while waiting for the input of the load position information and the load information from the display unit of the control device 20, the control device 20 determines whether or not the automatic operation switch is ON (step S1) and whether or not the remote input mode is ON (step S2). On the other hand, if the load position information and the load information have been input from the display unit of the control device 20 (step S9: YES), the path creation unit 21 of the control device 20 creates a path for the load O (step S5), and the crane control unit 22 starts automatic control of the drive device of the crane 1 (step S6).

[0064] The automatic crane operation system 100 configured as described above includes a control device 20 that controls the drive device of the crane 1, and a terminal 30 that is communicatively connected to the control device 20. A path creation unit 21 of the control device 20 creates a path from a movement start point position to a movement end point position based on the suspended load position information and suspended load information received from the terminal 30, and a crane control unit 22 automatically controls the drive device of the crane 1 based on the path created by the path creation unit 21 to move the load support unit 2 of the crane 1. In this way, in the automatic crane operation system 100, the suspended load position information and suspended load information can be set in the control device 20 from the terminal 30. Therefore, even if it is difficult for a crane operator in an operation room on the rotating body 5 of the crane 1 to visually confirm information about the suspended load O (type, size, weight, etc.) and the movement start point position and movement end point position, relatively accurate suspended load position information and suspended load information can be set in the control device 20.

[0065] Furthermore, because the load position information and load information can be set in the control device 20 from the terminal 30, unlike when the load position information and load information are communicated to the operator by a slinger or other worker at the start or end point of the movement via a walkie-talkie or the like, work efficiency can be improved and the occurrence of human error can be reduced, thereby reducing the burden on the crane operator.

[0066] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide an automatic crane operation system 100 that can improve work efficiency and reduce the occurrence of human error.

[0067] Furthermore, the terminal 30 has a display unit, a three-dimensional information acquisition unit 34, and a display processing unit 35, and the suspended load position setting unit 32 of the terminal 30 sets the position specified at the construction site in the virtual space VS displayed on the display unit as suspended load position information. Therefore, the start and end positions of movement can be specified after visually checking them on the three-dimensional model of the construction site, thereby reducing errors in the specified positions.

[0068] Furthermore, when the terminal position determination unit 23 determines that the current position of the terminal 30 and the position indicated by the suspended load position information are separated by more than the predetermined distance, the crane control unit 22 of the control device 20 does not execute automatic control of the drive device of the crane 1. In this way, when it is considered that the operator P operating the terminal 30 is away from the movement start point position or the movement end point position, automatic control of the drive device of the crane 1 is not executed, thereby ensuring safety.

[0069] Furthermore, when the terminal position information acquired by the terminal position acquisition unit 31 of the terminal 30 is set as the suspended load position information for one of the movement start point position and movement end point position, the accuracy of the suspended load position information for the movement start point position or movement end point position can be ensured and input of the suspended load position information becomes easy. Furthermore, since the terminal 30 and the operator P are always present at the set movement start point position or movement end point position, the safety of work at that position can be ensured.

[0070] Although the present invention has been described above based on the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the content of the above embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention. In other words, all other embodiments, examples, operational techniques, etc. made by those skilled in the art based on this embodiment are naturally included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1: Crane 2: Hanging load support part 7: Swivel device (drive device) 8: Hoisting winch (drive unit) 9: Lifting winch (drive unit) 20: Control device 21: Route creation unit (route creation means) 22: Crane control unit (crane control means) 23: Terminal position determination unit (terminal position determination means) 30: Terminal 31: Terminal location acquisition unit (terminal location acquisition means) 32: Hanging load position setting section (hanging load position setting means) 33: Hanging cargo information setting unit (hanging cargo information setting means) 34: Three-dimensional information acquisition unit (three-dimensional information acquisition means) 35: Display processing unit (display processing means) 44: Display section 100: Automatic crane operation system

Claims

1. An automatic crane operation system that moves a load support unit of a crane capable of supporting a load from a movement start position to a movement end position, a control device for controlling a drive device of the crane; and a terminal communicably connected to the control device, The terminal has a suspended load position setting means for setting suspended load position information, which is position information of at least one of the movement start point position and the movement end point position, and a suspended load information setting means for setting suspended load information related to the suspended load, and transmits the set suspended load position information and suspended load information to the control device, The control device includes a route creation means that creates a route from the movement start position to the movement end position based on the suspended load position information and the suspended load information received from the terminal, and a crane control means that automatically controls the drive device of the crane based on the route created by the route creation means to move the suspended load support part of the crane. An automatic crane operation system characterized by:

2. The terminal has a display unit, a three-dimensional information acquisition means for acquiring three-dimensional information for reproducing a construction site in a virtual space and displaying it three-dimensionally on the display unit, and a display processing means for reproducing the construction site in a virtual space based on the three-dimensional information acquired by the three-dimensional information acquisition means and displaying it on the display unit, The load position setting means of the terminal sets the position designated at the construction site in the virtual space displayed on the display unit as the load position information.

2. The automatic crane operation system according to claim 1.

3. The terminal has a terminal position acquisition means for acquiring terminal position information that is a current position of the terminal, and transmits the terminal position information acquired by the terminal position acquisition means to the control device; The control device has a terminal position determination means that determines whether or not the current position of the terminal and the position indicated by the suspended load position information are separated by a predetermined distance or more based on the terminal position information and the suspended load position information received from the terminal, When the terminal position determination means determines that the current position of the terminal and the position indicated by the suspended load position information are separated by the predetermined distance or more, the crane control means does not execute automatic control of the drive device of the crane.

3. The automatic crane operation system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The terminal has a terminal location acquisition means for acquiring terminal location information that is the current location of the terminal, The suspended load information setting means of the terminal sets the terminal position information acquired by the terminal position acquisition means as suspended load position information.

2. The automatic crane operation system according to claim 1.

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