Crane inspection system and program

Abstract

This aims to facilitate inspection work on cranes, which require working at heights. [Solution] A crane inspection system 100 has a mobile body 40 that has an imaging means and moves around a crane 20, and a processing unit 50 that performs predetermined processing on image data captured by the imaging means, where the mobile body 40 is configured to capture images of multiple locations including the inspection location of the crane 20. This reduces the need for workers to inspect the crane 20, which requires working at height, even when inspecting high-altitude objects such as the boom or jib of the crane 20, thereby reducing the burden of the inspection work.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a crane inspection system and a crane. [Background technology]

[0002] Working machines such as cranes require various inspections to ensure operational safety. In particular, the larger the size of equipment such as tower cranes, the higher the demand for safety (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-162125 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Crane inspection work is performed with the boom lowered, as working at height is required when the boom is raised. However, lowering the boom poses the problem of requiring a large working space. This problem can also make it difficult to inspect the crane on-site.

[0005] The present invention aims to facilitate inspection of a crane. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a mobile body having an imaging means and moving around the crane; A processing unit that performs predetermined processing on image data captured by the imaging means, The moving body captures images of a plurality of locations including an inspection location of the crane. The structure is as follows. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, inspection of a crane can be easily performed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a crane inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of a moving body. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the arrangement of a mobile body relative to a crane. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a side view of a crane. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the crane. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a management server. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in a crane inspection information database. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in a customer information database. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a front view of a moving body shown as an example (1) of a moving body supported by a guide member. [Figure 10] 1 is a side view of a moving body shown as an example (1) of a moving body supported by a guide member. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a left side view of a movable body supported by a guide member. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a moving body supported by a guide member. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a slider that allows a moving body to slide along a guide member. [Figure 14] FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a moving body shown as an example (2) of a moving body supported by a guide member. [Figure 17]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the moving body with the upper surface of the body removed. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a front view with the fuselage side wall cut away. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a moving body supported by a guide member. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a left side view of a movable body supported by a guide member. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing another support structure for the guide member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [Outline of the crane inspection system] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a crane inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the inspection system 100 includes a first moving body 40A and a second moving body 40B that move around a crane 20, a crane terminal 30 as a processing unit that performs predetermined processing on information data acquired by each of the moving bodies 40A and 40B, information terminals 60 and 70, and a management server 50.

[0010] The management server 50 is connected to a network 130 such as a general public line network. In addition to the management server 50, base stations 120 and 150, information terminals 60 and 70, etc. are connected to the network 130. The management server 50 can exchange data with these nodes connected to the network 130, namely, the base stations 120 and 150, the mobile units 40A and 40B, and the multiple terminals 30, 60, and 70.

[0011] The base station 120 is a base station of a satellite communication line that can transmit and receive radio waves via a satellite 110, and the base station 150 is a base station of a so-called mobile phone communication line. When the base stations 120 and 150 receive various data from the mobile bodies 40A and 40B, the crane terminal 30, etc., they transmit the data to the management server 50 via the network 130.

[0012] The crane 20 has various sensors that detect the state of each part of the crane 20 itself, and a crane terminal 30 that can communicate with the network 130. The controller 31 (see FIG. 5) included in the crane terminal 30 transmits information detected by various sensors (hereinafter referred to as sensor information) to the base stations 120, 150 via a first transmitter 351 and a second transmitter 352 (see FIG. 5). The crane terminal 30 can also receive predetermined information via a first receiver 361 and a second receiver 362 (see FIG. 5).

[0013] The management server 50 is connected to an inspection information database 140 and a customer information database 160. A control device 51 (see FIG. 6) included in the management server 50 stores in the inspection information database 140 the diagnostic information data received from the first mobile body 40A, the second mobile body 40B, and the crane terminal 30 via the base stations 120, 150, and the status information data generated from the diagnostic information data.

[0014] The control device 51 possessed by the management server 50 transmits the condition information data stored in the inspection information database 140 to predetermined information terminals 60, 70 and the crane terminal 30 via the network 130. The control device 51 possessed by the management server 50 determines the destination of the information based on the contents of the customer information database 160. The information is transmitted to, for example, an information terminal 70 used by a site supervisor or the like who is a user of the crane 20, or an information terminal 60 used by a manager who is a user away from the site and is involved in work using the crane 20, and is displayed on the display screen of the information terminal 60, 70. Although only one crane 20 and one information terminal 60, 70 are shown in FIG. 1, in reality, the management server 50 is configured to send and receive information to and from a large number of cranes 20 and a large number of information terminals 60, 70.

[0015] [Moving object] Here, the first moving body 40A and the second moving body 40B will be described with reference to the drawings. 2 is a block diagram showing the control system of the moving body 40. Since the first moving body 40A and the second moving body 40B have a common configuration, when describing the common configuration, they will be simply referred to as "moving body 40," and when it is necessary to distinguish between them, they will be referred to as "first moving body 40A" and "second moving body 40B."

[0016] The mobile body 40 is a so-called drone, which has multiple rotors and flies by controlling the output of the motors that drive each rotor, and can freely perform up and down movements, forward and backward movement, left and right movement, and forward and backward rotation. The mobile body 40 moves around the crane 20 to be inspected, captures images of each part of the crane 20, and transmits the acquired captured image data to the crane terminal 30 serving as a processing unit and the management server 50.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the moving body 40 includes a camera 41 as an imaging means, a positioning unit 421, a direction sensor 422, a height sensor 423, an attitude sensor 424, a microphone 425 as a sensor, a temperature sensor 426, a driving unit 43, a control unit 44, a data storage unit 45, a memory 46, first and second transmitting units 471, 472, and first and second receiving units 481, 482. It should be noted that the sensors such as the positioning unit 421, the direction sensor 422, the height sensor 423, the attitude sensor 424, the microphone 425 as a sensor, and the temperature sensor 426 described above are merely examples, and the mobile object 40 may be configured not to be equipped with some or all of these sensors.

[0018] The camera 41 is supported on the body of the moving object 40 and pointed in a predetermined direction, capturing images of the scene ahead according to the orientation of the body. The camera 41 can continuously capture images at a constant frame rate, making it possible to capture images of multiple locations, including inspection locations. The image signal obtained by capturing the images is output to an image processing unit 411 connected to the camera 41, and the image processing unit 411 generates captured image data in a predetermined format and stores it in the memory 46.

[0019] The camera 41 is not limited to one that captures images using visible light, and an infrared camera that captures images using infrared light may also be used. When an infrared camera is used, it is possible to obtain distance image data using a phase contrast method or the like. Furthermore, instead of a single camera, a stereo camera may be used, and in this case, it is also possible to obtain distance image data.

[0020] The positioning unit 421 is a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver such as a GPS (Global Positioning System), and measures the current position of the mobile object 40 . The orientation sensor 422 is a three-axis gyro orientation sensor, and detects the direction of travel of the mobile unit 40 and the tilt angle of the body. The height sensor 423 is, for example, an optical type, which projects light downward and detects the height of the aircraft from the phase difference that occurs in the reflected light. The attitude sensor 424 is made up of a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, and detects acceleration in each direction of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis defined for the moving body 40. The attitude of the aircraft can be detected from the gravitational acceleration detected for each of these axes. The microphone 425 has directionality and detects the sound of an object that is ahead in the same direction as the line of sight of the camera 41 . The temperature sensor 426 is a non-contact type so-called radiation thermometer, and detects the temperature of an object located in the same direction as the line of sight of the camera 41 .

[0021] The first transmitting unit 471 and the first receiving unit 481 communicate with the base station 120 via the satellite 110 . In addition, the second transmitting unit 472 and the second receiving unit 482 communicate directly with the base station 150 .

[0022] The drive unit 43 is configured to output thrust for moving the moving body 40, and has multiple rotors and multiple motors as rotational drive sources provided for each rotor. Each motor is controlled by the control unit 44 so that the body moves in the target movement direction.

[0023] The data storage unit 45 is a non-volatile storage device that stores the control program for the moving body 40 and various information related to the control. The memory 46 stores image data captured by the camera 41 and detection data detected by the microphone 425 and the temperature sensor 426 . The memory 46 may be configured as a non-volatile storage device. The memory 46 may also be configured as a removable recording medium. In this case, the removed recording medium can be used to transfer captured image data and detected data to external crane terminals 30, information terminals 60 and 70, management server 50, etc., without going through the network 130.

[0024] The control unit 44 includes a diagnostic information collection unit 441 and a transfer unit 442. These are functional components that are realized when the central processing unit included in the control unit 44 executes a program in the data storage unit 45.

[0025] The diagnostic information collection unit 441 executes operation control to move the body of the crane 20 to an area where imaging can be performed, including an imaging position of a predetermined inspection point. Furthermore, the diagnostic information collection unit 441 executes operational control to capture images of the inspection location or a predetermined range including the inspection location using the camera 41 and perform detection using the microphone 425 and temperature sensor 426 to acquire captured image data and detected data.

[0026] For the inspection points of the crane 20, for example, the position coordinates of the inspection points in a coordinate system defined for the crane 20 are stored in advance in the data storage unit 45. Then, by placing the mobile body 40 in a predetermined reference position with respect to the crane 20 in a predetermined orientation, the position coordinates of the inspection point in the coordinate system of the current position acquired by the positioning unit 421 can be obtained. This allows the diagnostic information collection unit 441 to control the drive unit 43 so as to move the moving body 40 to an area where the inspection point of the crane 20 can be imaged.

[0027] Furthermore, the inspection location of the crane 20 may move due to rotation of the tower boom 24 or the tower jib 25. In such a case, the diagnostic information collection unit 441 acquires rotation angle information of the tower boom 24 or the tower jib 25 from the crane terminal 30 through communication via the first or second receiving unit 481, 482, and corrects the position coordinates of the inspection location. Then, the mobile body 40 is moved to an area where imaging is possible, including the imaging position of the corrected inspection location.

[0028] In addition, an index marking may be attached to a predetermined location on the crane 20, and the diagnostic information collection unit 441 may detect the marking from the captured image of the crane 20 by pattern matching or the like, and based on the detected position of the marking, move the mobile body 40 to an area where the inspection location of the crane 20 can be captured. Also, a transmitter such as a beacon is provided at a predetermined location on the crane 20, and a receiver for this is provided on the mobile body 40. Then, the diagnostic information collection unit 441 may identify the transmission position of the transmitter, and, based on the transmission position, move the mobile body 40 to an area where imaging can be performed, including the imaging position of the inspection point of the crane 20.

[0029] The transfer unit 442 executes a process of recording in the memory 46 the captured image data and detection data acquired by imaging with the camera 41 and sensing with the microphone 425 and temperature sensor 426 in an area where imaging is possible. In addition, the transfer unit 442 associates the captured image data and detection data with the image data and detection data obtained from the orientation sensor 422 and the orientation sensor 424, and records the image data and detection data associated with the image data and detection data of the position and orientation of the moving body 40 at the time of detection in the memory 46 (hereinafter, the captured image data and detection data associated with the image data and detection information of the position and orientation of the moving body 40 at the time of detection obtained from the orientation sensor 422 and the orientation sensor 424 are referred to as "diagnostic information data"). Furthermore, the transfer unit 442 transmits the same diagnostic information data as the diagnostic information data recorded in the memory 46 to the crane terminal 30 and management server 50 as processing units through the first and second transmission units 471, 472.

[0030] The first moving body 40A and the second moving body 40B have different inspection locations for the crane 20 that are prepared in advance in the data storage unit 45. The first moving body 40A captures and senses an imageable area (first area) of one of the inspection locations, while the second moving body 40B captures and senses an imageable area (second area) of the other inspection location. These areas may partially overlap. Furthermore, the inspection locations that each moving body 40A, 40B is responsible for may be multiple inspection locations that do not overlap, or they may partially overlap. Furthermore, the camera 41 of each moving body 40 may capture images not only of the inspection location, but also of a wide area including the inspection location, or of a portion of the crane 20 other than the inspection location. The number of mobile bodies 40 is not limited to two, but may be one or three or more. When three or more mobile bodies are used, it is preferable that the inspection points of the cranes 20 prepared in advance in the data storage unit 45 are all different. Alternatively, the first moving body 40A may take an image of the inspection location, and the second moving body 40B may perform sensing using the microphone 425 and the temperature sensor 426.

[0031] In addition, with regard to the mobile body 40, an example has been given in which the diagnostic information collection unit 441 controls the body to autonomously move to an area where the inspection location of the crane 20 can be imaged, but the mobile body 40 may also be configured to be controllable by an external radio control device, and the user, or worker, may operate the radio control device to move the mobile body 40 to an area where the inspection location of the crane 20 can be imaged, and perform imaging and sensing.

[0032] Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the arrangement of first moving body 40A and second moving body 40B relative to crane 20. In Fig. 3, crane 20 is shown schematically. Furthermore, moving bodies 40a to 40e in the figure and moving bodies 40f and 40g described below have the same configuration as moving body 40 described above. The first moving body 40A and the second moving body 40B may be arranged to be movable by flying around the crane 20 without any physical constraints, like the moving body 40a.

[0033] Furthermore, the first moving body 40A and the second moving body 40B may be connected to the crane 20 by a cable 101 reinforced with wire or the like, like the moving body 40b. The cable 101 enables power supply from the crane 20 to the moving body 40b and data communication between the moving body 40b and the crane terminal 30. The cable 101 can be wound up and unwound, and the range that the cable 101 can reach is the movable range of the moving body 40b.

[0034] Furthermore, the first moving body 40A and the second moving body 40B may be configured to be supported slidably along rail-like guide members 102 to 104 supported by the crane 20, like the moving bodies 40c to 40e. Each guide member 102-104 is provided with a slider (not shown) that can slide along the corresponding guide member 102-104, and a support member (not shown) that supports each of the moving bodies 40c-40e extends from the slider. The support member supports each of the moving bodies 40c-40e with a degree of freedom so that the posture of each of the moving bodies 40c-40e can change within a certain range. In addition, it is preferable to take measures such as providing a rotation stopper to prevent each of the movable bodies 40c to 40e from rotating around each of the guide members 102 to 104, not making the cross section of each of the guide members 102 to 104 circular, or configuring each of the guide members 102 to 104 with multiple rails. Furthermore, in the case of a configuration in which the moving bodies 40c-40e are supported so as to be movable along the guide members 102-104, the moving bodies 40c-40e may not be capable of flying, but may be configured so as to be capable of running along the guide members 102-104. In other words, the moving bodies 40c-40e only need to be configured so as to be movable around the crane, and the form of their movement is not particularly limited.

[0035] When the guide members 102 to 104 are configured to support the movable bodies 40c to 40e as described above, the guide members may be disposed inside the tower boom 24 of the crane 20. This enables the movable body 40 to perform good imaging and sensing of inspection locations inside the narrow tower boom 24, where flight is very difficult. Detailed examples of the moving bodies supported by the guide members 102 to 104 will be described later.

[0036] [crane] The crane 20 will be described with reference to Figure 4. Here, a so-called mobile tower crane will be taken as an example of the crane 20. In the following description of the crane 20, the forward direction of the crane 20 (the predetermined forward direction of the lower running structure 21, regardless of the facing direction of the upper rotating structure 22) will be referred to as "front", the backward direction will be referred to as "rear", the left hand side when facing forward will be referred to as "left", and the right hand side when facing forward will be referred to as "right".

[0037] As shown in the figure, the crane 20 is composed of a self-propelled crawler-type lower running body 21, an upper rotating body 22 rotatably mounted on the lower running body 21, and a front attachment 23 attached to the front side of the upper rotating body 22 so that it can be raised and lowered.

[0038] The upper rotating body 22 constitutes the crane body of the crane 20 and has a rotating frame 221 extending in the front-rear direction. A boom mounting part 222 is provided on the front side of the rotating frame 221, and a base end 249 of the tower boom 24 (described later) is mounted on this boom mounting part 222 so as to be able to be raised and lowered.

[0039] Furthermore, a mast mounting part 223 is provided on the revolving frame 221 near the rear side of the boom mounting part 222. A base end of a mast 224, which will be described later, is rotatably attached to this mast mounting part 223. Furthermore, a base end of a backstop 225, which will be described later, is rotatably attached to the revolving frame 221 rearward of the mast mounting part 223.

[0040] A counterweight 226 that balances the weight of the front attachment 23 and the suspended load is disposed on the rear side of the revolving frame 221. A boom hoisting winch and other components (not shown) are also disposed on the rear side of the revolving frame 221. Meanwhile, a cab 227 is provided on the front right side of the revolving frame 221, where a driver's seat and various operating devices (none of which are shown) are located.

[0041] The front attachment 23 is provided on the upper rotating body 22 and transports loads such as materials between the ground and high places. The front attachment 23 includes a tower boom 24, a tower jib 25, and a tower strut 26.

[0042] The tower boom 24 is attached to the upper rotating body 22 so that it can be raised and lowered. The tower boom 24 is composed of a lower boom 241 whose base end (foot portion) 249 is attached to a boom mounting portion 222 of the rotating frame 221 so that it can be raised and lowered, multiple (e.g., three stages) intermediate booms 242 whose base ends are attached to the tips of the lower booms 241, and an upper boom 243 attached to the tip of the intermediate boom 242 located nearest to the tip. A jib hoist winch 244 and a main hoist winch 245, which will be described later, are attached to the lower boom 241.

[0043] As shown in the figure, adjacent posts of the intermediate booms 242 in the longitudinal direction are connected by connecting pins. The lowest intermediate boom 242 and the lower boom 241, and the highest intermediate boom 242 and the upper boom 243 are also connected by connecting pins.

[0044] The upper boom 243 has a shape in which its upper portion protrudes forward when the tower boom 24 is in an upright position (the position shown in FIG. 4), and the lower side of the upper boom 243 is attached to the tip (upper end) of the uppermost intermediate boom 242. A tower jib 25 (described later) is attached to the front end of the upper boom 243 so that it can be raised and lowered, and a tower strut 26 (described later) is attached to the top end of the upper boom 243 so that it can swing. In addition, a triangular sheave bracket 246 protrudes rearward from the upper boom 243. A tower guide sheave 247 and a guide sheave 248 are rotatably attached to this sheave bracket 246.

[0045] The tower jib 25 is movably attached to the tip of the upper boom 243 of the tower boom 24. The tower jib 25 is composed of a lower jib 251, the base end of which is movably attached to the upper boom 243, an intermediate jib 252 attached to the tip of the lower jib 251, and an upper jib 253 provided at the tip of the intermediate jib 252. A guide sheave 254 and a point sheave 255 are rotatably attached to the tip side of the upper jib 253. A main hoisting rope 256, which will be described later, is wound around the guide sheave 254 and the point sheave 255.

[0046] The tower strut 26 is swingably attached to the upper end side of the upper boom 243 of the tower boom 24. The tower strut 26 is configured as a triangular structure by connecting a first strut 261, a second strut 262, and a third strut 263 by a first connecting portion 264, a second connecting portion 265, and a third connecting portion 266.

[0047] Here, the first connecting part 264 of the tower strut 26 is attached to the upper end side of the upper boom 243. As a result, the tower strut 26 is attached to the upper end of the tower boom 24 so as to be able to swing around the first connecting part 264 as a fulcrum. In addition, one end of a pendant rope 267 is connected to the second connecting part 265, and the other end of the pendant rope 267 is connected to the tip side of the upper jib 253 of the tower jib 25. Furthermore, a boom-side pendant rope 274, which will be described later, is connected to the third connecting part 266.

[0048] The jib hoist winch 244 is attached to the lower boom 241 of the tower boom 24. The jib hoist winch 244 raises and lowers the tower jib 25 via the tower strut 26. The jib hoist winch 244 and the third connection part 266 of the tower strut 26 are connected by a jib hoist rope 27.

[0049] The jib hoist rope 27 is installed between the jib hoist winch 244 and the tower strut 26. The jib hoist rope 27 is made up of a lower spreader 271 with multiple sheaves attached to the intermediate boom 242 of the tower boom 24, an upper spreader 272 with multiple sheaves installed opposite the lower spreader 271, a winding rope 273 wound sequentially around the sheaves of the lower spreader 271 and the upper spreader 272 and then wound onto the jib hoist winch 244, and a boom-side pendant rope 274 having one end connected to the upper spreader 272 and the other end connected to the third connector 266 of the tower strut 26.

[0050] Therefore, by winding in and out the winding rope 273 with the jib hoist winch 244, the upper spreader 272 moves toward and away from the lower spreader 271, and the tower strut 26 swings around the first connecting part 264. This swinging of the tower strut 26 is transmitted to the tower jib 25 via the pendant rope 267, causing the tower jib 25 to be hoisted at the tip of the tower boom 24.

[0051] The main hoisting winch 245 is located near the upper side of the jib hoisting winch 244 and is attached to the lower boom 241 of the tower boom 24. One end of a main hoisting rope 256 is wound around the main hoisting winch 245. The other end of the main hoisting rope 256 is attached to the load hook 28 via a guide sheave 248 of the sheave bracket 246, a guide sheave 254 of the tower jib 25, and a point sheave 255. Therefore, the load hook 28 can be raised and lowered by winding and unwinding the main hoisting rope 256 with the main hoisting winch 245.

[0052] The backstop 225 is provided between the revolving frame 221 and the lower boom 241 of the tower boom 24. The backstop 225 supports the erected tower boom 24 from behind.

[0053] The base end of the mast 224 is rotatably attached to the mast attachment portion 223 of the revolving frame 221. The tip of the mast 224 is a free end that can be rotated upward and downward or forward and backward. A boom spreader 228 is provided at the tip of the mast 224, and this boom spreader 228 is connected to the upper boom 243 of the tower boom 24 via a pendant rope 229 having a certain length. A boom hoist rope 291 is wound sequentially between the boom spreader 228 and a spreader (not shown) on the revolving frame 221 side, and is then wound around a tower boom hoist winch (not shown) provided on the revolving frame 221.

[0054] Therefore, when the boom hoist rope 291 is wound by the tower boom hoist winch, the tower boom 24 can be raised by pulling the pendant rope 229. On the other hand, when the boom hoist rope 291 is unwound by the tower boom hoist winch, the tower boom 24 can be lowered (fallen) to the ground via the pendant rope 229.

[0055] 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the crane terminal 30. The crane terminal 30 is a control terminal mounted on the crane 20, and controls various operations of the crane 20, such as traveling, swinging, and lifting a load, and performs abnormality detection processing. The crane terminal 30 is provided with a controller 31 that includes a processing unit having a CPU, ROM and RAM as storage devices, and other peripheral circuits.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 5, the controller 31 is connected to a load cell 321, a boom angle sensor 322, an operation amount sensor 323, a jib angle sensor 324, an input unit 331, a display device 332, an alarm 341, a stop device 342, first and second transmitting units 351, 352, first and second receiving units 361, 362, an operating lever 37, and a control valve 38.

[0057] The load cell 321 is attached to the boom spreader 228 and detects the tension acting on the boom hoisting rope 291 that raises and lowers the tower boom 24, and outputs a control signal corresponding to the detected tension to the controller 31. The input unit 331 is, for example, a touch panel, and outputs a control signal corresponding to an operation by an operator to the controller 31. The operator can operate the input unit 331 to set the number of loops of the main hoisting rope 256, the length of the tower boom, the mass of the load hook 28, etc.

[0058] The boom angle sensor 322 is attached to the base end side of the tower boom 24, detects the hoisting angle of the tower boom 24 (hereinafter also referred to as the boom angle), and outputs a control signal corresponding to the detected boom angle to the controller 31. The boom angle sensor 322 detects, for example, the ground angle, which is the angle with respect to the horizontal plane, as the boom angle.

[0059] The jib angle sensor 324 is attached to the base end side of the tower jib 25, detects the angle at which the tower jib 25 is raised and lowered (hereinafter also referred to as the jib angle), and outputs a control signal corresponding to the detected jib angle to the controller 31. The jib angle sensor 324 detects, for example, the ground angle, which is the angle with respect to the horizontal plane, as the jib angle.

[0060] The operation amount sensor 323 detects, for example, the operation amount of a hydraulic pilot type operation lever, and outputs a control signal corresponding to the detected operation amount to the controller 31.

[0061] The display device 332 includes, for example, a touch panel display that is also used as the input unit 331, and displays information on the lifting load and working posture on the display screen based on a control signal output from the controller 31. The alarm device 341 issues an alarm based on a control signal output from the controller 31.

[0062] The stopping device 342 stops the driving of the hydraulic motors (not shown) connected to the main hoisting winch 245 and the jib hoisting winch 244, respectively, based on a control signal output from the controller 31. The stopping device 342 is, for example, an electromagnetic switching valve that can cut off the supply of pressure oil from the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic motor.

[0063] The first transmitting unit 351 and the first receiving unit 361 communicate with the base station 120 via the satellite 110 . Furthermore, the second transmitting unit 352 and the second receiving unit 362 communicate directly with the base station 150 .

[0064] The controller 31 functionally includes a load calculation unit 311, a winch control unit 312, a display control unit 313, and a transmission control unit 314. The load calculation unit 311 calculates the lifting load applied to the load hook 28 based on the outputs of the load cell 321 and the boom angle sensor 322 . The winch control unit 312 determines whether the lifting load is equal to or greater than the rated total load, and if so, outputs a stop signal to the stop device 342 and an alarm signal to the alarm 341. When the stop signal is input to the stop device 342, it stops driving the jib hoisting winch 244 and the main hoisting winch 245. When the alarm signal is input to the alarm 341, it issues an alarm.

[0065] The display control unit 313 controls the image to be displayed on the display screen of the display device 332. The display control unit 313 causes the suspension load calculated by the load calculation unit 311 to be displayed on the display screen of the display device 332. Furthermore, the display control unit 313 causes the information managed by the management server 50 to be displayed on the display screen of the display device 332 .

[0066] The transmission control unit 314 transmits the information stored in the storage device of the controller 31 at a predetermined timing via the first transmission unit 351 or the second transmission unit 352. The information transmitted from the first transmission unit 351 or the second transmission unit 352 is received by the base station 120, 150 and transmitted to the management server 50.

[0067] In addition, the transmission control unit 314 transmits rotation angle information consisting of the boom angle and jib angle detected by the boom angle sensor 322 and the jib angle sensor 324 to each moving body 40 via the first transmission unit 351 or the second transmission unit 352. Furthermore, the transmission control unit 314 transmits the diagnostic information data received from each moving object 40 to the management server 50 via the first transmission unit 351 or the second transmission unit 352 .

[0068] The control valve 38 is composed of a plurality of valves that can be switched in response to a control signal from the controller 31 . For example, the control valve 38 includes a valve that switches between supplying and cutting off hydraulic pressure from a hydraulic pump provided in the crane 20 to a hydraulic motor that rotationally drives the drive wheels of the lower traveling body 21 and switching the rotation direction; a valve that switches between supplying and cutting off hydraulic pressure from the hydraulic pump to a hydraulic motor that performs the swing operation of the upper rotating body 22 and switching the rotation direction; a valve that switches between supplying and cutting off hydraulic pressure from the hydraulic pump to a hydraulic motor that rotationally drives the tower boom hoisting winch and switching the rotation direction; a valve that switches between supplying and cutting off hydraulic pressure from the hydraulic pump to a hydraulic motor that rotationally drives the jib hoisting winch 244 and switching the rotation direction; and a valve that switches between supplying and cutting off hydraulic pressure from the hydraulic pump to a hydraulic motor that rotationally drives the main hoisting winch 245 and switching the rotation direction.

[0069] The operating lever 37 is made up of a plurality of levers that input control signals for individually switching the various valves of the control valve 38 via the controller 31 .

[0070] For example, the travel lever, which is one of the operating levers 37, inputs a switching signal to a valve that supplies, stops, and switches the rotation direction of hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic motor that drives the rotation of the drive wheels of the lower traveling body 21 described above. In addition, the rotation lever, which is one of the operating levers 37, inputs a switching signal to a valve that supplies, stops, and switches the rotation direction of hydraulic pressure from the aforementioned hydraulic pump to the hydraulic motor that performs the rotation operation of the upper rotating body 22. In addition, the boom hoisting lever, which is one of the operating levers 37, inputs a switching signal to a valve that supplies, stops, and switches the rotation direction of hydraulic pressure from the aforementioned hydraulic pump to the hydraulic motor that drives the rotation of the tower boom hoisting winch. In addition, the jib hoisting lever, which is one of the operating levers 37, inputs a switching signal to a valve that supplies, stops, and switches the rotation direction of hydraulic pressure from the aforementioned hydraulic pump to the hydraulic motor that drives the rotation of the jib hoisting winch 244. In addition, the hoisting lever, which is one of the operating levers 37, inputs a switching signal to a valve that supplies, stops, and switches the rotation direction of hydraulic pressure from the aforementioned hydraulic pump to the hydraulic motor that drives the main hoisting winch 245.

[0071] The controller 31 inputs control signals corresponding to the supply, stop and switching of rotation direction of hydraulic pressure to each valve constituting the corresponding control valve 38 in accordance with the operation of the various levers constituting the operating lever 37, thereby controlling each hydraulic motor. This allows the operator to operate the operating lever 37 to perform the travelling operation of the crane 20, the rotation operation of the upper rotating body 22, the raising and lowering operation of the tower boom 24, the raising and lowering operation of the tower jib 25, and the lifting and lowering operation of the load hook 28.

[0072] In the example of the crane terminal 30 described above, a configuration has been exemplified in which the configuration for performing abnormality processing, such as the load cell 321, boom angle sensor 322, operation amount sensor 323, jib angle sensor 324, limit switch (not shown), alarm 341, stop device 342, etc., and the configuration for performing normal operation, such as the operation lever 37 and control valve 38, are controlled by a unified control system, but the configuration for performing abnormality processing and the configuration for performing normal operation may also be configured as separate systems, with separate controllers for controlling them respectively.

[0073] [Administration Server] 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the management server 50. The management server 50 includes a control device 51, a storage unit 52, and a communication unit 53. The control device 51 includes a processing unit having a CPU, peripheral circuits, etc. The control device 51 controls each unit of the management server 50 by reading and executing a control program stored in advance in the storage unit 52. The storage unit 52 is, for example, a non-volatile storage device. The communication unit 53 performs data communication (transmission and reception) via the network 130 in accordance with a predetermined procedure. A display device 54 is connected to the control device 51, and the control device 51 displays information stored in the memory unit 52, the crane inspection information database 140, and the customer information database 160 on the display screen of the display device 54.

[0074] A crane inspection information database 140 and a customer information database 160 are connected to the control device 51. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the crane inspection information database 140. The control device 51 stores in the crane inspection information database 140 date and time information 141 indicating the date and time of reception received from each mobile body 40 via the base stations 120, 150 (including via the crane terminal 30), a work equipment ID 142 unique to the crane 20, and a diagnostic result 143 described below, each associated with the information.

[0075] 8 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the customer information database 160. The customer information database 160 stores, in association with each other, a work machine ID 161 of the crane 20, one or more pieces of customer information 162 relating to the customer who owns the crane 20, and one or more customer delivery addresses 163. The customer delivery address 163 corresponding to one work machine ID 161 can be changed as desired. It is also possible to set multiple customer delivery addresses 163 corresponding to one work machine ID 161. As a result, when information in the crane inspection information database 140 for a specific crane 20 is updated, the control device 51 of the management server 50 identifies the customer and the delivery address, and transmits the updated information for the crane 20 or notifies the customer of the update. Furthermore, when accessed by a customer, the control device 51 may transmit or permit viewing of various information recorded in the crane inspection information database 140 relating to the customer's crane 20. In this case, a password or the like may be set for each customer in the customer information database 160, and the customer may be required to enter the password when accessing the database. It is preferable that the password is also registered in the customer information database 160.

[0076] The control device 51 functionally comprises a diagnosis processing section 511, an image processing section 512, and a display processing section 513. These will be explained in order below.

[0077] [Diagnosis processing section] The diagnostic processing unit 511 performs diagnostic processing to determine whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the inspection points of the crane 20 with respect to the inspection items described below, based on diagnostic information data including image data and detection data acquired from each moving body 40 of the crane 20. The test items are as follows: (1) Cracks, deformation, or damage to the tower boom or tower jib (2) Wear and damage to foot pins, joint pins, and bushings (3) Wire rope wear, damage, irregular winding, and terminal condition (4) Damage or corrosion of the pendant rope (5) Cracks, deformations, or damage to each spreader, hanger, or tower strut (6) Cracks, deformation, or wear on the load hook (7) Operation, deformation, and damage of the wire stopper of the lifting hook (8) Looseness of the nut on the lifting hook, damage to the threads, or corrosion (9) Wear, deformation, or damage to each sheave (10) Operational status of the over-hoisting prevention devices for the lifting hook, tower boom, and tower jib (11) Operation status of the load cell and boom angle sensor (12) Deformation or damage to the backstop

[0078] (1) Cracks, deformation, or damage to the tower boom or tower jib The diagnostic processing unit 511 determines the presence or absence of cracks, deformation, and damage from the captured image data of the tower boom 24 and tower jib 25 included in the diagnostic information data from the moving body 40, and diagnoses the presence or absence of abnormalities from the determination results. The diagnostic processing unit 511 detects "cracks" or "damage" using a pattern recognition classifier in which parameters for damage or cracks in the tower boom and tower jib, acquired by machine learning, are defined. If a "crack" or "damage" is detected, it is diagnosed as abnormal, and if not, it is diagnosed as normal. Furthermore, the diagnostic processing unit 511 compares the captured image data with the appropriate image data of the tower boom 24 or tower jib 25 to determine the degree of match using a well-known method such as pattern matching, and determines whether the "deformation" is present. Alternatively, similar to the case of "cracks" and "damage," the detection of the "deformation" portion may be performed using a pattern recognition classifier for which parameters of the deformation are defined.

[0079] (2) Wear and damage to foot pins, joint pins, and bushings The diagnostic processing unit 511 determines whether or not the foot pins, joint pins, and bushings used in the tower boom 24 and tower jib 25 are worn or damaged based on the captured image data of the tower boom 24 and tower jib 25 contained in the diagnostic information data from the mobile body 40, and diagnoses whether or not there is an abnormality based on the results of the determination. Regarding "wear," the diagnostic processing unit 511 calculates the dimensions of the worn part and acquires the amount of wear from the captured image data of the foot pin, joint pin, or bush of the tower boom 24 or the tower jib 25. Then, it determines whether the amount of wear is within a specified numerical range and diagnoses whether there is an abnormality. The method for detecting "damage" is the same as that already described.

[0080] (3) Wire rope wear, damage, irregular winding, and terminal condition The diagnostic processing unit 511 determines whether the main hoisting rope 256, the jib hoisting rope 27, and the boom hoisting rope 291 are worn, damaged, or irregularly wound, and whether their terminal conditions are good or bad, based on the captured image data of the tower boom 24 and the tower jib 25 contained in the diagnostic information data from the mobile body 40, and diagnoses whether there are any abnormalities based on the results of these determinations. The diagnostic processing unit 511 detects "damage" or "disorderly winding" using a pattern recognition classifier with parameters for the damage and disorderly winding state of each rope acquired by machine learning. Damage and disorderly winding states include the occurrence of kinks and wire breakage. Alternatively, the proper winding state may be detected using a pattern recognition classifier in which parameters for the proper winding state of each rope are defined. In these cases, if "disorderly winding" is detected, it is diagnosed as abnormal, and if "proper winding state" is detected, it is diagnosed as normal. Furthermore, the diagnostic processing unit 511 detects the "abnormal state" of the terminal using a pattern recognition classifier in which parameters for the abnormal state of the terminal of each rope, acquired by machine learning, are defined. Alternatively, the "proper state" of the terminal may be detected using a pattern recognition classifier in which parameters for the proper state of the terminal of each rope are defined. In these cases, if an "abnormal state" is detected, it is diagnosed as abnormal, and if a "proper state" is detected, it is diagnosed as normal. The methods for detecting "wear" and "damage" are the same as those already described.

[0081] (4) Damage or corrosion of the pendant rope The diagnostic processing unit 511 determines whether or not there is damage or corrosion to the pendant rope 267 and the boom side pendant rope 274 from the captured image data of the tower boom 24 and tower jib 25 contained in the diagnostic information data from the moving body 40, and diagnoses whether or not there is an abnormality based on the results of these determinations. The diagnostic processing unit 511 detects "corrosion" using a pattern recognition classifier with parameters for the corrosion state of the pendant rope obtained by machine learning. If "corrosion" is detected, it is diagnosed as abnormal, and if not, it is diagnosed as normal. The method for detecting "damage" is the same as that already described.

[0082] (5) Cracks, deformations, or damage to each spreader or tower strut The diagnostic processing unit 511 determines whether or not there are cracks, deformations, or damage to the boom spreader 228, the lower spreader 271, the upper spreader 272, and the tower struts 26 from the captured image data of the tower boom 24 and the tower jib 25 contained in the diagnostic information data from the moving body 40, and diagnoses whether or not there are any abnormalities based on the results of the determination. The methods for detecting "cracks," "deformations," and "damage" are the same as those already described.

[0083] (6) Cracks, deformation, or wear on the load hook The diagnostic processing unit 511 determines whether or not there are cracks, deformations, or wear on the load hook 28 from the captured image data of the tower jib 25 included in the diagnostic information data from the moving body 40, and diagnoses whether or not there are any abnormalities based on the results of the determination. The methods for detecting "cracks," "deformation," and "wear" are the same as those already described.

[0084] (7) Operation, deformation, and damage of the wire stopper of the lifting hook The diagnostic processing unit 511 determines the operating state, deformation, and presence or absence of damage of the wire anti-slip device installed on the load hook 28 from the captured image data of the tower jib 25 included in the diagnostic information data from the moving body 40, and diagnoses the presence or absence of an abnormality based on the results of the determination. Regarding the "operation state," the diagnostic processing unit 511 compares the captured image of the state before operation and the captured image of the state after operation with an appropriate image of the state before operation or an appropriate image of the state after operation, and determines whether the image is correct or not based on the degree of similarity using well-known techniques such as pattern matching. The methods for detecting "deformation" and "damage" are the same as those already described.

[0085] (8) Looseness of the nut on the lifting hook, damage to the threads, or corrosion The diagnostic processing unit 511 determines whether the nuts on the lifting hook 28 are loose, whether the threaded parts are damaged, or whether corrosion is present from the captured image data of the tower jib 25 included in the diagnostic information data from the moving body 40, and diagnoses whether there is any abnormality based on the results of the determination. The diagnostic processing unit 511 compares the captured image of the nut with either an image of the nut in a loose state or an image of the nut in a fastened state, and determines whether the nut is loose or not based on the degree of agreement using a well-known method such as pattern matching. If the captured image of the nut matches the image of the nut in a loose state, it is diagnosed as abnormal, and if it matches the image of the nut in a fastened state, it is diagnosed as normal. Alternatively, the length of the nut that protrudes from the mounting position may be determined from a captured image of the nut, and if the length of the nut that protrudes is greater than a specified value, it may be diagnosed as an abnormality. Furthermore, the methods for detecting "damage" and "corrosion" are the same as those already described.

[0086] (9) Wear, deformation, and damage to each sheave The diagnostic processing unit 511 determines whether or not there is wear on the grooves of the tower guide sheave 247, the guide sheaves 248, 254, and the point sheave 255, as well as overall deformation and damage, from the captured image data of the tower boom 24 and the tower jib 25 contained in the diagnostic information data from the moving body 40, and diagnoses whether or not there is an abnormality based on the results of the determination. The methods for detecting "wear," "deformation," and "damage" are the same as those already described.

[0087] (10) Operational status of the over-hoisting prevention devices for the lifting hook, tower boom, and tower jib The diagnostic processing unit 511 diagnoses whether the operating state of the wire rope overwinding prevention device provided on the tower jib 25 is normal or abnormal based on the captured image data of the tower jib 25 included in the diagnostic information data from the moving body 40. The diagnostic processing unit 511 determines whether the over-hoisting prevention device is operating correctly based on whether the stop positions of the captured image of these stopped load hooks 28, tower boom 24, and tower jib 25 are within appropriate ranges, based on the fact that the over-hoisting prevention device stops the load hook 28, tower boom 24, and tower jib 25 at a stop position just before over-hoisting occurs during normal operation. That is, the diagnostic processing unit 511 obtains the height of the load hook 28, the tilt angle of the tower boom 24, and the tilt angle of the tower jib 25 from the captured image, and diagnoses the presence or absence of an abnormality from these values.

[0088] (11) Operation status of the load cell and boom angle sensor The diagnostic processing unit 511 diagnoses whether there is a normal or abnormal state based on the detected data of the load cell 321 and the boom angle sensor 322 contained in the diagnostic information data from the crane terminal 30 and on the detected values ​​of these.

[0089] (12) Backstop operation, deformation, or damage The diagnostic processing unit 511 determines whether or not the backstop 225 is deformed or damaged based on the captured image data of the tower boom 24 included in the diagnostic information data from the moving body 40, and diagnoses whether or not there is an abnormality based on the determination result. The methods for detecting "deformation" and "damage" are the same as those already described.

[0090] The diagnosis processing unit 511 performs diagnosis on the above inspection items (1) to (12), and records the diagnosis results together with the image capture date and time information as part of the status information data of the corresponding crane 20 in the inspection information database 140.

[0091] [Image processing section] The image processing unit 512 processes the captured image data included in the diagnostic information data acquired from each moving body 40 of the crane 20 into processed image data suitable for the user to determine whether an abnormality has occurred. The image processing unit 512 creates processed image data of a three-dimensional model of the crane 20 as processed image data suitable for performing abnormality determination.

[0092] The image processing unit 512 generates processed image data of a three-dimensional model based on the captured image data included in the diagnostic information data acquired from each moving object 40 . The captured image data for each frame is accompanied by data indicating the imaging position and orientation of the moving body 40, so by extracting common feature points from images of multiple captured image data images of the same part of the crane 20 and identifying their positions within each image, the three-dimensional coordinates of the feature points can be calculated. Therefore, by extracting a plurality of feature points from the captured image of the inspection location of the crane 20, calculating three-dimensional coordinates, and connecting the feature points, it is possible to generate processed image data of a three-dimensional model of the inspection location of the crane 20. The processed image data of the three-dimensional model can display the external shape of each part of the crane 20 from all directions, and therefore it is also possible to use this to diagnose whether or not there is an abnormality in the crane 20. In addition, if an infrared camera or a stereo camera is installed as the camera 41 of each moving body 40, distance data can be obtained for each pixel of the captured image, making it possible to generate processed image data of a three-dimensional model with higher accuracy. Furthermore, even if each moving body 40 is not equipped with a positioning unit 421 capable of acquiring position coordinates using GPS, if it is possible to detect the movement speed of the moving body 40 when capturing images in successive frames, it is possible to extract multiple feature points from the captured images using the above method and generate processed image data for a three-dimensional model.

[0093] The image processing unit 512 records the processed image data of the created three-dimensional model of the crane 20 together with the image capture date and time information as part of the status information data of the corresponding crane 20 in the inspection information database 140.

[0094] [Display processing section] The display processing unit 513 executes display processing of various information registered in the crane inspection information database 140 as status information data indicating the status of the crane 20. The status information of the status information data to be displayed includes, for example, the diagnosis result of the crane 20 by the diagnosis processing unit 511, a processed image of the three-dimensional model of the crane 20 by the image processing unit 512, a captured image based on captured image data acquired from the mobile body 40, text information about the captured image (the location of the crane 20 where the image was taken, the date and time of the image capture), information about the detection data acquired from the mobile body 40, etc. When the number of captured images is enormous, for example, only a portion of the representative images used for the diagnosis may be displayed. Furthermore, the display processing unit 513 is not limited to displaying on the display device 54 connected to the management server 50, but may also display on external information terminals 60, 70 or crane terminal 30 via the communication unit 53 and the network 130. Furthermore, when the display process is performed on the external terminal 30, 60, 70, it may be possible to check against the customer information database 160 to confirm that the display destination is one of the customers, and then limit the display to only the status information related to the crane 20 of that customer. Furthermore, the display process may transmit the status information data to the customer's terminal 30, 60, 70, or may not transmit the status information data and only allow the status information to be viewed.

[0095] [Technical Effects of the Embodiments of the Invention] The crane inspection system 100 has a server 50 as a processing unit that performs predetermined processing on image data captured by each moving body 40 moving around the crane 20. This makes it possible to easily inspect the crane 20, even when inspecting an object at a high altitude, such as the boom or jib of the crane 20.

[0096] Furthermore, the diagnostic processing unit 511 of the management server 50 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred at the inspection point of the crane 20 based on the captured image data, so that an objective judgment can be obtained easily and quickly, making it possible to improve the efficiency and further simplify the inspection work.

[0097] In addition, the image processing unit 512 of the management server 50 performs processing to process the captured image data into processed image data suitable for the user to make an abnormality judgment, making it possible to make an abnormality judgment more easily and accurately than when simply looking at the captured image. In particular, three-dimensional model data of the crane 20 is created as processed image data, and the processed image data of the three-dimensional model can display the external shape of each part of the crane 20 from all directions, making it possible to make more precise abnormality judgments as if one were at the site, even if one is far from the site of the crane 20.

[0098] In addition, the display processing unit 513 of the management server 50 collects status information data indicating the status of the crane 20 into the inspection information database 140, and performs display processing to display to the user the status information contained in the status information data and a processed image based on the processed image data. This allows the user to understand the condition of the crane 20 without having to go to the site where the crane 20 is located, making it possible to carry out maintenance management efficiently.

[0099] Furthermore, the mobile body 40 transmits the captured image data to the crane terminal 30 of the crane 20, and the management server 50 collects the captured image data and status information data indicating the status of the crane 20 from the crane terminal 30. Therefore, the management server 50 can collect captured image data by utilizing the existing network to which the crane terminal 30 is connected, eliminating the need for a network connection environment for the mobile body 40, making it possible to easily construct a crane inspection system.

[0100] In addition, the mobile body 40 acquires elevation information indicating the elevation state of the tower boom 24 of the crane 20 from the crane terminal 30 and identifies the imaging position based on the elevation information, making it possible to acquire appropriate image data even if the crane 20 changes its posture.

[0101] Furthermore, the mobile body 40 has a microphone 425 and a temperature sensor 426, which are sensors different from the camera 41, and also performs sensing on the crane 20 using these sensors, so it is possible to collect a variety of data and perform more accurate diagnosis of the crane.

[0102] Furthermore, since the first moving body 40A and the second moving body 40B each take images of the first area and the second area separately, imaging work can be carried out efficiently when there are multiple inspection points on the crane 20.

[0103] Furthermore, if imaging and sensing are performed separately using a first moving body 40A having a camera 41 and a second moving body 40B having a microphone 425 and a temperature sensor 426, the first moving body 40A can move along a route that only takes positions suitable for imaging, and the second moving body 40B can move along a route that only takes positions suitable for sensing, making it possible to efficiently collect diagnostic information data.

[0104] Furthermore, when the moving body 40 (including the moving bodies 40f and 40g described later) is configured to move along guide members 102 to 104 provided on the crane 20, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of vibrations, etc. of the moving body 40 and obtain good captured image data. Furthermore, if the guide member is provided inside the tower boom 24 of the crane 20 and the mobile body 40 is configured to move inside the tower boom 24, it will be possible to perform imaging and sensing inside the tower boom 24, which cannot be entered due to the risk of contact with the surrounding area, in the case of a mobile body 40 that moves by flight.

[0105] [others] The details shown in the above embodiment of the invention can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the above crane inspection system 100, a tower crane is given as an example of the crane 20, but this is not limited to this, and the system can be applied to any type of crane, including mobile cranes such as crawler cranes, wheel cranes, and truck cranes, as well as port cranes, overhead cranes, jib cranes, gantry cranes, unloaders, and fixed cranes. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to cranes equipped with a load hook, but can also be applied to cranes that suspend attachments such as magnets and earth drill buckets. Furthermore, the inspection items in the diagnostic processing unit 511 described above are merely examples, and the system may include some of these or other inspection items. In particular, when applying to various types of cranes as described above, it is preferable to perform diagnostic processing for inspection items that are more appropriate for each type of crane.

[0106] In various diagnoses, abnormalities are detected from captured image data using a classifier for pattern recognition, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, abnormalities may be detected using other periodic methods such as pattern matching.

[0107] [Example of a moving object supported by a guide member (1)] An example (1) of a moving body supported by guide members 102 to 104 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 9 is a front view of the moving body 40f, FIG. 10 is a left side view, FIG. 11 is a left side view of the moving body 40f supported by the guide member 103, and FIG. 12 is a plan view.

[0108] The mobile body 40f is a so-called drone that moves using thrust from multiple rotors, and as shown in Figures 9 and 10, cameras 41f that capture images of the front, back, left and right directions are mounted on the bottom of the body via a gimbal mechanism 412f. The gimbal mechanism 412f supports the cameras 41f so that the orientation of each camera 41f can be changed and adjusted around three axes: vertical up / down, left / right, and front / back. The lower part of the body is provided with a pair of legs 413f. When the moving body 40f lands, these legs 413f rotate downward to guard the cameras 41f, and when the moving body 40f is moving, they are retracted upward so as not to interfere with shooting.

[0109] A support member 494f extending leftward from a slider 49f that is slidable along the guide members 102 to 104 is connected to the right side of the body of the moving body 40f. A ball joint 495f is provided midway on the support member 494f, allowing the moving body 40f to swing slightly up and down and back and forth, and also to change its posture around a left-right axis.

[0110] 11 and 12 show an example of a guide member 103 supported by the tower boom 24. The tower boom 24 has four main pipes arranged in a box shape along the longitudinal direction of the boom, and inside the four main pipes, two pairs of guide members 103 are supported parallel to the main pipes by suspension members 105 suspended at regular intervals between two of the main pipes. Each of the pair of guide members 103 is made of a round pipe of a fixed length, and is connected by a rubber joint 107 to achieve the required length. The other guide members 102 and 104 have a similar configuration and are supported by a similar support structure.

[0111] FIG. 13 is a plan view of a slider 49f that allows the moving body 40f to slide along the guide members 102 to 104, FIG. 14 is a left side view of the slider 49f, and FIG. 15 is a front view. The slider 49f has two units, one above the other, each consisting of three wheels 491f provided on the left and right sides and front of the front guide member 102-104 of a pair of guide members 102-104 lined up in the front and rear, three wheels 491f provided on the left and right sides and rear of the rear guide member 102-104, a pair of support frames 492f that rotatably support these wheels 491f in an arrangement surrounding the pair of guide members 102-104, and a connecting body 493f that rotatably supports the pair of support frames 492f around an axis along the front-to-rear direction. Furthermore, the slider 49f is connected by a support 496f that supports the upper unit around an axis in the vertical direction, a support 497f that supports the lower unit around an axis in the vertical direction, and a connecting shaft 498f that enables the upper and lower supports 496f, 497f to rotate around an axis in the front-to-back direction and an axis in the left-to-right direction, and the connecting shaft 498f is connected to the support member 494f described above.

[0112] The moving body 40f is supported by the guide member 103 in the above-described arrangement, and is therefore capable of photographing in all directions inside the tower boom 24. Furthermore, since the pair of guide members 102 to 104 are surrounded on all sides by the six wheels 491f, rotation around the guide members 102 to 104 is prevented, and the moving body 40f can perform imaging while moving stably. Furthermore, the above-described structure of the slider 49f allows for differences in the orientation of the upper and lower units regardless of the direction in which the guide members 102 to 104 are curved, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, and allows for smooth movement along the curved guide members 102 to 104. Furthermore, although the movable body 40f can be moved by applying running power from a drive source to wheels that contact the guide members 102-104, etc., it is configured to obtain thrust through the rotation of a rotor. This allows for stable movement without wheel slippage, etc. Furthermore, while wheels require a complicated mechanical configuration for transmitting power to the wheels, rotors eliminate this problem and allow for a simplified configuration.

[0113] 11 and 12 show an example of a configuration in which the movable body 40f can move along a guide member 103 provided inside the tower boom 24, but by supporting the guide member 104 with the same configuration inside the tower jib 25, the movable body 40f can photograph the inside of the tower jib 25. Similarly, by applying a similar support structure to the side surfaces of the lower traveling body 21 and the upper rotating body 22 and providing guide members 102, it is possible to photograph the lower traveling body 21 and the upper rotating body 22.

[0114] [Example of a moving object supported by a guide member (2)] An example (2) of the moving body supported by the guide members 102 to 104 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 16 is a plan view of the moving body 40g, Figure 17 is a plan view of the moving body 40g with the body top surface 416g removed, Figure 18 is a front view with the body side wall 496g cut away, Figure 19 is a plan view of the moving body 40f supported by the guide member 103, and Figure 20 is a front view.

[0115] The moving body 40g is also a so-called drone that moves by obtaining thrust from a plurality of rotors, and moves along a single guide member 102 to 104 as shown in FIGS. As shown in Figures 19 and 20, the guide member (Figures 19 and 20 show the guide member 103 supported by the tower boom 24) is arranged at the center of the tower boom 24 inside the four main pipes arranged in a box shape along the boom longitudinal direction of the tower boom 24. For example, the guide member 103 is supported at regular intervals by struts 106 extending from a suspension member 105 suspended at regular intervals between two of the four main pipes of the tower boom 24 . The guide member 103 is made of a round pipe of a certain length, and is connected to the required length by a rubber joint 107. This allows the moving body 40 to move stably. The other guide members 102 and 104 have a similar configuration and are supported by a similar support structure.

[0116] The moving body 40g has three cameras 41g mounted on the outer wall of the body to separately photograph the front, rear, left and right sides, and only the camera 41g that photographs the right side is mounted on the top surface 416g of the body, as it must be positioned to avoid the support 106 that supports the guide member 103. Furthermore, a power supply unit 414g and a control unit 415g are provided on the machine body upper surface 416g.

[0117] Guide members 102 to 104 penetrate vertically through the center of the body of the moving body 40g. Guide grooves are formed in three locations (front, rear, left and right) on the outer periphery along the longitudinal direction of the guide members 102 to 104. Three wheels 491g are rotatably supported inside the body of the movable body 40g. The wheels 491g abut on the three sides (front, rear, left and right) so as to fit into the guide grooves 102a to 104a of the guide members 102 to 104, and these wheels 491g allow the movable body 40g to slide along the guide members 102 to 104.

[0118] The moving body 40g is supported by the guide member 103 in the above-described arrangement, and is therefore capable of photographing in all directions inside the tower boom 24. Furthermore, since each of the guide members 102 to 104 is surrounded on three sides by three wheels 491g, rotation around the guide members 102 to 104 is prevented, and the moving body 40g can perform imaging while moving stably. Furthermore, since the movable body 40g is configured so that each guide member 102-104 is surrounded by three wheels 491g, it is less affected no matter which direction the guide members 102-104 are curved, and can move smoothly along the curved guide members 102-104. The moving body 40g can also move by applying running power from a drive source to wheels that contact the guide members 102 to 104, but in this case, it is configured to obtain thrust from the rotation of the rotor, which allows for stable movement without slippage and simplifies the configuration.

[0119] 19 and 20 illustrate a configuration in which the movable body 40g can move along a guide member 103 provided inside the tower boom 24, but by supporting the guide member 104 with the same configuration inside the tower jib 25, it is possible to use the movable body 40f to photograph the inside of the tower jib 25. Similarly, by applying a similar support structure to the side surfaces of the lower traveling body 21 and the upper rotating body 22 and providing guide members 102, it is possible to photograph the lower traveling body 21 and the upper rotating body 22. The mobile unit 40 may be used to monitor the surroundings of the crane by photographing the surroundings of the lower traveling unit 21 and the upper rotating unit 22. It may also be used to monitor the load by photographing the surroundings of the load hook of the crane. In other words, the mobile unit 40 may be used to photograph to support crane operations other than inspections.

[0120] Furthermore, although an example has been shown in which the guide member 103 is supported by the support columns 106 extending from the suspension members 105 suspended from the two main pipes of the tower boom 24, the support structure is not limited to this. 21, two support pipes 105a, 105b may be individually extended from the two main pipes of the tower boom 24 toward the center, and their tips may be connected to the base end of a support column 106, with the guide member 103 supported by the tip of the support column 106. A similar support structure may also be applied to the guide members 102, 104.

[0121] The moving body 40g shown in FIGS. 16 to 20 may be configured so that the three wheels 491g are supported via springs and dampers that press the wheels 491g toward the guide members 102 to 104. Alternatively, a rail-shaped electrode may be provided along the guide members 102 to 104 near one of the guide grooves 102a to 104a of the guide members 102 to 104, and a power brush that slides on the rail-shaped electrode may be provided on the movable body 40g side, so that the movable body 40g is supplied with power from the guide members 102 to 104. [Explanation of symbols]

[0122] 20 Crane 30 Crane terminal (processing section) 31 Controller 40 Mobile 40A First mobile body 40B Second mobile object 40a~40g ​​Mobile 41 Camera (imaging means) 425 Mike 426 Temperature Sensor 441 Diagnostic Information Collection Department 442 Transfer Department 44 Control Unit 50 Management Server (Processing Unit) 51 Control device 511 Diagnostic processing unit 512 Image processing unit 513 Display processing unit 54 Display device 60,70 Information terminal 100 Crane Inspection System 102~104 Guide member 120,150 base stations 130 Network 140 Test Information Database 160 Customer Information Database

Claims

1. It includes a moving body that moves around a crane that has imaging means and is capable of changing its posture, The moving body can be inspected by imaging multiple locations, including the inspection points of the crane, using the imaging means. The moving body moves to an area of ​​the crane's inspection point that can be imaged, based on a transmitter or marking provided at a predetermined location on the crane. Crane inspection system.

2. The crane is capable of changing the elevation angle of the boom, The moving body moves to the imaging position based on the elevation angle of the boom of the crane. The crane inspection system according to claim 1.

3. The mobile body includes a receiver that receives signals from the transmitter, The moving body moves to an area of ​​the crane's inspection point that can be imaged, based on the transmitter provided at a predetermined location on the crane. The crane inspection system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The moving body is equipped with a sensor that detects position and orientation, The system further includes a storage unit that stores the image data acquired by the imaging means in association with information about the position and orientation of the moving object at the time of imaging. The crane inspection system according to claim 1.

5. Diagnosis of the object to be diagnosed of the crane from the image data acquired by the imaging means. The crane inspection system according to claim 1.

6. The object of diagnosis of the crane is deformation or damage to a specific part of the crane. The crane inspection system according to claim 5.

7. The object of diagnosis of the crane is wear of a specific part of the crane. The crane inspection system according to claim 5.

8. The object of diagnosis of the crane is corrosion of a specific part of the crane. The crane inspection system according to claim 5.

9. The object of diagnosis of the crane is the operating state of the overwinding prevention device. The crane inspection system according to claim 5.

10. The moving body has a sensor used for inspection that is different from the imaging means, and also performs inspection of the crane by sensing with the sensor. The crane inspection system according to claim 1.

11. A first mobile body having the imaging means, and a second mobile body having a sensor different from the imaging means that is used for inspection, The first moving body is inspected by the imaging means, The second mobile body performs inspection by sensing with a sensor different from the imaging means used for inspection. The crane inspection system according to claim 1.

12. Based on customer information data indicating the relationship with a customer corresponding to each crane, the system determines which customers to transmit or which customers to allow to view status information data indicating the status of each crane, including photographic data captured by the imaging means. A crane inspection system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

13. A computer for a crane inspection system comprising a moving body that moves around a crane having an imaging means and whose posture can be changed, The moving body is used to capture images of multiple locations, including the inspection points of the crane, using the imaging means. Means for moving the moving body to an area of ​​the crane that can be imaged at an inspection point, based on a transmitter or marking provided at a predetermined location on the crane. A program designed to function as such.

Images