Control device and method for controlling a garbage crane

Abstract

To provide a method for controlling a garbage crane capable of preventing overflow of a garbage pile height in a receiving area of ​​a garbage pit. [Solution] When the area in a garbage pit where garbage is dumped is defined as a receiving area, the destination where garbage is transported from the receiving area is defined as a receiving area, and the operation of transporting garbage from the receiving area to the receiving area is defined as receiving, the operating mode is determined based on an increase in the garbage pile height in the receiving area which corresponds to the amount of garbage dumped into the receiving area per unit time minus the amount of garbage transported from the receiving area to the receiving area per unit time, and an automatic operating mode determination logic which matches the increase in the garbage pile height in the receiving area with the receiving operating mode in which the position or range of the receiving area where the transported garbage is dropped during the receiving is specified, and garbage reception is performed in the determined operating mode.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device and a control method for a crane. [Background technology]

[0002] Waste transported to a waste incineration facility is dropped from a waste collection truck into the receiving area of ​​the pit, where it is mixed and then dumped into a hopper. Patent Document 1 discloses a control that switches the crane's operation between "dumping," "receiving," and "transferring" depending on factors such as the height of the pile of waste accumulated in the receiving area. Patent Document 1 does not disclose any technology that prevents the height of the pile of waste accumulated in the receiving area from exceeding a threshold and overflowing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7161642 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] To provide a method for controlling a garbage crane capable of preventing overflow of a garbage pile height in a receiving area of ​​a garbage pit.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a control device and a control method for a garbage crane that can solve the above problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The control device disclosed herein is equipped with a means for determining an operation mode based on an amount of increase in the height of the garbage pile in the receiving source area which corresponds to a value obtained by subtracting the amount of garbage transported from the receiving source area to the receiving destination area per unit time from the amount of garbage input into the receiving source area per unit time, and an automatic determination logic for the operation mode which corresponds to the amount of increase in the height of the garbage pile in the receiving source area and an operation mode for the receiving in which the position or range of the receiving destination area into which the garbage transported during the receiving is dropped is specified, when the area in a garbage pit into which garbage is input is defined as a receiving source area, the destination to which garbage is transported from the receiving source area is defined as a receiving destination area, and the operation mode for the receiving is defined as a receiving operation mode in which the position or range of the receiving destination area into which the garbage transported during the receiving operation is dropped is specified.

[0007] The control method for a garbage crane disclosed herein defines an area in a garbage pit where garbage is dumped as a source area, a destination area to which garbage is transported from the source area as a destination area, and receiving as the operation of transporting garbage from the source area to the destination area, and determines an operating mode based on an automatic operation mode determination logic that matches an increase in the height of the garbage pile in the source area corresponding to a value obtained by subtracting the amount of garbage transported from the source area to the destination area per unit time from the amount of garbage dumped into the source area per unit time, and an operating mode for receiving that specifies the position or range of the destination area into which the garbage transported during the receiving is dropped, and performs garbage receiving in the determined operating mode. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The control device and garbage crane control method disclosed herein can prevent the garbage pile height in the garbage receiving area from overflowing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a waste treatment plant according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a first diagram illustrating an operation mode of the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a second diagram illustrating an operation mode of the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a first diagram illustrating an automatic operation mode switching logic according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a first diagram showing an example of automatic switching of an operation mode according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a second diagram illustrating the operation mode automatic switching logic according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a second diagram showing an example of automatic switching of operation modes in the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a third diagram illustrating the operation mode automatic switching logic according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an automatic operation mode switching process according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of a control device according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, a method for controlling a crane in a waste treatment plant according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. (composition) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a waste treatment plant according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the waste treatment plant 100 includes a crane system 1, a pit 2, a hopper 3, a platform 5, and a control device 10. The pit 2 is a facility for storing waste transported by a waste collection truck 6. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the pit 2 as viewed from above. The hopper 3 is a waste inlet for sending the waste to an incinerator (not shown). The waste is thrown into the hopper 3 by the crane system 1. The crane system 1 is provided with cranes C1 and C2 for performing operations such as mixing and transporting the waste. The cranes C1 and C2 are arranged to be movable on rails R1 and R2, and the crane C1 cannot move past the crane C2 to the right of the paper, or the crane C2 cannot move to the left of the crane C1. Various operations of the crane system 1 are controlled by the control device 10. The control device 10 moves the cranes C1 and C2 in the left-right and up-down directions of the paper and in the front-depth direction of the paper to perform operations such as throwing, receiving, and mixing. Although the throwing, receiving, and mixing will be described later, the control of this embodiment mainly relates to receiving. The platform 5 is an area where the garbage truck 6 throws garbage into the pit 2. The garbage truck 6 arrives at the platform 5 carrying garbage and throws the garbage toward the pit 2. The thrown garbage falls into the area 2c of the pit 2 and is carried to the area 2a or the area 2b by the cranes C1 and C2. Doors 4a to 4e are provided on the wall near the area 2c, and garbage can be thrown from the garbage truck 6 into the area 2c only when the doors 4a to 4e are open. The areas 2a and 2b switch roles, for example, on a certain day. For example, on a certain day, the area 2a plays a role of being a throwing source that supplies garbage to be thrown into the hoppers 3a and 3b, and the area 2b plays a role of receiving garbage thrown from the garbage truck 6. In this case, the area 2a is called the throwing area, and the area 2b is called the receiving area. The next day, the garbage dumped in area 2c is transported to area 2a, and then dumped from area 2b into hoppers 3a and 3b. In this case, area 2a is the destination area, area 2b is the dump area, and area 2c is still the source area.

[0011] Hereinafter, the horizontal direction on the page is referred to as a row and the vertical direction as a column. As shown in the example in the figure, each area of ​​the pit 2 divided into 8 rows and 14 columns is called a cell. For example, the cell in row A and column 1 is written as cell (A, 1). In the pit 2 shown in FIG. 1, area 2a is a range of 5 cells x 5 cells from rows A to E and columns 9 to 13, and area 2b is a range of 5 cells x 5 cells from rows A to E and columns 3 to 7, but these are just examples and the positions and ranges of areas 2a and 2b can be set arbitrarily by the user.

[0012] (Input) "Loading" refers to the task of loading garbage into hoppers 3a and 3b. Hoppers 3a and 3b are equipped with sensors that measure the height of the garbage, which indicates the amount of garbage stored in the hoppers. When the garbage height falls below a certain level, there will be a shortage of garbage to supply to the incinerator (not shown). In this case, the control device 10 controls crane C1 to load the garbage from the pit 2 into hopper 3a. The same applies to hopper 3b. When the garbage height in the hopper reaches or exceeds a certain level, it becomes unnecessary to load any more garbage. In this case, the control device 10 does not load garbage into hoppers 3a and 3b.

[0013] (Acceptance) Receiving is the task of transporting the garbage dropped in the receiving area (area 2c) to the receiving area (area 2a or 2b). The height of the garbage in each cell of the pit 2 is managed. For example, a sensor for measuring the height of the garbage in each cell may be installed on the wall, ceiling, or space above the pit 2, and the height may be measured by this sensor, or it may be estimated from the amount of garbage transported by the cranes C1 and C2. When the height of the garbage pile in the receiving area (area 2c) exceeds a predetermined threshold, it is necessary to move it to another location in the pit 2 as soon as possible, since it affects the dumping of garbage from the garbage truck 6. For example, when the garbage height in cell (H, 8) exceeds the threshold and area 2b is the receiving area, the control device 10 moves the crane C1 or C2 to cell (H, 8) and transports the garbage in cell (H, 8) to the receiving area (area 2b). This task is called "receiving". When receiving, for example, the control device 10 calculates the average garbage height of each row in the area 2b from the garbage height of each cell in the area 2b, selects the row with the lowest average garbage height, and drops (scatters) the garbage transported from cell (H, 8) evenly over the entire selected row. The garbage height of each cell after the garbage has been dropped is determined by measurement or calculation and managed. In addition, an overall evaluation score that represents the state of the garbage agitation in each cell after the garbage has been dropped is calculated, and the overall evaluation score is managed for each cell. Any method can be used to calculate the overall evaluation score. For example, it may be calculated using a formula that gives a higher overall evaluation score the more times the garbage is agitated.

[0014] (Mixing) Mixing is the process of using cranes C1 and C2 to pick up waste from a cell and either drop it into the same cell or transport it to another cell and drop it there. The waste stored in areas 2a and 2b is mixed so that the waste in each cell is evenly suited for combustion. The overall evaluation score of the cell is updated each time mixing is performed. Mixing is performed with priority on cells with lower overall evaluation scores, and does not have to be performed on cells whose overall evaluation score is equal to or above a certain threshold, which indicates that the waste is ready to be put into the hoppers 3a and 3b.

[0015] Garbage is continuously dumped from the garbage trucks 6 into the receiving area, and if garbage is not received, the height of the garbage pile in the receiving area will overflow. However, if garbage is simply received, the garbage will remain in a state that is not suitable for burning in an incinerator. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cranes C1 and C2 are controlled to prevent the garbage pile height in the receiving area from overflowing while improving the overall evaluation score of the garbage in the receiving area. More specifically, the cranes C1 and C2 are automatically switched in operation mode based on the average increase in the garbage pile height in the receiving area and (amount of garbage thrown in - receiving speed), and the cranes C1 and C2 are controlled to receive the garbage appropriately and mix it if there is room.

[0016] (Control device functions and configuration) The control device 10 includes a signal acquisition unit 11, an operation mode determination unit 12, a control unit 13, and a storage unit 14. The signal acquisition unit 11 acquires a signal including the amount of garbage (t / h) dropped into the area 2c (referred to as garbage input amount) and the amount of garbage (t / h) transported from the area 2c to the area 2a or the area 2b (referred to as receiving speed). In addition, the signal acquisition unit 11 acquires a signal including the garbage pile height in the receiving source area (area 2c). For example, the signal acquisition unit 11 receives a signal including the garbage input amount and the receiving speed and a signal including the garbage pile height every hour, and records the information on the garbage input amount and the receiving speed included in the received signal in the storage unit 14. The receiving speed can be calculated by multiplying the number of receptions (times / h) by the weight of garbage grabbed in one reception (t / time). The signal acquisition unit 11 may also acquire a signal including information on the congestion level of the platform 5 (for example, the number of garbage trucks 6 present on the platform 5).

[0017] The operation mode determination unit 12 determines the operation mode for the reception of the cranes C1 and C2. Here, an example of the operation mode for reception will be described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3. As described below, in each operation mode, the range and position where the waste is dropped in the receiving area are specified. If the range where the waste is dropped is wide, it is expected that the waste in each cell will be homogenized so that it is in a state suitable for combustion, and if the position where the waste is dropped is close to the receiving source area, it is possible to transport the waste more times, so that it is expected that the receiving speed will be improved.

[0018] [Mixing receiving mode] The mixing and receiving mode is an operation mode in which the operation of grabbing the waste and scattering it deep into the pit 2 x times and mixing it y times is repeated. In the mixing and receiving mode, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the crane C1 or C2 performs a scattering operation of grabbing the waste in cell (H, 11) and dropping it evenly into each cell of the six rows in the area 2b x times, and performs a mixing operation of grabbing the waste in cell (E, 6) and dropping it into cell (A, 3) y times. In this example, cell (H, 11), six rows, cell (E, 6), and cell (A, 3) are examples, and other cells and rows may be included in the x scattering and y mixing. This is also true for the other operation modes illustrated below. The mixing and receiving mode is an operation mode in which the degree of mixing of the waste is high and the waste receiving speed is low.

[0019] [Normal receiving mode] The normal receiving mode is an operating mode in which the operation of grabbing the waste and scattering it to the back of the pit 2 is repeated. In the normal receiving mode, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the crane C1 or C2 repeats a scattering operation, for example, grabbing the waste in cell (H, 11) and dropping it evenly into each of the six rows of cells in the area 2b. The normal receiving mode is an operating mode in which the degree of agitation of the waste is medium to high, and the waste receiving speed is low.

[0020] [Semi-busy mode] The semi-busy mode is an operation mode in which the crane repeats the action of grabbing waste and dropping it at a specific location. In the semi-busy mode, as shown in Fig. 3, the crane C1 or C2 performs an action such as grabbing waste in cell (H, 11) and dropping it into cell (D, 6) in a certain unit time. The semi-busy mode is an operation mode in which the degree of waste mixing is medium and the waste receiving speed is medium.

[0021] [Busy Mode] The busy mode is an operation mode in which the crane repeatedly grabs waste and drops it into a nearby area. In the busy mode, as shown in Fig. 3, the crane C1 or C2 grabs waste from cell (H, 11) and drops it into one of the cells in the area 2a in a certain unit of time. The busy mode is an operation mode in which the degree of agitation of the waste is low and the waste receiving speed is high.

[0022] If these operating modes are arranged in order of increasing mixing degree (degree of homogenization suitable for combustion), they are mixed receiving mode, normal receiving mode, semi-busy mode, and busy mode. Also, if these operating modes are arranged in order of increasing receiving speed, they are busy mode, semi-busy mode, normal receiving mode, and mixed receiving mode.

[0023] Through the inventor's testing and research, it has been discovered that the relationship between (amount of garbage input - receiving speed) per unit time (e.g., 1 hour) and the average increase in garbage pile height in area 2c (receiving source area) is in a linear relationship L1 as shown in Figure 4(a). The vertical axis of Figure 4(a) shows the "average increase in garbage pile height (m / h)" and the horizontal axis shows the "(amount of garbage input - receiving speed) per hour." Using this relationship, from the graph in Figure 4(a), when the "(amount of garbage input - receiving speed) per hour" at 10 o'clock is x1 (t / h), the "average increase in garbage pile height (m / h)" is 0.5, and the garbage pile height at 10 o'clock can be estimated as follows: Estimated garbage pile height at 10 o'clock (m) = garbage pile height at 9 o'clock (m) + 0.5 (m) The operation mode determination unit 12 uses this relationship to automatically switch the operation mode and prevent the height of the garbage pile in the area 2c from overflowing.

[0024] The control unit 13 controls the cranes C1 and C2 based on the operation mode determined by the operation mode determination unit 12. In this embodiment, the automatic switching of the operation mode when receiving is selected as the work to be performed by the cranes C1 and C2 will be described. The control unit 13 determines which work to perform, receiving, mixing, or throwing, according to a predetermined control logic, and when receiving is performed, the control unit 13 performs the receiving in the operation mode selected by the automatic switching function of the operation mode in this embodiment.

[0025] The memory unit 14 stores the information acquired by the signal acquisition unit 11, the overall evaluation score of each cell, a graph showing the relationship between (amount of garbage input-receiving speed) per hour and the average increase in garbage pile height (e.g., Figure 4(a)), automatic operation mode determination logic (e.g., Figure 4(b)), various threshold values, etc.

[0026] (Method of determining driving mode) Next, a method for determining the operation mode will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4(a) shows the linear relationship L1 between the average increase in the garbage pile height and the (amount of garbage thrown in - acceptance rate) per hour. FIG. 4(b) shows the automatic operation mode determination logic. The vertical axis of FIG. 4(b) shows the operation mode, and the horizontal axis shows the average increase in the garbage pile height. The graph in FIG. 4(b) shows the threshold for automatic operation mode switching. When the average increase in the garbage pile height reaches a value corresponding to the upward solid line, the operation mode switches to the next higher operation mode with a higher acceptance rate, and when the average increase in the garbage pile height reaches a value corresponding to the downward dashed line, the operation mode switches to the next lower operation mode with a lower acceptance rate. The automatic determination logic has a dead zone to prevent chattering at the threshold boundary. Note that the number of operation modes and the values ​​of the thresholds are merely examples and can be set arbitrarily.

[0027] Next, an example of automatic switching of the operation mode will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The vertical axis of Fig. 5 indicates the height of the garbage pile in the receiving area (area 2c), and the horizontal axis indicates time. The operation mode determination unit 12 determines the operation mode in the following procedure. (1) A threshold value Th1 (Figure 5) is set based on the height of the garbage pile in the receiving area. When the height exceeds threshold Th1, the automatic operation mode switching function is turned ON. When the height falls below threshold Th1, the automatic operation mode switching function is turned OFF. (2) When the automatic operation mode switching function is ON, the increase in the average garbage pile height (m / h) is calculated using the (amount of garbage input - receiving speed) (t / h) per unit time (e.g. 1 hour) and the linear relationship L1 in Figure 4(a). Next, the automatic decision logic threshold in Figure 4(b) is referenced to determine the operation mode that corresponds to the calculated increase in the average garbage pile height.

[0028] (Automatic switching of operation mode during daytime) In the example of Fig. 5, the height of the pile of garbage at 9 o'clock is equal to or less than the threshold value Th1. Therefore, the operation mode determination unit 12 turns off the automatic operation mode switching function. The operation mode determination unit 12 determines the operation of the cranes C1 and C2 related to reception to a predetermined operation mode.

[0029] At 10 o'clock, the height of the garbage pile exceeds the threshold value Th1. Therefore, the operation mode determination unit 12 turns on the automatic operation mode switching function. If (amount of garbage input-receiving speed) at 10 o'clock is x0 (t / h) in Figure 4(a), then the average increase in garbage pile height corresponding to x0 is less than 0.0, and so the operation mode determination unit 12 determines the operation mode to be the mixing receiving mode based on the automatic determination logic in Figure 4(b).

[0030] At 11:00, the height of the garbage pile exceeds the threshold value Th1. Therefore, the operation mode determination unit 12 turns on the automatic operation mode switching function. If (amount of garbage input-receiving speed) at 11:00 is x2 (t / h) in FIG. 4(a), the average increase in garbage pile height corresponding to x2 exceeds 2.0, so the operation mode determination unit 12 switches the operation mode to the busy mode by referring to the automatic determination logic in FIG. 4(b).

[0031] At 12 o'clock, the height of the pile of garbage exceeds the threshold value Th1. Therefore, the operation mode determination unit 12 turns on the automatic operation mode switching function. If (amount of garbage input-receiving speed) at 12 o'clock is x3 (t / h) in FIG. 4(a), the average increase in garbage pile height corresponding to x3 is less than 0.0, so the operation mode determination unit 12 switches the operation mode to the mixing and receiving mode with reference to FIG. 4(b). This results in mixing as well as scattering. If there is no significant change in the value of (amount of garbage input-receiving speed) by 13 o'clock, the mixing and receiving mode will continue to be selected.

[0032] At 14:00, the height of the garbage pile exceeds the threshold value Th1. Therefore, the operation mode determination unit 12 turns on the automatic operation mode switching function. Also, at 14:00, the height of the garbage pile exceeds the threshold value Th2. The threshold value Th2 is a threshold value for detecting that the garbage pile height is approaching overflow. When the garbage pile height exceeds the threshold value Th2, the operation mode determination unit 12 determines the operation mode based on an automatic determination logic different from that of FIG. 4(b). FIG. 6 shows an example of an automatic determination logic for the operation mode adopted when the garbage pile height in the receiving source area exceeds the threshold value Th2. FIG. 6(a) shows a linear relationship L1 similar to that of FIG. 4(a), but the range of the dead zone is different from that of FIG. 4(a). When the garbage pile height is high (close to overflow), the threshold value for determining the operation mode is corrected in the automatic determination logic of FIG. 6(b) so that a higher mode (a mode with a high receiving speed) is selected even if the average increase in the garbage pile height (m / h) is small. For example, in the case of Fig. 4(b), busy mode is not selected unless the average increase in waste pile height is 2.0 or more, but in the case of Fig. 6(b), the busy mode is corrected to be selected when the average increase in waste pile height is 1.5 or more. This makes it possible to change to an operating mode that is closer to human judgment, which tries to increase the receiving speed to avoid overflow, when overflow is approaching. The magnitude of correction from the automatic judgment logic shown in Fig. 4(b) to the automatic judgment logic shown in Fig. 6(b) can be adjusted.

[0033] If (amount of garbage input-receiving speed) at 2 p.m. is x4 in Fig. 6(a), the average increase in garbage pile height corresponding to x4 exceeds 1.5, so the operation mode determination unit 12 switches the operation mode to the busy mode with reference to Fig. 6(b), thereby improving the receiving speed.

[0034] Next, if (amount of garbage brought in - receiving speed) at 15:00 is x5 in Fig. 6(a), the average increase in garbage pile height corresponding to x5 is less than 1.5, but exceeds 1.0, so it is in the dead zone, and the operation mode determination unit 12 refers to Fig. 6(b) and maintains the operation mode in busy mode. As a result, receiving in busy mode is carried out until 16:00. As an example, garbage dumping is completed at 16:00, and the maintenance period continues until 17:00.

[0035] (Automatic switching of operation mode at night) Next, the operation mode at night (after 5 p.m.) when no garbage is thrown in will be described. Since (amount of garbage thrown in-receiving speed) is 0 or less from the time garbage throwing is completed until the next morning, the operation mode determination unit 12 refers to FIG. 4(b) and determines the operation mode to be the mixing receiving mode. The mixing receiving mode is an operation in which mixing is performed y times for x times of receiving, but the x and y times can be set arbitrarily. For example, the user sets x and y times in the control device 10 according to the height of the garbage pile in the receiving area when garbage throwing is completed and the day of the week, and the control unit 13 performs receiving in the mixing receiving mode based on the set x and y. FIG. 7 shows an example of the change in garbage pile height at night. The vertical axis of FIG. 7 shows the height of the garbage pile in the receiving source area, and the horizontal axis shows time. Graph 71 shows the change in garbage pile height when the garbage pile height is high when the garbage throwing is completed, and graph 72 shows the change in garbage pile height when the garbage pile height is low when the garbage throwing is completed. When the garbage pile height is high, the number of times of x is increased and the number of times of y is decreased. This allows the garbage pile height to be lower the next morning. Also, when the garbage pile height is low, the number of times of y is increased and mixing is increased, so that the state of the garbage can be kept suitable for combustion. In general, the garbage is first moved and scattered (scattered) from the receiving area to the receiving area at night, and then mixed in the morning. In this case, the garbage in the upper layer of the receiving area is mixed, but the garbage in the relatively inner layer that was moved and scattered early in the night is piled up without being mixed. In contrast, according to this embodiment, the mixing reception mode is selected and the operation of setting x times of scattering and y times of mixing is executed throughout the night, so that not only the upper layer but also the inner layer of garbage can be piled up in a mixed state. In this way, by applying the automatic switching of the operation mode of this embodiment, the judgment of the operator of the cranes C1 and C2 is not required and the optimal operation mode is selected, so that the overall evaluation score of the receiving area can be increased while automatically preventing overflow of the receiving area. In addition, during the night from the end of delivery until the following morning, it is possible to complete the acceptance and increase the overall evaluation point at the same time.

[0036] (Another example of automatic decision logic) In Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, an example of switching the operation mode based on the average increase in the garbage pile height is given. However, in addition to this, the average increase in the garbage pile height per hour may be calculated according to the congestion degree of the platform 5, or the operation mode may be automatically switched. Fig. 8(a) shows the relationship between the congestion degree of the platform 5 and the average increase in the garbage pile height per hour (m / h). As in Fig. 4(a) and Fig. 5(a), a linear relationship L2 is obtained between the two. The congestion degree of the platform may be calculated by the operation mode determination unit 12 according to a standard that determines, for example, when there are zero garbage trucks 6 on the platform 5, the congestion degree is "none", when there are one to three, the congestion degree is "light", when there are four to six, the congestion degree is "moderate", and when there are seven or more, the congestion degree is "severe". The operation mode determination unit 12 can calculate the average increase in the height of the garbage pile per hour from the congestion degree of the platform 5 and the graph of FIG. 8(a), and determine the operation mode based on the calculated average increase in the height of the garbage pile and the automatic determination logic exemplified in FIG. 4(b) and FIG. 5(b). In addition, when the operation mode determination unit 12 calculates the congestion degree of the platform 5, it may determine the operation mode based on the automatic determination logic exemplified in FIG. 8(b). For example, when the congestion degree is light, the operation mode determination unit 12 selects the normal reception mode, and when the congestion degree is medium, it selects the semi-busy mode. The dead zone may be set according to the number of garbage trucks 6 present on the platform 5, for example, when the operation mode becomes the busy mode (7 or more) and the number of garbage trucks 6 present on the platform 5 decreases from that state to 5, the mode transitions to the semi-busy mode, and when the number of garbage trucks 6 decreases to 2, the mode transitions to the normal reception mode. Note that the number of congestion degree categories is not limited to 4 in this example. In addition, in Figures 4(b) and 5(b), the operating mode is determined according to the average increase in garbage pile height per hour, but it is also possible to set the amount of garbage input per hour - the acceptance speed on the horizontal axis of Figures 4(b) and 5(b) and prepare an automatic decision logic that defines the relationship between the amount of garbage input per hour - the acceptance speed and the operating mode, and to directly determine the operating mode based on the amount of garbage input - the acceptance speed.

[0037] (operation) Next, the flow of the automatic switching process of the operation mode will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an automatic operation mode switching process according to the embodiment. The operation mode determination unit 12 repeats the following process for each unit time. First, the operation mode determination unit 12 judges whether the garbage pile height in the receiving area is equal to or less than the threshold value Th1 (step S1). If it is equal to or less than the threshold value Th1 (step S1; Yes), the operation mode determination unit 12 turns off the automatic operation mode switching function and sets the receiving operation mode to the normal mixing mode (step S2). Here, the normal mixing mode may be an operation mode that incorporates not only receiving (moving and scattering) but also a lot of mixing, since there is a margin before the garbage pile height overflows. For example, the normal mixing mode may be the same operation as the mixing receiving mode.

[0038] If it exceeds the threshold value Th1 (step S1; No), the operation mode determination unit 12 turns on the operation mode automatic switching function (step S3). Next, the operation mode determination unit 12 determines whether to select the agitation reception mode based on the previous waste input amount-receiving speed per unit time, or the average increase in the waste pile height per unit time, or the current congestion level of the platform 5, and the automatic determination logic such as FIG. 4(b) (step S4). If the waste input amount-receiving speed per unit time, etc., satisfy the conditions for the agitation reception mode (step S4; Yes), the operation mode determination unit 12 determines the reception operation mode to be the agitation reception mode (step S5).

[0039] If the conditions for the mixing acceptance mode are not met (step S4; No), the operation mode determination unit 12 determines whether to select the normal acceptance mode based on the average increase in the garbage pile height per unit time, etc. and the automatic determination logic of Fig. 4(b) etc. (step S6). If the average increase in the garbage pile height per unit time, etc. meets the conditions for the normal acceptance mode (step S6; Yes), the operation mode determination unit 12 determines the operation mode to be the normal acceptance mode (step S7).

[0040] If the conditions for the normal receiving mode are not met (step S6; No), the operation mode determination unit 12 determines whether to select the semi-busy mode based on the average increase in the garbage pile height per unit time and the automatic determination logic of FIG. 4(b) and the like (step S8). If the average increase in the garbage pile height per unit time and the like meet the conditions for the semi-busy mode (step S8; Yes), the operation mode determination unit 12 determines the operation mode to be the semi-busy mode (step S9), and if the conditions are not met (step S8; No), the operation mode determination unit 12 determines the operation mode to be the busy mode (step S10). Note that if the garbage pile height in the receiving area exceeds the threshold value Th2, the automatic determination logic of FIG. 5(b) can be used in the determinations of steps S4, S6, and S8. In the flowchart of FIG. 9, the operation mode during automatic switching is switched to any one of the mixing receiving mode, normal receiving mode, semi-busy mode, and busy mode. However, the operation mode is not limited to these four, and may be switched to any one of five or more operation modes, or may be switched to any one of three or fewer operation modes.

[0041] (effect) As described above, according to this embodiment, the receiving operation mode is automatically switched based on the relationship of the average increase in the garbage pile relative to (amount of garbage delivered-receiving speed) per unit time. As a result, compared to a control that performs an operation to avoid overflow when the garbage pile height is compared with a threshold value and exceeds the threshold value, it is possible to switch the operation mode in advance, and overflow in the garbage receiving source area can be prevented. Furthermore, when the garbage pile height in the receiving source area exceeds the threshold value Th2, even if the average increase in the garbage pile relative to (amount of garbage delivered-receiving speed) is equivalent to the normal receiving mode, overflow can be more reliably avoided by adding a correction such as selecting the semi-busy mode or busy mode. In addition, in the period from the completion of garbage input to the next morning, the average increase in the garbage pile relative to (amount of garbage delivered-receiving speed) is the lowest, so reception is performed in the mixing reception mode. As a result, it is possible to achieve both a reduction in the garbage pile height and an improvement in the overall evaluation score of the garbage. In the above explanation, it is assumed that there is a linear relationship between (amount of garbage thrown in-receiving speed) per unit time and the average increase in garbage pile height, but this embodiment can also be applied when this relationship is not a simple linear relationship but is a relationship expressed by a polynomial. For example, this embodiment can be applied when there is a relationship that produces an output that is related to an input to a certain degree, such as multiple regression, ridge regression, or neural network.

[0042] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the control device. The computer 900 includes a CPU 901, a main storage device 902, an auxiliary storage device 903, an input / output interface 904, and a communication interface 905. The above-mentioned control device 10 is implemented in the computer 900. The above-mentioned functions are stored in the auxiliary storage device 903 in the form of a program. The CPU 901 reads the program from the auxiliary storage device 903, loads it in the main storage device 902, and executes the above-mentioned processing according to the program. The CPU 901 also secures a storage area in the main storage device 902 according to the program. The CPU 901 also secures a storage area in the auxiliary storage device 903 for storing data being processed according to the program.

[0043] In addition, a program for realizing all or part of the functions of the control device 10 may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on the recording medium may be read into a computer system and executed to perform processing by each functional unit. The term "computer system" as used herein includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. In addition, if a WWW system is used, the term "computer system" also includes a homepage providing environment (or display environment). In addition, the term "computer-readable recording medium" refers to a portable medium such as a CD, DVD, or USB, and a storage device such as a hard disk built into a computer system. In addition, if the program is distributed to the computer 900 via a communication line, the computer 900 that receives the program may deploy the program in the main storage device 902 and execute the above processing. In addition, the above program may be for realizing part of the above-mentioned functions, and may further be capable of realizing the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system.

[0044] As described above, several embodiments according to the present disclosure have been described, but all of these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as described in the claims, as well as in the scope and gist of the invention.

[0045] <Additional Notes> The control device and the crane control method described in the embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0046] (1) The control device of the first aspect includes a means for determining an operation mode based on an amount of increase in the height of the garbage pile in the receiving source area corresponding to a value obtained by subtracting the amount of garbage transported from the receiving source area to the receiving destination area per unit time from the amount of garbage received into the receiving source area per unit time, and an automatic determination logic for the operation mode that corresponds to the amount of increase in the height of the garbage pile in the receiving source area and an operation mode for the receiving in which the position or range of the receiving destination area into which the transported garbage is dropped during the receiving operation is specified, when the area in a garbage pit into which garbage is deposited is defined as a receiving source area, the destination area to which garbage is transported from the receiving source area is defined as a receiving destination area, and the operation mode for the receiving operation is defined as a receiving operation in which the position or range of the receiving destination area into which the garbage transported during the receiving operation is dropped is defined. This makes it possible to prevent the height of the garbage pile in the receiving area from overflowing.

[0047] (2) The control device of the second aspect includes a means for determining an operation mode based on an automatic determination logic for an operation mode that corresponds, when an area in a garbage pit where garbage is dumped is defined as a receiving area, a destination where garbage is transported from the receiving area is defined as a receiving area, and an operation mode of transporting garbage from the receiving area to the receiving area is defined as receiving, the automatic determination logic for an operation mode that corresponds an increase in the height of the garbage pile in the receiving area corresponding to the congestion degree of garbage collection vehicles dumping garbage into the receiving area and an operation mode of the receiving that specifies the position or range of the receiving area into which the garbage transported in the receiving is dropped. This makes it possible to prevent the waste pile height from overflowing in the receiving area.

[0048] (3) A control device according to a third aspect is a control device according to (1) to (2), and in the automatic operation mode determination logic, the greater the increase in the garbage pile height in the source area, the greater the operation mode that is associated with a greater amount of garbage transported from the source area to the destination area, and the smaller the increase in the garbage pile height in the source area, the greater the operation mode that is associated with a more homogenous garbage condition in the destination area. As a result, when the increase in the height of the garbage pile is large, overflow can be prevented by placing emphasis on moving the garbage to the receiving area rather than stirring it, and when the increase in the height of the garbage pile is small, the garbage can be homogenized to a state suitable for combustion by stirring it or scattering it over a wide area.

[0049] (4) A control device according to a fourth aspect is a control device of (1) to (3), and the automatic operation mode determination logic is associated with an operation mode in which, when the height of the garbage pile in the source area is higher than a predetermined threshold indicating that the garbage pile is approaching overflow, the amount of garbage transported from the source area to the destination area is greater, even if the increase in the garbage pile height in the source area is smaller, compared to when the operation mode is not selected. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the height of the garbage pile in the receiving area from overflowing.

[0050] (5) A control method for a garbage crane according to a fifth aspect defines an area in a garbage pit where garbage is dumped as a source area, a destination area to which garbage is transported from the source area as a destination area, and receiving as the operation of transporting garbage from the source area to the destination area, and determines an operation mode based on an automatic operation mode determination logic that matches an increase in the height of the garbage pile in the source area corresponding to a value obtained by subtracting the amount of garbage transported from the source area to the destination area per unit time from the amount of garbage dumped into the source area per unit time, and an operation mode for receiving in which the position or range of the destination area into which the garbage transported in the receiving is dropped is specified, and the operation mode is determined, and garbage is received in the determined operation mode.

[0051] (6) A control method for a garbage crane according to a sixth aspect defines an area in a garbage pit where garbage is dumped as a source area, a destination area to which garbage is transported from the source area as a destination area, and an operation of transporting garbage from the source area to the destination area as receiving, and determines an operation mode based on an automatic operation mode determination logic that matches an increase in the height of the garbage pile in the source area corresponding to the congestion degree of garbage collection trucks dumping garbage into the source area and an operation mode for the receiving that specifies the position or range of the destination area where the garbage transported in the receiving is dropped, and performs garbage receiving in the determined operation mode. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 10. Control device 11 Signal acquisition section 12. Operation mode determination unit 13 Control section 14...Storage section 900...Computer 901···CPU 902...Main memory 903...Auxiliary storage device 904 Input / Output Interface 905 Communication Interface

Claims

1. an operating mode determining means for determining an operating mode based on an automatic operation mode determination logic that associates an increase in the height of a pile of garbage in the source area corresponding to a value obtained by subtracting the amount of garbage transported from the source area to the destination area per unit time from the amount of garbage input to the source area per unit time, when an area in a garbage pit where garbage is dumped is defined as a source area, a destination area where garbage is transported from the source area to the destination area is defined as a receiving area, and an operation mode for receiving in which the position or range of the destination area into which the transported garbage is dropped during the receiving operation is specified; A control device comprising:

2. an automatic operation mode determination logic that associates an increase in the height of the pile of garbage in the source area corresponding to the congestion level of garbage collection vehicles that deposit garbage in the source area with an operation mode for the receiving that specifies the position or range of the destination area into which the garbage transported in the receiving is dropped, when the area in the garbage pit into which garbage is dumped is defined as a source area, the destination to which garbage is transported from the source area is defined as a destination area, and the operation mode for the receiving that specifies the increase in the height of the pile of garbage in the source area corresponding to the congestion level of garbage collection vehicles that dump garbage in the source area, A control device comprising:

3. In the automatic operation mode determination logic, the greater the increase in the height of the garbage pile in the source area, the greater the operation mode in which the amount of garbage transported from the source area to the destination area is associated, and the smaller the increase in the height of the garbage pile in the source area, the greater the operation mode in which the state of the garbage in the destination area is homogenized is associated. The control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The automatic operation mode determination logic is associated with an operation mode in which, when the height of the pile of garbage in the source area is higher than a predetermined threshold value indicating that the pile of garbage is approaching overflow, the amount of garbage transported from the source area to the destination area is increased, even if the increase in the height of the pile of garbage in the source area is small, compared to when the height is not higher than a predetermined threshold value. The control device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. When an area in a garbage pit where garbage is thrown is defined as a receiving area, a destination where garbage is transported from the receiving area is defined as a receiving area, and an operation of transporting garbage from the receiving area to the receiving area is defined as receiving, the operation mode is determined based on an automatic operation mode determination logic that associates an increase in garbage pile height in the receiving area corresponding to a value obtained by subtracting the amount of garbage transported from the receiving area to the receiving area per unit time from the amount of garbage thrown into the receiving area per unit time, and an operation mode for receiving in which the position or range of the receiving area into which the transported garbage is dropped during the receiving is specified, and the receiving of garbage is performed in the determined operation mode. How to control a garbage crane.

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