Storage unit door opening / closing control device, method and program

Abstract

To provide a door opening / closing control device, a door opening / closing control method, and a door opening / closing control program for a storage unit, which can use a door more efficiently.SOLUTION: A door opening / closing control device S for a storage unit is for controlling opening / closing of a plurality of doors provided in each of inlets for inputting a waste into the storage unit that stores the waste, and comprises: a crane position acquisition unit 12 that acquires the position of a crane targeting the waste for conveyance; and a door control unit 13 that controls the doors. An inhibited region is set in each of the doors. The door control unit 13 executes controls so as to inhibit opening of the door corresponding to the inhibited region including the position of the crane acquired by the crane position acquisition unit 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage unit door opening / closing control device, a door opening / closing control method, and a door opening / closing control program for controlling the opening and closing of a plurality of doors in a storage unit that stores waste. [Background technology]

[0002] Waste that is deemed useless or unnecessary by its owner and discarded as garbage is generally transported to a garbage incineration facility, where it is burned in an incinerator for incineration. When transporting garbage to a garbage incineration facility, the garbage is dumped from a garbage truck into a pit. The garbage stored in the pit is agitated by a crane to homogenize the types of garbage, and then transported by the crane to the incinerator for incineration. While a crane is operated in this manner in the storage area where the waste is stored, it is desirable to prevent interference between the garbage dumped from the garbage truck into the pit and the crane, and one such technology is disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example.

[0003] The control device for an automatic crane for a waste disposal plant disclosed in Patent Document 1 comprises two cameras arranged at a predetermined interval in a position where the crane girder can photograph the waste pit, a waste height measurement means that measures the height of the waste piled up in the waste pit using the parallax caused by the stereo vision of the two cameras, and a waste height memory means that stores the waste height information as a waste height map.If the waste grabbing address for the crane's next job is in front of the waste entrance door and the waste entrance door is closed, the device extracts the waste height information for that waste grabbing address and outputs an interlock signal to the waste entrance door control device to prohibit the waste from being brought in, thereby prohibiting the opening of the waste entrance door.The device then grabs the waste at that waste grabbing address with a grab bucket and transfers it or places it in a hopper.The crane then moves to the next destination address, and releases the output of the interlock signal prohibiting the waste from being brought in, allowing the waste entrance door to open. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-027783 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, the control device for the automated crane for a waste disposal plant disclosed in Patent Document 1 outputs an interlock signal to the waste inlet door control device to prohibit the opening of the waste inlet door if the waste pickup address for the crane's next job is in front of the waste inlet door and the waste inlet door is closed, grabs the waste at that waste pickup address with a grab bucket and transfers it or dumps it into a hopper, and then releases the interlock signal once the crane has moved to the next destination address, allowing the waste inlet door to open.As a result, the prohibition on opening the waste inlet door at that waste pickup address continues from the time the waste pickup address for the crane's next job is determined until the crane is operated at that waste pickup address and moves to the next destination address, reducing the utilization efficiency of the waste inlet door.

[0006] The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a door opening / closing control device, a door opening / closing control method, and a door opening / closing control program for a storage section that allow the doors to be used more efficiently. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] After extensive investigation, the inventors have found that the above object can be achieved by the present invention. That is, a storage unit door opening / closing control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a device for controlling the opening and closing of multiple doors provided at multiple inlets for inputting waste into a storage unit that stores the waste, the device comprising: a crane position acquisition unit that acquires the position of a crane that transports the waste; and a door control unit that controls the doors, wherein a prohibited area is set for each of the multiple doors, and the door control unit controls to prohibit the opening of a door corresponding to the prohibited area that includes the position of the crane acquired by the crane position acquisition unit. Preferably, in the above-mentioned storage unit door opening / closing control device, the storage unit is provided in an incineration facility that incinerates the waste and temporarily stores the waste before incineration. Preferably, in the above-mentioned storage unit door opening / closing control device, the storage unit is provided in a sorting facility that sorts the waste by predetermined type and temporarily stores the waste before sorting. Preferably, in the above-mentioned storage unit door opening / closing controller, the prohibited area is a three-dimensional area. Preferably, in the above-mentioned storage unit door opening / closing controller, the prohibited area is a three-dimensional area and includes different sizes.

[0008] Such a storage unit door opening / closing control device controls to prohibit the opening of a door corresponding to a prohibited area that includes the position of the crane. Therefore, the door is not prohibited from opening when the target movement position of the crane is determined, but rather the door is prohibited from opening from the moment the crane enters the prohibited area corresponding to the door. This shortens the duration of the opening prohibition, allowing the door to be used more efficiently.

[0009] In another aspect, the above-mentioned storage unit door opening / closing control device further includes a crane target position acquisition unit that acquires a target position for movement of the crane, and the door control unit controls to prohibit opening of a door corresponding to a prohibited area that includes the target position for movement of the crane acquired by the crane target position acquisition unit and the crane position acquired by the crane position acquisition unit. Preferably, in the above-mentioned storage unit door opening / closing control device, the door control unit controls to cancel the prohibition when the operation of the crane switches between a first operation for grasping the waste and a second operation for releasing the waste, and when the position of the crane moves outside the prohibited area corresponding to the door that prohibits opening of the door.

[0010] Such a storage unit door opening / closing control device not only includes the position of the crane, but also controls the door corresponding to the prohibited area including the target movement position of the crane to be prohibited from opening, so that only the door at the target movement position of the crane can be prohibited from opening.

[0011] In another aspect, in the above-mentioned storage unit door opening / closing control device, the position of the crane is a first position to which the crane is moving to grab the waste, and the prohibited area is a grab operation prohibited area. Preferably, in the above-mentioned storage unit door opening / closing control device, the multiple grab operation prohibited areas include different sizes. Preferably, in the above-mentioned storage unit door opening / closing control device, the multiple grab operation prohibited areas are provided so as to be different with some overlapping. Preferably, in the above-mentioned storage unit door opening / closing control device, the multiple grab operation prohibited areas are provided so as to be individual and different (so as to be different without overlapping).

[0012] Such a storage unit door opening / closing control device can set a prohibited area for the crane to grab waste.

[0013] In another aspect, in the above-mentioned storage unit door opening / closing control device, the position of the crane is a second position to which the crane is moving to release the grasped waste, and the prohibited area is a prohibited area for a release operation. Preferably, in the above-mentioned storage unit door opening / closing control device, the multiple prohibited areas for a release operation include different sizes. Preferably, in the above-mentioned storage unit door opening / closing control device, the multiple prohibited areas for a release operation are provided so as to be different but with some overlapping. Preferably, in the above-mentioned storage unit door opening / closing control device, the multiple prohibited areas for a release operation are provided so as to be individually different and not overlapping (provided so as to be different and not overlapping). Preferably, in the above-mentioned storage unit door opening / closing control device, the prohibited area for a gripping operation and the prohibited area for a release operation are provided so as to be different but with some overlapping. Preferably, in the above-mentioned storage unit door opening / closing control device, the prohibited area for a gripping operation and the prohibited area for a release operation are provided so as to be individually different and not overlapping (provided so as to be different and not overlapping).

[0014] Such a storage door opening / closing control device can set a prohibited area for the release operation of the crane to release waste.

[0015] In another aspect, the above-mentioned storage unit door opening / closing control device further includes a height measurement unit that measures the height of waste in each of a plurality of waste height measurement areas provided corresponding to each of the plurality of doors, and the door control unit controls to prohibit opening of a door corresponding to a waste height measurement area where the height of waste measured by the height measurement unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. Preferably, in the above-mentioned storage unit door opening / closing control device, the threshold is a plurality of thresholds that are respectively associated with the plurality of waste height measurement areas (the plurality of doors), and the plurality of thresholds include different values.

[0016] Such a storage unit door opening / closing control device can control the prohibition of opening of the door, taking into consideration the height of waste in the waste height measurement area associated with the door.

[0017] In another aspect, the above-mentioned storage unit door opening / closing control device further comprises a door open state detection unit provided in correspondence with each of the plurality of doors and detecting whether the door is open or not, a crane target position acquisition unit that acquires the target movement position of the crane, and a signal output unit that outputs a stop signal instructing the crane to stop outside the prohibited area in the case where the target movement position of the crane acquired by the crane target position acquisition unit is within a prohibited area and where a door open state detection unit provided on the door corresponding to the prohibited area in the case detects that the door is open.

[0018] Such a storage unit door opening / closing control device stops the crane outside a prohibited area that includes the crane's target movement position when the door opens while the crane is moving, thereby preventing interference between the waste and the crane even when the waste is being deposited through the door.

[0019] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for controlling the opening and closing of doors in a storage section, which is a method for controlling the opening and closing of multiple doors provided at each of multiple inlets for feeding waste into a storage section that stores the waste, and includes a crane position acquisition process for acquiring the position of a crane that is the object of transporting the waste, and a door control process for controlling the doors, wherein a prohibited area is set for each of the multiple doors, and the door control process controls so as to prohibit the opening of a door corresponding to the prohibited area that includes the position of the crane acquired in the crane position acquisition process.

[0020] Another aspect of the present invention is a storage unit door opening / closing control program that controls the opening and closing of multiple doors provided at each of multiple inlets for feeding waste into a storage unit that stores the waste, and is a program that causes a computer to function as a door opening / closing control device for any of these storage units.

[0021] Such a storage unit door opening / closing control method and door opening / closing control program controls to prohibit the opening of a door corresponding to a prohibited area that includes the position of the crane, so that the door is not prohibited from opening when the target movement position of the crane is determined, but rather the door is prohibited from opening from the moment the crane enters the prohibited area corresponding to the door.As a result, the duration of the opening prohibition is shorter, and the door can be used more efficiently. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] The storage unit door opening / closing control device, door opening / closing control method, and door opening / closing control program according to the present invention can utilize the door more efficiently. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a storage unit door opening / closing control device according to the embodiment; FIG. [Figure 2] As an example, this is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an incineration facility around a garbage pit. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a prohibited area for a gripping operation when viewed from the Y direction, as an example. [Figure 4] As an example, this is a diagram for explaining a prohibited area for a gripping operation (prohibited area for a releasing operation) when viewed from the Z direction. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a prohibited area for a release operation when viewed from the Y direction, as an example. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the door opening / closing control device for the storage unit. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the storage unit door opening / closing control device in the first modified embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a waste height measurement area in a second modified embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a diagram for explaining an opening / closing control device for a door of a storage unit in the second modified embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] Hereinafter, one or more embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. In addition, components with the same reference numerals in each drawing indicate the same components, and their description will be omitted as appropriate. In this specification, when referring to a general term, a reference numeral without a subscript is used, and when referring to an individual component, a reference numeral with a subscript is used.

[0025] In one embodiment, a storage unit door opening / closing control device controls the opening and closing of multiple doors provided at multiple inlets for inserting waste into a storage unit that stores the waste. The waste is discarded as garbage because the owner has determined that the waste is useless or unnecessary. The storage unit door opening / closing control device includes a crane position acquisition unit that acquires the position of a crane that transports the waste, and a door control unit that controls the doors. Each of the multiple doors has a prohibited area set, and the door control unit controls the door to prohibit opening of the door corresponding to the prohibited area that includes the crane position acquired by the crane position acquisition unit. The storage unit door opening / closing control device and the storage unit door opening / closing control program implemented therein will be described in more detail below.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a storage unit door opening / closing control device in an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an incineration facility around a waste pit, as an example. FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram showing a plan view of the waste pit and its surroundings (schematic diagram when viewed from the Z direction), and FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram showing a side view of the waste pit and its surroundings (schematic diagram when viewed from the X direction). FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a prohibited area for a gripping operation, as viewed from the Y direction, as an example. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a prohibited area for a gripping operation (prohibited area for a release operation), as viewed from the Z direction, as an example. Note that in this example, the prohibited area for a gripping operation and the prohibited area for a release operation overlap when viewed from the Z direction, so FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining both the prohibited area for a gripping operation and the prohibited area for a release operation. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a prohibited area for a release operation, as viewed from the Y direction, as an example.

[0027] The storage unit door opening / closing control device S in the embodiment is used, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, to control the opening and closing of multiple doors DR provided at multiple input ports DA for inputting garbage into a garbage pit PT that receives and stores the garbage. The garbage corresponds to an example of waste, is collected and transported by a garbage collection truck VC, and is input from the garbage collection truck VC into the garbage pit PT through one of the multiple input ports DA. The garbage pit PT corresponds to an example of a storage unit, and is, for example, a storage unit provided in an incineration facility that incinerates garbage and temporarily stores the garbage before incineration. Alternatively, for example, the garbage pit PT is a storage unit provided in a sorting facility that sorts garbage by predetermined type and temporarily stores the garbage before sorting. Here, an example of an incineration facility will be described.

[0028] The garbage pit PT is, for example, a roughly rectangular hollow space (recess) with a bottom and walls made of concrete and an open top. The garbage pit PT is equipped with a crane CR. When an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is set as shown in FIG. 2, the crane CR is configured to be movable along the Z direction (the up-down direction on the paper in FIG. 2B) relative to the crane girder CG, and is configured to be movable along the Y direction (the left-right direction on the paper in FIG. 2B) guided by the crane girder CG, and the crane girder CG is configured to be movable along the X direction (the front-to-back direction on the paper in FIG. 2B) guided by a runway rail (not shown) extending in the X direction. This allows the crane CR to move in each of the three directions of the Z, Y, and X directions. More specifically, the crane CR includes a hoist drum around which a wire rope is wound to suspend the bucket so that it can be raised and lowered along the Z direction, a drive unit (first drive unit) such as a motor that drives the hoist drum, traveling wheels that are guided by the crane girder CG and run on the crane girder CG, and a lifting carriage that has a drive unit (second drive unit) such as a motor that drives the traveling wheels.The crane girder CG includes a member extending along the Y direction, first and second traverse wheels that are provided at both ends of the member and are guided by the runway rails and run on the runway rails, and a drive unit (third drive unit) such as a motor that drives the first and second traverse wheels in synchronization.

[0029] The crane position (crane position) is expressed, for example, by the tip position of the arm of the crane CR or the center position of the bucket of the crane CR. The Z-direction position of the crane CR (the Z-coordinate value of the crane position) is determined, for example, by the payout amount (extension length) of the wire rope connected to the bucket and suspending the bucket. The payout amount of the wire rope is determined, for example, by detecting the rotation amount of the hoist drum using a rotary encoder (Z-direction rotary encoder). The output of the Z-direction rotary encoder is monitored by a console (control desk) CL for controlling operations around the garbage pit PT, such as the operation of the crane CR. The console CL determines the payout amount of the wire rope based on the output of the Z-direction rotary encoder, thereby determining the Z-coordinate value of the crane position. The Y-direction position of the crane CR (the Y-coordinate value of the crane position) is determined, for example, by detecting the rotation amount of the traveling wheels using a rotary encoder (Y-direction rotary encoder). The output of the Y-direction rotary encoder is monitored by the console CL, and the console CL determines the amount of rotation of the traveling wheels based on the output of the Y-direction rotary encoder, thereby determining the Y-coordinate value of the crane position. The X-direction position of the crane CR (X-coordinate value of the crane position) is determined, for example, by detecting the amount of rotation of the traverse wheels (at least one of the first and second traverse wheels) using a rotary encoder (X-direction rotary encoder). The output of the X-direction rotary encoder is monitored by the console CL, and the console CL determines the amount of rotation of the traverse wheels based on the output of the X-direction rotary encoder, thereby determining the X-coordinate value of the crane position.

[0030] In a building that houses a garbage pit PT, the multiple input ports DA are arranged side by side at a predetermined interval (first interval) along the X direction on the side wall of the building that extends from one wall of the garbage pit PT toward the ceiling of the building.

[0031] The insertion slot DA is provided with a door DR for opening and closing its rectangular opening. The door DR may be of any type, but may be, for example, a sliding door. The door DR includes a plate-shaped door body, a slide mechanism for sliding the door body toward and away from the insertion slot DA, a drive unit (fourth drive unit) such as a motor as a power source for the slide mechanism, and a door open / closed state detector such as a photointerrupter or tact switch for detecting the open / closed state of the door DR. The fourth drive unit is connected to the console CL by wire or wirelessly and driven under the control of the console CL. The fourth drive unit moves the door body toward the insertion slot DA using the slide mechanism to close (block) the insertion slot DA with the door body, and moves the door body away from the insertion slot DA using the slide mechanism to open (open) the insertion slot DA. The door open / closed state detector is disposed around the periphery of the insertion slot DA so as to interfere with the door body. The door is connected to the console CL by wire or wirelessly and outputs a signal indicating the open / closed state (door open / closed state notification signal) to the console CL. For example, if the door open / closed state detection unit is a photointerrupter, a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit of the photointerrupter are disposed on either side of the passage of the door main body, and when the door main body closes the insertion slot DA, the light emitted by the light-emitting unit is received by the light-receiving unit, thereby outputting a signal indicating that the door DR is in a closed state (closed state notification signal) to the console CL, while the light emitted by the light-emitting unit is blocked by the door main body, preventing it from being received by the light-receiving unit, thereby outputting a signal indicating that the door DR is in an open state (open state notification signal) to the console CL. Alternatively, if the door open / closed state detection unit is a tactile switch, the photointerrupter is disposed in the passage of the door main body, and when the door main body closes the insertion slot DA, the tactile switch is turned off (OFF), thereby outputting the closed state notification signal to the console CL, while the tactile switch is turned on (ON) on the door main body, thereby outputting the open state notification signal to the console CL. As a result, the door DR is controlled by the console CL, and its open / closed state is notified to the console CL.

[0032] 2, three first to third input ports DA-1 to DA-3 are provided, and three corresponding first to third doors DR-1 to DR-3 are provided. The door main body, the slide mechanism, the fourth drive unit, and the door open / closed state detector are provided in association with each of the first to third doors DR-1 to DR-3.

[0033] On the opposite side of the multiple input ports DA from the side where the garbage pit PT is located, there is provided a platform PH, which is a flat space where garbage collection vehicles VC pass and park when they deposit their loaded garbage from the input port DA into the garbage pit PT. On the other wall side of the garbage pit PT, there is provided an input hopper HP adjacent to the garbage pit PT. In the example shown in Figure 2, there are three input hoppers HP, numbered first through third input hoppers HP-1 to HP-3, each connected to an incinerator (not shown).

[0034] The garbage pit PT is provided with, for example, an imaging unit CA and a height measuring unit HM to monitor the garbage storage status. The imaging unit CA is a device that generates images of the garbage stored in the garbage pit PT. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the imaging unit CA is disposed above the garbage pit PT so as to capture an image of the entire top surface of the garbage pit PT, for example, at an installation position (first installation position) at a predetermined height on an extension of one wall surface of the garbage pit PT so as to overlook the garbage pit PT from diagonally above. Alternatively, for example, the imaging unit CA may be disposed above (directly above) the center of the garbage pit PT. The imaging unit CA is, for example, a digital camera. Note that if a single digital camera cannot capture the entire top surface of the garbage pit, multiple digital cameras may be used. The imaging unit CA is connected to the console CL via a wired or wireless connection and outputs the generated garbage images to the console CL. The images generated by the imaging unit CA are displayed, for example, on a display device of the console CL. The height measurement unit HM is a device that measures the height of the garbage stored in the garbage pit PT. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the height measurement unit HM is disposed above the garbage pit PT so as to overlook the entire top surface of the garbage pit, for example, at an installation position (second installation position, X0, Y0, Z0) at a predetermined height on the extension of the other wall surface of the garbage pit PT so as to overlook the garbage pit PT from diagonally above. Alternatively, for example, the height measurement unit HM may be disposed above (directly above) the center position of the garbage pit PT. The height measurement unit HM is, for example, a laser range finder that scans the top surface of the garbage stored in the garbage pit PT at predetermined intervals (second intervals), measures the distance to the top surface of the garbage, and outputs the distance as point cloud data. Note that if a single laser range finder cannot measure the entire top surface of the garbage pit, multiple laser range finders may be used. A laser distance meter 1, which is an example of a height measurement unit HM, is connected to the console CL by wire or wirelessly and outputs the measured point cloud data to the console CL. The height of the garbage is calculated based on the distance to the top surface of the garbage, the direction of measurement at that time, and the depth dimension of the garbage pit PT. The garbage height is displayed, for example, on a display device of the console CL.

[0035] The crane position may be determined based on point cloud data measured by the laser rangefinder 1. For example, since the point cloud data includes data representing the outer contour shape of the bucket, the bucket is extracted from the point cloud data, and the crane position is determined from the point cloud data of this extracted bucket. At this time, an image generated by the imaging unit CA may be used. First, each pixel position of the image generated by the imaging unit CA is roughly associated with each measurement position of the point cloud data measured by the laser rangefinder 1, the bucket is extracted from the image generated by the imaging unit CA, the bucket is extracted from point cloud data including data corresponding to pixels representing this extracted bucket, and the crane position is determined from the point cloud data of this extracted bucket.

[0036] After collecting and loading waste, the garbage truck VC enters the waste incineration plant through the gate GT and is weighed in the weighing building WM. The garbage transported by the garbage truck VC is dumped into the garbage pit PT through the dump port DA and stored there. The garbage stored in the garbage pit PT is leveled or stirred, for example, by a crane CR as needed, depending on the operator's (user's) discretion. The garbage stored in the garbage pit PT is picked up by the crane CR from the garbage pit PT and dumped into a dump hopper HP, where it is introduced into the incinerator and incinerated. A console CL for controlling the operation of the crane CR is located in the operation room (operation room, central control room) OR. The operation room OR is located adjacent to the garbage pit PT so that the operator can visually check the garbage stored in the garbage pit PT, the crane CR, and other devices. The number of dump ports DA and the number of dump hoppers HP are arbitrary and are not limited to the example shown in Figure 2.

[0037] A storage unit door opening / closing control device S that controls the opening and closing of multiple doors DR provided at each of multiple input ports DA in such a garbage pit PT includes, for example, a control processing unit 1, an input unit 2, an output unit 3, an interface unit (IF unit) 4, and a memory unit 5, as shown in Figure 1.

[0038] The input unit 2 is connected to the control processing unit 1 and is, for example, a device that inputs various commands and various data necessary to operate the storage unit door opening / closing control device S to the storage unit door opening / closing control device S, and is, for example, a plurality of input switches to which predetermined functions are assigned, a keyboard, a mouse, etc. The output unit 3 is connected to the control processing unit 1 and is, under the control of the control processing unit 1, a device that outputs the commands and data input from the input unit 2, the door opening / closing status, the door opening prohibition status, etc., and is, for example, a display device such as a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or a printing device such as a printer.

[0039] The input unit 2 and the output unit 3 may form a so-called touch panel. In this touch panel, the input unit 2 is a position input device that detects and inputs an operation position, such as a resistive film type or a capacitive type, and the output unit 3 is a display device. In this touch panel, the position input device is provided on the display surface of the display device, and one or more input content candidates that can be input to the display device are displayed. When a user touches the display position showing the input content they want to input, the position is detected by the position input device, and the display content displayed at the detected position is input to the storage unit door opening / closing controller S as the user's operation input content. With such a touch panel, the user can easily intuitively understand the input operation, and a storage unit door opening / closing controller S that is easy for the user to use is provided.

[0040] The IF unit 4 is connected to the control processing unit 1 and is a circuit that inputs and outputs data to and from external devices under the control of the control processing unit 1, and is, for example, an interface circuit for RS-232C, which is a serial communication method, an interface circuit using the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard, an interface circuit for infrared communication such as the IrDA (Infrared Data Association) standard, and an interface circuit using the USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard. The IF unit 4 is also a circuit that communicates with external devices, and may be, for example, a data communication card or a communication interface circuit conforming to the IEEE802.11 standard or the like.

[0041] The storage unit 5 is connected to the control processing unit 1 and is a circuit that stores various predetermined programs and various predetermined data under the control of the control processing unit 1. The various predetermined programs include, for example, a control processing program, which includes a control program, a crane position acquisition program, and a door control program. The control program controls each of the units 2 to 5 of the storage unit door opening / closing control device S according to the function of each unit. The crane position acquisition program acquires the position of the crane that transports garbage (an example of waste). The door control program controls the door DR. The various predetermined data include data necessary for executing each of these programs, such as data representing prohibited areas. The storage unit 5 includes, for example, a nonvolatile memory element such as a read-only memory (ROM) or a rewritable nonvolatile memory element such as an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). The storage unit 5 also includes a random access memory (RAM) that serves as the working memory of the control processing unit 1 and stores data generated during the execution of the predetermined programs. The storage unit 5 may include a hard disk device capable of storing a large amount of data.

[0042] The control processing unit 1 is a circuit for controlling each of the units 2 to 5 of the storage unit door opening / closing control device S according to the function of each unit, and for controlling the opening and closing of the door DR. The control processing unit 1 is configured, for example, with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and its peripheral circuits. In the control processing unit 1, a control unit 11, a crane position acquisition unit 12, and a door control unit 13 are functionally configured by executing the control processing program.

[0043] The control unit 11 controls each of the units 2 to 5 of the storage unit door opening / closing controller S according to the function of each unit, and is in charge of overall control of the storage unit door opening / closing controller S.

[0044] The crane position acquisition unit 12 acquires the position of the crane CR that is the target of transporting garbage (an example of waste). In this embodiment, the crane position is determined by the console CL. For example, the storage unit door opening / closing control device S is connected to the console CL via the IF unit 4, and the crane position acquisition unit 12 generates a signal (crane position transmission instruction signal) instructing the controller S to transmit the crane position (coordinate values ​​of the crane position), transmits the generated crane position transmission instruction signal to the console CL via the IF unit 4, and receives a reply signal (crane position accommodation signal) from the console CL via the IF unit 4, thereby acquiring the crane position. Alternatively, for example, the storage unit door opening / closing control device S is communicably connected to each of the X-direction rotary encoder, the Y-direction rotary encoder, and the Z-direction rotary encoder of the crane CR via the IF unit 4, and the crane position acquisition unit 12 determines and acquires the crane position by performing information processing similar to that of the console CL described above, based on the outputs received from the X-direction rotary encoder, the Y-direction rotary encoder, and the Z-direction rotary encoder of the crane CR via the IF unit 4.

[0045] The door control unit 13 controls the door. The door control unit 13 performs control to prohibit the opening of a door corresponding to a prohibited area that includes the position of the crane acquired by the crane position acquisition unit 12. When the operation of the crane CR switches between a first operation (grabbing operation) for grabbing waste and a second operation (releasing operation, dropping operation) for releasing the waste, and when the position of the crane CR goes outside the prohibited area corresponding to the door DR that prohibits the door DR from opening, the door control unit 13 performs control to cancel the prohibition.

[0046] The prohibited areas are three-dimensional areas, and a plurality of prohibited areas are set for each of the plurality of doors in association with each of the plurality of doors. For example, in the example shown in Fig. 2, first to third prohibited areas LRA-1 to LRA-3 are set for the first to third doors DR-1 to DR-3, respectively, as shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. In this embodiment, first to third prohibited areas DRA-1 to DRA-3 are set for the first to third doors DR-1 to DR-3, respectively, as shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 4.

[0047] These first to third prohibited areas LRA-1 to LRA-3 are prohibited areas for a gripping operation that are provided to prohibit the door DR from opening when the crane CR grips waste. The prohibited area LRA for a gripping operation is preferably set to be a range within which the crane CR is expected to perform the operation of gripping waste. In the example shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first prohibited area LRA-1 for a gripping operation has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with eight vertices: points (w11, v12, h11), (w12, v12, h11), (w11, v11, h11), (w12, v11, h11), (w11, v12, h12), (w12, v12, h12), (w11, v11, h12), and (w12, v11, h12). The first prohibited area LRA-1 for a gripping operation is set in association with the first door DR-1. The points (w11, v12, h11), (w12, v12, h11), (w11, v12, h12), and (w12, v12, h12) are set so that the plane with each vertex coincides with the one wall surface of the garbage pit PT, the points (w11, v12, h12), (w12, v12, h12), (w11, v11, h12), and (w12, v11, h12) are set so that the plane with each vertex coincides with the bottom surface of the garbage pit PT, w11 and w12 are set to be wider than the width (length in the X direction) of the first door DR-1 and so that the first door DR-1 is located between w11 and w12, and h11 is set to be located approximately in the center of the height direction (Z direction) of the first door DR-1. The second prohibited area LRA-2 for the grabbing operation is a rectangular parallelepiped with eight vertices: point (w21, v12, h11), point (w22, v12, h11), point (w21, v11, h11), point (w22, v11, h11), point (w21, v12, h12), point (w22, v12, h12), point (w21, v11, h12) and point (w22, v11, h12), and is set in correspondence with the second door DR-2.The points (w21, v12, h11), (w22, v12, h11), (w21, v12, h12), and (w22, v12, h12) are set so that a plane with the four vertices coincides with the one wall surface of the garbage pit PT, and the points (w21, v12, h12), (w22, v12, h12), (w21, v11, h12), and (w22, v11, h12) are set so that a plane with the four vertices coincides with the bottom surface of the garbage pit PT, and w21 and w22 are set so that they are wider than the width (length in the X direction) of the second door DR-2 and the second door DR-2 is located between w21 and w22. h11 is located approximately in the center of the height direction (Z direction) of the second door DR-2. The third prohibited area LRA-3 for grabbing operations is a rectangular parallelepiped with eight vertices: point (w31, v12, h11), point (w32, v12, h11), point (w31, v11, h11), point (w32, v11, h11), point (w31, v12, h12), point (w32, v12, h12), point (w31, v11, h12) and point (w32, v11, h12), and is set in correspondence with the third door DR-3. The points (w31, v12, h11), (w32, v12, h11), (w31, v12, h12), and (w32, v12, h12) are set so that a plane with the four vertices coincides with the one wall surface of the garbage pit PT, and the points (w31, v12, h12), (w32, v12, h12), (w31, v11, h12), and (w32, v11, h12) are set so that a plane with the four vertices coincides with the bottom surface of the garbage pit PT, and w31 and w32 are set so that they are wider than the width (length in the X direction) of the third door DR-3 and the third door DR-3 is located between w31 and w32. h11 is located approximately in the center of the height direction (Z direction) of the third door DR-3.

[0048] In this example, the first to third forbidden areas LRA-1 to LRA-3 for gripping operations have the same shape and size, but the multiple forbidden areas LRA for gripping operations may include different sizes. For example, different sizes may be included by changing h11. For example, h11 in the first forbidden area LRA-1 for gripping operations may be replaced with h1 (h11 → h1), h11 in the second forbidden area LRA-2 for gripping operations may be replaced with h2 (h11 → h2, h1 ≠ h2), and h11 in the third forbidden area LRA-3 for gripping operations may be replaced with h3 (h11 → h3, h1 ≠ h3, h2 ≠ h3), so that the first to third forbidden areas LRA-1 to LRA-3 for gripping operations may be different sizes. Also, in this example, the first to third prohibited areas LRA-1 to LRA-3 for the gripping operation are individually and differently set (set differently without overlapping), but the multiple prohibited areas LRA for the gripping operation may also be set differently with some overlapping.

[0049] The first to third prohibited areas DRA-1 to DRA-3 are prohibited areas for the release operation (prohibited areas for the drop operation) that are provided to prohibit the door DR from opening when the crane CR releases waste. The prohibited area DRA for the release operation is preferably set to be within the assumed range in which the crane CR will release waste. In the example shown in FIGS. 5 and 4, the first prohibited area DRA-1 for the release operation has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with eight vertices: points (w11, v12, h11), (w12, v12, h11), (w11, v11, h11), (w12, v11, h11), (w11, v12, h13), (w12, v12, h13), (w11, v11, h13), and (w12, v11, h13). The first prohibited area DRA-1 for the release operation is set in association with the first door DR-1. The four points (w11, v12, h11), (w12, v12, h11), (w11, v12, h13), and (w12, v12, h13) are set so that the plane with these four vertices coincides with the wall surface of the garbage pit PT, and h13 is set so that it is located between the top edge of the first door DR-1 and the ceiling of the building. In other words, h11, h12, and h13 are positioned so that they are lined up in the order of h12, h11, and h13 in the height direction from the bottom surface of the garbage pit PT. The second prohibited area DRA-2 for the release operation is a rectangular parallelepiped with eight vertices: point (w21, v12, h11), point (w22, v12, h11), point (w21, v11, h11), point (w22, v11, h11), point (w21, v12, h13), point (w22, v12, h13), point (w21, v11, h13), and point (w22, v11h, h13), and is set in correspondence with the second door DR-2. The points are set so that the plane with the four vertices: point (w21, v12, h11), point (w22, v12, h11), point (w21, v12, h13), and point (w22, v12, h13) coincides with the wall surface of the garbage pit PT.The third prohibited area DRA-3 for the release operation is a rectangular parallelepiped with eight vertices: point (w31, v12, h11), point (w32, v12, h11), point (w31, v11, h11), point (w32, v11, h11), point (w31, v12, h13), point (w32, v12, h13), point (w31, v11, h13), and point (w32, v11h, h13), and is set in correspondence with the third door DR-3. The points are set so that the plane with the four vertices: point (w31, v12, h11), point (w32, v12, h11), point (w31, v12, h13), and point (w32, v12, h13) coincides with the wall surface of the garbage pit PT.

[0050] In this example, the first to third prohibited areas DRA-1 to DRA-3 for the release operation have the same shape and size, but the multiple prohibited areas DRA for the release operation may include different sizes. For example, since h11 is common, different sizes may be included by changing h13. For example, h13 in the first prohibited area DRA-1 for the release operation may be replaced with h4 (not shown) (h13 → h4), h13 in the second prohibited area DRA-2 for the release operation may be replaced with h5 (h13 → h5, h4 ≠ h5), and h13 in the third prohibited area DRA-3 for the release operation may be replaced with h6 (h13 → h6, h4 ≠ h6, h5 ≠ h6), so that the first to third prohibited areas DRA-1 to DRA-3 for the release operation may be different sizes. Also, in this example, the first to third prohibited areas DRA-1 to DRA-3 for the release operation are set to be individually different (set to be different and not overlapping), but the multiple prohibited areas DRA for the release operation may also be set to be different and overlapping in part.

[0051] Furthermore, in this example, the prohibited area LRA for the gripping operation and the prohibited area DRA for the releasing operation associated with one door DR are provided so as to be separate and different (provided so as to be different and not overlapping), but the prohibited area LRA for the gripping operation and the prohibited area DRA for the releasing operation associated with one door DR may be provided so as to be different and overlapping in part. For example, by replacing h11 in the first prohibited area DRA-1 for the releasing operation with h14 located between h11 and h12, the first prohibited area LRA-1 for the gripping operation and the first prohibited area DRA-1 for the releasing operation associated with the first door DR-1 may be provided so as to be different and overlap in part.

[0052] In addition, in this example, the prohibited area LRA for the gripping operation and the prohibited area DRA for the release operation associated with one door DR are provided so as to be continuous and separate and different by having the same boundary surface, but they may also be provided so as to be discontinuous and separate and different by having the boundary surfaces not coincident. For example, by replacing h11 in the first prohibited area LRA-1 for the gripping operation with position h15 (not shown) closer to h12, the first prohibited area LRA-1 for the gripping operation and the first prohibited area DRA-1 for the release operation associated with the first door DR-1 may be provided so as to be discontinuous and separate and different.

[0053] With respect to these first to third prohibited areas LRA-1 to LRA-3 for the gripping operation, as shown in Fig. 3, a crane movement target position (grab target point) is set within the first prohibited area LRA-1 for the gripping operation, and the crane CR moves along the trajectory shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 3. When the first position to which the crane CR is moving to grip the waste reaches position PT1, which is the intersection point between the boundary surface of the first prohibited area LRA-1 for the gripping operation and the trajectory, in this embodiment, since the crane CR is operated by the console CL, for example, the door control unit 13 generates a signal (open prohibit instruction signal) that instructs the first door DR-1 to be prohibited from opening, and transmits this generated open prohibit instruction signal to the console CL via the IF unit 4. Upon receiving this open prohibit instruction signal, the console CL prohibits the first door DR-1 from being opened. For example, even if an instruction to open the first door DR-1 is received, the console CL prioritizes prohibiting the opening of the first door DR-1 and does not drive the fourth drive unit of the first door DR-1, thereby preventing the first door DR-1 from opening. In this way, the door control unit 13 controls the first door DR-1 to be prohibited from opening. Note that the door control unit 13 may also directly control the fourth drive unit of the first door DR-1 to prohibit the drive of the fourth drive unit of the first door DR-1 in the closed state, thereby prohibiting the first door DR-1 from being opened. Then, while the crane CR is located within the first prohibited area LRA-1 for the grab operation, the console CL continuously prohibits the first door DR-1 from being opened. Then, when the crane CR switches from the grab operation to the release operation and moves so that the crane CR is outside the first prohibited area LRA-1 for the grab operation, the door control unit 13 controls the first door DR-1 to be released from the prohibition. For example, the door control unit 13 generates a signal (open prohibition release instruction signal) instructing to release the prohibition on the first door DR-1, and transmits this generated open prohibition release instruction signal to the console CL via the IF unit 4. Upon receiving this open prohibition release instruction signal, the console CL releases the prohibition on the first door DR-1.

[0054] On the other hand, with respect to the first through third prohibited areas DRA-1 through DRA-3 for the release operation, as shown in FIG. 5, the crane's movement target position (drop target point) is set within the third prohibited area DRA-3 for the release operation. The crane CR moves along the trajectory shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 5. When the second position to which the crane CR is moving to release the waste reaches position PT2, the intersection of the boundary surface of the third prohibited area DRA-3 for the release operation and the trajectory, in this embodiment, since the crane CR is operated by the console CL, for example, the door control unit 13 generates an open prohibition instruction signal for the third door DR-3 and transmits this generated open prohibition instruction signal to the console CL via the IF unit 4. Upon receiving this open prohibition instruction signal, the console CL prioritizes the opening prohibition of the third door DR-3 and prohibits the third door DR-3 from opening. In this manner, the door control unit 13 controls the third door DR-3 to be prohibited from opening. Then, while the crane CR is located within the third prohibited area DRA-3 for the release operation, the console CL continuously prohibits the third door DR-3 from opening. Then, when the crane CR switches from the release operation to the grab operation and moves to a position outside the third prohibited area DRA-3 for the release operation, the door control unit 13 controls to release the prohibition on the third door DR-3. For example, the door control unit 13 generates an open prohibition release instruction signal for the third door DR-3 and transmits this generated open prohibition release instruction signal to the console CL via the IF unit 4. Upon receiving this open prohibition release instruction signal, the console CL releases the prohibition on the third door DR-3.

[0055] The control processing unit 1, input unit 2, output unit 3, IF unit 4, and storage unit 5 can be configured by, for example, a desktop or notebook computer. The computer configuring each of these units 1 to 5 may be located, for example, in an operation room OR and incorporated into the console CL (or may serve as the console CL), or may be separate from the console CL.

[0056] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described below: Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the storage unit door opening / closing control device.

[0057] When the storage unit door opening / closing control device S configured as described above is powered on, it initializes the necessary parts and starts operation. The control processing unit 1 functionally configures a control unit 11, a crane position acquisition unit 12, and a door control unit 13 by executing the control processing program.

[0058] Here, as an example, the operation of the storage unit door opening / closing control device S will be described for the case where a gripping operation is performed and then a releasing operation is performed.

[0059] 6, the movement target position of the crane CR in the gripping operation (the gripping position of the crane CR) is determined (S1), and when the crane CR starts to move (S2), the storage unit door opening / closing control device S determines whether or not the current crane position is within the gripping operation prohibited area LRA by the control processing unit 1 (S3). More specifically, the storage unit door opening / closing control device S acquires the current crane position by the crane position acquisition unit 12 of the control processing unit 1, and determines whether or not the acquired current crane position is within the gripping operation prohibited area LRA by the door control unit 13 of the control processing unit 1. If the result of this determination is that the current crane position is within the grab operation prohibited area LRA (Yes), the door control unit 13 controls to prohibit opening of the door DR corresponding to the grab operation prohibited area LRA that includes the crane position acquired by the crane position acquisition unit 12 (S4), and controls to not prohibit opening of the door DR corresponding to the grab operation prohibited area LRA that does not include the crane position acquired by the crane position acquisition unit 12 (S5), and the storage unit door opening / closing control device S then executes process S6. On the other hand, if the result of the above determination is that the current crane position is not within the grab operation prohibited area LRA (No), the storage unit door opening / closing control device S then executes process S6.

[0060] In this process S6, it is determined whether or not the gripping operation has ended. Note that before this process S6 is executed, it is determined whether or not the crane position is the movement target position of the crane CR in the gripping operation determined in process S1, and if the result of this determination shows that the crane position is the movement target position of the crane CR in the gripping operation, the crane CR grips the waste, while if the result of the determination shows that the crane position is not the movement target position of the crane CR in the gripping operation, the crane CR continues moving.

[0061] If the result of the determination in the process S6 is that the gripping operation has not ended (No), the storage unit door opening / closing controller S returns the process to process S3. On the other hand, if the result of the determination in the process S6 is that the gripping operation has ended (Yes), the operation of the crane CR is switched from the gripping operation to a release operation, a movement target position of the crane CR in the release operation (the release position of the crane CR) is determined (S7), the crane CR starts moving (S8), and if the crane position goes out of a prohibited area LRA for the gripping operation corresponding to the door that was prohibited from opening in the process S4, the door control unit 13 controls to release the prohibition (S9), and the storage unit door opening / closing controller S determines, by the control processing unit 1, whether or not the current crane position is within the prohibited area DRA for the release operation (S10). More specifically, the storage unit door opening / closing controller S acquires the current crane position using the crane position acquisition unit 12 of the control processing unit 1, and determines whether the acquired current crane position is within the prohibited area DRA for release operation using the door control unit 13 of the control processing unit 1. If the result of this determination is that the current crane position is within the prohibited area DRA for release operation (Yes), the door control unit 13 controls to prohibit opening of the door DR corresponding to the prohibited area DRA for release operation that includes the crane position acquired by the crane position acquisition unit 12 (S11), and controls to not prohibit opening of the door DR corresponding to the prohibited area DRA for release operation that does not include the crane position acquired by the crane position acquisition unit 12 (S12), and the storage unit door opening / closing controller S then executes process S13. On the other hand, if the result of the above determination is that the current crane position is not within the prohibited area DRA for release operation (No), the storage unit door opening / closing controller S then executes process S13.

[0062] In this process S13, it is determined whether or not the releasing operation has ended. Before executing this process S13, it is determined whether or not the crane position is the target movement position of the crane CR in the releasing operation determined in process S7, and if the result of this determination is that the crane position is the target movement position of the crane CR in the releasing operation, the crane CR releases the waste, whereas if the result of the determination is that the crane position is not the target movement position of the crane CR in the releasing operation, the crane CR continues moving.

[0063] If the determination result in the process S13 is that the release operation has not been completed (No), the storage unit door opening / closing control device S returns the process to process S10. On the other hand, if the determination result in the process S13 is that the release operation has been completed (Yes), this process is terminated.

[0064] In the above description, the target position to which the crane CR will move during the release operation is determined in process S7, but the target position to which the crane CR will move during the release operation may be further determined in process S1, and the determination of the target position to which the crane CR will move during the release operation in process S7 may be omitted.

[0065] As described above, the storage unit door opening / closing control device S in the embodiment, and the storage unit door opening / closing control method and storage unit door opening / closing control program implemented therein, perform control to prohibit the opening of the door DR corresponding to the prohibited areas LRA, DRA that include the crane position.Therefore, the door DR is not prohibited from opening when the target movement position of the crane CR is determined, but the door DR is prohibited from opening from the moment the crane CR enters the prohibited areas LRA, DRA that correspond to the door DR.This shortens the duration of the opening prohibition, allowing the door DR to be used more efficiently.

[0066] The storage unit door opening / closing control device S, door opening / closing control method, and door opening / closing control program can set a prohibited area LRA for the crane CR to perform a gripping operation to grip waste.

[0067] The storage unit door opening / closing control device S, the door opening / closing control method, and the door opening / closing control program can set a prohibited area DRA for a release operation in which the crane CR releases waste.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the opening prohibition is lifted when the crane's operation is switched and it moves outside the prohibited area, but it is also possible to simply prohibit opening when it enters the prohibited area and lift the opening prohibition when it leaves the prohibited area.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, when the prohibited areas LRA, DRA include the crane position during the movement of the crane CR, regardless of the target movement position of the crane CR, control is executed to prohibit the door DR corresponding to this prohibited area LRA, DRA from opening, but control may also be executed to prohibit the opening of the door DR corresponding only to the prohibited areas LRA, DRA that include the target movement position of the crane CR (first modified embodiment). In this case, the control processing unit 1 is further functionally configured with a crane target position acquisition unit 14 that acquires the target movement position of the crane, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 1, and the door control unit 13 controls to prohibit the opening of the door DR corresponding to the prohibited areas LRA, DRA that include the target movement position of the crane acquired by the crane target position acquisition unit 14 and also include the crane position acquired by the crane position acquisition unit 12. The crane target position acquisition unit 14 generates a signal (movement target position transmission instruction signal) that instructs the crane CR to transmit a movement target position (coordinate values ​​of the movement target position), transmits this generated movement target position transmission instruction signal to the console CL via the IF unit 4, and acquires the movement target position of the crane CR by receiving a reply signal (movement target position accommodation signal) from the console CL via the IF unit 4. Such a storage unit door opening / closing control device S, door opening / closing control method, and door opening / closing control program not only include the crane position, but also control to prohibit the opening of the door DR corresponding to the prohibited areas LRA, DRA that include the movement target position of the crane CR, so that only the door DR at the movement target position of the crane CR can be prohibited from opening.

[0070] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the storage unit door opening / closing control device in the first modified embodiment.

[0071] Here, as an example, the operation of the storage unit door opening / closing control device S will be described for the case where a gripping operation is performed and then a releasing operation is performed.

[0072] 7, the movement target position of the crane CR in the gripping operation (grabbing position of the crane CR) is determined (S21), and when the crane CR starts moving (S22), the storage unit door opening / closing control device S determines, via the control processing unit 1, whether or not the current crane position is within a prohibited area LRA for the gripping operation that includes the movement target position of the crane CR (S23). More specifically, the storage unit door opening / closing control device S acquires the current crane position via the crane position acquisition unit 12 of the control processing unit 1, acquires the movement target position of the crane CR via the crane target position acquisition unit 14 of the control processing unit 1, and determines, via the door control unit 13 of the control processing unit 1, whether or not the acquired current crane position is within a prohibited area LRA for the gripping operation that includes the movement target position of the crane CR. If the result of this determination is that the current crane position is within the prohibited area LRA for the grab operation (Yes), the door control unit 13 controls to prohibit the opening of the door DR corresponding to the prohibited area LRA for the grab operation that includes the movement target position of the crane CR and that includes the crane position acquired by the crane position acquisition unit 12 (S24), and the storage unit door opening / closing control device S then executes process S25. On the other hand, if the result of the determination is that the current crane position is not within the prohibited area LRA for the grab operation (No), the storage unit door opening / closing control device S then executes process S25.

[0073] In this process S25, it is determined whether or not the gripping operation has ended. Note that before executing this process S25, it is determined whether or not the crane position is the movement target position of the crane CR in the gripping operation determined in process S21, and if the result of this determination shows that the crane position is the movement target position of the crane CR in the gripping operation, the crane CR grips the waste, while if the result of the determination shows that the crane position is not the movement target position of the crane CR in the gripping operation, the crane CR continues moving.

[0074] If the result of the determination in the process S25 is that the gripping operation has not ended (No), the storage unit door opening / closing control device S returns the process to process S24. On the other hand, if the result of the determination in the process S26 is that the gripping operation has ended (Yes), the operation of the crane CR is switched from the gripping operation to a release operation, a movement target position of the crane CR in the release operation (release position of the crane CR) is determined (S26), the crane CR starts moving (S27), and if the crane position goes out of a prohibited area LRA for the gripping operation corresponding to the door that is prohibited from opening in the process S26, the door control unit 13 controls to release the prohibition (S28), and the storage unit door opening / closing control device S determines, by the control processing unit 1, whether or not the current crane position is within a prohibited area DRA for the release operation that includes the movement target position of the crane CR (S29). More specifically, the storage unit door opening / closing controller S acquires the current crane position using the crane position acquisition unit 12 of the control processing unit 1, acquires the target position for the crane CR using the crane target position acquisition unit 14 of the control processing unit 1, and determines whether the acquired current crane position is within a prohibited area DRA for a release operation that includes the target position for the crane CR using the door control unit 13 of the control processing unit 1. If the result of this determination is that the current crane position is within the prohibited area DRA for a release operation (Yes), the door control unit 13 controls to prohibit the opening of the door DR that corresponds to the prohibited area DRA for a release operation that includes the target position for the crane CR and the crane position acquired by the crane position acquisition unit 12 (S30), and the storage unit door opening / closing controller S then executes process S31. On the other hand, if the result of the determination is that the current crane position is not within the prohibited area DRA for a release operation (No), the storage unit door opening / closing controller S then executes process S31.

[0075] In this process S31, it is determined whether or not the releasing operation has ended. Before executing this process S31, it is determined whether or not the crane position is the target movement position of the crane CR in the releasing operation determined in process S26, and if the result of this determination is that the crane position is the target movement position of the crane CR in the releasing operation, the crane CR releases the waste, whereas if the result of the determination is that the crane position is not the target movement position of the crane CR in the releasing operation, the crane CR continues moving.

[0076] If the determination result in the process S31 is that the release operation has not been completed (No), the storage unit door opening / closing control device S returns the process to process S29. On the other hand, if the determination result in the process S31 is that the release operation has been completed (Yes), this process is terminated.

[0077] In the above description, the target position to which the crane CR will move during the release operation is determined in process S27, but the target position to which the crane CR will move during the release operation may be further determined in process S21, and the determination of the target position to which the crane CR will move during the release operation in process S27 may be omitted.

[0078] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and its first modified embodiment, the height of the waste around the door DR may be taken into consideration when prohibiting the door DR from opening (second modified embodiment). In this case, the storage unit door opening / closing control device S further includes a height measurement unit that measures the height of the waste (one example of the waste) in each of a plurality of waste height measurement areas provided in correspondence with each of the plurality of doors DR, and the door control unit 13 further controls to prohibit the opening of the door DR corresponding to the waste height measurement area where the height of the waste measured by the height measurement unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th. Such a storage unit door opening / closing control device S, door opening / closing control method, and door opening / closing control program can control the prohibition of the door DR from opening by taking into consideration the height of the waste in the waste height measurement area associated with the door DR.

[0079] In the above-described embodiment, a height measurement unit HM is provided to monitor the waste storage status. By setting a waste height measurement area, the height measurement unit HM is utilized as one component of the storage unit door opening / closing controller S, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1 . A laser rangefinder 1, which is an example of the height measurement unit HM, is connected to the control processing unit 1 via a wired or wireless connection and outputs the measured point cloud data to the control processing unit 1. The storage unit door opening / closing controller S may also acquire the point cloud data measured by the laser rangefinder 1, which is an example of the height measurement unit HM, from the console CL via the IF unit 4. More specifically, the door control unit 13 of the control processing unit 1 generates a signal (point cloud data transmission instruction signal) instructing the transmission of the point cloud data, transmits the generated point cloud data transmission instruction signal to the console CL via the IF unit 4, and receives a response signal (point cloud data reception signal) from the console CL via the IF unit 4, thereby acquiring the point cloud data.

[0080] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating waste height measurement areas in a second modified embodiment. The waste height measurement areas are, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, two-dimensional areas set in a horizontal plane (the XY plane in the example shown in FIG. 2B and FIG. 8) in the garbage pit PT, with a line segment along the height direction as the normal line, and a plurality of waste height measurement areas are set for each of the plurality of doors DR. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 8, first to third waste height measurement areas AR-1 to AR-3 are set for the first to third doors DR-1 to DR-3, respectively. The first waste height measurement area AR-1 is rectangular with four vertices: point (w11, v12), point (w12, v12), point (w11, v13), and point (w12, v13), and is set for the first door DR-1. The second waste height measurement area AR-2 is rectangular with four vertices: point (w21, v12), point (w22, v12), point (w21, v13), and point (w22, v13), and is set in correspondence with the second door DR-2. The third waste height measurement area AR-3 is rectangular with four vertices: point (w31, v12), point (w32, v12), point (w31, v13), and point (w32, v13), and is set in correspondence with the third door DR-3. In this example, v13 is set at a position farther from the one wall of the garbage pit PT than v11, but this is not limited to this and can be set as appropriate.

[0081] The door control unit 13 first acquires point cloud data from the height measurement unit HM at appropriate timing (e.g., when the crane CR starts moving or at each timing within a predetermined time interval), and calculates the height of the waste in each waste height measurement area AR corresponding to each door DR. In this embodiment, since the height measurement unit HM outputs point cloud data, the waste height H is the maximum value among the heights of the measurement points calculated based on the point cloud data in the waste height measurement area AR corresponding to the door DR. Alternatively, the waste height H may be the minimum value, average value, or median value in the waste height measurement area AR corresponding to the door DR. Next, the door control unit 13 compares the waste height in each waste height measurement area AR corresponding to each door DR with a predetermined threshold (height determination threshold) Th and determines whether the waste height in the waste height measurement area AR is equal to or greater than the height determination threshold Th. If the result of this determination is that the height of the garbage in the waste height measurement area AR is equal to or greater than the height determination threshold Th, the door control unit 13 controls to prohibit the door DR corresponding to the waste height measurement area AR from opening. As a result, regardless of whether the crane position is included in the prohibited areas LRA, DRA, the door DR corresponding to the waste height measurement area AR is prohibited from opening. On the other hand, if the result of the above determination is that the height of the garbage in the waste height measurement area AR is not equal to or greater than the height determination threshold Th (if it is less than the height determination threshold Th), the door control unit 13 controls so as not to prohibit the door DR corresponding to the waste height measurement area AR from opening.

[0082] Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining the door opening / closing control device for the storage unit in the second modified embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 9, the height of the garbage in the first waste height measurement area AR-1 corresponding to the first door DR-1 is equal to or greater than the height determination threshold Th, and the heights of the garbage in the second and third waste height measurement areas AR-2 and AR-3 corresponding to the second and third doors DR-2 and DR-3 are less than the height determination threshold Th. Therefore, regardless of whether the crane position is included in the prohibited areas LRA and DRA, opening of the first door DR is prohibited, but opening of the second and third doors DR-2 and DR-3 is not prohibited.

[0083] The height determination threshold may be common to each door DR, or may be different for each door DR. The prohibition on opening may be lifted when the height of the waste in the waste height measurement area AR becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold (lift determination threshold), or may be lifted by an input from an operator (user).

[0084] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and its first and second modified embodiments, the open / closed state of the door DR to which the crane CR is to be moved may be taken into consideration while the crane CR is moving (third modified embodiment). In this case, the storage unit door opening / closing control device S further includes a door open state detection unit 6 provided in association with each of the plurality of doors DR, as shown by the dashed lines in Fig. 1, that detects whether the door DR is open, a crane target position acquisition unit 14 that acquires a target movement position of the crane CR, and a signal output unit 15 that outputs a stop signal instructing the crane to stop outside the prohibited area in the case where the target movement position of the crane CR acquired by the crane target position acquisition unit is within a prohibited area and a door open state detection unit provided on the door corresponding to the prohibited area in the case detects that the door is open. Such a storage unit door opening / closing control device S, door opening / closing control method, and door opening / closing control program will stop the crane CR outside a prohibited area that includes the target movement position of the crane CR when the door DR opens while the crane CR is moving, thereby preventing interference between the garbage (an example of the waste) and the crane CR even when the garbage is thrown through the door DR.

[0085] In the above-described embodiment, each door DR is provided with the door open / closed state detection unit, and therefore the door open / closed state detection unit is used as the door open state detection unit 6 in the configuration of the storage unit door open / close control device S in this third modified embodiment. In this third modified embodiment, the control processing unit 1 is functionally configured with a crane target position acquisition unit 14 and a signal output unit 15, which are shown by dashed lines in Fig. 1, similar to those in the first modified embodiment.

[0086] In this embodiment, the console CL operates the crane CR, and the storage unit door opening / closing control device S is connected to the console CL via the IF unit 4. The signal output unit 15 first determines whether the target movement position of the crane CR acquired by the crane target position acquisition unit 14 is within the prohibited areas LRA and DRA, and whether the door open / closed state detection unit provided on the door DR corresponding to the prohibited areas LRA and DRA in that case detects that the door is open. If this determination determines that the target movement position of the crane CR is within the prohibited areas LRA and DRA, and that the corresponding door DR is open, the signal output unit 15 generates a stop signal instructing the crane CR to stop outside the prohibited areas LRA and DRA that include the target movement position, and transmits this generated stop signal to the console CL via the IF unit 4. Upon receiving this stop signal, the console CL controls the crane CR to stop outside the prohibited areas LRA and DRA that include the target movement position.

[0087] The target movement position of the crane CR is set within the first prohibited area LRA-1 for the grabbing operation associated with the first door DR-1, and the crane CR moves along the trajectory shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 3. When the open state of the first door DR-1 is detected at point PT3 on the trajectory by the door open / close state detection unit provided on the first door DR-1, the signal output unit 15 outputs the stop signal to the console CL, and the console CL controls the crane CR to stop urgently at the position of point PT3 outside the first prohibited area LRA-1 for the grabbing operation.

[0088] In order to express the present invention, the present invention has been properly and sufficiently described above through the embodiments with reference to the drawings, but it should be recognized that those skilled in the art can easily change and / or improve the above-mentioned embodiments. Therefore, unless the changes or improvements made by those skilled in the art are at a level that causes departure from the scope of the claims described in the claims, such changes or improvements are interpreted as being included in the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] S Storage unit door opening / closing control device HM Height measurement unit LRA (LRA-1~LRA-3) Prohibited area for grasping operation DRA (DRA-1~DRA-3) Prohibited area for release operation AR (AR-1~AR-3) Waste height measurement area 1 Control processing section 2 Input section 3 Output section 4 Interface section (IF section) 5 Storage section 6 Door open state detection unit 11 Control section 12 Crane position acquisition unit 13 Door control unit 14 Crane target position acquisition unit 15 Signal output section

Claims

1. A storage unit door opening / closing control device that controls opening and closing of a plurality of doors provided at a plurality of input ports for inputting waste into a storage unit that stores the waste, a crane position acquisition unit that acquires the position of a crane that is a target for transporting the waste; A door control unit that controls the door, A prohibited area is set for each of the plurality of doors, the door control unit controls to prohibit the opening of a door corresponding to a prohibited area including the position of the crane acquired by the crane position acquisition unit, The door control unit performs control to release the prohibition when the position of the crane goes out of a prohibited area corresponding to the door that is prohibited from opening. Opening and closing control device for storage unit door.

2. Further provided is a crane target position acquisition unit that acquires a movement target position of the crane, the door control unit performs control to prohibit the opening of a door corresponding to a prohibited area that includes the movement target position of the crane acquired by the crane target position acquisition unit and also includes the position of the crane acquired by the crane position acquisition unit. The opening and closing control device for a door of a storage section according to claim 1.

3. the position of the crane is a first position in which the crane is moving to grab the waste material; The prohibited area is a prohibited area for a grab operation. The opening / closing control device for a door of a storage section according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the crane is at a second position during which the crane is moving to release the waste material that it is holding; The prohibited area is a prohibited area for a release operation. The opening / closing control device for a door of a storage section according to claim 1 or 2.

5. a height measuring unit for measuring the height of waste in each of a plurality of waste height measuring areas provided in correspondence with each of the plurality of doors; The door control unit controls to prohibit the opening of a door corresponding to a waste height measurement area where the height of the waste measured by the height measurement unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. The opening / closing control device for a door of a storage section according to claim 1 or 2.

6. a door open state detection unit provided in association with each of the plurality of doors and configured to detect whether the door is open; a crane target position acquisition unit that acquires a movement target position of the crane; a signal output unit that outputs a stop signal instructing the crane to stop outside the prohibited area when the movement target position of the crane acquired by the crane target position acquisition unit is within a prohibited area and when a door open state detection unit provided on a door corresponding to the prohibited area in the case detects that the door is open, The opening / closing control device for a door of a storage section according to claim 1 or 2.

7. A method for controlling opening and closing of doors of a storage unit, the method comprising: controlling opening and closing of a plurality of doors provided at a plurality of inlets for inputting waste into a storage unit that stores the waste; a crane position acquisition step of acquiring a position of a crane that is a target for transporting the waste; a door control step for controlling the door, A prohibited area is set for each of the plurality of doors, the door control step performs control so as to prohibit the opening of a door corresponding to a prohibited area including the position of the crane acquired in the crane position acquisition step; the door control step performs control so as to release the prohibition when the position of the crane goes out of a prohibited area corresponding to a door that is prohibited from opening; A method for controlling the opening and closing of a storage unit door.

8. A storage unit door opening / closing control program for controlling opening / closing of a plurality of doors provided at a plurality of input ports for inputting waste into a storage unit that stores the waste, Computer, In order to function as the storage unit door opening / closing control device according to claim 1 or 2, Opening and closing control program for the storage unit door.

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