Crane control system, crane control method, and antenna adjustment method

Abstract

This crane control system controls a crane and comprises: a prescribed crane equipped with a directional antenna; a relative position information acquisition unit that acquires the relative position information of a base station with respect to the antenna; a crane orientation assessment unit that assesses the orientation of the prescribed crane; and an antenna orientation determination unit that determines the orientation of the antenna on the basis of the determination result by the crane orientation assessment unit and the relative position information acquired by the relative position information acquisition unit.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a crane control system, a crane control method, and an antenna adjustment method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, crane control systems equipped with multiple RTG (Rubber Tired Gantry Crane) cranes have been known. Patent Document 1 describes a crane control system equipped with multiple cranes and a management building that controls the cranes. This crane control system controls multiple cranes in a container terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-123367 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, when each crane in a container terminal exchanges information with the control building, a directional antenna may be used. In this case, accurate communication is required by accurately pointing each crane's antenna toward the base station. However, in a container terminal, cranes may be rotated 180 degrees depending on the lane. If the crane is rotated 180 degrees and positioned, the antenna's orientation will also be rotated 180 degrees. In this case, the inability to accurately determine the antenna's orientation may result in a decrease in communication accuracy.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a crane control device, a crane control method, and an antenna adjustment method that can improve the accuracy of crane communication. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The crane control system according to the present disclosure is a crane control system for controlling a crane, and includes: a specified crane equipped with a directional antenna; a relative position information acquisition unit that acquires relative position information between the antenna and a base station; a crane orientation determination unit that determines the orientation of the specified crane; and an antenna orientation determination unit that determines the orientation of the antenna based on the determination result by the crane orientation determination unit and the relative position information acquired by the relative position information acquisition unit.

[0007] In this crane control system, the relative position information acquisition unit acquires relative position information between a specific crane equipped with a directional antenna and a base station with respect to the antenna. The antenna orientation determination unit determines the antenna orientation based on the relative position information. This allows the antenna orientation determination unit to determine the antenna orientation based on the positional relationship between the crane and the base station. Even when cranes with different orientations exist, the crane orientation determination unit can determine the orientation of the crane. The antenna orientation determination unit then determines the antenna orientation based on the determination result by the crane orientation determination unit. Therefore, the antenna orientation determination unit can accurately determine the antenna orientation taking into account the orientation of the crane. Accurately determining the antenna orientation in this way improves the accuracy of crane communications.

[0008] The crane direction determination unit may determine the direction of a given crane based on a data table that associates the lane to which the crane belongs with the direction of each crane. In this case, the crane direction determination unit can easily determine the direction of the crane based on the data table prepared in advance.

[0009] The relative position information acquisition unit may acquire the relative position information of a predetermined crane based on GPS information. In this case, the relative position information acquisition unit can easily and accurately acquire the relative position information of the crane.

[0010] The antenna may be configured to be changeable to a direction determined by the antenna direction determination unit. In this case, the antenna can be oriented in the direction determined by the antenna direction determination unit.

[0011] The crane control method is a crane control method for controlling a crane, and includes a relative position information acquisition step for acquiring relative position information between a specified crane having a directional antenna and a base station with respect to the antenna, a crane orientation determination step for determining the orientation of the specified crane, and an antenna orientation determination step for determining the orientation of the antenna based on the determination result by the crane orientation determination step and the relative position information acquired in the relative position information acquisition step.

[0012] According to the crane control method of the present disclosure, it is possible to obtain the same functions and effects as those of the above-described crane control system.

[0013] The antenna adjustment method adjusts the orientation of a directional antenna mounted on a crane, adjusting the orientation of the antenna so that it faces a base station based on the relative positions of the base station and the antenna with respect to the antenna.

[0014] This antenna adjustment method adjusts the direction of the antenna so that it faces the base station based on the relative positions of the base station and the antenna with respect to the antenna. This allows the antenna to be accurately pointed toward the base station based on the relative positions of the base station and the antenna, thereby improving the accuracy of crane communications. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a crane control device, a crane control method, and an antenna adjustment method that can improve the accuracy of crane communication. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing an exemplary container terminal to which a crane control system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a crane according to the present embodiment that is arranged in a container yard. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a front view showing the cranes of the paired lanes. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functions of the crane control system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a plan view showing an exemplary container terminal to which a crane control system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a data table. [Figure 7] 1 is a plan view showing an exemplary container terminal to which a crane control system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for determining the orientation of any of the cranes. [Figure 9] 9 is a flowchart showing the processing steps for determining the orientation of the antenna based on the orientation of the crane determined in FIG. 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of a crane control system and a crane control method according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, identical or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted as appropriate. In addition, the drawings may be partially simplified or exaggerated for ease of understanding, and the dimensional proportions and the like are not limited to those shown in the drawings.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an exemplary container terminal 1 to which a crane control system 100 according to this embodiment is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the container terminal 1 is provided with a container yard 2 in which containers C (see FIG. 2) are placed, a plurality of cranes 10 placed in the container yard 2 to load and unload the containers C, and an administration building 6 for exchanging information with the plurality of cranes 10. Note that an XY coordinate system is set for the container terminal 1, with an X direction representing the longitudinal direction and a Y direction representing the lateral direction. The XY coordinate system has an origin OP at an arbitrary position. In this case, each container yard 2 extends in the X direction, and multiple containers are arranged in the Y direction. The administration building 6 is placed near the end of the container terminal 1 on the negative side in the Y direction.

[0019] For example, a travel path for transport vehicles such as freight cars, trailers, or AGVs (Automated Guide Vehicles) is laid in the container yard 2. A crane 10 acquires a container C transported by the transport vehicle and places the container C at a position indicated by a predetermined address in the container yard 2. For example, a plurality of cranes 10 are arranged for each container yard 2. The crane 10 acquires a container C placed in the container yard 2, transfers the container C to the transport vehicle, and has the transport vehicle carry the container C outside.

[0020] The control building 6 exchanges various information with each of the cranes 10 in the container terminal 1 and manages each of the cranes 10. The control building 6 has a base station 7 for communicating with an antenna provided on each of the cranes 10. The control building 6 may have multiple base stations 7 with a predetermined radio wave irradiation angle. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the control building 6 has three base stations 7 with a radio wave irradiation angle of 60°. The control building 6 has a base station 7 that can communicate with the area indicated by the two-dot chain line, a base station that can communicate with the area indicated by the dashed line, and a base station 7 that can communicate with the area indicated by the one-dot chain line. This enables the control building 6 to communicate with almost the entire area where the container yard 2 is located.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a crane 10 according to this embodiment that is placed in a container yard 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the crane 10 is a container handling crane that loads and unloads a container C. In this embodiment, a rubber-tired gantry crane (RTG) is shown as an example of the crane 10. The crane 10 automatically loads and unloads a container C that has been placed in the container yard 2 at the container terminal 1, for example.

[0022] The crane 10 includes, for example, a pair of legs 11, a crane girder 12 connecting the upper ends of the pair of legs 11, a trolley 13 that can travel laterally on the crane girder 12, a spreader 14 that loads and unloads a container C, and a pair of traveling sections 15A, 15B having wheels 23. The pair of legs 11 and the crane girder 12 are portal-shaped. The crane 10 includes, for example, two sets of portal-shaped pairs of legs 11 and crane girders 12, and the two sets are arranged side by side in the X direction.

[0023] The trolley 13 moves laterally in the Y direction by, for example, driving a traverse motor. In this embodiment, the Y direction coincides with the traverse direction of the trolley 13. As an example, the trolley 13 has a winding drive unit 16 including a drum that rotates forward and reverse by a drum drive motor, and suspends the spreader 14 via a suspension member 18 including a wire. The suspension members 18 extend from the trolley 13 at two positions aligned in the X direction, and the spreader 14 is suspended from the suspension members 18 at two positions aligned in the X direction.

[0024] The spreader 14 is a hoisting device that suspends the container C. The spreader 14 has, for example, a rectangular shape extending in the X direction. The spreader 14 can hold the container C from above, and loads and unloads the container C by holding and lifting the container C. For example, the operation of the spreader 14 is controlled by the drive of the traverse motor and drum drive motor described above, and the drive of the traverse motor and drum drive motor is controlled by the crane control system 100 according to this embodiment.

[0025] The running units 15A, 15B are mechanisms that travel along the linear running path of the crane 10. The crane 10 includes a pair of running units 15A, 15B provided below the legs 11 at both ends in the Y direction. Each running unit 15A, 15B includes a connecting member 21 that connects the legs 11 spaced apart in the X direction, and a plurality of wheel units 22 provided below the connecting member 21. One wheel unit 22 is provided at each end of the connecting member 21 in the X direction. The wheel unit 22 includes a plurality of wheels 23 and a wheel support unit 24 that supports the wheels 23. The wheel support unit 24 supports the wheels of a pair of wheels 23 aligned in the Y direction, and supports two pairs of wheels 23 aligned in the X direction. Note that the number of wheels 23 included in each wheel unit 22 and the number of wheel units 22 included in each running unit 15A, 15B are not particularly limited.

[0026] The crane 10 receives a container C from a transport vehicle parked in a loading lane on one side of the crane's lateral travel direction and stores the container C in a storage area on the other side of the lateral travel direction. The crane 10 also transfers the container C stored in the storage area to a transport vehicle parked in the loading lane. At least a portion of the loading and unloading operations of the crane 10 are performed by remote control or automatic operation. Therefore, the crane 10 has a detection device 26 and an antenna 27 on one side of the lateral travel direction. The detection device 26 is composed of various detection devices, such as sensors and cameras, for detecting transport vehicles located below the crane 10. The detection device 26 may be provided on one of the legs 11. The antenna 27 is a device that wirelessly transmits and receives various information to and from the management building 6. The management building 6 may be provided with a console for remote operation. The antenna 27 is directional and must be facing the management building 6 to communicate with the management building 6. For example, when a base axis AX extending in one direction from the antenna 27 is set, the base axis AX should be oriented in the direction of the administration building 6.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1, the container yard 2 of the container terminal 1 has a pair of lanes R1 and R2. Lane R1 and lane R2 are arranged adjacent to each other. Since the detection device 26 is provided only on one side in the lateral direction, the crane 10 is arranged so that the detection device 26 corresponds to the loading lane. Therefore, the crane 10A of lane R1 is arranged with its orientation rotated 180° relative to the crane 10B of lane R2. Note that in FIG. 1, the reference orientation of the antenna 27 of the crane 10A of lane R1 is indicated by "orientation DA." Orientation DA faces the positive side of the X direction. The reference orientation of the antenna of the crane 10B of lane R2 is indicated by "orientation DB." Orientation DB faces the negative side of the X direction.

[0028] For example, FIG. 3 is a front view showing a pair of crane 10A of lane R1 and crane 10B of lane R2. As shown in FIG. 3, a loading lane RL for a transport vehicle 29 relative to crane 10A is set at the negative end of lane R1 in the Y direction. Crane 10A has a detection device 26 above the loading lane RL. A loading lane RL for a transport vehicle 29 relative to crane 10B is set at the positive end of lane R2 in the Y direction. Crane 10B has a detection device 26 above the loading lane RL. An overtaking lane RP is formed between the loading lane RL of lane R1 and the loading lane RL of lane R2. This overtaking lane RP is a lane for another transport vehicle 29 to overtake a transport vehicle 29 performing work in the loading lane RL. Because crane 10B is positioned 180° rotated from crane 10A, lanes R1 and R2 are positioned adjacent to each other. Therefore, the passing lane RP can be shared by lanes R1 and R2.

[0029] As described above, the orientations of the cranes 10A and 10B differ by 180 degrees, and therefore the orientations of the antennas 27 are also different. For example, the base axis AX of the antennas 27 of the cranes 10A and 10B is set to face the end on the opposite side of the lateral movement direction in the Y direction. In this case, the orientation of the antenna 27 of the crane 10A is on the positive side of the Y direction, and the orientation of the antenna 27 of the crane 10B is on the negative side of the Y direction. In this way, if the relative orientation of the antenna 27 with respect to the crane 10A and the relative orientation of the antenna 27 with respect to the crane 10B are the same, the orientation of the antenna 27 of the crane 10A and the orientation of the antenna 27 of the crane 10B, as viewed from the administration building 6, are in a positional relationship rotated 180 degrees.

[0030] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the functions of a crane control system 100 according to this embodiment. The crane control system 100 is a system that controls a plurality of cranes 10. As shown in Fig. 4, the crane control system 100 includes a plurality of cranes 10 and an administration building 6. Note that the block diagram of Fig. 4 shows a crane control device 30 included in the crane 10, and an information processing device 50 included in the administration building 6.

[0031] The crane control device 30 and the information processing device 50 may be configured as a general computer, including, for example, a processor, memory, storage, a communication interface, and a user interface. The processor is a computing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The memory is a storage unit such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage is a storage unit (storage medium) such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The communication interface is a communication device that realizes data communication. The processor controls the memory, storage, communication interface, and user interface. The crane control device 30 and the information processing device 50 realize various functions, for example, by loading a program stored in ROM into RAM and executing the program loaded into RAM with the CPU. The user interface of the crane control device 30 and the information processing device 50 includes output devices such as a display for visual output and a speaker for audio output, as well as input devices such as a control lever, buttons, a keyboard, a touch panel, and a microphone. The information processing device 50 may be configured by one computer installed in one location, or may be configured by multiple computers, or may be installed in a distributed state at multiple locations. The information processing device 50 may be located at a location different from the administration building 6.

[0032] The crane control device 30 includes a communication unit 31, an information acquisition unit 32, a drive control unit 33, and a calculation unit 34. The communication unit 31 transmits and receives various information by communicating with other devices. The communication unit 31 communicates via the antenna 27 described above. The information acquisition unit 32 acquires information indicating various states for the crane 10 to perform automatic operation. The information acquisition unit 32 acquires information from various sensors provided on the crane 10. The drive control unit 33 controls the drive by transmitting control signals to drive units such as motors of the crane 10. When an operation is performed by an operator, the drive control unit 33 controls the drive in accordance with the operation. During automatic operation, the drive control unit 33 controls the drive so as to realize the operation calculated by the calculation unit 34. The calculation unit 34 performs various calculations related to the crane 10. During automatic operation, the calculation unit 34 calculates the operation details of the crane 10.

[0033] The information processing device 50 includes a communication unit 51, a relative position information acquisition unit 52, a crane orientation determination unit 53, an antenna orientation determination unit 54, and a storage unit 56. The communication unit 31 transmits and receives various information by communicating with other devices. The communication unit 31 can communicate with the communication unit 31 of each crane 10 via the base station 7. The storage unit 56 stores various information.

[0034] The relative position information acquisition unit 52 acquires relative position information between a specific crane 10 having a directional antenna 27 and a base station 7 with respect to the antenna 27. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the coordinates (X, Y) in the XY coordinate system of the crane 10 related to the object of calculation are acquired. Meanwhile, the relative position information acquisition unit 52 knows in advance the coordinates (Xs, Ys) of the base station 7 in the XY coordinate system. Therefore, the relative position information acquisition unit 52 acquires the relative position between the crane 10 and the base station 7 from the coordinates (X, Y) and (Xs, Ys). The relative position is represented as (X-Xs, Y-Ys).

[0035] Here, the relative position information acquisition unit 52 acquires relative position information of a predetermined crane 10 based on GPS information. A device for acquiring GPS (Global Positioning System) information is provided in, for example, the crane control device 30. Note that the means for acquiring the relative position information is not particularly limited, and the relative position information may be acquired based on information obtained by a method using an encoder calibrated using an RFID tag or a transponder, or the like.

[0036] The crane orientation determination unit 53 determines the orientation of a specific crane 10. The crane orientation determination unit 53 determines the orientation of a specific crane 10 based on a data table that associates the lane to which the crane 10 belongs with the orientation of each crane 10. For example, the crane orientation determination unit 53 may acquire a data table such as that shown in FIG. 6. The data table is stored in the storage unit 56. The data table shown in FIG. 6 associates coordinate information defining the lane range with the orientation of a crane present in the lane. "X1," "X2," "Y1," and "Y2" in the data table indicate the X and Y coordinates of the four corners of the target lane, as shown in FIG. 5. Note that the "crane orientation" in the data table is indicated as "1" when the reference orientation of the antenna 27 is on the positive side of the X direction, and as "0" when the reference orientation of the antenna 27 is on the negative side of the X direction.

[0037] The crane orientation determination unit 53 identifies the range of the lane in the data table to which the coordinates (X, Y) of the predetermined crane 10 to be determined belong. Once the crane orientation determination unit 53 has identified the lane of the predetermined crane 10, it determines the orientation of the crane 10 by referring to the "crane orientation" linked to the lane.

[0038] The antenna orientation determination unit 54 determines the orientation of the antenna 27 based on the determination result by the crane orientation determination unit 53 and the relative position information acquired by the relative position information acquisition unit 52. The antenna orientation determination unit 54 acquires the relative position information (X-Xs, Y-Ys) from the relative position information acquisition unit 52. As shown in FIG. 7 , the antenna orientation determination unit 54 calculates the relative angle θxy of the crane 10 with respect to the base station 7. The relative angle θxy is defined by the angle between the Y axis and a line L1 connecting the antenna 27 and the base station 7. Such a relative angle θxy is expressed by the following equation (1). θxy=tan -1 (X-Xs) / (Y-Ys) …(1)

[0039] Next, the antenna orientation determination unit 54 performs angle inversion processing according to the predetermined orientation of the crane 10. Specifically, if the data table determines that "crane orientation: 1," the antenna orientation determination unit 54 determines the relative angle θxy calculated by equation (1) as the antenna orientation. On the other hand, if the data table determines that "crane orientation: 0," the antenna orientation determination unit 54 determines the angle obtained by subtracting the relative angle θxy calculated by equation (1) from 180° as the antenna orientation.

[0040] The information processing device 50 may transmit the orientation of the antenna 27 determined by the antenna orientation determination unit 54 to the crane control device 30 of the crane 10 that is the subject of the determination. This allows the crane 10 to adjust the orientation of the antenna 27 to the determined angle. In this case, the orientation of the antenna 27 is automatically adjusted to face the base station 7 without any user intervention. The antenna 27 may be configured to be changeable to the orientation determined by the antenna orientation determination unit 54. Specifically, the antenna 27 may have a drive unit that can automatically change its orientation. The information processing device 50 may transmit a control signal to the drive unit so that the antenna 27 is at the angle determined by the antenna orientation determination unit 54. Alternatively, the information processing device 50 may output the orientation of the antenna 27 determined by the antenna orientation determination unit 54 to the user. This allows the user to adjust the orientation of the antenna 27 based on the output information. In this case, the user manually adjusts the orientation of the antenna 27 to face the base station 7. When the user manually adjusts the orientation of antenna 27, the orientation of antenna 27 may be adjusted to face base station 7 without using antenna orientation determination unit 54. For example, the orientation of antenna 27 may be determined in advance for each lane, and when crane 10 moves to a different lane, the user may manually adjust antenna 27 so that it faces a predetermined direction.

[0041] Next, a process for determining the orientation of the antenna 27 of the crane 10 will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the process for determining the orientation of any of the cranes 10. First, the crane orientation determination unit 53 acquires a data table such as that shown in FIG. 6 from the storage unit 56 (step S10: crane orientation determination step). At this time, the crane orientation determination unit 53 acquires range parameter information for each lane. Next, the relative position information acquisition unit 52 detects the position of the crane 10 and determines whether the position has been detected (step S20: relative position information acquisition step, crane orientation determination step). If it is determined in step S20 that the position of the crane 10 has not been detected, the relative position information acquisition unit 52 outputs a warning (step S30) and repeats step S20 again. If it is determined in step S20 that the position of the crane 10 has been detected, the crane orientation determination unit 53 identifies the range of the lane in the data table to which the coordinates (X, Y) of the crane 10 belong (step S40: crane orientation determination step). The crane direction determination unit 53 determines the direction of the crane 10 by referring to the "crane direction" associated with the lane identified in step S40 (step S50: crane direction determination step). After step S50 is completed, the process is repeated again from step S20 at any timing.

[0042] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the process of determining the orientation of the antenna 27 based on the orientation of the crane 10 determined in FIG. 8. First, the antenna orientation determination unit 54 acquires the relative position information (X-Xs, Y-Ys) of the crane 10 from the relative position information acquisition unit 52 (step S110: relative position information acquisition step). Next, the antenna orientation determination unit 54 calculates the relative angle θxy of the crane 10 with respect to the base station 7 using the above-mentioned equation (1) (step S120: antenna orientation determination step). Next, the antenna orientation determination unit 54 performs angle inversion processing according to the orientation of the crane 10 determined in step S50 of FIG. 8 (step S130: antenna orientation determination step). After step S130 is completed, the process is repeated again from step S110 at any timing.

[0043] Next, the functions and effects of the crane control system 100 and the crane control method according to this embodiment will be described.

[0044] In this crane control system 100, the relative position information acquisition unit 52 acquires relative position information between a specific crane 10 equipped with a directional antenna 27 and the base station 7 with respect to the antenna 27. The antenna orientation determination unit 54 determines the orientation of the antenna 27 based on the relative position information. This allows the antenna orientation determination unit 54 to determine the orientation of the antenna 27 based on the positional relationship between the crane 10 and the base station 7. Even if cranes 10A and 10B with different orientations exist, the crane orientation determination unit 53 can determine the orientation of the crane 10. The antenna orientation determination unit 54 then determines the orientation of the antenna 27 based on the determination result by the crane orientation determination unit 53. Therefore, the antenna orientation determination unit 54 can accurately determine the orientation of the antenna 27 taking into account the orientation of the crane 10. By accurately determining the orientation of the antenna 27 in this way, the accuracy of communication by the crane 10 can be improved.

[0045] The crane direction determination unit 53 may determine the direction of a given crane 10 based on a data table that associates the lane to which the crane 10 belongs with the direction of each crane 10. In this case, the crane direction determination unit 53 can easily determine the direction of the crane 10 based on the data table prepared in advance.

[0046] The relative position information acquisition unit 52 may acquire the relative position information of a predetermined crane 10 based on GPS information. In this case, the relative position information acquisition unit 52 can easily and accurately acquire the relative position information of the crane 10.

[0047] The antenna 27 may be configured to be changeable to a direction determined by the antenna direction determination unit 54. In this case, the antenna 27 can be oriented in the direction determined by the antenna direction determination unit 54.

[0048] The crane control method is a crane control method for controlling a crane 10, and includes a relative position information acquisition step for acquiring relative position information between a specified crane 10 having a directional antenna 27 and a base station 7 with respect to the antenna 27, a crane orientation determination step for determining the orientation of the specified crane 10, and an antenna orientation determination step for determining the orientation of the antenna 27 based on the determination result by the crane orientation determination step and the relative position information acquired in the relative position information acquisition step.

[0049] According to the crane control method of this embodiment, the same functions and effects as those of the crane control system 100 described above can be obtained.

[0050] The antenna adjustment method is an antenna adjustment method for adjusting the orientation of a directional antenna 27 provided on a crane 10, and adjusts the orientation of the antenna 27 so that it faces the base station 7 based on the relative positions of the base station 7 and the antenna 27 with respect to the antenna 27.

[0051] In this antenna adjustment method, the orientation of the antenna 27 is adjusted so that it faces the base station 7 based on the relative positions of the base station 7 and the antenna 27 with respect to the antenna 27. This allows the antenna 27 to be accurately directed toward the base station 7 based on the relative positions of the base station 7 and the antenna 27. This improves the accuracy of communication with the crane 10.

[0052] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0053] Although the crane orientation determination unit 53 determines the orientation of the crane 10 using a data table, the determination method is not particularly limited, and the orientation of the crane 10 may be determined without using a data table. For example, the crane 10 to be determined may detect its own orientation, and the crane orientation determination unit 53 may determine the orientation of the crane 10 based on the detection result.

[0054] The position of the control building 6 within the container terminal 1 is not limited to that in the above-described embodiment. For example, the control building 6 may be located at the end in the X direction. In this case, the change in the position of the antenna 27 relative to the base station 7 caused by the movement of each crane 10 is small, but if the orientation of the antenna 27 is reversed, accurate communication with the base station 7 cannot be performed. Therefore, the antenna orientation determination unit 54 can correctly determine the orientation of the antenna 27 by using the determination result of the orientation of the crane 10.

[0055] [Form 1] A crane control system for controlling a crane, a predetermined crane equipped with a directional antenna; and a relative position information acquisition unit that acquires relative position information of the antenna and a base station; a crane orientation determination unit that determines the orientation of the predetermined crane; an antenna orientation determination unit that determines the orientation of the antenna based on the determination result by the crane orientation determination unit and the relative position information acquired by the relative position information acquisition unit. [Form 2] 2. The crane control system according to claim 1, wherein the crane direction determination unit determines the direction of the predetermined crane based on a data table that associates the lane to which the crane belongs with the direction of each crane. [Form 3] 3. The crane control system according to claim 1, wherein the relative position information acquisition unit acquires the relative position information of the predetermined crane based on GPS information. [Form 4] The crane control system according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the antenna is configured to be changeable to the orientation determined by the antenna orientation determination unit. [Form 5] A crane control method for controlling a crane, comprising: a relative position information acquisition step of acquiring relative position information between a predetermined crane having a directional antenna and a base station with respect to the antenna; a crane orientation determination step of determining the orientation of the predetermined crane; an antenna orientation determination step of determining an orientation of the antenna based on the determination result in the crane orientation determination step and the relative position information acquired in the relative position information acquisition step. [Form 6] An antenna adjustment method for adjusting the orientation of a directional antenna provided on a crane, comprising: An antenna adjustment method for adjusting the direction of the antenna so that it faces the base station based on a relative position of the base station and the antenna with respect to the antenna. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 10...Crane, 7...Base station, 27...Antenna, 52...Relative position information acquisition unit, 53...Crane orientation determination unit, 54...Antenna orientation determination unit, 100...Crane control system.

Claims

1. A crane control system for controlling a crane, a predetermined crane equipped with a directional antenna; and a relative position information acquisition unit that acquires relative position information of the antenna and a base station; a crane orientation determination unit that determines the orientation of the predetermined crane; an antenna orientation determination unit that determines the orientation of the antenna based on the determination result by the crane orientation determination unit and the relative position information acquired by the relative position information acquisition unit.

2. 2. The crane control system according to claim 1, wherein the crane direction determination unit determines the direction of the predetermined crane based on a data table that associates the lane to which the crane belongs with the direction of each crane.

3. The crane control system according to claim 1 , wherein the relative position information acquisition unit acquires the relative position information of the predetermined crane based on GPS information.

4. The crane control system according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna is configured to be changeable to the orientation determined by the antenna orientation determination unit.

5. A crane control method for controlling a crane, comprising: a relative position information acquisition step of acquiring relative position information between a predetermined crane having a directional antenna and a base station with respect to the antenna; a crane orientation determination step of determining the orientation of the predetermined crane; an antenna orientation determination step of determining an orientation of the antenna based on the determination result in the crane orientation determination step and the relative position information acquired in the relative position information acquisition step.

6. An antenna adjustment method for adjusting the orientation of a directional antenna provided on a crane, comprising: determining an orientation of the crane; acquiring relative position information of the antenna with respect to a base station; and adjusting the orientation of the antenna so that it faces the base station based on the determined orientation of the crane and the acquired relative position information.

Images