Ocean Freight Container Management Methods, Procedures, and Ocean Freight Container Management System

Abstract

The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for managing ocean freight container operations, which reduces the risk of human error when manually confirming container numbers and can also flexibly respond to unexpected situations. A method for managing ocean freight containers uses an ocean freight container management system for managing operations on ocean freight containers. The ocean freight container management system includes: a first transmitter, installed on a first work vehicle performing operations on the ocean freight container, which wirelessly transmits a first signal; and a second receiver, installed on a second work vehicle performing operations on the ocean freight container, which receives the wireless signal. The method includes: a first transmitting step, in which the first transmitter wirelessly transmits the first signal to the second receiver; a second receiving step, in which the second receiver receives the first signal; and a second operation start step, in which the second work vehicle begins operations on the ocean freight container based on the second receiving step.

Description

Shipping container management method, program and shipping container management system The present invention relates to a method, program and management system for managing ocean containers, and more particularly to a method for managing operations performed on ocean containers by operating vehicles. Typically, within port gates, the shipping containers operated by container trailers, straddle carriers, overhead cranes, and other operating vehicles, as well as their operation sequence, are managed by a shipping container management system. The container management system identifies containers by their container numbers. Inside the port gate, operators visually confirm the container numbers and verify that the container being handled by the next vehicle is the correct one. The inventors of this case have proposed a shipping container management system that can reduce human errors by utilizing the ETC system when passing through the gate (for example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior Art Document] [Patent Document] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 6202284 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent No. 6332887 [Problems to be solved by the invention] However, when manually checking the container number to see if it's the correct container, there's a risk of misreading the container number. Furthermore, in cases where a container is a so-called "nikoichi," where two or more containers are combined and repaired, the container numbers written on the top and sides may differ. This creates the risk of human error when checking different containers. Furthermore, in conventional shipping container management systems, if an emergency occurs, such as a shipping container being lost or a work vehicle breaking down, the site is likely to be shut down until the situation is understood and the shipping container management system changes the work sequence. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a method for managing marine container operations, etc., which reduces the risk of human error when manually confirming container numbers and can also flexibly respond to unexpected situations. [Means for Solving the Problem] A first aspect of the present invention provides a method for managing shipping containers using a shipping container management system for managing operations on the shipping containers. The shipping container management system comprises: a first transmitter, mounted on a first working vehicle performing operations on the shipping container, for wirelessly transmitting a first signal; and a second receiver, mounted on a second working vehicle performing operations on the shipping container, for receiving the wireless signal. The shipping container management method includes: a first transmitting step, wherein the first transmitter wirelessly transmits the first signal to the second receiver; a second receiving step, wherein the second receiver receives the first signal; and a second operation starting step, wherein the second working vehicle initiates operations on the shipping container in response to the second receiving step. A second aspect of the present invention is the method for managing seaborne containers according to the first aspect, wherein the first transmitter has a unique number that is not duplicated with transmitters installed on other work vehicles, and in the first sending step, the first signal sent by the first transmitter includes the unique number. A third aspect of the present invention is the shipping container management method according to the second aspect, wherein the shipping container management system further comprises a determination unit for determining whether the received information is correct, and the shipping container management method further comprises a determination step for determining whether the inherent number included in the first signal is appropriate. A fourth aspect of the present invention is the marine container management method according to the third aspect, wherein the marine container management system further comprises an operation flow storage unit, the operation flow storage unit storing an operation flow list in which the container number of the marine container is associated with the unique number. The marine container management method further comprises a container number acquisition step, wherein the container number is acquired before the determination step, and in the determination step, the determination unit performs determination based on the operation flow list. A fifth aspect of the present invention is the marine container management method according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the marine container management system further comprises a second transmitter, the second transmitter being mounted on the second work vehicle and capable of transmitting a second signal to the marine container management system, the marine container management method further comprising a second transmitting step, wherein the second transmitter transmits the second signal to the marine container management system after the second receiving step. A sixth aspect of the present invention is the method for managing a shipping container according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the shipping container management system further comprises a second control unit for controlling the second work vehicle, and in the second operation start step, the second control unit controls the second work vehicle to start an operation on the shipping container, or controls a second display unit of the second work vehicle to display information about the shipping container being the target of the operation. A seventh aspect of the present invention is the marine container management method according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the marine container management system further comprises: a second GPS receiver for receiving position information of the second work vehicle in real time; and a position determination unit for determining whether the position of the second work vehicle is appropriate. The marine container management method further includes a position determination step, wherein the position determination unit determines whether the position of the second work vehicle is appropriate based on a signal received by the second GPS receiver. An eighth aspect of the present invention is the shipping container management method according to the seventh aspect, wherein the shipping container management system further comprises: a first base station that receives the position information; and a position correction unit that corrects the position information. The shipping container management method further includes a position correction step, wherein the position correction unit corrects information related to the position of the second work vehicle using the first base station signal received by the first base station. A ninth aspect of the present invention is the method for managing a shipping container according to the eighth aspect, wherein the shipping container management system further comprises a second base station, the second base station being separate from the first base station and receiving the position information separately. In the position correction step, the position correction unit corrects information related to the position of the second work vehicle using, in addition to the first base station signal, a second base station signal received by the second base station. A tenth aspect of the present invention is the method for managing marine containers according to the eighth aspect, wherein the first base station is installed in a container terminal where the second work vehicle is located. An eleventh aspect of the present invention is the method for managing marine containers according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, wherein the first transmitter is an ETC vehicle-mounted device and the second receiver is a DSRC antenna. A twelfth aspect of the present invention is the marine container management method according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, wherein the marine container management system includes a first control unit for controlling the first work vehicle, and the marine container management method further includes a first travel control step, wherein, before the first sending step, the first control unit controls the first work vehicle to maintain a distance greater than a certain distance from a work vehicle traveling ahead of the first work vehicle and to prevent the first work vehicle from overtaking the work vehicle traveling ahead of the first work vehicle. A 13th aspect of the present invention is the method for managing marine containers according to the 12th aspect, wherein, in the second travel control step, the second control unit controls the second work vehicle to travel only on a one-way road. A fourteenth aspect of the present invention is a program that enables a computer included in the shipping container management system to execute the shipping container management method according to any one of the first to thirteenth aspects. A fifteenth aspect of the present invention is a shipping container management system that manages operations on shipping containers. The shipping container management system comprises: a first transmitter, mounted on a first work vehicle performing operations on the shipping container, that wirelessly transmits a first signal; a second receiver, mounted on a second work vehicle performing operations on the shipping container, that receives the wireless signal; and a second control unit that controls the second work vehicle. The second control unit, upon receipt of the first signal by the second receiver, controls the second work vehicle to initiate operations on the shipping container or controls a second display unit of the second work vehicle to display information about the shipping container being operated on. [Effects of the Invention] According to various aspects of the present invention, the first and second work vehicles can collaborate and autonomously perform operations on a shipping container without manual confirmation. This makes it easier to eliminate human errors such as misreading or miscommunication of the container number written on the shipping container, allowing for quick and accurate operations. Furthermore, if a system error occurs, the first and second work vehicles can communicate with each other and transfer the ocean container. This provides an ocean container management method that allows operations to continue without waiting for system recovery and can flexibly respond to unexpected situations. Furthermore, unlike a centralized system where the central management department transmits all instructions to each work vehicle, it is a decentralized system where the work vehicles communicate directly with each other. Therefore, even if the number of work vehicles increases, it is easy to suppress the increase in the burden on the central management department. Here, if the ocean container is not identified and checked based on the container number, there is a risk that the first work vehicle and the second work vehicle may be confused with each other as the work vehicle to deliver the ocean container. Therefore, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the first work vehicle can be identified as the appropriate work vehicle by the unique number of the first transmitter provided on the first work vehicle. Therefore, the transfer of ocean containers within the terminal can be performed accurately without relying on the container number. Furthermore, according to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to quickly and accurately determine that the first work vehicle is an appropriate work vehicle. Furthermore, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the work vehicle is appropriate but the shipping container to be worked on is wrong, the error can be easily detected. Furthermore, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the system can grasp the progress of the work status through direct communication between the first work vehicle and the second work vehicle. Furthermore, according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, by directly communicating between the first work vehicle and the second work vehicle, it is easy to perform work autonomously and accurately without intervening in a system. Furthermore, according to the sixth or fifteenth aspect, when the second work vehicle is automatically controlled, the second work step can be selected, and when the second work vehicle is controlled by the driver, the second work display step can be selected. Furthermore, according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, operations on sea containers can be more reliably performed using appropriate work vehicles. Furthermore, according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the position information of the work vehicle can be corrected using GPS, which is known to have errors. Previously, the correction of errors in the position information of work vehicles within the container terminal has not been given much attention. However, the inventors of this application have recognized the importance of this issue and have focused on it in order to achieve highly automated operations within the container terminal. Furthermore, according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the deviation of the work vehicle's position information on a two-dimensional plane, three-dimensional deviations can also be corrected. This allows for appropriate position information correction even when a three-dimensional deviation such as ground uplift or collapse occurs at the base station due to an earthquake. Furthermore, according to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the base station is located near the work vehicle. Therefore, even if the ground shifts at some location due to an earthquake, the work vehicle's position information can be corrected without requiring a high probability update of the base station's position information. Here, the loading or unloading of ocean containers loaded with dangerous goods such as fireworks is called hot delivery. The ocean containers are not stored in the container yard, but are guided directly from the gate to the overhead crane by external trucks. Therefore, according to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, even if the truck is not a dedicated truck in the container yard, the first sending step and the second receiving step of direct communication between the truck and the overhead crane can be realized. In addition, by adopting the ETC system, the overall cost of the marine container management system can be easily reduced. Furthermore, ETC is installed on vehicles traveling on public roads. Vehicles traveling solely within container yards equipped with ETC devices or DSRC antennas, as in the present invention, are generally not used. In particular, utilizing the ETC system to facilitate inter-vehicle communication, as in the present invention, represents a unique technical concept developed by the inventors. Furthermore, according to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, even when the first control unit autonomously drives the first work vehicle, the risk of the first work vehicle colliding with other work vehicles can be significantly reduced. Therefore, the autonomous driving speed of the first work vehicle can be increased as much as possible, thereby speeding up the overall work speed. Furthermore, according to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, even if the first control unit autonomously drives the first work vehicle, a head-on collision between the first work vehicles can be avoided. Therefore, it is easier to increase the autonomous driving speed of the first work vehicle and speed up the overall work speed. In addition, if the first work vehicle is regarded as a container trailer traveling in the container yard, and the second work vehicle is regarded as a straddle carrier, a mobile bridge container crane (transtainer) or an overhead crane, then the various aspects of the present invention are applicable not only to the straddle carrier method, but also to the mobile bridge container crane method. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG1 is a block diagram illustrating an overview of a shipping container management system 1 according to this embodiment. Referring to Figure 1 , a shipping container management system 1 (an example of a "shipping container management system" in the claims of this application) includes a container trailer 3, a central management unit 5, a gate 7, a transfer point (TP) 9, a straddle carrier 11 (an example of a "first work vehicle" in the claims of this application), and an overhead crane 13 (an example of a "second work vehicle" in the claims of this application). In this embodiment, the container trailer 3 is assumed to transport a shipping container 15 (an example of a "shipping container" in the claims of this application) to a container yard. The container trailer 3 is a work vehicle used to transport ocean-going containers 15. The container trailer 3 includes a container trailer control unit 31, a container trailer ETC device 33, and a container trailer communication unit 35. The container trailer control unit 31 controls the container trailer 3. The container trailer ETC device 33 is an ETC device included in the container trailer 3. The container trailer communication unit 35 communicates with the central management unit 5. The central management unit 5 manages all operations related to the ocean container 15. The central management unit 5 includes a central control unit 51, a central communication unit 53, a central storage unit 55 (an example of an "operation process storage unit" in the claims of this application), and a central determination unit 57. The central control unit 51 controls the central management unit 5. The central communication unit 53 communicates with various communication units within the container yard. The central storage unit 55 stores a list of operation processes related to the ocean container 15 and their progress status. The container number of the ocean container is associated with the unique number in the ETC device and recorded in the operation process list. The central determination unit 57 determines whether the overhead crane 13 can load a specific ocean container 15 onto the ship. The gate 7 inspects the container trailer 3 and the shipping container 15 when the container trailer 3 enters the container yard. The gate 7 includes a gate communication unit 71 and a gate antenna 73. The gate communication unit 71 communicates with the central management unit 5. The gate antenna 73 is a DSRC antenna installed on the gate. TP9 is a place for placing the ocean container 15 transported by the container trailer 3. TP9 has a TP communication unit 91 and a TP antenna 93. The TP communication unit 91 communicates with the central management unit 5. The TP antenna 93 is a DSRC antenna installed on the TP. The straddle-lift truck 11 transports the ocean container 15 from TP9 to the overhead crane 13. The straddle-lift truck 11 has a truck control unit 111 (another example of the "first control unit" in the claims of this application), a truck determination unit 113, a truck ETC 115 (an example of the "first transmitter" and the "ETC vehicle-mounted device" in the claims of this application), and a truck communication unit 117. The truck control unit 111 controls the straddle-lift truck 11. The truck determination unit 113 determines the ocean container 15 as the object of the straddle-lift truck 11's operation. The truck ETC 115 is an ETC device possessed by the straddle-lift truck 11. The truck communication unit 117 communicates with the central management unit 5. In addition, the truck determination unit 113 may also be a part of the truck control unit 111. Overhead crane 13 loads ocean containers onto a ship. Overhead crane 13 includes a crane control unit 131, a crane antenna 133 (an example of a "second receiver" and a "DSRC antenna" in the claims of this application), a crane communication unit 135, and a crane display unit 137. The crane control unit 131 controls overhead crane 13. The crane antenna 133 is a DSRC antenna included in overhead crane 13. The crane communication unit 135 communicates with the central management unit 5. The crane display unit 137 displays information about the ocean containers being operated by overhead crane 13 to the operator of overhead crane 13. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of application of the shipping container management system 1 according to this embodiment. Referring to Figure 2 , a shipping container 15 is transported by a container trailer 3 through a gate 7 to TP 9 within the container yard. A straddle carrier 11 transports the shipping container 15 from TP 9 to a predetermined location near an overhead crane 13. Once the shipping container 15 is near the overhead crane 13, the overhead crane 13 loads it onto a ship 21. Furthermore, the central communication unit 53 communicates with the container trailer communication unit 35, the gate communication unit 71, the TP communication unit 91, the transport vehicle communication unit 117 and the crane communication unit 135 by wireless at any time. FIG3 is a flowchart illustrating an overview of a method for managing shipping containers using the shipping container management system 1 of this embodiment. First, the freight forwarder logs in the container number, container type, container trailer vehicle number, cargo, shipping destination and other information according to the consignor's entrustment, and entrusts the shipping agent to move the sea container into (export) or out of (import) the terminal. If the shipping agent has all the required information, he will determine and arrange the container trailer and driver. The sea container management system 1 records an operation process list, which records the sea container number, container trailer vehicle number, operation process, etc. in a corresponding manner (an example of the "container number acquisition step" recorded in the request of this application). The dispatcher of the shipping agent notifies the driver by means of instructions or SNS. The driver who receives the notification drives the container trailer to the gate. Referring to Figure 3, a container trailer 3 loaded with an ocean container 15 to be loaded arrives at the container yard and undergoes inspection at gate 7 (step S01). The gate communication unit 71 communicates the container number of the ocean container to the central management unit 5 via gate-to-gate communication. The container trailer 3, passing through gate 7, transports the ocean container 15 to the designated TP 9. At this point, the container trailer ETC 33 on the container trailer 3 communicates the container number to the TP antenna 93 located at TP 9 (step S02). The TP communication unit 91 located at TP 9 communicates the container number to the central management unit 5 via T-tube communication (step T01). Through this communication, the central management unit 5 determines which ocean container 15 with the container number has arrived at TP 9. The central management unit 5 stores the updated information received through the T-tube communication in the central storage unit 55 (step A01). The container trailer 3 completes the operation of placing the ocean container 15 at the designated TP9 (step S03 ), and then moves from TP9 to the gate 7 and exits the container yard (step S04 ). The central management unit 5 sends a pipe-span communication to the straddle carrier 11, including a movement instruction to load the ocean container 15 onto TP 9 (step A02). This pipe-span communication instructs the straddle carrier 11 where to go to pick up the ocean container 15 with a specific container number. The straddle carrier 11 receives the pipe-span communication and proceeds to TP 9 to pick up the ocean container 15 (step C01). The straddle carrier 11 that arrives at TP9 determines which ocean container 15 to load and transport (step C02). Typically, the straddle carrier 11 loads the ocean container 15 whose container number has been assigned to the central management unit 5. However, if the carrier determination unit 113 determines that it would be faster to retrieve a nearby ocean container 15, the carrier control unit 111 may control the straddle carrier 11 to load and transport the nearby ocean container 15. Thus, in the shipping container management system 1 of this embodiment, the transport vehicle control unit 111 allows the loading and transport of the shipping containers 15 to be executed in a different order from the instruction of the central management unit 5. Therefore, the shipping containers 15 can be managed flexibly and quickly. If the straddle-lift truck 11 arrives near the overhead crane 13 (step C03), the truck ETC 115 of the straddle-lift truck 11 performs straddle-to-overhead communication with the crane antenna 133 of the overhead crane. This is direct communication that does not go through the central management unit 5, and is a communication of a truck signal (an example of the "first signal" in the claims of this application) containing a truck ETC number (an example of the "inherent number" in the claims of this application) that is inherent in the truck ETC 115 (step C04). Step C04 is an example of the "first sending step" and "second receiving step" in the claims of this application. The crane communication unit 135 that receives the straddle-to-overhead communication performs overhead communication with the central management unit 5 containing the truck ETC number (step G01). Step G01 is an example of the "second sending step" in the claims of this application. When the straddle carrier 11 places the ocean container 15 at a predetermined location near the overhead crane 13 , it moves away from the overhead crane 13 and waits for the next instruction. The central management unit 5 stores the information updated by the received high-pressure-control communication in the central storage unit 55 (step A03). Furthermore, the central determination unit 57 (an example of the "determination unit" in the claims of this application) of the central management unit 5 determines whether it is an appropriate time to load the ocean container 15 having the container number corresponding to the received transport vehicle ETC number by the overhead crane 13 based on the work flow list (step A04). Step A04 is an example of the "determination step" in the claims of this application. The central management unit 5 stores the information updated based on the determination result in the central storage unit 55 (step A05). Furthermore, the central management unit 5 performs control-high-pressure communication including the communication of the determination result to the overhead crane 13 (step A06). Upon receiving the pipe-to-height communication indicating that the timing is appropriate, the overhead crane 13 performs an operation on the ocean container 15 transported by the straddle carrier 11 (step G02). In other words, the overhead crane 13 uses the straddle-to-height communication as a trigger (moment) to communicate with the central management unit to perform the operation on the ocean container (an example of the "second operation starting step" in the claims of this application). On the other hand, the overhead crane 13, having received a pipe-to-pipe communication indicating that the timing is not appropriate, does not perform any operation on the ocean container 15 being transported by the straddle carrier 11. Furthermore, a pipe-to-pipe communication and a pipe-to-straddle communication are respectively performed, each indicating that the operation is to be performed on the central management unit 5 and the straddle carrier 11. The central management unit 5, having received the pipe-to-pipe communication, does not update the information because the situation has not changed significantly. The straddle carrier 11, having received the pipe-to-straddle communication, places the ocean container 15 at a nearby predetermined location and awaits the next instruction at a location away from the overhead crane 13. Furthermore, Figure 3 illustrates a process based on the premise of appropriate timing. The central management unit 5 repeats the above steps until there are no more shipping containers 15 to be managed. If there are no more shipping containers 15 to be managed, the process ends. Next, suppose that ocean container 15 is suddenly lost. In a fully centralized ocean container management system, since the ocean container being processed does not exist, the vehicle responsible for the operation cannot report back to the central management department. Consequently, subsequent operations cannot be carried out, causing the entire system to shut down. However, the marine container management system 1 of this embodiment utilizes an autonomous, distributed design. Therefore, even if one of the vehicles operating on a marine container 15 becomes immobilized, the remaining vehicles can continue operating autonomously. This provides a marine container management system 1 with robust capabilities for handling abnormal situations. Furthermore, in the autonomous distributed marine container management system 1 , when, for example, a straddle carrier 11 having a wide range of travel is autonomously driven, it is important to reduce the risk of accidents. Therefore, the transporter control unit 111 controls the straddle-lift transporter 11 so that it maintains a certain distance from other work vehicles traveling in front of the straddle-lift transporter 11. Furthermore, the transporter control unit 111 controls the straddle-lift transporter 11 so that it does not overtake other work vehicles traveling in front of the straddle-lift transporter 11. Using such transporter control units 111 to control the straddle-lift transporter 11 is an example of the "first travel control step" recorded in the claim of this application. Thereby, even if the transporter control unit 111 controls the straddle-lift transporter 11 and drives it independently, the risk of the straddle-lift transporter 11 colliding with other work vehicles can be greatly reduced. Therefore, the autonomous driving speed of the straddle-lift transporter 11 can be increased as much as possible, thereby speeding up the overall operating speed. Furthermore, the transporter control unit 111 controls the straddle-lift transporter 11 so that it operates only on one-way roads. In other words, the straddle-lift transporter 11 is driven so that it does not face other work vehicles. This prevents head-on collisions between the straddle-lift transporter 11 and other work vehicles, even when the transporter control unit 111 controls the straddle-lift transporter 11 to operate autonomously. This makes it easier to increase the autonomous driving speed of the straddle-lift transporter 11, speeding up overall operations. Furthermore, the above embodiment illustrates the export scenario, where ocean containers are brought into a container yard and loaded onto a ship. However, the ocean container management system 1 and ocean container management method of this embodiment are also effective for imports, where ocean containers unloaded from a ship are brought out of a container yard. In this case, rather than relying on the central management unit 5 to centrally instruct all work vehicles to issue reports, the work vehicles communicate via their ETC devices to their DSRC antennas, enabling flexible responses to unexpected situations. Furthermore, the burden on the central management unit can be reduced. Furthermore, the transport vehicle ETC 115 can also perform ETC communication with the TP antenna 93 when the straddle carrier 11 arrives at the TP 9. Furthermore, after the transport vehicle determination unit 113 determines the ocean container to be the target of the operation, the transport vehicle communication unit 117 can also communicate the container number of the ocean container to the central management unit 5. In this case, the central management unit 5, upon receiving the communication, can also store the updated information in the central storage unit 55. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention can also be applied to a mobile bridge container crane system using a mobile bridge container crane (another example of the "second work vehicle" described in the claims of this application) and a container trailer (another example of the "first work vehicle" described in the claims of this application) instead of the straddle carrier 11. In this case, the mobile bridge container crane can load the ocean container 15 onto the container trailer traveling in the container yard at TP 9, and the container trailer can transport the ocean container 15 from the mobile bridge container crane to the overhead crane 13. When loading ships using mobile overhead cranes, the marine container management system includes: lanes for stacking marine containers instead of TPs; mobile overhead cranes that operate across these lanes; and container trailers for use within the container yard. The mobile overhead cranes have DSRC antennas on their legs (other examples of the "second receiver" and "DSRC antenna" described in the claims of this application). The marine container management system can have multiple lanes, or a mobile overhead crane can be installed in each lane. Furthermore, the mobile bridge container crane may also be equipped with a GPS device, a GPS receiving device (an example of a "GPS receiving unit" described in the claims of this application) and a position determination unit (an example of a "position determination unit" described in the claims of this application) to self-verify whether it has moved to the correct working position of the sea container that is the object of the operation (an example of a "second position determination step" described in the claims of this application). Furthermore, the marine container management system may also include multiple base stations within the container terminal area that receive GPS signals. Here, the base stations include a receiving device that receives GPS signals and a reference position storage unit that stores its own reference position. GPS signals are known to exhibit deviations. Therefore, using only GPS signals may result in situations where a work vehicle cannot accurately determine its position. By placing base stations near the work vehicle, two-dimensional position deviations can be corrected. Furthermore, by placing multiple base stations near the work vehicle, even in the event of three-dimensional position deviations due to ground heave or collapse caused by earthquakes, the deviations can be corrected using relative position information from the multiple base stations. When a container trailer loaded with ocean containers passes through a gate, the central management department instructs the container trailer to move the ocean containers to the lane to which it should proceed. The container trailer moves the ocean containers to the indicated lane. When the container trailer approaches the lane, the container trailer ETC device (other examples of the "first transmitter" and "ETC vehicle-mounted device" described in the claims of this application) equipped with the container trailer conducts vehicle-to-bridge communication with the DSRC antenna of the mobile bridge container crane corresponding to the lane. This is direct communication without going through the central management department and includes the ETC number of the container trailer ETC device. The container crane communication unit equipped with the mobile bridge container crane conducts bridge-to-bridge communication with the central management department, which includes information on the specific unloading container trailer. Through this communication, the central management department knows which container trailer has arrived at which lane. The central management department determines whether the container trailer has arrived at the appropriate lane. The central management department also transmits the determination result to the container crane communication unit. If a container trailer arrives at an inappropriate lane, the mobile crane will transmit this information to the container trailer. At this time, the mobile crane can also transmit the appropriate lane to the container trailer. The central management unit stores the updated information received from the bridge-to-management communication in the central storage unit. If the container trailer is suitable, the mobile bridge container crane completes the operation of stacking the shipping container on the lane. The container trailer moves from the lane to the gate and exits the container yard. Next, a yard container truck moves the ocean container from the lane where the mobile overhead crane is stacked to the overhead crane. When the yard container truck approaches the lane, the ETC device on the yard container truck conducts yard-to-bridge communication with the DSRC antenna on the mobile overhead crane corresponding to that lane. This communication is direct, not through central management, and includes information specific to the yard container truck. The container crane communication unit on the mobile overhead crane then conducts bridge-to-pipe communication with the central management unit, including information specific to the yard container truck. This communication allows the central management unit to determine which yard container truck unloaded the ocean container from which lane. The central management unit determines whether the yard container truck has arrived at the appropriate lane and transmits the determination result to the container crane communication unit. If the yard container truck has arrived at an inappropriate lane, the mobile overhead crane transmits a notification to the yard container truck. At this time, the appropriate lane can also be transmitted from the mobile bridge container crane to the container trailer in the yard. The central management department stores the updated information received from the bridge-pipe communication in the central storage department. Conventional technology has made it impossible for a mobile overhead crane to determine which lane a container trailer carrying an inappropriate ocean container was originally destined for. However, the present invention automatically performs communication between the ETC device and the DSRC antenna when the container trailer approaches the mobile overhead crane, communication from the mobile overhead crane to the central management unit, a determination by the central management unit, and communication of the determination result from the central management unit to the mobile overhead crane. This allows the mobile overhead crane to automatically determine which lane an inappropriate container trailer was originally destined for. The mobile bridge crane completes the process of stacking the corresponding ocean-going containers onto the container trailer on the yard. The container trailer on the yard moves from the lane to the overhead crane. The subsequent loading operations and communication procedures for the overhead crane are the same as those in Example 1. Furthermore, there are cases where a road for container trailers is located on the right side of the roadway, and cases where a road is located on the left side. Therefore, a mobile overhead crane may have DSRC antennas on both legs. Alternatively, if there are multiple mobile overhead cranes, communication may be established only with container trailers traveling on a road near one leg of the mobile overhead crane. In this case, the mobile overhead crane may have a DSRC antenna on only one leg. Furthermore, in the case of an expedited shipment of an ocean container 15, the container trailer 3 loaded with the ocean container 15 can enter the container yard through gate 7 and then directly transport the ocean container 15 to the overhead crane 13 rather than to TP 9. In this case, the container trailer 3 entering through gate 7 becomes another example of the "first work vehicle" in the claims of this application. That is, vehicle-to-overhead communication can be established between the container trailer ETC 33 on the container trailer 3 and the crane antenna 133 on the overhead crane, including communication of the container number of the transported ocean container 15. Furthermore, in the present invention, a container trailer may also include an ETC device without a container trailer communication unit for communicating with a central management unit. Furthermore, if a container trailer includes a receiving unit or a container trailer communication unit for receiving signals from a central management unit or other device, the receiving unit or container trailer communication unit may also communicate with a display unit of a car navigation system or the like mounted on the container trailer, thereby displaying information on the display unit. As described above, in the present invention, each work vehicle equipped with an ETC device and / or DSRC antenna initiates operations based on communications from other work vehicles. This allows for an autonomous, decentralized marine container management system, rather than a centralized marine container management system, where operations are conducted through communication between work vehicles, without waiting for instructions from a central management unit. As a result, even if a work vehicle fails and is unable to complete a scheduled operation, the entire system can continue to operate and respond flexibly. The trigger signal mentioned above can include not only the container ID but also the destination or operation details of the receiving vehicle. By including this information in the signal transmitted directly between vehicles, it is easy to implement an autonomous, decentralized marine container management system without the need for a central management unit. Furthermore, in the present invention, vehicles other than the mobile overhead crane may also be equipped with a GPS receiver. 1: Ocean Container Management System 3: Container Trailer 31: Container Trailer Control Unit 33: Container Trailer ETC Device 35: Container Trailer Communication Unit 5: Central Management Unit 51: Central Control Unit 53: Central Communication Unit 55: Central Storage Unit 57: Central Determination Unit 7: Gate 71: Gate Communication Unit 73: Gate Antenna 9: Transfer Point (TP) 91: TP Communication Unit 93: TP Antenna 11: Straddle Carrier 111: Carrier Control Unit 113: Carrier Determination Unit 115: Carrier ETC 117: Carrier Communication Unit 13: Overhead Crane 131: Crane Control Unit 133: Crane Antenna 135: Crane Communication Unit 137: Crane Display Unit 15: Ocean Container 21: Ship S01-S04, T01, A01-A07, C01-C04, G01-G02: Steps FIG1 is a block diagram illustrating an overview of the marine container management system 1 of this embodiment. FIG2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the use of the marine container management system 1 of this embodiment. FIG3 is a flow chart illustrating an overview of a marine container management method using the marine container management system 1 of this embodiment.

Claims

1. A method for managing ocean-going containers, comprising a method for managing operations on ocean-going containers, the method comprising: a first transmitter mounted on a first operating vehicle for wirelessly transmitting a first signal; and a second receiver mounted on a second operating vehicle for receiving the wireless signal; the method comprising: a first transmitting step: the first transmitter wirelessly transmitting the first signal to the second receiver; a second receiving step: the second receiver receiving the first signal; a second operation start step: after completing the second receiving step, the second operating vehicle begins operations on the ocean-going container; the first transmitter having a unique serial number different from transmitters mounted on other operating vehicles, and the first signal transmitted in the first transmitting step containing the unique serial number; the method further comprising a determination unit for determining whether the received information is correct, the determination step comprising: determining whether the unique serial number contained in the first signal is appropriate.

2. As in Request 1, the method for managing ocean freight containers, wherein, The ocean freight container management system further includes a workflow memory unit to remember the container number of the ocean freight container and the workflow list corresponding to the unique number; and before the determination step, it includes a container number acquisition step to obtain the container number of the ocean freight container; in the determination step, the determination unit makes a determination based on the workflow list.

3. As in Request 1, the method for managing ocean freight containers, wherein, The maritime container management system further includes a second transmitter installed on the second operating vehicle and capable of sending a second signal to the maritime container management system; and includes a second sending step: after the second receiving step, the second transmitter sends the second signal to the maritime container management system.

4. As in Request 1, the method for managing ocean freight containers, wherein, The ocean freight container management system further includes a second control unit for controlling the second work vehicle; during the second work start step, the second control unit: controls the second work vehicle to start work; or controls the second display unit of the second work vehicle to display ocean freight container information of the work object.

5. As in Request 1, the method for managing ocean freight containers, wherein, The ocean container management system further includes: a second GPS receiver capable of receiving the location information of the second operating vehicle in real time; and a location determination unit for determining whether the location of the second operating vehicle is appropriate; and includes a location determination step: the location determination unit determines whether the location is appropriate based on the signal received by the second GPS receiver.

6. As in request item 5, the method for managing ocean freight containers, wherein, The maritime container management system further includes: a first base station for receiving the location information; and a location correction unit for correcting the location information; and includes a location correction step: the location correction unit uses the first base station signal received by the first base station to correct the location information of the second operating vehicle.

7. As in Request 6, the method for managing ocean freight containers, wherein, The maritime container management system further includes a second base station that receives the location information; in the location correction step, the location correction unit uses the signal from the first base station as well as the signal from the second base station received by the second base station to correct the location information of the second work vehicle.

8. As in Request 6, the method for managing ocean freight containers, wherein, The first base station is located within the container terminal site where the second operating vehicle is located.

9. As in Request 1, the method for managing ocean freight containers, wherein, The ocean container management system further includes a first control unit for controlling the first working vehicle; and includes a first driving control step: before the first dispatching step, the first control unit controls the first working vehicle to maintain a certain distance from the working vehicle in front of it, and avoids overtaking the working vehicle in front of it.

10. As in request item 9, the method for managing ocean freight containers, wherein, In the first driving control step, the first control unit controls the first work vehicle to travel only on one-way roads.

11. As in Request 1, the method for managing ocean freight containers, wherein, The first transmitter is an ETC on-board unit, and the second receiver is a DSRC antenna.

12. A marine container management system program that enables the computer of the marine container management system to execute the marine container management method as described in claim 1.

13. A maritime container management system, comprising: a first transmitter mounted on a first operating vehicle for wirelessly transmitting a first signal; a second receiver mounted on a second operating vehicle for receiving the wireless signal; and a second control unit for controlling the second operating vehicle; wherein, When the second receiver receives the first signal, the second control unit controls the second work vehicle to start operation; the first transmitter has a unique number that is not duplicated with transmitters configured with other work vehicles; the first signal contains the unique number; the maritime container management system also includes a determination unit to determine whether the unique number contained in the first signal is appropriate.

14. The ocean freight container management system as described in request item 13, wherein, The first transmitter is an ETC on-board unit, and the second receiver is a DSRC antenna.

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