Adaptive Crane Control Device for Operator Orientation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Operators of industrial cranes face challenges in accurately selecting steering directions, leading to potential dangerous situations, especially when lifting heavy or large loads, due to the need to verify their position relative to the crane's directions, which can result in incorrect control inputs and unnecessary load movement.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for controlling lifting devices that allow operators to select and display a main steering direction intuitively, using visual cues and automatic orientation detection, to simplify the operation and reduce the risk of incorrect movements by aligning control inputs with the operator's predominant direction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the operator uses traditional control devices with fixed steering directions, then the control device structure is simple, but the operator may select wrong steering directions due to inability to verify position relation, leading to safety risks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesteering direction selection accuracyVSAvoidcontrol device structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control device dynamically changes its steering direction mapping based on the operator's detected orientation. The system detects the operator's facing direction using sensors (camera, gyroscope, magnetometer) and automatically adjusts which control button corresponds to which steering direction, making the control device adaptive rather than fixed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the traditional mechanical/visual symbol-based direction indication system with electronic sensing and processing systems. Instead of relying on physical symbols that require manual verification, the system uses electronic detection of operator orientation and automatic computation of correct steering mappings

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If the operator performs test movements to verify steering directions, then the steering direction verification is improved, but unnecessary load swinging occurs and operation time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesteering direction verificationVSAvoidoperation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs the orientation detection and steering direction mapping setup automatically before the operator begins actual work. The operator's initial orientation is detected and stored as the reference state, so no test movements are needed during operation - the correct steering directions are already predetermined based on the detected orientation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If the control device provides detailed direction indicators, then the steering accuracy is improved, but the device complexity and space requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedirection indication precisionVSAvoidcontrol device structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of providing physical directional indicators on the control device, the system creates a virtual representation of the operator's orientation and the corresponding steering directions through electronic detection and display. The operator's facing direction is detected and visually represented on a screen or through augmented reality overlays, eliminating the need for physical directional markings

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS11339035B2Controlling of lifting device

Publication Date: 2022.05.24 KONECRANES GLOBAL OY

AI summary

A method and equipment for controlling a lifting device, wherein a main steering direction of the control device used by an operator is selected from at least two options; the impact of the control device on the directions of motion of the lifting device is changed according to the selected main steering direction; and the lifting device is controlled with a control device.