Container Handling Equipment Communication for Autonomous Job Sharing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Container handling equipment (CHEs) in port facilities face inefficiencies due to uneven workload distribution and potential collisions, leading to idle time and reduced capacity utilization, as they operate in increasingly dense environments with complex logistics.
Innovation Solution
A communication arrangement allowing CHEs to operate autonomously, enabling them to share jobs and coordinate their activities without external control, using a first communication module for interfacing with the terminal operating system and a second module for autonomous communication between CHEs, ensuring even workload distribution and collision prevention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If container handling equipment operates in dense environments with increased speed, then productivity is improved, but workload distribution becomes uneven and collisions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where CHEs continuously report their status, position, and workload to a central system. This feedback loop enables real-time monitoring and dynamic adjustment of job assignments, allowing the system to respond to changing conditions and maintain even workload distribution despite increased operational density and speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple CHEs into a coordinated system that operates as a unified entity. By merging individual CHE operations under a common control framework with centralized job management, the system achieves better workload balancing and collision prevention while maintaining high productivity through coordinated collective action.
2Productivity
If more container handling equipment are deployed in the same area, then productivity increases, but device complexity and collision risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a central system as an intermediary that manages job assignments and coordinates CHE operations. This intermediary layer simplifies the complexity by providing centralized control, automatically distributing jobs based on current system state, and handling collision prevention, thereby enabling more CHEs to operate efficiently without proportionally increasing operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic job assignment and reassignment capabilities that adapt to real-time conditions. CHEs can be dynamically allocated to different jobs based on current workload, position, and operational status, allowing the system to efficiently manage increased numbers of CHEs without linear increases in complexity through flexible, adaptive resource allocation.
3Productivity
If CHEs operate autonomously without external control, then productivity and response time improve, but reliability and collision avoidance may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous operation system incorporates continuous feedback mechanisms where CHEs report their position, status, and environmental perceptions to the central system, which in turn provides guidance and coordination instructions. This feedback loop enables CHEs to operate autonomously at high speed while maintaining collision avoidance through real-time information exchange and centralized oversight.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-planning job assignments and predicting potential collision scenarios before they occur. The central system analyzes future operational states and proactively adjusts job assignments or provides guidance instructions to CHEs to prevent collisions before they happen, enabling both high productivity and high reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, system and communication arrangement for container handling equipment (CHEs) is described, the CHEs configured to operate within an area comprising a plurality of container spots arranged in rows and columns. A first CHE receives a message from a terminal operating system, the message including a plurality of jobs to be performed by the first CHE within said area, the plurality of jobs comprising instructions to move a container and identifying a container spot of the plurality of container spots. The first CHE receives, from a second CHE within the determined area, a request message to share a job of the plurality of jobs. The first CHE transmits a message to the second CHE responsive to the request message to share a job. Communication with the second CHE may be autonomous from messages received from the terminal operating system and/or manual triggering.