Autonomous CHE Job Sharing for Port Workload Balancing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Container handling equipment (CHEs) in port facilities face inefficiencies due to uneven workload distribution and increased complexity from faster operation speeds, leading to idle equipment and potential collisions, despite existing systems for controlling automated cranes and scheduling work orders.

Innovation Solution

A communication arrangement enabling CHEs to operate autonomously by sharing jobs and coordinating their workload within the operational area through a communication system with first and second communication modules, allowing them to communicate independently without external interference, ensuring even workload distribution and collision prevention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If the service speed of containerships is reduced to reduce fuel consumption, then fuel consumption is reduced significantly, but container handling facilities must operate faster to make up for lost sailing time, leading to increased workload and complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefuel consumptionVSAvoidcontainer handling speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple CHEs into a cooperative system where they share jobs and coordinate autonomously. The communication arrangement enables CHEs to merge their operational capabilities, allowing the system as a whole to handle increased workload efficiently without requiring individual CHEs to operate at higher speeds

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Productivity

If more container handling equipment is deployed to increase handling capacity, then container handling capacity increases, but workload distribution becomes uneven leading to idle equipment and reduced efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontainer handling capacityVSAvoidworkload distribution efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The communication arrangement establishes a feedback mechanism where CHEs continuously exchange information about their workload status, position, and job completion. This feedback enables automatic workload redistribution - when one CHE becomes idle, the system receives feedback and automatically assigns new jobs from the pool, ensuring even distribution without manual intervention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts job assignment based on real-time conditions. CHEs can autonomously request and accept jobs from the available pool, allowing the workload distribution to adapt dynamically to changing operational conditions, equipment availability, and job priorities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If container handling equipment operates autonomously without external control, then operational speed and efficiency increase, but coordination between multiple CHEs becomes complex and may lead to collisions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational speedVSAvoidcoordination complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a communication arrangement as an intermediary layer between autonomous CHEs. This intermediary handles the complex coordination tasks - CHEs simply request jobs and report status through the communication system, which manages job assignment, collision avoidance, and coordination. This reduces the complexity burden from individual CHEs to the communication infrastructure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Reliability

If traditional centralized control systems are used to manage multiple CHEs, then coordination is maintained, but system complexity increases and response time to unexpected events increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoordination reliabilityVSAvoidcontrol system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control function is segmented and distributed to individual CHEs rather than centralized. Each CHE has autonomous decision-making capability to execute jobs and avoid collisions. The communication arrangement provides a lightweight coordination layer that segments the control architecture, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliability through distributed intelligence

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11182869B2Communication arrangement for a container handling equipment and communication method

Publication Date: 2021.11.23 APM TERMINALS BV

AI summary

A communication arrangement for at least two container handling equipment CHEs is described, said at least two CHEs configured to operate within an area comprising a plurality of container spots arranged in a plurality of rows and columns, the communication arrangement for each of the at least two CHEs comprising: a first communication module configured to retrieve from a terminal operating system a plurality of jobs to be performed by the respective CHE within said area, said job comprising instructions to move a container and to identify a container spot of the plurality of container spots, the respective CHE being a first one of said at least two CHEs; a second communication module configured to communicate with at least another, second one of the at least two CHEs operating within said area, said communication with said second CHE being autonomous from receipts from the first communication module and/or manual triggering and configured to transmit a job sharing message to said second one of the at least two CHEs, said job sharing message indicating a job to be performed by the second one of the at least two CHEs, said job being a job of the plurality of jobs.