• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    A container scanning system includes a rail (201, 202; 301, 302, 303; 401; 510), a camera / sensor unit (211, 221; 311, 321, 331; 411; 500) and a control unit (520). The rail (201, 202; 301, 302, 303; 401; 510) is mounted on a support member or beam (101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106) of a container crane. The camera / sensor unit (211, 221; 311, 321, 331; 411; 500) is movably mounted along the rail (201, 202; 301, 302, 303; 401; 510). The camera / sensor unit (211, 221; 311, 321, 331; 411; 500) includes a camera (501) and / or a sensor (507) to scan the outer surface of a container. The control unit (520) is operationally coupled to the camera / sensor unit (211, 221; 311, 321, 331; 411; 500). The control unit (520) is able to obtain position information indicative of the operating position of the container crane, and the control unit (520) is adapted to control movement of the camera / sensor unit (211, 221; 311, 321, 331; 411; 500) along the rail (201, 202; 301, 302, 303; 401; 510) to be controlled in function of the position information.
    公开号:BE1021475B1
    申请号:E2012/0811
    申请日:2012-11-29
    公开日:2015-11-27
    发明作者:Jan Amandus Michel Maria Bossens；Geeter Jef Simon Gaston De
    申请人:Camco Technologies Nv；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    A CONTAINER SCAN SYSTEM Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to a container scanning system, i.e., camera or sensor-based recognition and reading of an item, or simply detecting the presence of an item by scanning the outer surface of freight containers being moved through a container crane. The item can consist of a container identification, a class identification, an IMDG code or international code for the transport of dangerous goods by sea, a seal, etc. The invention can be applied to different types of cranes that move freight containers in ports or on railway sites, for example STS cranes (ship-to-quay), ie semi-automatic cranes loading containers onto a ship or unloading containers from a ship under the supervision of an operator, RMG cranes (gantry cranes on rails) used for stacking containers on a container terminal storage site, RTG cranes (gantry cranes with rubber tires) used for stacking containers on a container terminal storage site, ARMG cranes (automatic gantry cranes on rails) that are fully automated and allow a single operator to handle many cranes simultaneously, ASC cranes (automatic stacking cranes), etc. The invention is further applicable Fits situations where the crane spreader moves a single container or multiple containers.
    Background of the invention [02] In order to be able to register and track individual containers when they are unloaded / loaded from / on a ship, train, truck chassis or trailer, containers are given a unique identification (ID) that is placed on an outer surface of the container is applied. The container identification code is usually an alphanumeric code that is applied to the top, front, back or side of the container. In addition to container identification, other information that is marked or affixed to the container can be read or recognized when a container is moved by a container crane. An example of such additional information is the seal affixed to the container doors, usually at the rear of the container. The seal may, for example, contain an RFID tag (Radio Frequency Identification). Other examples are a class identification or the IMDG code (international code for the transport of dangerous goods by sea) when the container contains dangerous material.
    US patent application US 2004/0126015 entitled "Container Identification and Tracking System" describes a system for automatically identifying containers that are loaded / unloaded by a crane. The system consists of different cameras that are permanently mounted on the cross beams of the crane. These cameras are referred to as 13a, 13b and 13c in FIG. 6 of US 2004/0126015, while the cross beams of the crane are referred to as 12a and 12b. These cross beams are horizontal beams of the container crane, usually mounted at a height of 6 meters above the quay in a direction perpendicular to the loading boom of the crane, i.e. parallel to the edge of the quay. The cameras mounted on the crossbar create a scanning window at a height of 6 meters in which the outer surface of the container can be scanned, usually while the container is being moved vertically by the spreader. To decide which camera (s) to activate, the system described in US 2004/0126015 includes a camera control system that receives information indicative of the horizontal position where the container will pass, the so-called spreader width information in paragraph [0043] of US 2004/0126015.
    [04] The crossbar solution is disadvantageous for various reasons, as will be explained in the following sections.
    [05] First, container identification is only available late in the container processing process. With the crossbar solution, a container identification can only be scanned and read when the spreader holding the container passes the window at 6 meters above the quay where the cameras are located. When a container is unloaded from a ship, the information to identify the container is only available very late in the container moving process, i.e. only a few seconds before the container is released by the spreader.
    [06] Secondly, the crossbar solution has a negative impact on the performance of a container terminal, usually expressed or measured in the number of movements that a crane can make per hour. Since the spreader must move the container through a fixed window where the cameras can scan the container identification, the process of loading / unloading containers is delayed, which has a negative impact on the overall performance of the container terminal.
    [07] Thirdly, the crossbar solution is expensive to maintain because several cameras are needed. For example, in the embodiment illustrated by Figures 5 and 6 and described in paragraph [0043] of US 2004/0126015, three cameras are mounted on each of the cross members. Since these cameras have to work in difficult conditions due to the presence of wind and water in port or railway areas, their lifespan is limited and maintenance requirements are high. Mounting multiple cameras on the crossbars therefore increases the installation and operating costs for the operator of the container terminal.
    [08] Another disadvantage is that the front and rear sides of the containers cannot be scanned in the crossbar solution. Since the cameras are mounted on the crossbars, only container identifications can be scanned on the side of the container. When the container identification or other useful information such as the IMDG code or a seal is marked on or attached to the front or back of the container, the cameras mounted on the crossbar cannot be used. A simple solution for scanning the front and rear sides of containers can be to also place cameras on the gantry beams of the crane, in other words the horizontal beams that run parallel to the loading boom of the crane at a height of 13 to 16 meters above the quay. However, such additional cameras would further increase the installation and maintenance costs for the operator of the terminal and further delay the container processing process since the spreader would have to move the containers through a second scanning window at a height of 13 to 16 meters. An alternative solution for scanning front and rear sides of containers consists of a rotating flywheel crane system to rotate the container, as proposed in U.S. Patent 7,783,003 "Rotating Carriage Assembly for Use in Scanning Cargo Conveyances Transported by a Crâne" . However, such a solution requires a specific type of crane with a rotating flywheel and therefore does not apply to installed cranes that do not have such a flywheel.
    [09] It should also be noted that there is a tendency to develop and install higher taps. While cranes today usually have a lifting height of 30 meters above the track or quay, the next generation of cranes will have a lifting height of more than 50 meters. These cranes will be able to work at different heights. The maintenance or repair of electronics or parts that operate at such heights will become even more difficult, especially in ports with harsh environmental conditions caused by wind and water. In addition, there are few crane trucks available that can be used for maintenance purposes and can reach heights of more than 30 meters.
    [10] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a container scanning system that solves the above identified shortcomings from the prior art. More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to describe a container scanning system that scans a container identification or other information that is marked on or attached to the front, back, or sides of a container, with the scanned information very early in the display. container processing process becomes available and makes it possible to improve overall terminal performance with a cheaper and less labor-intensive solution in terms of required electronics and cameras, and with better reliability.
    Summary of the invention [11] According to the present invention, the objects identified above are achieved by a container scanning system as defined by claim 1, comprising: - a rail mounted on a support element or beam of a container crane; - a camera / sensor unit movably mounted on a rail, the camera / sensor unit comprising a camera and / or a sensor for scanning the outer surface of a container; and - a control unit operatively coupled to the camera / sensor unit, wherein the control unit is able to obtain positional information indicative of the operating position of the container crane, and wherein the control unit is adapted to the movement of the camera / sensor unit can be controlled along the rail depending on the position information.
    [12] The invention therefore consists of a camera / sensor unit which is movably mounted on a rail that is attached to a substantially vertical support element and / or a substantially horizontal beam of the crane. A control unit on or near the crane controls the movements of the camera / sensor unit along the rail as a function of the operating position of the crane. Consequently, it is no longer necessary for the spreader to move the containers through a certain window (height, width) where a fixed camera is located, since the camera / sensor unit is now moved to the height (or possibly the depth or width) where the container is handled by the crane. A direct advantage thereof is that the invention improves the overall performance of the terminal, since a higher number of movements per hour can be performed.
    [13] Depending on the application, a rail can be mounted on one or two water-side support elements of the crane, a rail can be mounted on one or two gantry beams of the crane, and a rail can be mounted on one or two crossbeams from the tap. At least one camera / sensor unit must be provided per rail with which scans can be carried out over the entire length of the rail. The number of cameras and sensors required is therefore considerably lower compared to the state of the art in which several fixed cameras had to be positioned on each beam. If mounted substantially vertically, scans can be performed at any operating height of the crane. For other applications, the rail can preferably be positioned horizontally, e.g. along one or more gantry beams to scan front and rear sides of containers, or along one or more cross beams of the crane to scan sides of containers. A combination of substantially vertically mounted and substantially horizontally mounted rails is also conceivable.
    [14] The present invention further makes it possible to scan the container surface very early in the container processing process while the container is being loaded / unloaded. For example, when a rail is mounted on a water-side support element of the crane, the camera / sensor unit can be moved to the operating height of the crane, e.g. 25 meters above the quay, to place the container ID on a front or scan the rear of the container while the container is stationary at a height of 25 meters and is moved horizontally along the crane's loading boom.
    [15] Furthermore, the camera / sensor unit can be moved along the rail to a service position for maintenance activities. When the rail is mounted vertically, for example, the service position can be the lowest position on the rail. Maintenance of the camera and any other electronics in the camera / sensor unit can be performed without the use of exceptionally high crane trucks.
    [16] It is further noted that one or more camera / sensor units, each containing one or more cameras and / or sensors, can be mounted movably on a single rail.
    [17] The invention can be used on a wide range of existing cranes and can be used on the next generation of cranes that are higher than 50 meters. For such high cranes, the invention offers the additional advantage that scans can be performed early in the process in passing ("on the fly"), i.e. when the container is still at a height of 50 meters, without maintenance to the complicate electronics.
    [18] In a first embodiment of the container scanning system according to the present invention, as defined by claim 2, the rail is mounted substantially vertically on a water-side support element of the container crane; the operating position is an operating height of the container crane; and the camera / sensor unit is moved along the rail to the operating height where the camera and / or sensor is able to scan the outer surface of the container while the container is moved by the container crane beyond the vertical waterfront support element.
    [19] Therefore, in a first embodiment of the invention, the camera / sensor unit moves vertically along one of the water-side support elements of the crane or substantially vertically if, for example, the water-side support element contains components that are angled and therefore deviate from the vertical direction. For example, certain ships lying on the quay extend beyond the edge of the quay, so that the support elements of the crane located on the waterfront must bend inwards from a certain height. Consequently, also the rail on which the camera / sensor unit is movably mounted is not vertical along the full length of the water-side support element, but follows the curved or angled parts of this support element. An advantage of deploying the present invention along a water-side support element of the crane is that the camera / sensor unit can scan a container while the container is being moved horizontally from or to the ship since the spreader that grasps the container does it anyway. support element located on the waterfront. The front and / or back of the container can therefore be scanned with no or minimal impact on the performance of the crane, but also sides of the container can be scanned by such a camera / sensor unit when the camera (s) is / are positioned in the camera / sensor unit at a certain angle. When unloading a container from a ship, the information scanned at the front and / or back and / or sides on the container is available very early in the container processing process. For the front and / or back, such a camera / sensor unit that moves vertically along a water-side support element has the additional advantage that a photograph can be taken in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the front and / or back. Such a photograph taken from a perpendicular direction has a better quality and can be better interpreted by, for example, optical sign recognition software. Such a vertically or substantially vertically moving camera / sensor unit can be flexibly moved to any height along the crane while maintenance remains simple since the lowest position along the rail can be the maintenance position for the camera / sensor unit.
    [20] In a second embodiment of the container scanning system according to the present invention, as defined by claim 3, the rail is mounted substantially horizontally on a gantry beam of the container crane; the operating position is at a distance from the quay border or a lane in which the container is loaded or unloaded by the container crane; and the camera / sensor unit is moved along the rail to a position where it can scan the outer surface of a front or back of the container while the container is vertically moved past the portal beam through the container crane.
    [21] Therefore, in a second embodiment of the invention, the camera / sensor unit moves horizontally or substantially horizontally along a gantry beam beam. Again, the camera / sensor unit will be able to scan the front and / or back of the container, but this time the container must be moved to a portal-level window where the scan can be performed. By moving the camera / sensor unit horizontally, scans can be performed in different paths. Preferably, the scan is performed while the spreader moves the container vertically up / down in the path where the container is loaded / unloaded at a time when the container reaches the height of the portal beam, typically between 13 meters and 16 meters above the quay surface.
    [22] It is noted that both the first embodiment with the rail and movable camera / sensor unit disposed along the waterfront vertical support element (s) and the second embodiment with the rail and movable camera / sensor unit positioned along the horizontal gantry beam (s) of the crane can be supplemented with cross-beam solutions from the prior art for scanning the sides of the containers.
    [23] According to an optional aspect of the container scanning system according to the present invention, defined by claim 4, the camera / sensor unit further comprises a wireless transceiver for wireless connection possibilities with the control unit and / or a base station for transferring scanned or detected information.
    [24] The movable camera / sensor unit is indeed preferably equipped with one or more wireless interfaces with a range of at least 50 meters and a data rate with which images can be transferred within a few seconds from the camera / sensor unit taking these images to a control unit or base station where the images are stored and / or processed. The processing may for example consist of combining multiple images, removing image noise, segmenting an image, applying optical character recognition to an image to recognize alphanumeric information, etc. As an alternative to discharging the images for further processing , certain processing activities such as optical character recognition or OCR to recognize a container ID or other alphanumeric information that is marked on the container surface can be integrated into variants of embodiments of the camera / sensor unit.
    [25] According to another optional aspect of the container scanning system according to the present invention, defined by claim 5, the container scanning system further comprises power lines for supplying power to the camera / sensor unit.
    [26] Power cables are therefore preferably provided along the rail or along the support element or the beam of the crane on which the rail is mounted to power the moving camera / sensor unit. For example, the current can be transferred to the moving camera / sensor unit via sliding contacts or any other means for power transfer.
    [27] Further optionally, as defined by claim 6, the camera / sensor unit in the container scanning system according to the present invention may include a PLC (Power Line Communication) interface to receive control signals from the control unit via the power lines.
    [28] When power cables are laid along the rail, support element or beam to power the camera / sensor unit, the camera / sensor unit is preferably equipped with a PLC interface (Power Line Communication). The PLC interface makes it possible to receive control signals from the control unit that controls the position / movement of the camera / sensor unit along the rail. However, the PLC interface can also be used for the transfer of the image (s) made by the camera / sensor unit or for the transfer of the container identification or marking obtained by processing the created image (s).
    [29] According to yet another optional aspect defined by claim 7, the camera / sensor unit in the container scanning system according to the present invention may comprise an RFID transceiver for reading and / or detecting the presence of an RFID tag or an RFID tag. seal on the front or back of the container.
    [30] In this way, the movable camera / sensor unit can be used to detect the presence of and / or to read the RFID seal or the RFID tag attached to the containers, usually on the door side, so that use of the camera / sensor unit is not limited to taking images and recognizing alphanumeric container identifications on these images.
    Also optionally, as defined by claim 8, the camera / sensor unit may comprise a lighting unit to illuminate the container at least during scanning.
    [32] To enable operation during the night, evening or morning or in certain weather conditions that obstruct visibility, the camera / sensor unit is preferably equipped with a lighting unit that can illuminate the container at least when a scan is made whether an image is taken by the camera.
    [33] As further indicated in claim 9, the container crane to which the present invention is mounted is preferably adapted to operate at a height higher than 30 meters.
    [34] Although the invention is not limited to this, it is particularly advantageous when used on high cranes with a height of more than 30 meters.
    Advantageously, as indicated in claim 10, the container crane to which the present invention is mounted is adapted to operate at a height higher than 50 meters.
    [36] The invention is particularly advantageous when it is used on new cranes or cranes of the next generation that are more than 50 meters high and are capable of operating at different heights, because the invention allows the scanning of containers at those heights that improve the performance of the crane terminal and limit delays in availability of the information obtained through the scanning, while simplifying maintenance of the electronics and components in the camera / sensor unit since the camera / sensor unit can be moved to a simple reach service position.
    [37] In addition to a system for scanning a container as defined by claim 1, the present invention also relates to a corresponding method for scanning a container as defined by claim 11, the method comprising the steps of: - obtaining of positional information indicative of the operating position of a container crane handling the container; - controlling movement of a camera / sensor unit movably mounted on a rail mounted on a support element or beam of the container crane, along the rail in function of the position information; and - scanning the outer surface of the container by a camera and / or sensor contained in the camera / sensor unit.
    BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates a typical tap to which the present invention can be applied; FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B illustrate a first embodiment of the container scanning system according to the present invention; FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B and FIG. 3C illustrate a second embodiment of the container scanning system according to the present invention; FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, FIG. 4C and FIG. 4D illustrate in more detail the various components of an embodiment of the container scanning system according to the present invention; and [42] FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of the camera / sensor unit and control unit in an embodiment of the container scanning system according to the present invention.
    Detailed description of the embodiment (s) [43] FIG. 1 shows a crane model suitable for being equipped with the present invention. Such a crane typically has two horizontal cross beams 101 and 102 that are at a height of 6 meters and two horizontal gantry beams 103 and 104 that are at a height of 13 to 16 meters. The gantry beams 103 and 104 run parallel to the loading boom of the crane, while the cross beams 101 and 102 are perpendicular to the loading boom. A spreader moves along the crane's loading boom to carry and move containers, for example from a ship to a storage quay, a train or a truck or vice versa. The crane also has four vertical support elements, 105 and 106 of which represent the water-side support elements. Such a crane is used in ports or railways where the crane is typically designed with a wind load in operation of 25 m / s, a wind load in which the crane collapses from 50 m / s, an operating range in temperatures from -20 ° C to 50 ° C and an operating range in an air humidity of up to 100%.
    In FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the crane model of FIG. 1 redrawn with the same reference numbers 101-106 to refer to the cross beams, gantry beams, and vertical support members. While FIG. 2A shows a 3D view of the crane, FIG. 2B a 2D front view of the crane. FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B further show a first rail 201 mounted along a first water-side vertical support element 106 of the crane. A camera / sensor unit 211 is movably mounted on this first rail 201. In a similar manner, a second rail 202 is mounted along a second water-side vertical support element 105 of the crane. A second camera / sensor unit 221 is movably mounted on this second rail 202. The first and second camera / sensor units 211 and 221 include one or more cameras and / or one or more sensors that make it possible to scan a container while moving. As the spreader moves along the crane loading boom, it passes the vertical support elements 105 and 106. By then, the camera / sensor units 211 and 221 are controlled to move to the height where the outer surface of the container or containers is carried can be scanned by the spreader. Typically, the camera / sensor units 211 and 221 will be able to scan the front and back of the containers being moved by the spreader. A camera in the camera / sensor units 211 and 221 can scan the front and back for visual markings such as a container ID or IMDG code. A camera or sensor can also scan the front and back for the presence of certain items, such as a door, a seal, a label or a mark. The camera / sensor units 211 and 221 can either process the information collected by the camera (s) and / or sensor (s) when local processing is provided, or they can process the information provided by the camera (s) and / or sensor (s) ) send collected information to an external base station or processing unit to further process the information.
    FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B and FIG. 3C again show the crane model of FIG. 1 with reference numbers 101-106 to refer to the same cross beams, gantry beams and vertical support elements of the crane. While FIG. 3A shows a 3D view of the crane, FIG. 3B a 2D side view and FIG. 3C a 2D front view of the crane. In FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B and FIG. 3C, a second embodiment of the present invention is applied to the tap. The second embodiment also consists of two vertical rails 301 and 302, respectively mounted on the water-side vertical support elements 106 and 105. Along these vertical rails 301 and 302, camera / sensor units 311 and 321 are movably mounted and controlled to scan front and rear sides of containers at different heights as they are moved by the crane. Moreover, the second embodiment comprises a third rail 303 and a fourth rail, hidden in the figures, mounted horizontally on the gantry beams 103 and 104. A third camera / sensor unit 331 is movably mounted on the third rail 303. In a similar manner, but not shown in the figures, a fourth camera / sensor unit is movably mounted on the fourth rail along gantry beam 103. The third and fourth camera / sensor units also make it possible to scan the front and back sides of containers that handled by the crane. The scanning by the third and fourth camera / sensor unit always takes place at a height of 13 to 16 meters, i.e. the height of the gantry beams 103 and 104, typically while the containers are moved vertically up or down by the crane speader. The third and fourth camera / sensor units are controlled to move horizontally to the position or track where a container is moved up or down. In this way, a single camera / sensor unit is sufficient to scan front or rear sides of containers, while alternatively several fixed cameras / sensors would be required, e.g. one camera / sensor per storage path. Furthermore, FIG. 3A and FIG. 3C which is complementary to the rail-based camera / sensor system according to the present invention, a crossbar camera system with four cameras 304 fixedly mounted on each crossbar 101 and 102. This crossbar solution makes it possible to scan containers at a height of approximately 6 meters, in other words, the height of the cross members 101 and 102. The second embodiment illustrates that the present invention is fully compatible with existing solutions such as the cross member solution 304. Alternatively, if no cross member solution has yet been applied, additional rails and camera / sensor units can be arranged horizontally along the crossbars of the crane to enable scanning of the sides of the containers also with a reduced number of cameras.
    FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, FIG. 4C and FIG. 4D show in more detail a single rail and camera / sensor unit as used in various embodiments of the present invention. The camera / sensor unit 401 is movably mounted along a rail 401 which is mounted, for example, vertically along a vertical support element 106 of a crane. The rail 401 may be configured to contain space for cabling, e.g., power cables to the camera / sensor unit and / or electrical cabling for signal and / or data transfer. FIG. 4B further shows the electrical box of the rail in which, for example, connections for 230 V power cables and UTP network cables are provided. The camera / sensor unit 411 is moved along the rail 401 by the control of a control unit that receives information indicative of the operating position, i.e. the height and / or the width and / or the depth. The camera / sensor unit will be moved to a position along the rail 401 where it can scan front (s), back (s) and / or side (s) of the containers while being handled by the crane. The camera / sensor unit can also be moved to a service position 412, e.g., the lowest position along the rail 401 when the rail is mounted vertically to facilitate maintenance or repair of parts. The camera / sensor unit 411 contains sufficient space to comprise at least one camera or sensor, but can preferably comprise several cameras and / or sensors. For example, three cameras can be included, a left camera, a center camera and a right camera to enlarge the window that can be scanned by the camera / sensor unit 411. In another example, the camera / sensor unit 411 can include a camera and an RFID reader with which images of sides of the container can be made and the presence of RFID tags can be detected as used in an RFID seal on the door side of containers.
    FIG. 5 shows the functional blocks that can be integrated into a camera / sensor unit 500 that is movably mounted along rail 510 in an embodiment of the present invention. The camera / sensor unit 500 includes a camera 501 that allows visual inspection of the container surface for markings, IDs, labels, stamps, etc. The camera / sensor unit 500 further comprises an OCR unit 502 operably linked to the camera 501 and capable of recognizing alphanumeric information on images taken by the camera 501. The images taken by the camera 501 or the alphanumeric information Recognized by the OCR unit 502, wireless communication can be made to a base station or processing station near a crane via WiFi transceiver 503. It goes without saying that other types of wireless communication can be deployed in alternative embodiments of the invention. The camera / sensor unit 500 is controlled to move along rail 510 by control unit 520. The control signals can be transmitted via power cabling 505 provided in rail 505 to power the camera / sensor unit 500. To enable control signals or other information such as the information detected by camera 501 or created by the OCR unit 502 to be transmitted via the power cables 505, the camera / sensor unit 500 is equipped with a PLC interface (Power Line Communication) 504 which transmits / receives signals and / or data via power lines 505. The camera / sensor unit 500 shown in FIG. 5 further includes illumination 506 with which the surface of containers to be scanned can be illuminated, and an RFID transceiver 507 with which the presence of RFID seals on the door side of containers can be detected. The control unit 520 receives information indicative of the operating position of the crane, i.e. the height of the spreader, the path in which the spreader lifts a container, etc. This information can be received, for example, from a PLC or programmable logic unit that controls the movements of the tap controls. The information is interpreted by controller 520 and used to control the movements of the camera / sensor unit 500 along the rail 505 so as to realize the benefits of the present invention.
    Although the present invention has been illustrated with reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing illustrative embodiments, and that the present invention may be practiced with various modifications and modifications without leaving the scope of the invention. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being described by the appended claims and not by the foregoing description, and all modifications falling within the meaning and scope of the claims, are therefore included here. In other words, it is assumed that this covers all changes, variations or equivalents that fall within the scope of the underlying basic principles and whose essential attributes are claimed in this patent application. In addition, the reader of this patent application will understand that the words "comprising" or "include" do not exclude other elements or steps, that the word "a" does not exclude a plural, and that a single element, such as a computer system, a processor or other integrated unit can fulfill the functions of different tools mentioned in the claims. Any references in the claims should not be construed as limiting the claims in question. The terms "first", "second", "third", "a", "b", "c" and the like, when used in the description or in the claims, are used to distinguish between similar elements or steps and do not necessarily describe a sequential or chronological order. Similarly, the terms "top", "bottom", "over", "under" and the like are used for the purposes of the description and do not necessarily refer to relative positions. It is to be understood that those terms are interchangeable under proper conditions and that embodiments of the invention are capable of functioning in accordance with the present invention in sequences or orientations other than described or illustrated above.
    权利要求:
    Claims (11)
    [1]
    CONCLUSIONS
    A container scanning system comprising: - a rail (201, 202; 301, 302, 303; 401; 510) mounted on a support element or beam (101, 102,103,104,105,106) of a container crane; - a camera / sensor unit (211, 221; 311, 321, 331; 411; 500) movably mounted along said rail (201, 202; 301, 302, 303; 401; 510), said camera / sensor unit (211, 221; 311, 321, 331; 411; 500) comprising a camera (501) and / or a sensor (507) to scan the outer surface of a container; and - a control unit (520) operatively coupled to said camera / sensor unit (211, 221; 311, 321, 331; 411; 500), wherein said control unit (520) can obtain positional information indicative of the operating position of said container crane and said control unit (520) is adapted to control movement of said camera / sensor unit (211, 221; 311, 321, 331; 411; 500) along said rail (201, 202; 301, 302, 303; 401; 510) control according to the position information mentioned.
    [2]
    A container scanning system according to claim 1, wherein said rail (301, 302; 401; 510) is mounted substantially vertically on a water-side support element (105, 106) of said container crane; wherein said operating position is an operating height of said container crane; and wherein said camera / sensor unit (311, 321; 411; 500) is moved along said rail (301, 302; 401; 510) to said operating height where said camera (501) and / or said sensor (507) are capable of scanning the outer surface of said container while said container is being moved past said water-side support element (105,106) through said container crane.
    [3]
    A container scanning system according to claim 1, wherein said rail (303) is mounted substantially horizontally on a gantry beam (103, 104) of said container crane; wherein said operating position is at a distance from the quay boundary or a track in which said container is loaded or unloaded by said container crane; and wherein said camera / sensor unit (331) is moved along said rail to a position where it can scan the outer surface of a front or back side of said container while said container is vertically moved past said gantry beam (103, 104) through said container crane.
    [4]
    A container scanning system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said camera / sensor unit (500) further comprises a wireless transceiver (503) for wireless connectivity with said control unit (520) and / or a base station for transferring scanned or detected information.
    [5]
    A container scanning system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said container scanning system further comprises power lines (505) to power said camera / sensor unit (500).
    [6]
    A container scanning system according to claim 5, wherein said camera / sensor unit (500) further comprises a PLC (Power Line Communication) (504) interface to receive control signals from said control unit (520) via said power lines (505).
    [7]
    A container scanning system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said camera / sensor unit (500) further comprises an RFID transceiver (507) for reading and / or detecting the presence of an RFID tag or an RFID seal at the front or back of said container.
    [8]
    A container scanning system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said camera / sensor unit (500) further comprises a lighting unit (506) for illuminating said container at least during said scanning.
    [9]
    A container scanning system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said container crane is adapted to operate at an operating height of more than 30 meters.
    [10]
    A container scanning system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said container crane is adapted to operate at an operating height of more than 50 meters.
    [11]
    A method of scanning a container, said method comprising the steps of: - obtaining positional information indicative of the operating position of a container crane handling said container; - controlling movement of a camera / sensor unit (211, 221; 311, 321, 331; 411; 500) mounted movably along a rail (201, 202; 301, 302, 303; 401; 510) mounted on a support element or beam (101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106) of said container crane, along said rail (101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106) in function of said position information; and - scanning the outer surface of said container by a camera (501) and / or sensor (507) present in said camera / sensor unit (211,221; 311,321,331; 411; 500).
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    EP2730532A1|2014-05-14|
    US9549105B2|2017-01-17|
    EP2841374A1|2015-03-04|
    EP2841374B1|2015-07-01|
    CN104781180A|2015-07-15|
    WO2014072509A1|2014-05-15|
    CN104781180B|2016-05-18|
    US20150296105A1|2015-10-15|
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    法律状态:
    2021-08-11| MM| Lapsed because of non-payment of the annual fee|Effective date: 20201130 |
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    EP12191970.8A|EP2730532A1|2012-11-09|2012-11-09|A container scanning system|
    EP121919708|2012-11-09|
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