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Method and apparatus for quay container crane-based automated optical container code recognition with positional idenfication

  • US 20030191557A1
  • Filed: 04/09/2002
  • Published: 10/09/2003
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2000
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An optical characteristic system providing container code recognition from a quay container crane of a container identified by a container code to a container inventory management system, comprising:

  • a computer communicatively coupled to at least two video imaging devices and controlled by a program system comprising program steps residing in a memory accessibly coupled to said computer;

    said video imaging device is mechanically coupled to said quay container crane, for each of said video imaging devices;

    wherein said program system is further comprised of the program steps of;

    generating an optical characteristic of said container code based upon at least one of said video imaging devices;

    generating a positional identification of said container; and

    sending said optical characteristic of said container code and said positional identification of said container to said container inventory management system;

    wherein the program step generating said optical characteristic of said container code is comprised of at least one member of the collection comprising the program steps of;

    acquiring at least one container code image of a container representation of said container code imaged from said video imaging device;

    applying an optical character recognition process to said container code image to create an estimated container code;

    acquiring a first container code image from said video imaging device of said container representation of said container code; and

    compressing said first container code image to create said container code image;

    wherein each of said video imaging devices belongs to a collection comprising at least a video camera, a digital video camera, and a charged coupled array;

    wherein the program step generating said positional identification of said container is further comprised of at least one member of the collection comprising the program steps of;

    generating a loading-operation designation for said container;

    generating a storage-location designation for said container; and

    generating a terminal location for said quay container crane;

    wherein the program step generating said loading-operation is further comprised of at least one member of the collection comprising the program steps of;

    receiving a locking indication from a programmable logic controller within said quay container crane; and

    determining said locking indication from a relay network within said quay container crane;

    wherein the program step generating said loading-operation is further comprised of at least one member of the collection comprising the program steps of;

    determining a container hoist position based upon sensing a gray-coded hoist shaft in said quay container crane; and

    determining said container hoist position based upon sensing an ultrasonic transponder; and

    wherein the program step generating said loading-operation is further comprised of the program step of;

    generating said loading-operation designation based upon at least one member of the collection comprising said locking signal indication and said container hoist position;

    wherein the program step sending said optical characteristic and said positional identification, is comprised of the program steps of;

    sending a packet from a network to create a received packet; and

    creating said packet from at least part of at least one member of a sending-data collection;

    wherein said sending-data collection is comprised of said optical characteristic of said container code and said positional identification of said container;

    wherein said network employs at least one member of a physical transport collection in communicating from said quay container crane to container inventory management system;

    wherein said physical transport collection is comprised of at least one wireline physical transport layer and at least one wireless physical transport layer.

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