Method of automating a loading and unloading of container ships in container terminals, and crane automation system

• US 20040030478A1
• Filed: 05/23/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Holland, Maarten, Wichner, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 6,931,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 27/19 Other loading or unloading equipment involving an intermittent action, not provided in groups B63B27/04 - B63B27/18
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 63/004 for containers

Abstract

In a method of automating the loading and unloading of container ships in container terminals, a stowage plan of a ship cargo compartment to be handled by a container crane is transmitted from a harbor-side master computer via a data link to a PC of a crane automation system which renders the container crane operative in response to the stowage plan for transporting containers between a container ship and a repository location in a container storage area of the container terminal. The stowage plan is displayed on a touch screen of the crane automation system, whereby a next following repository location to be handled in the stowage plan is indicated on the touch screen, e.g. through a change in color.

Claims

1. A method of automating the loading and unloading a container ship in a container terminal, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a stowage plan of a ship cargo compartment, which is to be handled by a container crane, from a harbor-side master computer via a data link to a PC of a crane automation system which renders the container crane operative in response to the stowage plan for transporting containers between a container ship and a repository location in a container storage area of the container terminal;

displaying the stowage plan on a touch screen of the crane automation system; and

indicating a next following repository location to be handled in the stowage plan on the touch screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data link is implemented using Ethernet connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the next following repository location is indicated on the touch screen through a change in color.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the stowage plan of the ship cargo compartment being handled is illustrated as ship'"'"'s cross section.

5. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the step of displaying on the touch screen space coordinates of a next following repository location simultaneously with a display of the stowage plane of said next following repository location, with a desired target setting program executed on the PC.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the touch screen visualizes automatically executed operations, and further comprising the step of allowing a modification of the target setting by means of a keying device.

7. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the steps of moving a crane trolley of the container crane across the entire ship cargo compartment before loading or unloading containers and thereby scanning the cargo compartment to acquire a stowage profile, and executing a plausibility check of the stowage plan on the basis of the scanned stowage profile.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the stowage profile is acquired through laser scanning.

9. The method of claim 7, and further comprising the step of calculating an optimum space trajectory for the container transport on the basis of data relating to the stowage profile for the target setting program of the crane automation system and obstacles.

10. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the steps of verifying a container number of each container being loaded or unloaded by using a camera system to optically ascertain the container number on the container crane, and comparing the ascertained container number in a control unit or a harbor-side master computer, connected to the control unit, with a predetermined container number for the corresponding repository location.

12. The crane automation system of claim 11, wherein the data link is implemented using Ethernet connection.

11. A crane automation system for a container crane for transporting containers between container ships and an on-shore side of a container terminal for loading and unloading container ships, comprising:

a harbor-side master computer;

a PC operatively connected to the master computer via a data link to receive a stowage plan of the cargo compartment of a container ship to be handled by the container crane; and

a touch screen for displaying the stowage plan transmitted to the PC, said touch screen being constructed to indicate a next following repository location to be handled in the stowage plan.

13. The crane automation system of claim 11, wherein the touch screen is constructed to display the stowage plan of a next following repository location through a change in color.

14. The crane automation system of claim 11, wherein the PC executes a desired target setting program, and the touch screen displays space coordinates of the next following repository location at a same time as the display of this repository location.

15. The crane automation system of claim 11, wherein the touch screen displays automatically executed operations and includes a keying device for modifying the desired target setting.

16. The crane automation system of claim 11, and further comprising a scanning device provided on a trolley of the container crane for acquiring a stowage profile of the ship cargo compartment.

17. The crane automation system of claim 16, wherein the scanning device is a laser scanner.

18. The crane automation system of claim 16, and further comprising a controller assembly configured to calculate a desired space trajectory for the container transport on the basis of data relating to the stowage profile for the target setting program of the crane automation system and obstacles.

19. The crane automation system of claim 16, wherein the PC is configured to calculate a desired space trajectory for the container transport on the basis of data relating to the stowage profile for the target setting program of the crane automation system and obstacles.

20. The crane automation system of claim 11, and further comprising a camera system for optically detecting a container number of a container attached to the container crane at any given time, and a control unit operatively connected to the camera system for comparing the detected container number with a container number predetermined for the respective repository location.

21. The crane automation system of claim 11, and further comprising a camera system for optically detecting a container number of a container attached to the container crane at any given time, a harbor-side master computer, and a control unit operatively connected to the master computer for comparing the detected container number with a container number predetermined for the respective repository location.