METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING AT LEAST ONE CAMERA FROM A POSITION ESTIMATE OF A CONTAINER TO ESTIMATE ITS CONTAINER CODE

• US 20090109295A1
• Filed: 10/30/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: HKI Systems and Service LLC
• Original Assignee: HKI Systems and Service LLC
• Inventors: Takehara, Toru, King, Henry
• Application Number:
  US12/262,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20090109295A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/211.990
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2203/041 Camera
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 63/004 for containers
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/0755 Position control; Position detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/186 Container lifting frames
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed that operate at least one camera configured to mount on a container handler by creating a position estimate of a container being handled by the container handler and controlling the camera with a directive in response to the position estimate, to generate a container image to estimate a container code of a container that is used to move cargo typically through container terminals.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured to operate at least one camera configured to mount on a container handler, comprising:

said first module configured to create a position estimate of a container handled by said container handler; and

a second module configured to control said camera with at least one directive in response to said position estimate to create a container image of said container, whereby

said container image is used to estimate a container code of said container.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said position estimate includes at least one member of the collection comprising:

a first angular estimate,

a second angular estimate,

a distance estimate,

a height estimate,

an X-axis estimate,

a Y-axis estimate,

a Z-axis estimate, and

a fixed location estimate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first module comprises a handler interface to at least one of:

a presence sensor configured to respond to said container to create a sensed container present;

a stack height sensor configured to respond to a stack height of said container to create a sensed stack height;

a size sensor configured to respond to a size of said container to create a container size estimate;

a twistlock sensor configured to respond to a twistlock state of a twistlock controlled by said container handler to create a twistlock sensed state;

a spreader sensor configured to respond to a spreader state of a spreader controlled by said container handler to create a spreader sensed state;

a landing sensor configured to respond to a landing state of said container to create a sensed landing state;

a hoist sensor configured to respond to a height of a hoist controlled by said container handler to create a sensed hoist height; and

wherein said first module generates said position estimate based upon at least one member of a position-related-estimate group consisting of;

said sensed container present, said sensed stack height, said container size estimate, said twistlock sensed state, said spreader sensed state, said sensed landing state, and said sensed hoist height.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second module comprises at least one of:

an image capture control configured to initiate image capture by said camera in response to an image capture directive;

a focal length control configured to adjust said camera in response to a focal length;

a shutter speed control configured to alter said camera in response to a shutter speed;

a first pivot control configured to pivot said camera in a first angular degree of freedom in response to a first angular directive;

a second pivot control configured to pivot said camera in a second angular degree of freedom in response to a second angular directive; and

a track control configured to adjust a position of said camera on a track in response to a track position.

5. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein at least one member of a module collection includes at least one instance of at least one member of the group consisting of:

a neural network,

an inferential engine,

a finite state machine, and

a computer accessibly coupled to a computer readable memory, said computer instructed by a program system including at least one program step residing in said computer readable memory;

wherein said module collection includes as members said first module and said second module.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said program system includes at least one the program steps of:

creating said position estimate of said container handled by said container handler; and

directing said at least one camera to create said container image of said container in response to said position estimate.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the program step creating said position estimate comprises at least one of the program steps of:

calculating a first angular estimate based upon an X-axis estimate, a Y-axis estimate, and a Z-axis estimate;

calculating a second angular estimate based upon said X-axis estimate, said Y-axis estimate, and said Z-axis estimate;

calculating a distance estimate based upon said X-axis estimate, said Y-axis estimate, and said Z-axis estimate;

calculating a focal length based upon said distance estimate; and

using a fixed location estimate to determine at least one of said first angular estimate, said second angular estimate, said distance estimate, and said focal length.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein at least one member of a module collection is separate from said optical characteristic apparatus, wherein said module collection includes as members said first module and said second module.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein at least one member of a module collection is included in said optical characteristic apparatus, wherein said module collection includes as members said first module and said second module.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said container handler includes at least one member of the group consisting of:

a UTR type truck, a drayman truck, a bomb cart, an over the road chassis, a chassis rotator, a quay crane, a side picker, a top loader, a straddle carrier, a reach stacker, and a rubber tire gantry crane.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said container is a member of the group consisting of a ten foot container, a twenty foot container, a twenty four foot container, a thirty three foot container, a forty foot container, a forty five foot container, a fifty three foot container, and dual twenty foot containers.

12. An apparatus configured to operate at least one camera configured to mount on a container handler, comprising

means for creating a position estimate of a container handled by said container handler;

and

means for controlling at least one camera with at least one directive in response to said position estimate to create a container image of said container, whereby said container image is used to create to estimate a container code of said container.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for creating said position estimate comprises at least one of:

means for sensing a presence of said container to create a sensed container present;

means for sensing a stack height of said container to create a sensed stack height;

means for sensing a size of said container to create a container size estimate;

means for sensing a twistlock state of a twistlock controlled by said container handler to create a twistlock sensed state;

means for sensing a spreader state of a spreader controlled by said container handler to create a spreader sensed state;

means for sensing a landing state of said container to create a sensed landing state;

means for sensing a height of a hoist controlled by said container handler to create a sensed hoist height; and

wherein the means for creating said position estimate further comprises;

means for estimating said position estimate based upon at least one member of a position-related-estimate group consisting of;

said sensed container present, said sensed stack height, said container size estimate, said twistlock sensed state, said spreader sensed state, said sensed landing state, and said sensed hoist height.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for directing said at least one camera comprises at least one of:

means for adjusting a focal length of said camera based upon a distance estimate;

means for fixing a shutter speed of said camera;

means for moving said camera on a track to a track position;

means for pivoting said camera in a first angular degree of freedom by a first angular estimate; and

means for pivoting said camera in a second angular degree of freedom by a second angular estimate.

15. The apparatus of claim 12,

wherein at least one member of a means collection includes at least one instance of at least one member of the group consisting of:

a neural network,

an inferential engine,

a finite state machine, and

a computer accessibly coupled to a computer readable memory, said computer instructed by a program system including at least one program step residing in said computer readable memory;

wherein said means collection includes as members said means for creating and said means for directing.

16. A method, comprising the step of:

operating at least one camera configured to mount on a container handler, comprising the steps of;

creating a position estimate of a container being handled by said container handler; and

controlling said camera with at least one directive in response to said position estimate to create a container image of said container, whereby said container image is used to estimate a container code of said container.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of creating said position estimate comprises at least one of the steps of:

sensing a presence of said container to create a sensed container present;

sensing a stack height of said container to create a sensed stack height;

sensing a size of said container to create a container size estimate;

sensing a twistlock state of a twistlock controlled by said container handler to create a twistlock sensed state;

sensing a spreader state of a spreader controlled by said container handler to create a spreader sensed state;

sensing a landing state of said container to create a sensed landing state; and

sensing a height of a hoist controlled by said container handler to create a sensed hoist height; and

wherein the step of creating said position estimate further comprises the step of;

estimating said position estimate based upon at least one member of a group consisting of;

said sensed container present, said sensed stack height, said container size estimate, said twistlock sensed state, said spreader sensed state, said sensed landing state, and said sensed hoist height.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step controlling said at least one camera, comprises at least one of the steps of:

adjusting a focal length of said camera;

fixing a shutter speed of said camera;

moving said camera on a track to a track position;

pivoting said camera in a first angular degree of freedom by a first angular directive; and

pivoting said camera in a second angular degree of freedom by a second angular directive.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

using an enhanced image to create said container code estimate, said enhanced image created by using at least two of said container images.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said container handler includes at least one member of the group consisting of:

a Draymen truck, UTR type truck, a bomb cart, a chassis rotator, an over the road chassis, a quay crane, a side picker, a top loader, a straddle carrier, a reach stacker, and a rubber tire gantry crane.

21. A first program system of program steps residing in a computer readable memory, said first program system comprising the program step of:

creating a position estimate of a container handled by a container handler for use in directing at least one camera mounted on said container handler to create a container image used to estimate a container code of said container.

22. A second program system of program steps residing in a computer readable memory, said second program system comprising the program step of:

controlling at least one camera with at least one directive in response to a position estimate of a container being handled by a container handler to create a container image, whereby

said camera is configured to mount on said container handler,

said container image is used to estimate a container code of said container.