Method and apparatus for making status reporting devices for container handlers

• US 7,598,863 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2005
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HKI Systems and Service LLC
• Original Assignee: Paceco Corporation (Tsuneishi Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: King, Henry S., Takehara, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hung T.
• Application Number:
  US11/130,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20050256608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,604 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/539.13, 340/539.16, 340/825.49, 340/825.69, 340/989, 340/990, 235/383, 235/385, 342/357.09, 700/214, 700/229, 701/207, 701/208
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 63/004 for containers
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/46 Position indicators for suspended loads or for crane elements
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/48 Automatic control of crane drives for producing a single or repeated working cycle; Programme control
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 19/002 Container cranes B66C19/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 19/007 for containers
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/065 non-masted mobile jacks of the garage type mounted on wheels or rollers B66F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/24 Electrical devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

Abstract

A mechanism and method for making status reporting devices for container handlers, including: providing a micro-controller module, and installing a program system into memory accessed by a computer directing the micro-controller module. The micro-controller module communicatively couples with means for wirelessly communicating and for sensing a state of the container handler. Means for wirelessly communicating may include means for wirelessly determining container handler location. The micro-controller module may be communicatively coupled to a separate means for determining location. An apparatus making the devices may include a second program system directing the invention'"'"'s method through a second computer, which may control an assembly device in creating the micro-controller, coupled with the means for sensing and for wirelessly communicating.

Claims

1. An apparatus for making a status reporting device for a container handler, comprising:

means for providing a micro-controller module communicatively coupled with a means for wirelessly communicating and communicatively coupled with a means for sensing a state of said container handler; and

means for installing a program system into a memory accessibly coupled to a computer directing said micro-controller module;

wherein said program system comprises program steps residing in said memory, of;

using said means for sensing said state of said container handler to create a sensed state; and

using said means for wirelessly communicating to communicate said sensed state and said location of said container handler;

wherein said container handler moves a container at least twenty foot in length.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said computer is coupled with a network interface circuit;

and

wherein the means for providing said micro-controller module further comprising;

means for coupling said network interface circuit to said means for wirelessly communicating;

wherein the program step using said means for wirelessly communicating is further comprised of the program step of;

interacting with said network interface circuit coupling to said means for wirelessly communicating to communicate said sensed state and said location for said container handler.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said network interface circuit supports at least one wireline communications protocol in coupling with said means for wirelessly communicating.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said wireline communications protocol supports a version of at least one member of a serial protocol list, including

an Ethernet protocol,

an RS-232 protocol,

an RS-485 protocol,

an RS-422 protocol,

an Universal Serial Bus (USB) protocol,

a Firewire protocol,

a Synchronous Serial Interface (SSI) protocol,

a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI),

an Inter-IC protocol (I2C), and

a Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for wirelessly communicating supports communicating using at least one version of at least one member of a wireless modulation-demodulation scheme list;

wherein said wireless modulation-demodulation scheme list is comprised of a time division multiple access scheme, a frequency division multiple access scheme, and a spread spectrum scheme.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said spread spectrum scheme includes at least one form of the list comprising a code division multiple access scheme, a frequency hopping multiple access scheme, a time hopping multiple access scheme, and an orthogonal frequency division multiple access scheme.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said spread spectrum scheme includes a version of an ANSI 371.1 radio frequency tag scheme.

8. The apparatus of claim 5,

wherein at least one said versions of said time division multiple access scheme includes a GSM access scheme;

wherein at least one said versions of said frequency division multiple access scheme includes an AMPs access scheme;

wherein at least one said versions of said code division multiple access scheme includes at least one member of the CDMA scheme list;

wherein said CDMA list includes an IS-95 access scheme, and a Wideband CDMA access scheme; and

wherein at least one said versions of said orthogonal frequency division multiple access scheme includes an IEEE 802.11 access scheme.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said IEEE 802.11 access scheme includes one of a version of an IEEE 802.11b access scheme and a version of said IEEE 802.11g access scheme.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for sensing includes a means for sensing an operator identity providing a sensed operator identity.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said sensed state includes said sensed operator identity.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for sensing includes a means for sensing a container presence to create a sensed container present.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said sensed state includes said sensed container present.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for sensing includes a means for optically sensing a container code on a container providing an optical container characteristic.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said sensed state includes said optical container characteristic.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said optical container characteristic includes at least one instance of a member of a container code characteristic list;

wherein said container code characteristic list includes a container code text, a view of said container code, and a compression of said view of said container code.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said means for optically sensing said container code includes at least one video camera to create at least one instance of said view of said container code.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said video camera create at least one instance of said compression of said view of said container code.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said means for optically sensing said container code includes at least one member of the list comprising:

a video interface to receive at least one of said optical characteristics of said container code;

at least one video imaging device to at least partly create at least one of said optical characteristics of said container code; and

at least one image processor to at least partly create at least one of said optical characteristics of said container code.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for sensing includes a means for radio frequency sensing a radio frequency tag on a container providing a container radio frequency tag.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said sensed state includes said container radio frequency tag.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said container handler is at least one member of a stacking handler list comprising a rubber tire gantry crane, a quay crane, a side picker, a reach stacker, a top loader, and a straddle carrier.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said means for sensing includes a means for sensing a stack height for a container providing a container stack height.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said sensed state includes said container stack height.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said means for sensing said stacking height includes a stacking height sensor interface to a stacking height sensor on said container handler.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said means for sensing includes at least one member of the crane sensor means list creating at least one member of a crane state list;

wherein said member of said crane sensor means list comprises any of;

means for sensing a twistlock to create a twistlock sensed state belonging to a twistlock state list;

means for sensing a spreader to create a spreader sensed state belonging to a spreader state list; and

means for sensing a landing to create a sensed landing state belonging to a landing state list;

wherein said twistlock state list includes a twistlock-on state and a twistlock-off state;

wherein said spreader state list includes a ten foot container spread, a twenty foot container spread, a thirty foot container spread, a forty foot container spread, and a forty five foot container spread;

wherein said landing state list comprises a landed state and a not-landed state;

wherein said crane sensor state list comprises said twistlock sensed state, said spreader sensed state, and said sensed landing state.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said sensed state includes at least one member of the list comprising said twistlock sensed state, said spread sensed state, and said sensed landing state.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said means for sensing includes coupling to a crane spreader interface connection to at least partly provide at least one of said members of said crane state list.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said coupling to said crane spreader interface connection includes said computer coupling to said crane spreader interface connection.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said means for sensing includes coupling to a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) to at least partly provide at least one of said members of said crane state list.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein coupling to said PLC includes a serial communications coupling to said computer.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said serial communications coupling supports a version of at least one member of a serial protocol list, including

an Ethernet protocol,

an RS-232 protocol,

an RS-422 protocol,

an RS-485 protocol,

an Universal Serial Bus (USB) protocol,

a Firewire protocol,

a Synchronous Serial Interface (SSI) protocol,

a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI),

an Inter-IC protocol (I2C), and

a Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol.

33. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for sensing includes a means for sensing at least one member of a machine state list of said container handler;

wherein said member of said machine state list includes a reverse motion, a frequent stops count, a collision state, a fuel level, a compass reading, a wind speed, and a vehicle speed.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said wind speed includes an indication of a wind direction.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said sensed state includes an instance of at least one member of said machine state list.

36. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for providing said micro-controller module further comprises:

means for providing said micro-controller module communicatively coupled to said means for sensing said state of said container handler.

37. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for providing said micro-controller module is further comprised of:

means for providing said micro-controller module communicatively coupled to a means for locating said container handler.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the program system is further comprised of the program steps of:

using said means for locating said container handler to at least partly determine said location of said container handler; and

using said means for wirelessly communicating to communicate said location of said container handler.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said means for locating includes an interface to a Global Positioning System (GPS).

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said means for locating includes an interface to a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS).

41. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said means for locating includes a radio location-tag unit.

42. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for wirelessly communicating is further comprised of a means for wirelessly determining said location of said container handler.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the program system is further comprised of the program steps of:

using said means for locating said container handler to at least partly determine said location of said container handler; and

using said means for wirelessly communicating to communicate said location of said container handler.

44. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein said means for wirelessly communicating includes a radio location-tag unit.

45. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said container handler is at least one member of a container handler list comprising an UTR truck, a bomb cart, a rubber tire gantry crane, a quay crane, a side picker, a reach stacker, a top loader, a straddle carrier, and a chassis rotator.

46. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said computer includes at least one member of a list comprising an instruction processor, an inferential engine, a neural network, and a finite state machine;

wherein said instruction processor includes at least one instruction processing element and at least one data processing element;

wherein each of said data processing elements is controlled by at least one of said instruction processing elements.

47. The apparatus of claim 1, means for providing said micro-controller module is further comprised of:

means for communicatively coupling said micro-controller module with said means for wirelessly communicating; and

means for communicatively coupling said micro-controller module with said means for sensing said state of said container handler.

48. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said memory is comprised of a non-volatile memory accessibly coupled with said computer.

49. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the means for installing said program system is further comprised of at least one member of the list comprising:

means for altering at least part of said non-volatile memory to install at least part of at least one of said program steps; and

means for installing a memory module including at least part of at least one of said program steps residing in said non-volatile memory to create at least part of said accessibly coupled memory.

50. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second computer includes at least one member of a list comprising an instruction processor, an inferential engine, a neural network, and a finite state machine;

wherein said instruction processor includes at least one instruction processing element and at least one data processing element;

wherein each of said data processing elements is controlled by at least one of said instruction processing elements.

51. A method of making a status reporting device for a container handler, comprising the steps of:

providing a micro-controller module communicatively coupled with a means for wirelessly communicating and communicatively coupled with a means for sensing a state of said container handler; and

installing a program system into a memory accessibly coupled to a computer directing said micro-controller module;

wherein said program system comprises program steps residing in said memory, of;

using said means for sensing said state of said container handler to create a sensed state; and

using said means for wirelessly communicating to communicate said sensed state of said container handler;

wherein said container handler moves a container at least twenty foot in length.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein said computer is coupled with a network interface circuit;

and

wherein the step providing said micro-controller module is further comprised of the step of;

coupling said network interface circuit to said means for wirelessly communicating;

wherein the program step using said means for wirelessly communicating is further comprised of the program step of;

interacting with said network interface circuit coupling to said means for wirelessly communicating to communicate said sensed state and said location for said container handler.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein said network interface circuit supports at least one wireline communications protocol in coupling with said means for wirelessly communicating.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein said wireline communications protocol supports a version of at least one member of a serial protocol list, including

an Ethernet protocol,

an RS-232 protocol,

an RS-422 protocol,

an RS-485 protocol,

an Universal Serial Bus (USB) protocol,

a Firewire protocol,

a Synchronous Serial Interface (SSI) protocol,

a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI),

an Inter-IC protocol (I2C), and

a Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol.

55. The method of claim 52, wherein said spread spectrum scheme includes at least one form of the list comprising a code division multiple access scheme, a frequency hopping multiple access scheme, a time hopping multiple access scheme, and an orthogonal frequency division multiple access scheme.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein said spread spectrum scheme includes at least one form of the list comprising a code division multiple access scheme, a frequency hopping multiple access scheme, a time hopping multiple access scheme, and an orthogonal frequency division multiple access scheme.

57. The method of claim 56,

wherein said spread spectrum scheme includes a version of an ANSI 371.1 radio frequency tag scheme.

58. The method of claim 56,

wherein at least one said versions of said time division multiple access scheme includes a GSM access scheme;

wherein at least one said versions of said frequency division multiple access scheme includes an AMPs access scheme;

wherein at least one said versions of said code division multiple access scheme includes at least one member of the CDMA scheme list;

an IS-95 access scheme, and a Wideband CDMA access scheme;

wherein at least one said versions of said orthogonal frequency division multiple access scheme includes at least one of the IEEE 802.11 access schemes.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein said IEEE 802.11 access schemes includes a version of an IEEE 802.11b access scheme and a version of an IEEE 802.11g access scheme.

60. Said status reporting device as a product of claim 55.

61. The method of claim 51, wherein said means for wirelessly communicating supports communicating using at least one version of at least one member of a wireless modulation-demodulation scheme list;

wherein said wireless modulation-demodulation scheme list is comprised of a time division multiple access scheme, a frequency division multiple access scheme, a spread spectrum access scheme.

62. The method of claim 51, wherein said means for sensing includes a means for sensing an operator identity providing a sensed operator identity.

63. The method of claim 62, wherein said sensed state includes said sensed operator identity.

64. The method of claim 51, wherein said means for sensing includes a means for sensing a container presence to create a sensed container present.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein said sensed state includes said sensed container present.

66. The method of claim 51, wherein said means for sensing includes a means for optically sensing a container code on a container providing an optical container characteristic.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein said sensed state includes said optical container characteristic.

68. The method of claim 66, wherein said optical container characteristic includes at least one instance of a member of a container code characteristic list;

wherein said members of said container code characteristic list include a container code text, a view of said container code, and a compression of said view of said container code.

69. The method of claim 68, wherein said means for optically sensing said container code includes at least one member of the list comprising:

a video interface to receive at least one of said optical characteristics of said container code;

at least one video imaging device to at least partly create at least one of said optical characteristics of said container code; and

at least one image processor to at least partly create at least one of said optical characteristics of said container code.

70. The method of claim 69, wherein said video camera creates at least one instance of said compression of said view of said container code.

71. The method of claim 51, wherein said means for sensing includes a means for radio frequency sensing a radio frequency tag on a container providing a container radio frequency tag.

72. The method of claim 71, wherein said sensed state includes said container radio frequency tag.

73. The method of claim 51, wherein said container handler is at least one member of a stack handler list comprising, a rubber tire gantry crane, a quay crane, a side picker, a reach stacker, a top loader, and a straddle carrier.

74. The method of claim 73, wherein said means for sensing includes a means for sensing a stack height for a container providing a container stack height.

75. The method of claim 74, wherein said sensed state includes said container stack height.

76. The method of claim 74, wherein said means for sensing said stacking height includes a stacking height sensor interface to a stacking height sensor on said container handler.

77. The method of claim 73, wherein said means for sensing includes at least one member of the crane sensor means list creating at least one member of a crane state list;

wherein said members of said crane sensor means list include;

means for sensing a twistlock to create a twistlock sensed state belonging to a twistlock state list;

means for sensing a spreader to create a spreader sensed state belonging to a spreader state list; and

means for sensing a container landing to create a sensed landing state belonging to a landing state list;

wherein said twistlock state list includes a twistlock-on state and a twistlock-off state;

wherein said spreader state list includes a twenty foot container spread, and a forty foot container spread;

wherein said landing state list comprises a landed state and a not-landed state;

wherein said crane sensor state list comprises said twistlock sensed state, said spreader sensed state, and said sensed landing state.

78. The method of claim 77, wherein said sensed state includes at least one member of the list comprising said twistlock sensed state, said spread sensed state, and said sensed landing state.

79. The method of claim 77, wherein said means for sensing includes coupling to a crane spreader interface connection to at least partly provide at least one of said members of said crane state list.

80. The method of claim 79, wherein said coupling to said crane spreader interface connection includes said computer coupling to said crane spreader interface connection.

81. The method of claim 77, wherein said means for sensing includes coupling to a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) to at least partly provide at least one of said members of said crane state list.

82. The method of claim 81, wherein coupling to said PLC includes a serial communications coupling to said computer.

83. The method of claim 82, wherein said serial communications coupling supports a version of at least one member of a serial protocol list, including

an Ethernet protocol,

an RS-232 protocol,

an RS-422 protocol,

an RS-485 protocol,

an Universal Serial Bus (USB) protocol,

a Firewire protocol,

a Synchronous Serial Interface (SSI) protocol,

a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI),

an Inter-IC protocol (I2C), and

a Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol.

84. The method of claim 51, wherein the step providing said micro-controller module is further comprised of the step of:

providing said micro-controller module communicatively coupled to said means for sensing said state of said container handler.

85. The method of claim 51, wherein the step providing said micro-controller module is further comprised of the step of:

providing said micro-controller module communicatively coupled to a means for locating said container handler.

86. The method of claim 85, wherein the program system is further comprised of the program steps of:

using said means for locating said container handler to at least partly determine said location of said container handler; and

using said means for wirelessly communicating to communicate said location of said container handler.

87. The method of claim 85, wherein said means for locating includes an interface to a Global Positioning System (GPS).

88. The method of claim 87, wherein said means for locating includes an interface to a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS).

89. The method of claim 85, wherein said means for locating includes a radio location-tag unit.

90. The method of claim 51, wherein said means for wirelessly communicating is further comprised of a means for wirelessly determining said location of said container handler.

91. The method of claim 90, wherein the program system is further comprised of the program steps of:

using said means for locating said container handler to at least partly determine said location of said container handler; and

using said means for wirelessly communicating to communicate said location of said container handler.

92. The method of claim 90, wherein said means for wirelessly communicating includes a radio location-tag unit.

93. The method of claim 51, wherein said container handler is at least one member of a container handler list comprising an UTR truck, a bomb cart/chassis, a rubber tire gantry crane, a quay crane, a side picker, a reach stacker, a top loader, a straddle carrier, and a chassis rotator.

94. The method of claim 93, wherein said means for sensing includes a means for sensing at least one member of a machine state list of said container handler;

wherein said machine state list is comprised of a reverse motion, a frequent stops count, a collision state, a fuel level, a compass reading, a wind speed, and a vehicle speed.

95. The method claim 94, wherein said wind speed includes an indication of a wind direction.

96. The method of claim 94, wherein said sensed state includes an instance of at least one member of said machine state list.

97. The method of claim 51, wherein said memory is comprised of a non-volatile memory accessibly coupled with said computer.

98. The method of claim 97, wherein the step installing said program system is further comprised of at least one member of the list comprising the steps of:

altering at least part of said non-volatile memory to install at least part of at least one of said program steps; and

installing a memory module including at least part of at least one of said program steps residing in said non-volatile memory to create at least part of said accessibly coupled memory.

99. The method of claim 97, wherein said computer includes at least one member of a list comprising an instruction processor, an inferential engine, a neural network, and a finite state machine;

wherein said instruction processor includes at least one instruction processing element and at least one data processing element;

wherein each of said data processing elements is controlled by at least one of said instruction processing elements.