Apparatus for a status reporting device for container handler

• US 8,188,865 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2009
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• 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:
  US12/574,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20100030370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/539.13, 340/539.16, 340/825.49, 340/825.69, 340/989, 340/990, 235/375, 235/383, 235/385, 700/214, 700/229, 701/207, 701/208, 705/29
• 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 a status reporting device for a container handler, comprising:

a micro-controller module to be

communicatively coupled with a means for wirelessly communicating and

communicatively coupled with a means for sensing a state of said container handler; and

a program system installed 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;

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 said micro-controller module further comprising;

said network interface circuit to be coupled 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 1, further comprising said means for wirelessly communicating.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising said means for sensing said state.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said container handler is at least one member of the list including a UTR truck, a bomb cart/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.