Method for crane control and stock management

• US 8,977,384 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konecranes Global Corporation (Konecranes Terex Plc)
• Original Assignee: Konecranes PLC (Konecranes Terex Plc)
• Inventors: Dahln, Justus
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOGAN, KYLE O
• Application Number:
  US13/642,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20130041500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 700/215
• US Class Current: 700/223
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 1/0218 Safety measures, e.g. sensors, duplicate functions
• 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: 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

The invention relates to a method for crane control and stock management, the method includes attaching to the goods to be stored an identifier associated with a code, such as number or name, given to the goods in stock accounting or the like; reading the identifier with a reader, when the goods are being transferred by a crane; transmitting the identifier information from the reader to the memory of the crane control; transferring the goods with the crane to a selected location in the warehouse; and storing the coordinates of the goods to the memory of the crane control so that they are associated with the identifier; and when the goods are removed from the warehouse, reading with the reader from a work order or the like the identifier information associated with the goods; and transmitting the identifier information from the reader to the memory of the crane control; and activating the crane control with the identifier information, whereby the crane moves to the location of the earlier stored goods.

Claims

1. A method for crane control and stock management, in which method the goods arriving for storage at a warehouse are transferred by a crane to a given location in the warehouse and fetched later with the crane from this location for onward transfer, the method comprising:

attaching an identifier associated with a code to the goods arriving for storage;

reading the identifier with a reader;

transmitting the identifier information from the reader to a memory of the crane control;

transferring the goods with the crane to a selected place in the warehouse and storing the coordinates of the goods into the memory of the crane control so that they are associated with said identifier;

determining the coordinates of the selected place of goods by a switch or sensor detecting that the goods have been left in the selected place;

when fetching said stored goods, reading the identifier information associated with the goods;

transmitting the identifier information from the reader to the memory of the crane control; and

activating the crane control with said identifier information, whereby the crane moves to the location of the earlier stored goods, wherein determining the coordinates of the selected place is determined with a sensor detecting pressure in a suction pad,

wherein determining the coordinates of the selected place is determined with a sensor detecting pressure in a suction pad.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the stored goods are fetched, the crane control is kept activated by continuing to press an activation button associated with said function of the crane control.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identifier is a bar code sticker.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reader is a 2D bar code reader.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein determining the coordinates of the selected place is determined with a switch detecting compression in a hoisting member.