Videometric systems and methods for offshore and oil-well drilling
First Claim
1. A crane control system for determining a suitable real-time operating regime for a crane arranged to lift cargo from a marine vessel, the system comprising:
- an imaging means associated with the crane, wherein said imaging means is arranged to capture images of the vessel when it is located generally below the crane and within the operational range of the crane;
processing means operable to calculate from said captured images movement parameters characterising the movement of the vessel relative to the crane; and
memory means, wherein said memory contains performance data representative of the performance characteristics of the crane and cargo data representative of the weight of individual items of said cargo, wherein said performance data comprises a relationship between a maximum load of the crane and a sea state;
wherein the processing means is further configured to;
compare the calculated movement parameters to the performance data and the cargo data and to determine from said comparison a safe operating regime for the crane;
provide a display of a cargo deck of the vessel comprising a graphical overlay that divides the cargo deck into sectors;
identify, based on the determined safe operating regime, one of the sectors from which it is safe to lift cargo; and
highlight, on the display, the one of the sectors from which it is safe to lift cargo.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A crane control system for determining a suitable real-time operating regime for a crane arranged to lift cargo from a marine vessel, the system includes an imaging means associated with the crane, a processing means, and a memory means. The imaging means is arranged to capture images of the vessel when it is located generally below the crane and within the operational range of the crane. The processing means is operable to calculate from the captured images movement parameters characterizing the movement of the vessel relative to the crane. The memory contains performance data representative of the performance characteristics of the crane and cargo data representative of the weight of individual items of said cargo. The processing means is further configured to compare the calculated movement parameters to the performance data and the cargo data and to determine from said comparison a safe operating regime for the crane.
32 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A crane control system for determining a suitable real-time operating regime for a crane arranged to lift cargo from a marine vessel, the system comprising:
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an imaging means associated with the crane, wherein said imaging means is arranged to capture images of the vessel when it is located generally below the crane and within the operational range of the crane; processing means operable to calculate from said captured images movement parameters characterising the movement of the vessel relative to the crane; and memory means, wherein said memory contains performance data representative of the performance characteristics of the crane and cargo data representative of the weight of individual items of said cargo, wherein said performance data comprises a relationship between a maximum load of the crane and a sea state; wherein the processing means is further configured to; compare the calculated movement parameters to the performance data and the cargo data and to determine from said comparison a safe operating regime for the crane; provide a display of a cargo deck of the vessel comprising a graphical overlay that divides the cargo deck into sectors; identify, based on the determined safe operating regime, one of the sectors from which it is safe to lift cargo; and highlight, on the display, the one of the sectors from which it is safe to lift cargo. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of operating a crane arranged to lift cargo from a marine vessel, the method comprising:
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capturing video images of the vessel when it is located generally below the crane and within the operational range of the crane; processing said images, via a processing means, to calculate movement parameters characterising the movement of the vessel relative to the crane, comparing, via the processing means, the calculated movement parameters to performance data representative of the performance characteristics of the crane and cargo data representative of the weight of individual items of said cargo, wherein said performance data comprises a relationship between a maximum load of the crane and a sea state; determining from said comparison a safe operating regime for the crane; providing a display of a cargo deck of the vessel comprising a graphical overlay that divides the cargo deck into sectors; identifying, based on the determined safe operating regime, one of the sectors from which it is safe to lift cargo; and highlighting, on the display, the one of the sectors from which it is safe to lift cargo. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus, comprising:
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a plurality of cameras mounted on a crane and disposed to capture images of a deck of a marine vessel below the crane; and a processor coupled to the cameras, the processor configured to; characterize movement of the vessel relative to the crane based on the captured images, the apparatus further comprising; storage coupled to the processor, the storage containing performance data representative of the performance characteristics of the crane and cargo data representative of the weight of individual items of the cargo, wherein said performance data comprises a relationship between a maximum load of the crane and a sea state; and a display; wherein the processor is configured to; provide an image of the deck on the display, the image comprising a graphical overlay that divides the deck into sectors; identify, by comparing the characterized movement of the vessel to the performance data and the cargo data, one of the sectors relative to which cargo movement via the crane is deemed safe; and highlight, on the display, the one of the sectors. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification