Container handler alignment system and method

• US 8,686,868 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2012
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TMEIC Corp. Americas
• Original Assignee: Tmeic Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Stocker, David G., Bartel, Michael G., Hedrick, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US13/575,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20130147640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/673, 340/679, 340/685, 340/686.1, 340/689, 340/686.6, 340/5.61, 340/10.1, 212/312, 212/316, 414/140.3, 414/141.3
• US Class Current: 340/685
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/16 Applications of indicating, registering, or weighing devices in crane hooks B66C1/40; in safety gear B66C15/00; weighing-apparatus G01G; remote indicating in general G08
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/46 Position indicators for suspended loads or for crane elements
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 19/002 Container cranes B66C19/007 takes precedence

Abstract

A system and method for assisting drivers of Bomb Carts and Shuttle Carriers to position their vehicles appropriately for loading and unloading containers at a gantry crane. The system uses laser scanners mounted at various levels on the gantry crane sill beams to determine the type, position, orientation and skew angle of the vehicles as well as whether the vehicles are in a loaded or unloaded condition. In addition, the system provides indicator devices to direct drivers how to move their vehicles.

Claims

1. A system for assisting drivers of Bomb Cart and Shuttle Carrier vehicles in properly positioning their vehicle types, which are either unloaded or loaded with one or more containers beneath a gantry crane having a landside sill beam mounted on a landside rail and a waterside sill beam mounted on a waterside rail, each sill beam having an interior side facing the interior side of the opposing sill beam and an exterior side facing away from the opposing sill beam, the acceptable position being one in which the center of the side of the vehicle closest to either sill beam is less than a predetermined, known distance away from the center line of the crane represented by a line drawn from the center of the waterside sill beam through the center of the landside sill beam and the vehicle is skewed less than a predetermined, known amount, skew being the angle, if any, formed between a line drawn parallel to either sill beam and a line drawn parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle, comprising:

at least one first laser scanner means attached both to the exterior and interior sides of the landside sill beam for detecting the presence, location and orientation of any loaded or unloaded vehicle entering within the range of said first laser scanner means;

first target means each having a known shape and dimensions and at least one of which is attached to each side of each vehicle for reflecting emissions from said at least one first laser scanner means;

at least one second laser scanner means attached to both the exterior and interior sides of the landside beam for detecting the presence, location and orientation of any container loaded on a vehicle entering within the range of said second laser scanner means;

second target means each having a known shape and dimensions and at least one of which is attached to each side of each container for reflecting emissions from said at least one second laser scanner means;

at least one direction indicator means attached to each of the exterior side and the interior side of the landside sill beam for indicating to vehicle drivers whether their vehicle is properly positioned or needs to be moved forward or backward and whether their vehicle orientation is skewed in excess of a predetermined acceptable amount and needs to be repositioned; and

computer means connected to the crane, to each of said at least one first laser scanner means and said at least one second laser scanner means and to each of said at least one direction indicator means for receiving scanning data from said first laser scanner means and said second laser scanner means in order to calculate the location and orientation of any vehicle within the range of said first laser scanner means and the location and orientation of any container loaded on a vehicle within the range of said second laser scanner means and, further, for activating said direction indicator means.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein one of said at least one first laser scanner means is mounted at the approximate longitudinal center of each side of the landside sill beam at a height of approximately one meter above the landside rail.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein two of said first target means are attached to each side of each type of vehicle at positions which are a known, predetermined horizontal distance displaced from both ends of each type of vehicle and at the same approximate height as each of said first laser scanner means.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein one of said second laser scanner means is mounted at the approximate longitudinal center of each side of the landside sill beam at a height of approximately three meters above the landside rail.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein at least one of said second target means is attached to each side of each container, each of which is located at a position which is a known, predetermined horizontal distance displaced from both ends of the container and at the same approximate height as each of said second laser scanner means.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein at least two direction indicator means are mounted on each of the interior side and the exterior side of the landside sill beam near the bottom of each crane leg at a known, predetermined height visible to the driver of each vehicle type.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein further at least one direction indicator means is mounted on the interior side of the waterside sill beam near the bottom of at least one of the two crane legs.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said at least one first target means and said at least one second target means are triangularly shaped and white-colored.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first laser scanner means and at least one of said second laser scanner means are attached to the interior side of the waterside sill beam, the at least one first laser scanner means being attached at the approximate longitudinal center of the interior side of the waterside sill beam at a height of approximately one meter above the waterside rail and the at least one second laser scanner means being attached at the approximate longitudinal center of the interior said of the landside sill beam at a height of approximately one meter above the waterside rail.

10. A method for assisting drivers of Bomb Cart and Shuttle Carrier vehicles in properly positioning their vehicle types in one of several lanes located in the portal area and backreach area beneath a gantry crane, the vehicles arriving either unloaded or loaded with one or more containers, for further loading or unloading of containers beneath the crane, the crane having a known crane centerline, a landside sill beam mounted on a landside rail and a waterside sill beam mounted on a waterside rail, each sill beam having an interior side facing the interior side of the opposing sill beam and an exterior side facing away from the opposing sill beam, at least one first laser scanner being attached to both the exterior and interior sides of the landside sill beam approximately at the longitudinal center thereof about one meter above the landside rail and at least one second laser scanner being attached to both the exterior and interior sides of the landside sill beam approximately at the longitudinal center thereof about three meters above the landside rail, at least one direction indicator being attached to each of the interior side and the exterior side of the landside sill beam at a height viewable by the driver of either a Bomb Cart of Shuttle Carrier vehicle, each vehicle having attached thereto at a known position on the vehicle at least one first target on each side thereof at a height of approximately one meter above the landside rail and each container having attached thereto at a known position at least one second target on each side thereof at a height of approximately three meters above the landside rail, a computer being associated with the crane and further being connected to each of the first and second laser scanners and each direction indicator device, wherein the shape and dimension of each target, the crane spreader length and an acceptable maximum skew angle for each type of vehicle and each container are known, comprising:

activating each of the at least one first and at least one second laser scanners;

a driver selecting and driving a Bomb Cart or Shuttle Carrier vehicle into a lane beneath the crane;

sending emission return data from each of the at least one first and at least one second laser scanners to the computer;

if there is no emission return data detecting a second target from the at least one first laser scanner, transmitting emission return data from each of the at least one second laser scanner to the computer until at least one target is detected and thereafter;

calculating the distance to the first target;

comparing that distance to the known distance between the first laser scanner and the interior side of the waterside sill beam;

determining the lane in which the vehicle is travelling;

calculating further the position offset of the vehicle from the crane centerline based on the position of each first target on the vehicle as compared with the crane centerline;

calculating yet further the skew angle of the vehicle;

if there is emission return data detecting a second target from the at least one second laser scanner, transmitting emission return data from each of the at least one first laser scanner and each of the at least one second laser scanner to the computer and thereafter;

calculating the distance to the first target;

comparing that distance to the known distance between the first laser scanner and the interior side of the waterside sill beam;

determining the lane in which the vehicle is travelling;

determining the length of each container loaded on the vehicle based on the number and position of the second targets detected through emission return data;

further determining the number of containers loaded on the vehicle;

if there are two containers loaded on the vehicle, calculating the gap distance between the two containers based on their length and their positions;

determining the position offset of each container from the crane centerline with regard to the direction of travel of the vehicle;

determining the distance of each container from the waterside sill beam;

calculating yet further the skew angle of the vehicle;

if the vehicle is an unloaded Bomb Cart or a loaded or unloaded Shuttle Carrier, and

if the crane spreader length is 40 feet, 45 feet or Twin-20 feet, controlling each direction indicator so as to direct the driver to position the center of the vehicle in approximate alignment with the crane centerline and within the acceptable skew angle;

or

if the crane spreader length is 20 feet, controlling each direction indicator so as to direct the driver to position the center of the vehicle at a point 10 feet plus or minus a known fixed offset from the crane centerline and within the acceptable skew angle;

if the vehicle is a loaded Bomb Cart, and

if the crane spreader is 40 feet, 45 feet or Twin-20 feet, controlling each direction indicator so as to direct the driver to position the vehicle such that the center of the vehicle is in approximate alignment with the crane centerline and within the acceptable skew angle;

or

if the crane spreader length is 20 feet, controlling each direction indicator so as to direct the driver to position the vehicle such that the center of one of the 20 foot containers is approximately aligned with the crane centerline and within the acceptable skew angle.