Method, system and related devices for operating multiple cranes in unison

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10520909-B2
Application number	US-201816152018-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2018
Priority date	May 16, 2014
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A crane control system for controlling a plurality of cranes is provided. The crane control system in some embodiments includes a master controller unit, at least one computer readable memory for storing a plurality of tokens, each token from the plurality of tokens associated with a respective crane from the plurality of cranes, and a processing unit responsive to commands inputtable by an operator of the master controller unit to send the commands to individual cranes from the plurality of cranes, wherein the processing unit associates the commands with respective tokens to control the cranes associated with those tokens. The crane control system in some embodiments also includes a processing unit that is responsive to a signal indicative of a synchronization loss to issue a command to bring the plurality of cranes into a safe condition, such as an emergency stop, or a corrective action.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A crane control system for controlling a plurality of cranes including at least a first crane and a second crane, each said first and second crane having at least a first motion axis and a second motion axis, the crane control system comprising:
a master controller unit; and
a processing unit responsive to inputs by an operator of the master controller unit to send commands to the plurality of cranes to operate the cranes in synchronism, the processing unit being responsive to a signal indicative of a loss of synchronization between the cranes to output a command to bring one or more of the plurality of cranes into a safe condition;
wherein the master controller unit is configured to be operable for controlling the first motion axis of the first crane to operate in unison with the first motion axis of the second crane and at the same time also controlling the second motion axis of the first crane to operate independently from and/or non-synchronous with the second motion axis of the second crane.

2. A crane control system as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
the safe condition includes an emergency stop; and/or
the master controller includes the processing unit; and/or
the commands to the plurality of cranes to operate the cranes in synchronism convey an address associated with the master controller unit; and/or
each crane of the plurality of cranes has at least two independently movable motion axes, the commands to the plurality of cranes to operate the cranes in synchronism directing at least one motion axis of one crane to operate in unison with at least one motion axis of another crane while also directing at least one other motion axis of said one crane to operate independently from and/or non-synchronous with at least one other motion axis of said another crane.

3. A crane system comprising:
the first crane;
the second crane;
the crane control system of claim 1 for controlling the first and second cranes in synchronism; and
a monitoring system for monitoring the first and second cranes for a loss of synchronization therebetween.

4. A crane system as defined in claim 3 , wherein the monitoring system includes sensors mounted on the first crane and on the second crane for sensing motion of the first crane and motion of the second crane.

5. A crane system as defined in claim 4 , wherein the monitoring system includes a processing unit to process signals output by the sensors to detect a loss of synchronization.

6. A crane system as defined in claim 5 , wherein the monitoring system has an output to output a control signal when the monitoring system detects a loss of synchronization.

7. A crane system as defined in claim 6 , wherein the control signal conveys a command to bring the first crane and the second crane into a safe condition and/or an emergency stop.

8. A crane control system as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first and second motion axes of the first and second cranes include a bridge motion axis for moving the corresponding first or second crane along a bridge, a trolley motion axis to move a trolley, and a hoist motion axis to move a hoist; and wherein the master controller unit is configured to:
operate at least one of the bridge motion axis, trolley motion axis, and hoist motion axis of the first crane in unison with the corresponding one of the bridge motion axis, trolley motion axis, and the hoist motion axis of the second crane; and
at the same time operate at least one other of the bridge motion axis, trolley motion axis, and hoist motion axis of the first crane independently from and/or non-synchronous with the corresponding one of the bridge motion axis, trolley motion axis, and the hoist motion axis of the second crane.

9. A crane control system as defined in claim 1 , wherein each crane includes a slave crane control unit, and wherein the processing unit is responsive to inputs by an operator of the master controller unit to send commands to one or more of the slave control units of one or more individual cranes from the plurality of cranes.

10. A crane control system as defined in claim 9 , wherein the master control unit has transmission and reception capabilities for sending and receiving communications to/from the slave control units.

11. A crane control system as defined in claim 9 , wherein the master controller unit and the slave control units comprise transceivers, and wherein each slave control unit is operable for sending communications back to the master controller unit including acknowledgement of commands with an identifier of the master controller unit and an address or identifier of the slave control unit.

12. A crane control system for controlling cranes, the crane control system comprising:
a master controller unit including a user interface for receiving user commands to control cranes, the user interface including a mode selector allowing the user to select a mode of operation among a plurality of modes of operation, the plurality of modes of operation including a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation;
when the mode selector is in the first mode of operation, the master controller unit being configured to respond to user commands input at the user interface to output first command signals directed to a single crane; and
when the mode selector is in the second mode of operation, the master controller unit being configured to respond to user commands input at the user interface to output second command signals directed to two or more cranes, each crane of the two or more cranes having at least two motion axes, the second command signals directing at least one motion axis of one crane to operate in unison with at least one motion axis of another crane and at the same time also directing at least one other motion axis of said one crane to operate independently from and/or non-synchronous with at least one other motion axis of said another crane.

13. A crane control system as defined in claim 12 , wherein each crane has a bridge motion axis for moving the crane along a bridge, a trolley motion axis to move a trolley, and a hoist motion axis to move a hoist.

14. A crane control system as defined in claim 13 , wherein in the second mode of operation, the second command signals being configured to move the bridge motion axes of the two or more cranes in unison and/or move the trolley motion axes of the two or more cranes in unison and/or move the hoist motion axes of the two or more cranes in unison.

15. A crane control system for controlling cranes, the crane control system comprising:
a master controller unit including a user interface for receiving user commands to control cranes, the master controller unit being configured to respond to user commands input at the user interface to output command signals directed to two or more cranes, each crane of the two or more cranes having at least two motion axes, the command signals directing at least one motion axis of one crane to operate in unison with at least one motion axis of another crane;
the user interface including a position selection mechanism configured to allow the user to select a position among a plurality of positions; and
in response to selection of a position among the plurality of positions, the master controller unit outputting command signals directed to the two or more cranes to direct the cranes to move to the selected position,
wherein the master controller unit is configured to be operable for controlling a first motion axis of a first crane to operate in unison with a first motion axis of a second crane and at the same time also controlling a second moti

Assignees

• Laird Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Stagg David
• Corbeil Paul-André
• Montreuil Pierre
• Ethier Luc

Classifications

• G05B19/0426 Primary

  Programming the control sequence · CPC title

• G06Q50/08

  Construction · CPC title

• G05B2219/23045

  Function key changes function as function of program, associated pictogram · CPC title

• G06Q10/06 Primary

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title

• B66C13/40

  Applications of devices for transmitting control pulses; Applications of remote control devices (control in general G05) · CPC title