Container crane control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11066280-B2
Application number	US-201615777791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2016
Priority date	Nov 23, 2015
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

A container crane control system including: a camera configured to be fixedly mounted to a crane to obtain a series of captured images, a video output configured to provide a video signal including a series of cropped image based on the series of captured images; and a control device configured to, for at least part of the captured images and the respective cropped image, receive an input signal indicating a current height of a load of the crane, wherein the control device is configured to control a position of the respective cropped image within the captured image based on the current height of the load.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A container crane control system comprising:
a camera configured to be fixedly mounted to a crane to obtain a series of captured images;
a video output configured to provide a video signal including a series of cropped image respectively based on the series of captured images; and
a control device configured to, for at least part of the captured images and the respective cropped image, receive an input signal indicating a current height of a load of the crane, wherein the control device is configured to control a position of the respective cropped image within the captured image based on the current height of the load.

2. The container crane according to claim 1 , wherein:
the camera includes a control signal input and the video output, wherein control signals provided on the control signal input controls the position of each cropped image within the respective captured image; and
wherein the control device is connected to the camera to control the position of the cropped image based on the current height of the load by sending a camera control signal on the control signal input.

3. The container crane control system according to claim 2 , wherein the camera further is responsive to a zoom signal on the control signal input, wherein the zoom signal controls a size of the cropped image compared to the captured image.

4. The container crane control system according to claim 3 , wherein the control device is configured to send a zoom signal to the camera to zoom in when the height of the load decreases, and to send a zoom signal to the camera to zoom out when the height of the load increases.

5. The container crane control system according to claim 2 , wherein the camera further is responsive to a zoom signal on the control signal input, wherein the zoom signal controls an optical zoom of the camera.

6. The container crane control system according to claim 5 , wherein the control device is configured to send a zoom signal to the camera to zoom in when the height of the load decreases, and to send a zoom signal to the camera to zoom out when the height of the load increases.

7. The container crane control system according to claim 2 , further including an operator terminal, being configured to receive the video signal for presentation to an operator and being configured to receive user input for controlling the crane, resulting in a crane control signal for provision to the control device;
wherein the control device is configured to receive the crane control signal from the operator terminal and to provide corresponding control signals to control crane operation.

8. The container crane control system according to claim 2 , further including an encoder being configured to receive the video signal and encode the video signal to a compressed digital video stream for provision to the operator terminal, the encoder being distinct from the camera.

9. The container crane control system according to claim 2 , wherein the video signal includes a video stream.

10. The container crane control system according to claim 1 , further including an operator terminal, being configured to receive the video signal for presentation to an operator and being configured to receive user input for controlling the crane, resulting in a crane control signal for provision to the control device;
wherein the control device is configured to receive the crane control signal from the operator terminal and to provide corresponding control signals to control crane operation.

11. The container crane control system according to claim 10 , wherein the camera further is responsive to a zoom signal on the control signal input, wherein the zoom signal controls a size of the cropped image compared to the captured image.

12. The container crane control system according to claim 10 , wherein the camera further is responsive to a zoom signal on the control signal input, wherein the zoom signal controls an optical zoom of the camera.

13. The container crane control system according to claim 1 , further including an encoder being configured to receive the video signal and encode the video signal to a compressed digital video stream for provision to the operator terminal, the encoder being distinct from the camera.

14. The container crane control system according to claim 1 , wherein the video signal includes a video stream.

15. A container crane including a spreader, a trolley and a container crane control system comprising:
a camera configured to be fixedly mounted to a crane to obtain a series of captured images;
a video output configured to provide a video signal including a series of cropped image respectively based on the series of captured images; and
a control device configured to, for at least part of the captured images and the respective cropped image, receive an input signal indicating a current height of a load of the crane, wherein the control device is configured to control a position of the respective cropped image within the captured image based on the current height of the load.

16. A method for controlling video signal output from a fixedly mounted camera of a container crane control system which also has a control device, the method being performed in the container crane control system and including the steps of:
receiving an input signal indicating a current height of a load of the crane;
capturing an image in the fixedly mounted camera, resulting in a captured image;
generating a camera control signal to control a position of a cropped image within a captured image based on the current height of the load;
providing the camera control signal to the fixedly mounted camera;
cropping the captured image based on the input signal, resulting in a cropped image; and
providing a video signal having the cropped image of the captured image on the video output.

17. A computer program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer program configured for controlling video signal output from a fixedly mounted camera of a container crane control system which also has a control device, the computer program including computer program code which, when run on a container crane control system, causes the container crane control system to:
receive an input signal indicating a current height of a load of the crane;
generate a camera control signal to control a position of a cropped image within a captured image based on the current height of the load;
provide the camera control signal to the camera;
capture an image in the camera, resulting in a captured image;
crop the captured image based on the input signal, resulting in a cropped image; and
provide a video signal including the cropped image of the captured image on the video output.

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Almhager Peter
• Lindberg Stefan
• Bryfors Uno

Classifications

• H04N23/66

  Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices · CPC title

• H04N23/62

  Control of parameters via user interfaces · CPC title

• H04N23/69

  Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming · CPC title

• B66C13/085 Primary

  electrical · CPC title

• H04L65/70

  Media network packetisation · CPC title