EP0892757A1 - Method of correcting the course towards a target of a load bearing implement and target detection means and beam emitting unit for carrying out said method - Google Patents

Abstract

Target detection means (64) is used to correct the course of a container (36) towards a target. Said means comprises a beam emitting unit with a plurality of laser beam emitters (76). The orientation of the laser beams (76) is changed in relation to each other to increase and reduce the area of detection.

Description

 Method for correcting the target path of a load carrier as well as target detection device and directional beam emitting unit for carrying out this method

description

The invention relates to a method for correcting the target path of a load carrier approaching a target position, which, for example, is suspended in a height-adjustable manner via a hoist cable system on a horizontally movable hoist cable carrier, a correction of the target approach path being carried out during the approach to the target in accordance with a target error detection, and the target error detection is carried out by a) emitting pulsed directional beams from a directional beam emitting unit arranged at the location of the load carrier in the direction of a detection area so that temporally staggered, pulsed directional beams strike different sub-areas of the detection area, b) in a retroreflection receiver unit Known geometrical assignment to the directional beam emitting unit, the scattered reflection corresponding to the individual pulsed directional beams is received, c) the transit time from the emission of a pulsed directional beam to Reception of the corresponding scatter reflection for a plurality of directional beams emitted to different partial areas is determined, d) based on the transit times measured in this way and known geometric assignment of the associated directional beams to one another data obtained in accordance with a spatial mapping of at least part of the detection area become.

Such a method is known from DE 44 16 707 AI, which was published on November 16, 1995 and accordingly in With regard to a German utility model application and a US patent application is not to be considered as state of the art.

In the known method, the directional beam emitting unit according to FIG. 13 of DE 44 16 707 AI is formed by a plurality of laser beam transmitters arranged over a flat field. The laser steel transmitters are rigidly arranged on a common carrier. The size of the field over which the laser beam transmitters are distributed is coordinated with being able to examine singularities for their assignment to a specific target field in a short time.

In the known method, the direction of the directional beams emanating from the individual laser beam transmitters is fixed in an unchangeable manner by assigning the laser beam transmitters to the common carrier.

The invention is based on the object of being able to change the size of the detection area and the distribution of the partial areas determined by the plurality of directional beams within the detection area in a method of the type described in the introduction.

To achieve this object, it is proposed according to the invention that by changing the geometrical assignment of the directional rays to one another, the distances between the partial areas within the detection area are changed.

An exemplary comparison between the prior art mentioned at the outset according to FIG. 13 of DE 44 16 707 A1 on the one hand and the method according to the invention on the other hand serve to explain this task.

According to this FIG. 13, the laser beams emanating from the directional beam emitting unit are all arranged parallel to one another. This means that the respective detection area on the deck of a ship is the size of the field 13, DE 44 16 707 AI, over which the laser beam transmitters are distributed, at least if one assumes that the directional beams strike the deck of the ship essentially orthogonally. The area that can be examined during a predefined relative position between the direct beam transmission unit and the ship is correspondingly small. Therefore, when the load moves along the surface of a ship, it is difficult to find structures that identify the target. The size of the field over which the laser beam transmitters are distributed cannot be increased arbitrarily, on the one hand because of the regularly limited space available in the area of the load carrier, and on the other hand because of the costs involved in multiplying the laser beam transmitters.

If, on the other hand, there is now the possibility according to the invention of changing the geometrical assignment of the directional beams to one another, this means, applied to FIG. 13 of DE 44 16 707 AI, that a bundle of parallel beams from the bundle of parallel direct beams Directional beams can be made. Depending on the degree of divergence of the directional beams, the overall area recorded on the ship deck can be enlarged with the distance between the directional beam emitting unit and the surface to be viewed, for example the ship deck, unchanged. In this way it is possible, for example, to enlarge the search area as a whole while searching for a specific identifying structure for the target. Of course, the partial areas hit by the individual directional beams of the diverging directional beam bundle are at a greater distance from one another than the use of a parallel directional beam bundle. Nevertheless, it is generally possible to determine coarse structures with the diverging directional beam within the detection range, for example the appearance of a corner of a container shaft entrance or the appearance of a container corner fitting. For the exact adjustment of the load carrier to the target location, which ultimately allows the load carrier to be set down at the target location with high lowering speed, it is often necessary to know the fine structure of the respective target location-defining surface formation. This fine structure cannot be recognized with a strongly divergent bundle of directional beams. Imagine that the fine structure to be recognized is formed by level jumps. The position of these level jumps can be determined more precisely and converted into data for a spatial mapping, the narrower a level jump is entered between two directional beams.

In the method according to the invention, there is, for example, the possibility of arranging the directional beams in a divergent bundle for locating a characteristic structure for a target location and, after recognizing this characteristic structure, narrowing the diverging bundle within the detection field acted upon by the diverging bundle, if necessary up to the parallelism of the directional beams and continue until the convergence of the directional beams.

It should be noted once again that this possibility of enlarging and reducing the detection field is independent of the distance of the directional beam transmission unit from the surface to be examined.

If it was mentioned in the definition of the method according to the invention that the transit time is measured for directional beams emitted to different partial areas, this statement should in particular also include the determination of the transit time difference of neighboring directional beams, which is used to determine level differences at the area to be detected is necessary. Such run-time difference measurements can basically determine level jumps and also with regard to the level difference. If there is further talk that the reflection receiver unit is in a known geometrical association with the directional beam emission unit, then in particular the case should also be covered that the reflection receiver unit has a rigid geometric relationship with the directional beam emission unit.

If, when defining the method according to the invention, one speaks of the fact that the geometric assignment of the individual directional beams to one another must be known in order to determine the data for a spatial image, then it should be noted that the familiarity of the relative geometric assignment of the individual Alignment beams already allow a data record corresponding to a spatial mapping to be obtained. For the practical implementation of the method according to the invention, it is also helpful if the geometric assignment of the individual directional beams to a coordinate system assigned to the directional beam emitting unit is known.

With the help of the running time measurements and the known geometrical assignment of the directional beams to one another or also the directional beams to a coordinate system fixed on the directional beam emitting unit, not only height differences of individual surface areas of the surface to be examined can be determined, but also the Horizontal coordinates of the singularities, such as Level jumps so that the target path corrections can be made using the horizontal coordinates. Options for target path correction are described in detail in DE 44 16 707 AI. Reference is made to this DE 44 16 707 AI for supplementing the disclosure, in particular with regard to the possibilities of correcting the destination path.

If, when defining the method according to the invention, there is further talk that data corresponding to a spatial mapping of at least part of the detection area, are obtained, it is fundamentally possible to use this data to design an image that is visible to the eye, for example on a screen. The operator is then able, on the basis of the observation of this visible image, in particular when the load carrier is shown on the visible image at the same time, to carry out target correction measures on the load carrier or on the lifting cable carrier and the effect of the correction measures initiated by him on the visible image follow. However, this is only one possibility. It is also possible to use the data corresponding to the respective spatial mapping directly for target path correction by comparing the actual location of the load carrier with the target location, ie the target area, and deriving signals for the horizontal correction of the load carrier from the difference in location. For further details, reference is made to the already mentioned DE 44 16 707 AI and to EP 0 342 655 A2. Because the directional beam transmission unit is arranged on the load carrier, the relative position between a recognized target location and the respective actual location of the load carrier can be easily determined both for the visual representation and for the immediate target path correction. It goes without saying that a multiplicity of further parameters must be taken into account in the target path correction, for example the respective relative speed between the load carrier and the destination, the respective height of the load carrier above the target location and forces acting on the load carrier, for example wind forces.

When using the method according to the invention, it is fundamentally also possible to change the spacing of parallel directional beams within a beam of directional beams. However, because of the enlargement ratio that can be achieved thereby, the angles between the directional beams to be emitted to different subregions are preferably changed.

The directional rays to be emitted to different sub-areas can be individually assigned by them determination components are directed; this means that the directional effects of at least some of these directional components have to be changed. For a better understanding, one should imagine, for example, components of the completely determined rod-shaped laser beam emitter which emit the respective directional beam in the longitudinal direction; the directional effect can then be changed simply by changing the relative angles between adjacent laser beam transmitters.

In principle, however, it is also possible to use a direction determination component with a variable directional effect common to these directional rays for aligning directional beams to different partial areas of the detection area, and to change the variation sequence of the directional effect to change the angles between these directional beams.

For a better understanding of this last-mentioned embodiment of the method according to the invention, reference is made to EP 0 342 655 A2, specifically there to FIG. 3. A spreader can be seen there as the carrier of a container which is to be lowered into a shaft in the hull of a ship. On the spreader there is a direct-beam emitting unit in combination with a retroreflective receiver unit. The various directional beams shown in a diverging bundle are generated using a single radiation source in that a directional beam emanating from this single radiation source is directed onto a periodically moving reflection mirror, so that directional beams are sent successively in different directions onto the detection surface.

As long as no special measures have been taken, the reflection mirror is subjected to a periodic pivoting movement about at least one axis, the amplitude and the frequency of this periodic movement being constant. Constance the amplitude at a frequency that is also constant means an unchangeable geometric assignment of the individual directional beams passed through the mirror one after the other. This also means that the detection field cannot be changed in any case if the relative position of the load carrier and ship's hull remains unchanged.

The idea of changing the course of variation of the directional effect in the sense of the last discussed development of the invention can be realized in such a way that the pivoting amplitude of the mirror is changed when the mirror is pivoted at a constant frequency. Then the successive directional rays directed towards different detection areas become all the more divergent the larger the pivoting amplitude of the mirror and vice versa.

It has already been pointed out that after the first detection of a characteristic target structure area within a larger detection area, the detection area can be reduced by reducing the distances between the partial areas. If one now imagines that, with the relative position of the load carrier and the destination remaining the same, the larger detection area just falls onto the surface to be examined such that the target structure of interest which is of interest lies on the edge of the detection area, the subsequent reduction in the size of the detection area would lead to this that the target structure region of interest that is of interest is no longer in register with the reduced detection region, so that the fine-structural examination of the target structure region would not be possible at all. For this reason, it will often be necessary to shift the center of the detection area towards the target-characterizing target structure area before reducing the detection area; This can be done, for example, by setting an imaginary central axis of the directional radiation beam, which is preferably fixed in relation to the retroreflection receiver unit, in the direction of the target structure area. This "tracking" is easily possible if, on the one hand, one knows the position of the central axis in relation to a coordinate system fixed to the load carrier and, on the other hand, one knows the relative position of the target structure region of interest which is of interest in relation to the coordinate system fixed to the load carrier. The central axis can then be tracked on the basis of the amount of data available in any case, which is obtained using measured transit times and with knowledge of the geometric assignment of the central axis of the directional beam to the coordinate system fixed to the load carrier.

Using the method according to the invention, the detection area can be reduced depending on the approach of the load carrier to the detection area while reducing the distances between the sub-areas within the detection area. This takes into account the fact that as the load carrier approaches the surface containing the destination, fine structures have to be examined to an increasing extent in order to ultimately exactly meet the destination. This is helped by the fact that, due to the target correction measures already carried out, the target structure area to be examined falls with a high probability anyway into the reduced detection area. However, the tracking principle mentioned above can also be used here.

At this point it is also clear that the change in the detection area according to the invention is not comparable with a change in the detection area which necessarily occurs in the case of diverging directional beam bundles as a function of the distance between the directional beam emitting unit and the surface to be examined.

If reference was made above to direction determination components, these can be formed, for example, by directional beam transmitters which can be adjusted relative to one another, for example a group of laser transmitters. If a common direction determination component, such as a reflection element or other directional beam deflection element, is used and its periodic movement is changed in terms of amplitude in order to change the divergence of a directional beam bundle emanating from this directional beam deflection element, a distinction must be made between the case that the periodic movement takes place continuously and that the continuous movement takes place step by step. In the case of the step-by-step execution of the periodic movement, care must be taken to ensure that when the amplitude of the periodic movement changes, the step length of the periodic movement is also changed accordingly.

Up to now there has only been talk of directional beams which correspond to the individual partial areas of the respective area of the decision. It should be noted that in order to achieve as accurate a picture as possible of the conditions on the surface to be examined, series of pulsed directional beams can also be emitted, the temporal sequence of these directional beams within such a series being set so short that each of the directional beams of this series approximately the same sub-area of the detection area is struck, so that the same measurement results with regard to the transit time are also to be expected. In this way, a series of transit time measurements is carried out, the average of these transit time measurements then being taken as the "transit time" for a specific sub-area of the detection area.

To improve the resolving power in the method according to the invention, the procedure can be such that, during a state of essentially unchanged geometrical assignment of the directional beams relative to one another, a group of directional beams is superimposed on a common transverse displacement, essentially transversely to the direction of travel, preferably a periodic cross-shift, and that in defined time phases of this cross-shift based on the run times measured in the respective time phase and known Geometrical assignment of the directional beams shifted by the transverse shift in the respective time phase is examined at least in part of the detection area, the data for generating the spatial image being obtained on the basis of the measurements carried out in a sequence of time phases. It should be noted that a plurality of running time measurements can also be carried out in each of these time phases, so that an increased measurement accuracy is achieved by averaging.

It should also be pointed out that the assignment of directional beams to one another or to a common coordinate system as a function of at least one position-determining parameter is determined by a preceding calibration process, in which the assignment of the direction is in each case assigned to a plurality of parameter values of this at least one parameter ¬ beam is determined, and that when determining the data for obtaining the spatial image, the data on the assignment of the directional beams are determined depending on the respective value of the at least one parameter. It is possible for the data on the geometric assignment of individual directional beams to be obtained as a function of the respective value of the at least one parameter by measuring the respective directional beam. These possibilities of drawing have the great advantage that deviations from a predetermined movement program of the directional beams are eliminated.

The invention further relates to a target detection device for detecting the target location of a moving load carrier, comprising a directional beam transmission unit which is connected to the moving load carrier for common movement and which is designed to transmit pulsed directional beams at different times in the direction of different partial areas of a Emit detection range, further comprising a reflection receiver unit with known geometric assignment to the directional beam emitter unit, this retroreflection receiver unit being designed to receive the scattered retroreflection corresponding to the individual pulsed directional beams, further comprising transit time measuring means for determining the transit time of pulsed directional beams from the time of transmission to the point of reception, further comprising calculation means which are designed to obtain data on the basis of the measured transit times and known geometric assignment of the associated directional beams to one another in accordance with a spatial mapping of at least part of the detection area. According to the invention, the directional beam emitting unit is assigned directional means which allow the relative geometric assignment of the directional beams to be emitted according to different partial areas of the detection area.

The straightening means can be designed to change the angles between straightening beams emitted to different partial areas.

In a first alternative it is provided that the directional means for directional rays to be emitted to different partial areas comprise directional components which are individually assigned to them and which are variable for determining the relative direction of the directional rays.

According to a further alternative, it is provided that the directional means for directional beams to be emitted to different partial areas comprise a common direction-determining component with variable directional effect, the directional effect of this direction-determining component being changeable in the sense of changing the angle between the directional beams.

The directional beam emitting unit can also be changeable in its geometric assignment to a load carrier-fixed coordinate system; then you can still see the relative movement of the directional beams to be directed to different areas superimpose a common movement of these directional beams relative to the coordinate system fixed to the load carrier, for example in order to be able to carry out the "tracking" mentioned above. In particular, it is possible for the directional beam emitting unit to have a central axis defined by the directional beams to be emitted to different partial areas of the detection area, the angular position of which can be varied with respect to the coordinate system fixed to the load carrier.

The calculation means are then designed in such a way that, based on the measured transit times, known geometrical assignment of the directional beams to one another and known angular setting of the central axis relative to the coordinate system fixed to the load carrier, the data can be obtained in accordance with a spatial mapping of at least part of the detection area.

According to a preferred embodiment, it is provided that the direction-determining components are pivotably mounted on a common support, preferably gimbal-like, and are connected to pivot-angle setting means which allow the individual direction-determining components to be pivoted in mutual dependence. In order to achieve the simplest possible mechanical construction of the swivel angle setting means, one embodiment can be chosen such that the swivel angle setting means comprise an elastic connection system which couples the direction determining components outside the swivel bearing locations and which, by applying external forces, in at least one embodiment is elastically deformable in one direction. The elastic connection system can be formed, for example, by an elastic body; this can be designed as an elastomer plate which can be deformed at least in one direction, preferably in two directions orthogonal to one another.

The direction determination components can again here be formed by individual directional emitters each comprising a radiation source, for example laser emitters. If the direction-determining components are rod-shaped, it can be provided that the pivotable mounting takes place at one of two points of the rod-shaped structure spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the rod and that the pivot-angle setting means act on the second of these axially spaced points.

If a common direction determination component with a variable directional effect is used, it is possible that the common direction determination component with a variable directional effect is formed 5 by a directional beam deflection element which is connected downstream of a common radiation source in the beam path and is connected to a periodic swivel drive. the periodic movement sequence communicated to the common directional beam deflection element being changeable. For the reasons already given above in the context of the explanations of the method, the swivel amplitude of the directional beam deflection element can be changed at a constant frequency. If the step-by-step movement sequence of the periodic swivel movement takes place step by step, it must be ensured that the step size can be changed in accordance with the size of the swivel amplitude. 5

As already mentioned in connection with the description of the method, the directional beam emitting unit can be attached to a load carrier which is suspended from a horizontally movable lifting cable carrier by means of a lifting cable system with a height adjustment of 0 bar. It is advantageous that the directional beam emitting unit is attached to a movable holding element which can be adjusted relative to the load carrier between an active position and a retracted position, the active position being designed such that even when the load carrier is connected With a load, the directional beam can be applied to the detection area and the retracted position is designed such that the load Carrier with a coupled load, if necessary, in confined spaces, such as being able to enter a container stack or a container shaft in a ship.

The target detection device according to the invention does not have to be attached to a load carrier suspended by a cable system. The target detection device could also be used, for example, to detect a target location for a trolley.

The target detection device can furthermore be designed in such a way that the directional beam emitting unit is assigned a transverse displacement device which is suitable, in at least one state of the geometric association of a group of directional beams with one another, for the directional beams of this group to have a common, preferably periodic, transverse displacement and that the calculation means are designed to calculate the data corresponding to a spatial mapping of at least a part of the detection area on the basis of the transit time measurements for different transverse displacement states of a sequence of transverse displacement states which are brought about by the common transverse displacement. This design of the target detection device enables an improvement in the resolving power: given a mutual spacing of the partial regions, which is predetermined by the mutual assignment of the directional beams, the position of a particular edge at which a jump in transit time occurs can be determined more precisely than the spacing of the partial regions transverse to this edge corresponds.

The invention further relates to a directional beam emitting unit which can be used in particular for carrying out the method according to the invention and as part of the target detection device according to the invention, but also has other possible uses.

This directional beam emitting unit is designed in such a way that the individual direction determination components are on a common carrier movable relative to each other and are adjustable relative to each other by a common drive system.

In this case, the individual direction-determining components can be pivoted on the common support, preferably cardan-pivotally, and can be acted upon outside of their pivot bearings by the common drive system. The common drive system can be formed by an elastic connection system connecting the direction-determining components, which can be deformed by external force, so that as a result of this deformation, the individual direction-determining components are given coordinated pivoting movements. This results in minimal mechanical effort in order to obtain coordinated pivoting movements of the direction determination components.

The elastic connection system can comprise, for example, an elastomer tape or an elastomer film or an elastomer plate, which can be deformed in at least one, possibly in two mutually orthogonal directions.

It is possible, for example, for the direction-determining components to have a rod-shaped configuration and to pass through the band or the film or the plate and thereby be connected to the latter in an articulated manner. In this way it can be achieved that the pivot bearing points of adjacent direction determination components have approximately the same distance from one another within the row or the field and that the connection points of adjacent direction determination components with the elastic connection system also have approximately the same distance from one another, the distance between these connection points when force is exerted on the elastic connecting system, it is essentially enlarged or reduced in a constant manner.

According to another embodiment, the common application Drive system control surfaces for the individual direction-determining components, which are in engagement with the direction-determining components outside the pivot bearing. The control surfaces can be attached to a control surface carrier common to at least one group of direction determination components. In particular, it is possible for the control surface support to be movable essentially orthogonally to a swivel support surface containing the swivel bearings and to have a control bore for the individual direction determination components.

Regardless of how the common drive system is designed, it is possible that at least one group of direction determination components can be displaced essentially jointly by means of an additional displacement device. The additional shifting device can either act on the common carrier of the direction determination components or on their common drive system.

If the directional beam emitting unit according to the invention is used in the context of the method for target path correction described above or in the context of the target detection device described subsequently, the following must be observed: Even if the coupling of the individual direction-determining components by a common drive system does not lead to one leads to highly precise motion coordination, the detection errors remain negligible. This is because the following must be taken into account: it is easy to determine in a calibration process which pivot positions of the individual direction-determining components correspond to a specific state of the common drive system. Within the scope of this calibration process, a data collection can now be created which records the pivotal position of the individual direction-determining components for all occurring states of the common drive system. One can then, on the basis of run-time measurements and data, via the geometric assignment of the associated directional beams or the geometric one Classification of these directional beams into a specific coordinate system in each case interrogates the data corresponding to the geometric assignment from the data collection by calling up the data corresponding to a specific state of the common drive system.

One could think of using the directional beam emitting unit, for example, to focus more or less directional beams at varying distances in the directional beam emitting unit and an object to be illuminated or heated.

The accompanying figures explain the invention using exemplary embodiments; it represents:

1 shows a crane system with a target detection device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 schematically shows a directional beam emitting unit as a detail of FIG. 1;

3a and 3b a directional beam external unit according to the invention in different operating states;

FIG. 4 shows a corner structure of a container, which characterizes the destination, with a corner fitting for coupling a spreader; FIG.

5 shows a block diagram for the functional sequence of a detection process;

6a, 6b, 6c and 7a, 7b, 7c a modified embodiment of the invention;

8 shows a further modified embodiment of the invention and Fig. 9 is a schematic representation for explaining the scanning.

1 shows a port facility with a quay edge; this is designated 10 and runs perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. To the side of the quay edge 10 one can see a harbor basin 12 in which a ship 14 lies. Ship 14 is stowed on the quay edge and is to be loaded with containers. On the left side of the quay edge one can see a driving surface 15 of the port area. Rails 16, on which a crane gantry or crane tower 18 travels, are laid on this running surface 15. The crane gantry or crane tower 18 carries a bridge girder 20. This bridge girder 20 extends orthogonally to the quai edge over the ship 14. A trolley 22 can be moved on the bridge girder 20 in the longitudinal direction of the bridge girder 20 by means of wheels 24. The trolley 22 is driven along the entire bridge girder 20 by means of a traction cable 26 which extends between two deflection rollers 28 and is provided with a drive. The pull cable 26 is connected to the lifting

20 cable carrier 22 connected at 30 by drive, so that the lifting cable carrier 22 can be moved over the entire length of the bridge carrier 20 by longitudinal movement of the lower run of the traction cable 26. A load carrier in the form of a so-called spreader hangs on the hoist cable carrier via a hoist cable system 32

25 34 is designated. A container 36 hangs on the spreader 34 and is to be supplied to a stand within the ship 14. The ship 14 shows the entrance 40 of a container receiving shaft in which a plurality of containers 36 can be stacked one above the other. The container

30, its upper entrance 40 forms a target position for the container 36. The container 36 was picked up by a container stack 44 in the area of the crane system by the spreader 34 and from left to right by moving the trolley 22 into the position shown in FIG. 1 position shown

35 drive. During this traversing movement, appropriate control of the movement of the pulling cable 26 was used to ensure that the load carrier 34 was approximately aligned with the Container shaft entrance 40 arrives. Furthermore, appropriate accelerations and decelerations of the pulling cable 26 have already been used to ensure that there are as far as possible no oscillatory movements of the load carrier 34 parallel to the plane of the drawing or, if such oscillatory movements had already occurred, that these oscillatory movements are essentially suppressed. It can therefore be assumed that the load carrier 34 with the container 36 in the situation shown in FIG. 1 is already approximately in alignment with the target position, ie with the entrance 40 of the container receiving shaft 42, and is essentially free of vibrations. Nevertheless, the load carrier 34 with the container 36, as exaggerated in FIG. 1, is not yet in exact alignment with the container shaft entrance 40, so that further correction movements of the load carrier 34 in the horizontal direction parallel to the plane of the drawing and possibly also perpendicular to the time ¬ plane are necessary so that the load carrier 34 with the container 36 can be lowered without stopping at the entrance 40 of the container shaft 42 in the latter in the course of its lowering movement.

The hoist cable 50 shown on the left in FIG. 1 is now described in detail by two hoist cables 50 of the hoist system 32 according to FIG. 1. This hoisting cable 50 runs from a cable drum 52 which is mounted on the trolley 22 in a stationary and rotatable manner via a cable deflection pulley 54 on the spreader 34 to a cable anchoring point 56 which is in turn attached to the trolley 22. It can easily be seen that a total of four such hoist cables 50 can be attached to the spreader 34, each of which cooperates with a deflection roller 54. The deflection rollers 54 can be arranged in the four corners of a rectangular spreader 34. It can be seen that the anchoring point 56 of the hoist cable lies on a carriage 58 which is guided in a horizontal direction parallel to the plane of the drawing on the trolley 22, ie on the frame of the trolley. A hydraulic is used to move the rope anchoring point 56 with the slide 58 Power device 60 is provided so that the course of the cable element 50 'of the hoist cable 50 can be changed. It is readily apparent to the person skilled in technical mechanics that shifting the cable element 50 'from the position shown to the left causes a change in equilibrium and that this change in equilibrium exerts a force K on the load carrier 34 in the direction indicated by the arrow K shown horizontal direction parallel to the plane of the drawing. It can also be seen that the magnitude and direction of this force K can be influenced by the course of movement of the carriage 58. It can also be seen that the magnitude of the force K depends on the inclination of the cable element 50 'at the beginning and at the end of its displacement, in addition to the dependence on the course of movement of the cable anchorage point 56, which is given to it by the hydraulic power device 60.

In conclusion, it can be said that by shifting the rope anchoring point 56 relative to the hoist rope carrier, i. H. compared to the trolley 22, the size of the force K can be determined. It can also be seen that only a relatively small mass has to be moved to move the cable anchoring point 56 and that in any case the main mass of the trolley 22 does not have to be moved in order to displace the cable anchoring point 56 to generate the force K.

It can be seen in FIG. 1 that the force K described in its history of origin can be used as a correction force in order to bring the load carrier 34 and the container 36 carried by it into alignment with the target position 40, which is due to the entrance of the container receiving shaft 42 is true. It must now be borne in mind that the load carrier 34 at the time shown by FIG. 1 has a lowering speed v _£ and possibly also a horizontal speed v _h , possibly also an acceleration in the direction of the horizontal speed Arrow v _h . One must also take into account that the Load carrier 34 and container 36 may be subject to a wind force W.

It can also be seen that the lower end of the container 36 still has a distance .DELTA.h in the vertical direction with respect to the target position 40 and that the load carrier 34 with the container 36 is offset by the distance .DELTA.x along the coordinate axis x with respect to the target position 40 . The state variables Δh, Δx, v _s , v _h , W and the mass M described above and also the inclination of the cable element 50 ′ are responsible for the position of the load carrier 34 and the container 36 relative to the target position 40 in the event of an uncorrected further lowering profile when the target position approach path is not corrected. These state variables are therefore also responsible for the necessary size and direction of a correction force K, which, as described above, must be generated if the container is to be reached if it is at level D of the ship 14 with its floor arrives, actually reaches the target position 40 and can enter the container receiving shaft 42 without stopping.

In order to be able to determine the values .DELTA.h and .DELTA.x, a releasable target detection device 64 is attached to the load carrier 34. The target detection device 64 can be pivoted about a pivot point 70.

A characteristic structure of the container shaft entrance 40, ie the destination, is the corner angle 72 of the container shaft entrance 40. It is readily conceivable that the position of the spreader 34 when the container 36 enters the container shaft 42 is such that two diagonally against one another ¬ Overlying corners of the container 36 are in vertical alignment with two diagonally opposite corners of the container shaft 42. One must therefore ensure that this escape position is reached at the latest when the container 36 enters the container shaft 42. Around To achieve the escape position, the height Δh must be measured, as already indicated, but also the horizontal deviation Δx and possibly also a horizontal deviation in the direction of the axis y.

Even if the rough setting of the spreader and the container 34 or 36 has already been established, for example by specifying an address signal with respect to the container shaft 42 to be selected, when the spreader 34 with the container 36 reaches the area of the container shaft 42, the necessity may well be the case result that the target detection device 64 first of all the corner angle 72 as a characteristic structure of the target location, ie of the container shaft entrance 40 must determine. For this purpose, the target detection device 64 is designed, as can be seen from FIGS. 2, 3a and 3b.

2 shows that the target detection device 64 comprises a frame 74, which can also be referred to as a directional beam transmission unit. In this context, a large number of laser emitters 76 are arranged distributed over an approximately rectangular field 78, so that all laser emitters 76 emit directional rays 80 in the form of a vertically downward directional beam bundle 82. The frame 74 is pivotally mounted in the pivot point 70, specifically both about a pivot axis orthogonal to the drawing plane and about a horizontal pivot axis parallel to the drawing plane.

By pivoting the frame 74 about the two pivot axes, it can be achieved that the parallel beam 82 falls approximately on a corner angle region 72. Understandably, the dimensions of the frame 74 and the number of laser emitters 76 are limited on the one hand with regard to the spatial accommodation of the frame 74 in the area of the spreader 34 and on the other hand with regard to the costs increasing with the number of laser emitters 76. Nevertheless, in particular at a high height of the spreader 34 above the level D through the direct beam bundle 82, a corner region 72 with its characteristic To be able to detect features, the frame 74 would have to assume a practically hardly acceptable size with a corresponding number of laser emitters 76. For this reason, the laser emitters 76 - as shown in FIG. 3a - are arranged in a divergent manner. As a result of this diverging arrangement of the laser emitters 76, with a small size of the frame 74 and a comparatively small number of laser emitters 76, a large detection range can be detected, especially at a high height of the spreader 34 above the ship level D, which on the one hand offers a high probability, Quickly identify the corner angle 72 and completely include it in the detection area. In this way it is then possible to obtain an approximate image of the corner angle region 72 through the laser emitters 76.

Here it is first of all necessary to briefly describe the effect of the target detection device 64. The laser emitters 76 are connected to a common ignition device 84, which makes it possible to ignite the laser emitters 76 one after the other in time, so that each of the laser emitters 76 emits a pulsed directional beam 80 at short intervals. If the frame 74 is oriented toward a corner angle region 72, the pulsed directional beams 80 emitted one after the other are partially reflected in the corner angle region at the level D of the ship's surface, partly on the bottom of the container receiving shaft 42 (not shown) or on the surface of a container located there . The individual directional rays reflected under scatter strike the reflection receiver unit 86 as scatter reflection 88. The transit time of the directional beam 88 or the scattered reflection 88 from the laser emitter 76 to the reflection receiver unit 86 is measured electronically for each of the successively ignited directional beams. This transit time measurement makes it possible to decide, depending on the transit time, for individual directional beams 80 emitted one after the other, whether these have been reflected on the surface D or in the depth of the container shaft 42. Now if you look at the place and the orientation of the laser emitters 76 and thus the directional rays 80 is known, and if one also knows the height of the target detection unit 64, for example from the shorter running times, the points of impact can be obtained from knowledge of these quantities by means of 5 simple trigonometric arithmetic operations or determine areas of incidence of the directional beams 80 in the plane D, based on a spreader-resistant coordinate system. If it has now been established that two adjacent directional beams 80 have different running times and if one recognizes the coordinates of the points of impact of these neighboring directional beams 80 on plane D, then one learns from the fact of the different running times that between these points of impact of the directional beams 80 Level jump must be present and has thus forked the location of an edge of the corner angle 72 5.

The course of the corner angle region 72 with respect to the spreader-fixed coordinate system and thus the position of the spreader 34 0 or of the container 36 relative to this corner angle region 72 can be determined by a large number of such operations Having mutually diagonally opposite corners of the spreader 34 or the container 36 with respect to the associated corner angle regions 72, data 5 can be used to either map the position of the spreader 34 or container 36 relative to the corner angle regions 72 on an image Generate screen so that an operator from knowledge of the relative position of spreader 34 and container 36 on the one hand and corner angle regions 72 on the other hand can give position correction pulses to the power devices 60. Alternatively, the data obtained with respect to the relative position of the spreader 34 and container 36 with respect to the corner angle regions 72 can also be used to directly generate control signals for the actuation of the power devices 60 in such a way that they correct the Bring the target of the spreader 34 and container 36 into place, which are used to immerse the spreader 34 or container 36 in the container receiving shaft 42 in further lowering leads.

The distance between adjacent points of incidence of the directional beams 80 is responsible for the imaging accuracy of the corner angle regions 72. The divergence of the beam bundle 82 of the directional beams 80, which had been declared valuable for maintaining a large detection area, therefore proves to be useful for determining a precise image Corner angle regions 72 are disadvantageous since they lead to large distances between the impingement points of adjacent directional beams 80. For this reason, it is envisaged that the orientation of the laser emitters 76, which result in a downward diverging directional beam according to FIG. 3a, can be changed in the direction of the state of FIG. 3b, where the laser emitters 76 and the downward directional beams exit 80 converge. In this way, the distance between the points of incidence of the directional beams 80 on the plane D becomes smaller with a simultaneous reduction in the detection area, so that a precise image of the corner angle 72 is obtained. One can also say "the resolving power is improved".

The determination of the image takes place in the state according to FIG. 3b in exactly the same way as previously described for the state of FIG. 3a.

It is possible, for example, to first use the laser emitters in the mutual orientation according to FIG. 3a at a certain height of the spreader 34 and the container 36, in order to determine a rough picture of the surroundings of the container shaft entrance and thereby the corner angle regions 72 characteristic of the destination identify. Once these have been identified, the resolution can be increased by moving to the state according to FIG. 3b, with the result that a sharp image of the corner angle regions 72 is obtained which is sharp enough to make the necessary positional corrections of the spreader 34 or container 36 perform. It is found that during the initial target observation with the arrangement of the laser emitters 76 according to FIG. 3a, the one of interest If the corner angle area 72 lies at the edge of the detection area defined by the points of incidence of the directional beams 80 on the plane D, a pivoting movement of the frame can be carried out before the transition from the angle setting of the laser emitters 76 according to FIG. 3a to the angle setting according to FIG. 3b Make men 74 at pivot point 70 so that the central axis ZA of the direct beam emitting unit formed by the laser emitters 76 falls in the corner angle region 72. It is then achieved that, even after the transition to the state according to FIG. 3b has taken place, the corner angle region 72 lies completely in the detection region defined by the points of incidence of the directional beams 80.

The laser emitters 76 are rod-shaped in accordance with FIGS. 3a and 3b. The rod-shaped laser emitters 76 are mounted at their lower ends with universal joint heads 90 in spherical bearing openings 92 in a base plate 94. The bearing openings 92 which are adjacent to one another in the direction parallel to the plane of the drawing and in the direction orthogonal to the plane of the drawing have

20 equal distances a. Near their upper ends, the rod-shaped laser emitters penetrate an elastomer plate 96 into passage openings 98, which in the direction parallel to the plane of the drawing and in the direction orthogonal to the drawing plane in turn have the same distances a ¹ . The elastomer plate 96 is in the

2s parallel to the plane of the drawing resilient by two mutually opposite edge attack strips 100, so that they can be transferred from the state according to FIG. 3b to the state according to FIG. 3a by approximation of these edge attack strips 100. Corresponding edge attack strips

30 100 are also provided on the edge surfaces of the elastomer plate 96 parallel to the plane of the drawing.

It is of course also possible to subject the edge attack strips 100 to tensile forces, so that one can come from an initial state according to FIG. 3a by the action of tensile force into the state according to FIG. 3b. In this case, the elastomer plate 96 can also be designed as a relatively thin film that there is no risk of folding or kinking.

To calibrate the target detection device, the elastomer plate 96 can be subjected to a large number of different load conditions, each of which corresponds to a specific orientation of the laser emitter 76. If the orientation of the laser emitters 76 is now determined for each of these load conditions, corresponding orientation data for the individual laser emitters 76 are available for each condition of the elastomer plate 96. This orientation data can be stored in a data memory in association with the respective load values, so that by entering the respective load values, the orientation data can be easily retrieved from the memory when they are required to determine the location coordinates of the points of incidence of the directional beams 80 on the plane D to determine.

It can be readily seen that the structures described so far can also be used to identify other destination-characterizing structures and determine their position with respect to a spread-resistant coordinate system. For example, reference is made to FIG. 4, where the corner of a container 36 is shown. A corner fitting 102 can be seen at this corner. This corner fitting 102 has an undercut opening for coupling coupling elements of the spreader 34. The undercut opening is labeled 104. Their contour can be recognized by determining the location of adjacent points of incidence of directional beams, which have different transit times depending on the level difference inside and outside the hole area.

If, as shown, the directional beam emitting unit formed by the entirety of the laser emitters 76 is pivoted in the pivot point 70 with one or two axes, then it is also necessary to determine the position coordinates of the points of incidence of the directional beams on the plane D, the pivoting angle values at pivot point 70 about by goniometer units determine and to take into account the measured values determined in the goniometer units when calculating the location coordinates of the impingement points of the directional beams 76 on the plane D.

According to the invention, as the spreader 34 or the load 36 approaches the plane D, the divergent orientation of the laser emitters 76 according to FIG. 3a can be switched to parallel bundling or the convergent orientation according to FIG. 3b to improve the "resolving power".

5 again shows the laser emitters 76 in association with the top surface D. The laser emitters 76 are ignited one after the other by the ignition unit 84; ignition takes place each time a start signal 108 is sent from a computer 106 to the ignition unit 84. The pulsed directional beams 80 emanating from the laser emitters 76 successively reach the reflection receiver unit 86. The propagation times of the individual directional beams 80 are measured in succession in the transit time measuring device 110, which detects the starting time of a pulsed laser beam 80 from the ignition unit 84 and from the reflection receiver unit 86 Received time of the backscattered laser radiation 88 is notified. The results of the transit time measurements are communicated to the computer 106 via a line 112 in a sequence corresponding to the ignition of the laser emitters 76. The computer 106 is provided with a data memory 114, in which the location coordinates within the frame 74 and the orientation data for each load state of the elastomer plate 96 are stored for each laser emitter 76. Furthermore, the computer 106 is connected to goniometer units 116 and 118, which deliver to the computer 106 the respective angular settings of the frame 74 about the pivot point 70 with respect to the spreader-proof coordinate system. The computer 106 determines the load conditions of the elastomer plate 96 and, for this purpose, transmits load setting signals to the strips via a line 120 100 acting force device 122. From the force device 122, a signal identifying the respective load state is received via a line 124 to the memory 114, so that the memory 114 borrows the orientation data from the memory 114 via line 126 to the computer 106 arrive that correspond to the set load state on the elastomer plate 96. In addition, the location data of the laser emitters 76 reach the computer 106 from the memory 114 via a line 128, that is to say the data which define the position of the ball joint heads 90 in the base plate 94. Screen control signals can be obtained from the data supplied to the computer 106, which generate a spatial image of the respective detection area on a screen 130.

As an alternative or in addition, the computer 106 can also send signals to the force device 60 (FIG. 1) via a line 132 which, taking into account the parameters v _s , v _h , W, M, Δx and Δh, the necessary correction force of the force determine councils 60.

It was pointed out that the pulsed directional beams 80 are emitted one after the other with a time delay. The total time between the ignition of a first of the laser beams 76 and the ignition of the last laser lamp is referred to as the detection time. This detection time is so short that taking into account the expected movements of the spreader 34 and the ship 14, the relative position between the spreader and the ship remains essentially unchanged during the detection time.

It should also be pointed out once again that when one speaks of a directional beam, the term “directional beam” in the sense of the invention can also mean a plurality of successive directional beams having the same geometric assignment to the spreader-fixed coordinate system. By using such a sequence of directional beams that are directed at the hitting the same point of impact on the top surface D, it is achieved that a large number of runtime measurements are available in order to obtain the most accurate possible runtime value by averaging.

6a, 6b, 6c and 7a, 7b, 7c show a further embodiment of a target detection device according to the invention. 6a and 7a show the target detection device 64a in different operating states.

The target detection unit 64a comprises a single laser emitter 76a, which directs a basic beam 77a against a swivel mirror 134a. The swivel mirror 134a can be swiveled about a swivel axis 136a in the direction of the swivel arrow 138a. The central position of the pivoting mirror 134a is shown in FIG. 6a, and the current angular coordinate of the pivoting path is designated by α. In the laser beam source 76a, successively pulsed basic beams 77a are ignited, which, owing to the adjustment of the pivoting mirror 134a during the firing sequence, result in a downward diverging bundle of directional beams 80a, which successively strike the top surface D and thereby describe the detection area DB6.

Of course, one can also generate a spatial bundle of directional beams 80a by additionally rotating the mirror with a swivel shaft 140a in the direction of the swivel arrow 142a. In the following only the flat case is considered.

The divergence of the beam of the directional beams 80a is indicated by the central angle 76. This is the angle between the two directional beams 80a, which arise in each case at maximum deflection oc of the pivoting mirror 134a.

The further directional rays lying between the two outermost directional rays 80a are not shown; only the Central beam 80a is shown.

The orientation of each of the directional beams is determined by the instantaneous angle value α. The course of the angle value ot as a function of time is shown in FIG. 6b. The outermost rays 80a of the directional beam according to FIG. 6a arise when the angular deflection a of the pivoting mirror 134a reaches the value o; max6 + or αmax6-.

While a relatively wide-angle bundle of directional beams 80a with the central angle γ6 is produced in FIG. 6a, a much narrower bundle of directional beams 80a with the central angle γ7 is achieved according to FIG. 7a. FIG. 6a corresponds to a large detection area DB6, and FIG. 7a corresponds to a small detection area DB7. The operating state of FIG. 6a therefore roughly corresponds to the search for a target structure, while the state according to FIG. 7a serves for a closer examination of the fine structure of a target structure.

The difference between the operating states of FIGS. 6a and 7a is based on the fact that the movement sequence of the pivoting movement of the pivoting mirror 134a according to FIG. 6b, which corresponds approximately to a sine line, has a larger amplitude αmax6 and according to FIG. 7b a smaller amplitude αmax7. It is therefore by simple change in amplitude of the periodic swing course he ^¬ possible different opening widths of the bundle of rays Richt¬ 80a and thus to obtain different detection areas.

6c and 7c indicate that in the event of a step-wise pivoting movement of the pivoting mirror 134a when changing from the large amplitude αmax6 to the small amplitude αmax7, the step size of the respective pivoting angle change a must also be reduced.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 8, analog components of a directional beam transmission unit 64b have the same reference numerals provided as in the embodiment according to FIGS. 3a and 3b, but supplemented by the addition b.

A frame 74b can be seen in which rod-shaped laser emitters 76b are mounted in spherical bearing openings 92b of a base plate 94b by means of universal joint heads 90b. The rod-shaped laser emitters 76b are designed with partially spherical control heads 150b at their upper ends. These control heads 150b engage in control bores 152b of a control piston 154b which serves as a control surface support and which can be displaced in the frame 74b in the direction of the double arrow 156b. The control bores 152b are arranged on concentric circles about the central axis ZA and inclined such that when the control piston 154b is displaced in the direction of the double arrow 156b, the angle between the laser beams 76b changes, similar to the change in angle. which occurs in the embodiment according to FIGS. 3a and 3b due to the elastic deformation of the elastomer plate 96.

A double rotation arrow 158b indicates that the target detection device 64b can also be pivoted as a whole. This pivotability corresponds, based on FIG. 1, to pivoting about pivot point 70. In this way, on the one hand, pivoting movement of frame 74b can be carried out, so that central axis ZA of directional beam emitting unit 64b formed by laser emitters 76b falls in the corner angle region 72. In addition, there is the following possibility: in a specific angular arrangement of the laser emitters 76b relative to one another in accordance with a specific axial position of the control piston 154b relative to the frame 74b, the target detection device 64b can be subjected to a scanning movement of a small angle amplitude in the direction of the double rotary arrow 158b, so that without changing the Relative angular position of the laser emitters 76b, a bundle of laser emitters 76b and thus the directional beams 80b emanating from them execute a synchronized scanning movement with respect to an edge 72b to be observed according to FIG. 9 of a corner angle 72 (see FIG. 1). In Fig. 9 one can see drawn in full line two immediately adjacent directional beams 80b in a first time and thus angular phase of the scan movement, and shown with dashed lines, the directional beams 80b 'in a second subsequent time and thus angular phase of the scan movement in the direction of Double rotation arrow 158b.

The angles between the directional beams 80b on the one hand and the directional beams 80b 'on the other hand will be made smaller than the angles between successive directional beams 80b. It is also possible to carry out run-time measurements in more than two time and location phases in the course of a scan movement and in turn assign each of these run-time measurements the location coordinates which apply to neighboring directional beams in different phases of the scan movement. If one then knows the geometric location of the directional beams for each of the directional beams 80b or 80b ', one learns for a group of successive directional beam pairs - in each case whether the edge 72b has already been forked, is still forked or is no longer forked. In this way, the position of the edge 72b can again be determined with increased accuracy by means of transit time measurements in conjunction with the associated geometric position data of the directional beams, without the number of laser emitters 76b having to be increased. This scanning technique can also be used in the previously described embodiments; For example, in FIG. 3a and 3b the target detection device 64 can superimpose scan movements in the direction of the double arrows 65 and 67 by having the auxiliary drive device 69 and a corresponding auxiliary drive device (not shown) act in the direction of the double arrow 67 approximately in the direction of the double arrow 65 .

These additional drive devices can then generate a scanning pivoting movement about pivot point 70 according to FIG. 1; alternatively, it is also conceivable to jointly reciprocate the edge attack strips 100 while maintaining their distance P to generate the scanning pivoting movement. In the direction of the double arrows 101, the deformation state of the plate 96 remains essentially unchanged during this scanning movement, so that the angles between the laser emitters 76 remain unchanged.

In the case of the embodiment according to FIGS. 6a-7c, a one-dimensional or two-dimensional scanning movement for each of the angle settings of the directional beams 80a, for example according to FIG. 7a, can be brought about by moving the target detection device 64a around the pivot point 70a in the direction of the Double arrows 65a and 67a are moved by means of an additional drive device 69a. Here it is alternatively also possible to generate the scanning movement by notifying at least one of the rotary movements of the pivoting mirror 134a in the respective position responsible for the angle γ6 or γ7 a modulating scanning movement. This scan movement is generally only used when the angle γ7 according to FIG. 7a is already small and cannot be reduced further in order to then obtain a higher resolution capacity through this scan movement. During this scanning movement, the detection area DB7 then moves around the central position shown in FIG. 7a.

The calibration process indicated earlier in the embodiment according to FIG. 3a can be carried out approximately as follows: For each angle setting between the rod-shaped laser emitters 76 and thus between the directional beams 80 emanating from them, which are predetermined by a certain distance between the edge attack strips 100 , a scanning movement is carried out, for example, in the direction of the double arrow 65 with the aid of the additional drive device 69.

In a plurality of time phases within this scanning movement, the points of incidence 81 of all the directional beams 80 are measured on a screen 83. In this way, depending on a parameter p, which corresponds to the respective position of the additional drive device 69 in FIG respective distance P of the edge attack strips 100 data on the orientation of the laser emitters 76 relative to one another or in relation to a coordinate system which is defined by the central axis ZA. These data can now be stored in the data memory 114 as a function of the parameter p for various parameters P, so that for each parameter value pair p, P in the data memory 114, orientation data of the respective laser emitters 76 and thus the respective directional beam len 80 can be called up and, with the help of the runtime data, determine the points of impact that are required for the spatial mapping of, for example, a corner area 72. It can be seen without further ado that an increased resolution is achieved by the scanning, even if the points of incidence of neighboring directional beams, which correspond to a certain value of the parameter P, are still relatively large.

The displacement of the detection device, for example by means of the additional drive device 69 of FIGS. 3a and 3b or by means of the additional drive device 69a of FIGS. 6a-7c or by pivoting movement of the detection device 64b in the direction of the double arrow 158b of FIG. 8, was described in the above description hitherto discussed as a measure which leads to an improvement in the resolving power, in that two adjacent directional beams 80b according to FIG. 9, together with the position unchanged relative to one another, are slightly displaced relative to the edge 72b by an amount which is smaller than the distance between the two directional beams 80b. A movement with the aid of the same additional drive device 69 of FIGS. 3a and 3b or the additional drive device 69a of FIGS. 6a-7c can also be used to insert a certain target structure, for example again the corner structure 72 of FIG to bring the respective center of the detection area in the sense of "tracking".

This tracking can also be brought about in that, for example in FIGS. 3a and 3b, the laser emitters 76 and thus their directional beams 80 together essentially direction of the relative position of adjacent laser beams 76 and their directional beams 80 are displaced relative to one another relative to the frame 74 of FIGS. 3a and 3b, a displacement of the central axis ZA being achieved in the sense of tracking the “viewing direction”. A fine structure, such as the corner structure 72 of FIG. 1, before the detection area is reduced, can thus be shifted into the center of the detection area in that, in the embodiment according to FIGS. 3a and 3b, the two edge attack strips 100 are direction of their distance P in the direction of the double arrows 101.

Claims

claims

1. Method for correcting the target path of a load carrier (34) approaching a target position, which, for example, is suspended in a height-adjustable manner on a horizontally movable lifting cable carrier (22) via a lifting cable system (32), a correction of the Target approach path is carried out and the target error detection is carried out by a) directional beams (80; 80a; 80b) pulsed by a directional beam transmission unit (64; 64a; 64b) arranged at the location of the load carrier (34) in the direction of a detection area (DB6, DB7) are transmitted so that temporally staggered, pulsed directional beams (80; 80a; 80b) meet different sub-areas of the detection area (DB6, DB7), b) in a retroreflection receiver unit (86) with a known geometric assignment to the directional beam emitting unit (64; 64a; 64b)) the individual pulsed directional beams (80; 80a) corresponding scatter reflection g (88) is received, c) the transit time from the transmission of a pulsed directional beam (80; 80a; 80b) to the reception of the corresponding scattered reflection (88) for a plurality of directional beams (80 ; 80a; 80b) is determined, d) on the basis of the transit times measured in this way and known geometric assignment of the associated directional beams (80; 80a; 80b) to one another, data are obtained in accordance with a spatial mapping of at least part of the detection area (DB6, DB7), characterized in that by changing the geometric assignment of the

Directional beams (80; 80a; 80b) to each other the distances of the

Sub-areas within the detection area (DB6, DB7) - 39 - can be changed.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the angle between the directional beams (80; 80a; 80b) to be emitted to different partial areas is changed.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the directional beams (80; 80b) to be emitted to different partial areas are directed by them individually assigned direction determination components (76; 76b) and that the directional effects of at least some of these direction determination components (76; 76b) to be changed.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that for the alignment of directional beams (80a) to different sub-areas of the detection area (DB6, DB7) for these directional beams (80a) common directional component (134a) with variable directional effect is used and that to change the angle between these directional beams (80a), the variation sequence of the directional effect is changed.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that after detection of a target-identifying target structure area (72, 102) within a larger detection area (DB6, DB7) the detection area (DB6, DB7) is reduced while reducing the distances between the partial areas is, if necessary after shifting a center of the detection area in the direction of the target marking area (72, 102).

3. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the detection area (DB6, DB7) as a function of the approach of the load carrier (34) to the detection area (DB6, DB7) while reducing the distances between the sub-areas within the detection area (DB6, DB7) is reduced.

7. The method according to any one of claims 3, 5 and 6, characterized in that a directional beam emitting unit (64, -64b) is used with a plurality of directional beam transmitters (76; 76b) movable relative to each other and that the axis-angle Alignment of the directional beam transmitter (76; 76b) is changed relative to each other.

8. The method according to any one of claims 4, 5 and 6, characterized in that a reflection element (134a) is used as the common direction determining component (134a), which is subjected to a periodic movement for determining the direction of directional beams (80a) to be emitted to different partial areas, and in that the amplitude (cκmax6, αmax7) of this periodic movement is changed in order to change the spacing of the partial areas while maintaining the frequency of this periodic movement.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that the step length is changed according to the change in amplitude when the periodic movement is carried out step by step.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that laser beams (80; 80a; 80b) are used as pulsed directional beams.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that in the case of the formation of the load carrier (34) as a spreader adapted to containers (36) (34) as 5 target-characterizing target structure area at least one corner fitting (102) of a container (36 ) or a corner area (72) of a container receiving shaft (42) is detected.

O

12. The method according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that during a state of essentially unchanged geometric assignment of the directional rays (80; 80a; 80b) relative to one another a group of directional rays (80; s 80a; 80b) a common transverse displacement ( 65; 65a; 158b) is superimposed essentially transversely to the running direction, preferably a periodic transverse shift (65; 65a; 158b), and that in defined time phases of this transverse shift (65; 65a; 158b) due to the measured in the respective 0 time phase Running times and known geometrical assignment of the directional beams (80; 80a; 80b) shifted by the transverse shift (65, -65a; 158b) in the respective time phase are each examined at least part of the detection range (DB6, DB7), the data 5 for generating the spatial image being obtained on the basis of the measurements carried out in a sequence of time phases.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1-12, 0 characterized in that the assignment of directional beams (80) to each other or to a common coordinate system as a function of at least one position-determining parameter (p, P) is determined by a preceding calibration process, at s that for a plurality of parameter values of this at least one parameter (p, P) the assignment of the directional beam (80) is determined, and that during the determination In order to obtain the spatial image, the data can be determined by assigning the directional beams (80) as a function of the respective value of the at least one parameter (p, P).

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that the data on the geometric assignment of individual directional beams (80) depending on the respective value of the at least one parameter (p, P) are obtained by measuring the respective directional beam (80).

15. Target detection device for detecting the destination of a moving load carrier (34), in particular for carrying out the method according to one of claims 1 to 14, comprising a directional beam transmission unit (64;) connected to the moving load carrier (34) for common movement. 64a; 64b), which is designed to transmit temporally staggered, pulsed directional beams (80; 80a; 80b) in the direction of different sub-areas of a detection area (DB6, DB7), further comprising a retroreflection receiver unit (86) with a known one Geometrical assignment to the directional beam emitting unit (64; 64a; 64b), this retroreflection receiver unit (86) being designed to receive the scattered retroreflection (88) corresponding to the individual pulsed directional beams (80; 80a; 80b), further comprising Runtime measuring means (110) to determine the running time of pulsed directional beams (80; 80a; 80b) from the time of transmission to the time of reception men, further comprising calculating means (106) which are adapted to based on the measured times and known geometrical assignment of the respective directional beams (80; 80a; 80b) to obtain data from one another in accordance with a spatial mapping of at least part of the detection area (DB6, DB7), characterized by the directional beam emitting unit (64; 64a; 64b) assigned directional means (76; 134a; 76b) which determine the relative geometric assignment of the directional rays (80; 80a; 80b) allow to change.

16. Target detection device according to claim 15, characterized in that the directional means (76; 134a; 76b) are designed to change the angle between directional beams (80; 80a; 80b) emitted to different partial areas.

17. Target detection device according to claim 16, characterized in that the directional means for directional beams (80; 80b) to be emitted to different partial areas are assigned to these directional components (76 ;:) which are individually assigned and which are variable with respect to the relative directional definition of the directional beams (80, -80b). 76b) include.

18. Target detection device according to claim 16, characterized in that the directional means for directional beams to be emitted to different partial areas (80a) comprise a common direction-determining component (134a) with a variable directional effect, the directional effect of this direction-determining component (134a) in the sense of changing the relative Angle between the directional beams (80a) is changeable.

19. Target detection device according to one of claims 15 -

18, characterized in that the directional beam emitting unit (64; 64a; 64b) can be changed in its geometric assignment to a load carrier-fixed coordinate system.

20. Target detection device according to claim 19, characterized in that the directional beam emitting unit (64; 64a; 64b) has a central axis (ZA) defined by the directional beams (80; 80a; 80b) to be emitted to different partial areas of the detection area (DB6, DB7) ), whose angular position is variable with respect to the coordinate system fixed to the load carrier.

ιo

21. Target detection device according to claim 20, characterized in that the calculation means (106) are designed to, based on the measured transit times, known geometrical assignment of the directional beams (80; 80a; 80b).

15 different and known angle adjustment of the central axis

(ZA) compared to the load carrier fixed coordinate system

To obtain data corresponding to a spatial mapping of at least part of the detection area (DB6, DB7).

20 22. Target detection device according to one of claims 17 and 19-21, characterized in that the direction determination components (76, -76b) on a common support (74; 74b) pivotable, preferably

25 gimbals are pivotable, are mounted and are connected to pivoting angle setting means (96; 154b) which allow the individual direction-determining components (76, -76b) to pivot in mutual dependence.

30

23. Target detection device according to claim 22, characterized in that the swivel angle setting means (96) comprise a direction-determining component (76) outside the swivel bearing positions (92), an interconnecting elastic connection system (96), which by applying external forces in at least one direction (101) is plastically deformable.

24. Target detection device according to claim 23, characterized in that the elastic connection system is formed by an elastomer body (96).

25. Target detection device according to claim 24, characterized in that the elastomer body is formed as an elastomer plate (96) which is deformable in at least one direction (101), preferably in two mutually orthogonal directions.

26. Target detection device according to one of claims 17 and

19 - 25, characterized in that the direction determination components are formed by individual directional emitters (76, -76b) each comprising a radiation source.

27. Target detection device according to claim 26, characterized in that the directional emitters are formed by laser emitters (76; 76b).

28. Target detection device according to one of claims 22-27, characterized in that the direction determining components (76; 76b) are rod-shaped and can be pivoted at one of two positions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the rod, in particular pivoted in kar¬ daniseh, and on each second of these axially spaced locations are connected to the swivel angle setting means (96; 154b).

29. Target detection device according to one of claims 18-21, characterized in that the common direction determination component (134a) 5 with variable directional action is formed by a directional beam deflecting element (134a) connected downstream in the beam path to a common radiation source (76a), which has a periodic swivel drive is connected, the periodic movement sequence communicated to the common directional beam deflection element 10 (134a) being changeable.

30. Target detection device according to claim 29, characterized in that

15 that the swivel amplitude (αmaxß, cemax7) of the directional beam deflecting element (134a) can be changed at a constant frequency.

31. Target detection device according to claim 30, characterized in that the step size can be changed in accordance with the size of the swivel amplitude (αmax6, αmax7) in the case of a gradual movement sequence of the periodic swivel movement.

25 32. Target detection device according to one of claims 29 - 31, characterized in that the radiation source is a laser emitter (76a).

30 33. Target detection device according to one of claims 15 -

32, characterized in that the directional beam emitting unit (64; 64a; 64b) on one

Load carrier (34) is attached, which is suspended in a height-adjustable manner on a lifting cable carrier (22) that can be moved horizontally via a lifting cable system (32).

34. target detection device according to claim 33, characterized in that the directional beam emitting unit (64, - 64a; 64b) is attached to a movable holding element which is adjustable relative to the load carrier (34) between an active position and a retracted position, wherein the active position is designed such that, even when the load carrier (34) is connected to a load (36), the directional beam can be applied to the detection area (DB6, DB7) and the retracted position is designed such that the load carrier (34) may be with attached load (36) can enter narrow spaces such as container stacks (44) or container shafts (42) in ships (14). 5

35. target detection device according to one of claims 15 - 34, characterized in that the directional beam emitting unit (64; 64a; 64b) is assigned a 0 transverse displacement device (69; 100) which is suitable in at least one state of the geometric assignment of a group of directional beams

(80; 80a; 80b) to give the directional beams (80; 80a; 80b) of this group a common, preferably periodic, 5 transverse displacement, and that the calculation means (106) are designed to provide a spatial image of at least one part to calculate data corresponding to the detection area (DB6, DB7) on the basis of the running time measurements for different transverse displacement states of a sequence of transverse displacement states which are brought about by the common transverse displacement.

36. Directional beam emitting unit, in particular for carrying out the method according to one of claims 1 to 14 and in particular as part of a device according to one of claims 15 to 17, 19 to 28, 33 and 34, comprising a plurality of direction determination components (76, -76b) arranged in a row or distributed within a field, characterized in that the individual direction determination components (76; 76b) are arranged on a common carrier (74; 74b) so as to be movable relative to one another and through a drive system common to them (96;: 154b) can be adjusted relative to one another.

37. Directional beam transmission unit according to claim 36, characterized in that the individual direction-determining components (76; 76b) on the common support (74; 74b) can be pivoted, preferably pivoted cardanically, and are mounted outside their pivot bearings (92; 92b ) are acted upon by the common drive system (96; 154b).

38. Directional beam transmission unit according to claim 37, characterized in that the common drive system is formed by an elastic connecting system (96) connecting the direction-determining components (76), which is deformable by external force, so that as a result of this deformation the individual Direction-determining components (76) coordinated pivoting movements are issued.

39. Directional beam emitting unit according to claim 38, characterized in that the elastic connection system comprises an elastomer band or an elastomer film or an elastomer plate (96), which in at least one, possibly in two mutually orthogonal directions ( 101) is deformable.

40. Directional beam emitting unit according to claim 39, characterized in that in the case of a rod-shaped configuration of the direction-determining components (76), they penetrate the tape or the film or the plate (96) and are thereby articulatedly connected to the latter.

5

41. Directional beam emitting unit according to one of claims 38 - 40, characterized in that the pivot bearing points (92; 92b) of adjacent directional

10 determination components (76; 76b) have approximately the same distance (a) from one another within the row or field and that the junctions of adjacent direction determination components (76; 76b) with the elastic connection system (96) are also approximately the same distance from one another (a ') where the distance

(a ') these connection points are substantially enlarged or reduced in a constant manner with one another when force is exerted on the elastic connection system (96).

20th

42. Directional beam transmission unit according to claim 37, characterized in that the common drive system (154b) control surfaces

(152b) for the individual direction determination components

25 (76b), which are outside of the pivot bearings (92b) in engagement with the direction determining components (76b).

43. Directional beam emitting unit according to claim 42, characterized in that the control surfaces (152b) are attached to at least one group of direction determination components (76b) common control surface supports (154b).

35. Directional beam emitting unit according to claim 43, characterized in that the control surface carrier (154b) is essentially or- is horizontally movable to a pivot bearing surface containing the pivot bearings (92b) and has a control bore (152b) for the individual direction determining components (76b).

5

45. Directional beam emitting unit according to one of claims 36-44, characterized in that at least one group of directional determination components (76; 76a; 76b) can essentially be displaced jointly by means of an additional displacement device (69; 69a).

46. Directional beam emitting unit according to claim 45, characterized in that the additional displacement device (69) acts on the common carrier (74) of the direction determining components (76).

20 47. Beam emitting unit according to claim 45, characterized in that the additional displacement device acts on the common drive system (96).