JPH04298488A - Remote control device for crane - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily carry out remote control even at a work place where a part of operation range of a crane falls within a dead angle of a remote control operator by gripping accurately a suspended cargo condition or a surrounding situation of the crane. CONSTITUTION:In a remote control device for a crane, when whether or not a moving body exists within an operation range of a crane 3 is ascertained, and in the case when the moving body exists within the operation range, a predicting device 9 predicts the position, direction and moving speed of the moving body according to the past moving data on the position, distance and classification of the moving body stored in a memory device 10, and a control unit 11 determines whether execution of crane operation in accordance with operation signals sent out from an operation panel 18 on the control room 16 side is right or wrong.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a crane remote control device for remotely controlling a crane installed at a work site.

0002

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various types of cranes have been developed in the past, and cranes suitable for each purpose are used. Among these cranes, for example, there are cases where the crane is installed at a high place such as the roof of a building or extremely high places such as the roof of a skyscraper, and there are cases where the crane is installed on the ground and the work is performed. There are also some cases where this is done. By the way, it is dangerous for the operator to install and operate a crane at these high places or at very high places. Therefore, in recent years, it has been desired to be able to remotely control the crane.

0003

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, when remotely controlling a crane at a location away from the crane,
Regardless of where the crane is installed, a part of the crane's working range may become a blind spot out of the remote operator's field of vision, making it difficult to perform suitable remote control. The present invention was made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it accurately grasps the condition of the suspended load and the situation around the crane, and prevents part of the crane's work range from falling into the blind spot of the remote operator. It is an object of the present invention to provide a remote control device for a crane that can be easily operated remotely even in such a work place.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a crane installed at a work site, a crane installed on the crane side, and existing within the working range of this crane and within its working range. a plurality of photographing means for photographing the moving object; a distance measuring means provided on the crane side for measuring the position of the moving object existing within the working range of the crane; a transmitting means for transmitting an image photographed by the photographing means to the control room side; and an operation panel provided in the control room side for outputting an operation signal related to the operation of the crane and transmitting it to the crane side; Provided on the crane side above,
a storage means in which movement data relating to past movement patterns of the mobile body is stored in advance for each type of mobile body; a receiving means provided on the crane side for receiving the operation signal transmitted from the operation panel; an image processing means that is provided on the crane side and identifies the type of the moving body based on image data of the moving body photographed by the photographing means;
Distance data of the moving object measured by the distance measuring means provided on the crane side, moving object type data identified by the image processing means, and classified by type of moving object stored in the storage means. a prediction means for predicting the moving direction and movement speed of the moving object from the movement data of the moving body; and a prediction means provided on the crane side, based on the prediction result of the prediction means and the operation signal received by the reception means. , determines whether or not the crane operation indicated in the operation signal can be executed, and when it is determined that it is executable, controls a drive unit that drives the crane to cause the crane to perform the operation indicated in the operation signal. The configuration includes a control means for controlling the

[0005]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a remote control device for a crane according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of one embodiment. This figure 1
1 is a support installed in the workshop. This figure 1
In the example shown in FIG. 2, the work site is on the ground surface 2. A crane 3 is installed at the top of the support column 1. The crane 3 works within a predetermined specific work range, and in this case lifts and suspends a suspended load 4 with a rope 5, and is capable of rotating 360 degrees. An infrared sensor 6 as a distance measuring means is installed at a predetermined location on the support 1.
a and 6b are attached. These infrared sensors 6a and 6b detect vehicles and passersby within the working range of the crane 3.
A moving body (not shown) such as a field worker is detected, and the distance from the detected position to the support 1 is measured.

[0006] Also, in the vicinity of the support column 1, a plurality of photographing means, such as video cameras 7a and 7b, are arranged. The video cameras 7a and 7b are for photographing the working range of the crane 3 and the above-mentioned moving object within the working range, and are capable of filming in all directions of 360 degrees so that the entire working range of the crane 3 can be photographed. It has become. The photographed data of these video cameras 7a and 7b is output to an image processing device 8 as an image processing means. The image processing device 8 is used, for example, to confirm the shape of a moving object within a predetermined area of the captured data after binarization, that is, to recognize the type of the moving object. The output is output to a prediction device 9 as a prediction means. This prediction device 9 further includes:
Distance data indicating the distance between the mobile object and the crane 3 outputted from the infrared sensors 6a and 6b, and the storage device 1
The movement data related to movement patterns of each type of moving object in the past outputted from 0 is input, the position of the moving object is confirmed based on this, and the above image processing is further applied to this confirmation result. By adding the outputs of the device 8 and the storage device 10, the subsequent moving speed and direction of the moving body are predicted.

The prediction result of the prediction device 9 is outputted to a control section 11 as a control means, and the control section 11 is further provided with information from an operation panel 18 installed in a control room 16, which will be described later. The operation signal is inputted via a receiving section 13 serving as a receiving means. The control section 11 is made up of, for example, a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as CPU) that forms the main body of the computer 12, and a drive section 15 is connected to the control section 11. Further, a transmitting section 14 as a transmitting means is connected to the control section 11, and the transmitting section is controlled by the control section 11 and sends images taken by the video cameras 7a and 7b to the control room 16.
The information is transmitted to the monitor 17 by wireless, wired, dedicated line, etc. This transmission medium is not particularly limited in the present invention, but in the following description, a wireless transmission medium will be used as an example.

The control room 16 is located away from the work area of the crane 3, and the crane 3 is remotely controlled by operating an operation panel 18 installed in the control room 16. Therefore, in the control room 16, an operator who remotely controls the crane 3 operates the operation panel 18 while watching the monitor 17. As the operation panel 18, either a button-type operation means 19 as shown in FIG. 2 or a lever-type operation means 20 as shown in FIG. 3 is used.

Of these, the button-type operating means 19 shown in FIG.
In this case, button switches 19a to 19d are used to operate the boom of the crane 3 up and down and left and right, and a button switch 19 is used to wind up and lower the rope 5.
e, 19f are provided. These button switches 19a to 19f are operated by an operator in the control room 16 while watching a monitor 17. Furthermore, when using the operating means 20 shown in FIG. You can operate it while looking at it. Operation signals outputted by operating the operation means 19 in FIG. 2 or the operation means 20 in FIG. It is supposed to be sent to. This operation signal is sent to the receiver 1 provided on the crane 3 side.
3 and is output to the control unit 11 after receiving processing such as demodulation is performed.

The control section 11 determines the operation of the crane 3 indicated by the operation signal based on the operation signal from the operation panel 18 inputted via the reception section 13 and the prediction result inputted from the prediction device 9. The control unit 11 controls the drive unit 15 so that the crane 3 performs the operation indicated by the operation signal, and the drive unit 15 controls the crane 3 to perform the operation indicated by the operation signal. It is driven based on the above operation signal. The drive unit 15 is provided at a predetermined location on the crane 3, and is configured to drive the boom of the crane 3 or the rope 5 to be hoisted or hoisted down.

Next, the operation of the present invention configured as described above will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, the video cameras 7a and 7b take pictures within the working range of the crane 3. Moving objects such as people and vehicles that may interfere with the work of the crane 3 are photographed within this work range. This photographic output is sent to the image processing device 8, where it is binarized in step S1. This binarized photographic data is sent to the determining means 9. In the discriminating means 9, step S is performed on the binarized photographic data.
Put on the mask in step 2. That is, the video cameras 7a, 7
The photographic data photographed in step b may include photographic data outside the working range of the crane 3, and since the photographic data outside the working range is useless, the photographic data within the working range is To obtain data, masking processing is performed.

[0012] Next, the process proceeds to step S3, and it is determined whether the photographed data obtained by masking in step S3 is photographed data within the working range of the crane 3. As a result of this judgment, if the data is not within the work range, the process returns to step S2 from the NO side of step S3. Further, in step S3, if it is determined that the photographed data is within the work range, step S3
If the answer is YES, the process moves to step S4, the shape of the photographic data of the work area is confirmed, the type of moving object is confirmed, and the process proceeds to step S5.

In this step S5, the position of the moving object whose type was confirmed in step S4 and the data up to that position are detected based on the distance measurement data from the infrared sensors 6a and 6b, and the photographic data is further detected. The amount of movement per hour of the moving object recognized within the system is calculated, and the moving direction and speed of the moving object are determined by comparing the data stored in the storage device 10, such as past moving speeds of various moving objects. The prediction result is output to the control unit 11. On the other hand, in the control room 16, images of the working range of the crane 3 from the video cameras 7a and 7b transmitted from the transmitter 14 are received and displayed on the monitor 17, and the remote operator can watch the images on the monitor 17 while The operation panel 18 is operated to send instructions for the operation of the crane 3 to the crane 3 side in the form of operation signals.

When the receiving section 13 receives this operation signal (step S7), the operation signal is input to the control section 11, and the control section 11 calculates the prediction result based on this operation signal and the prediction result input from the prediction device 9. Then, it is determined whether or not the operation of the crane 3 indicated by the operation signal can be executed (step S8), and if the above determination result is executable, YE of step S8 is determined.
The process moves from the S side to step S9, where the control unit 11 controls the drive unit 15 so that the crane 3 performs the operation indicated by the operation signal, and the drive unit 15 operates the crane 3 based on the operation signal. (Step S10). on the other hand,
If the determination result in step S8 is that execution is not possible, the process returns to step S1 from the NO side in step S8.

[0015] In addition to the above-mentioned radio waves, cables, and dedicated lines, transmission of operation signals from the transmitting section 14 to the control room 16 and from the transmitting means of the operation panel 18 of the control room 16 to the receiving section 13 is carried out using ultrasonic waves. But that's fine. Further, in this embodiment, a case has been described in which video cameras 7a and 7b are used as the photographing means, but an electronic still camera with a built-in CCD or the like may be used, and the number of cameras is not limited to two. . Furthermore, the sensors included in the infrared sensors 6a and 6b may also detect the vertical movement of the rope 5, and the vertical movement of the rope 5 is detected by the photographing means 7a and 7b.
Of course, it can be included within the photographing range of .

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, the presence or absence of a moving object within the working range of a crane is confirmed, and when a moving object exists within the working range, the position and distance of the moving object and the The control means predicts the movement of the moving object based on past movement data based on its type, and determines whether or not it is possible to execute the crane operation according to the operation signal sent from the remote operator in the control room. By accurately grasping the condition of the load and the situation around the crane, remote control can be easily performed even in work locations where part of the crane's work area is in the remote operator's blind spot.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of a remote control device for a crane according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement of button switches of a button-type operating means applied to the crane remote control device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a joystake type operating means applied to the crane remote control device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of the crane remote control device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

3 Cranes 6a, 6b Infrared sensors (distance measuring means) 7a, 7b
Video cameras 7a, 7b (photographing means) 8 Image processing device (image processing means) 9 Discrimination device (discrimination means) 10 Storage device (storage means) 11 Control section (control means) 13 Receiving section (receiving means) 14 Transmission section ( Transmission means) 15 Drive section 16 Control room 18 Operation panel

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: A crane installed at a work site, a plurality of photographing means provided on the crane side for photographing a working range of the crane and moving objects existing within the working range, and a plurality of photographing means installed on the crane side. A distance measuring means is provided to measure the position of the moving body existing within the working range of the crane, and a distance measuring means is provided on the crane side and transmits images taken by the plurality of photographing means to the control room side. a transmitting means; an operation panel provided in the control room side for outputting an operation signal related to the operation of the crane and transmitting it to the crane side; and a control panel provided in the crane side and providing a past movement pattern of the mobile object. a storage means in which movement data related to each type of moving object is stored in advance for each type of moving body; a receiving means provided on the crane side for receiving the operation signal transmitted from the operation panel; and a receiving means provided on the crane side for receiving the operation signal transmitted from the operation panel; an image processing means for identifying the type of the moving body based on image data of the moving body photographed by the means; distance data of the moving body provided on the crane side and measured by the distance measuring means; Prediction means for predicting the moving direction and moving speed of the moving object from the moving object type data identified by the image processing means and the movement data for each type of moving object stored in the storage means; Provided on the crane side, based on the prediction result of the prediction means and the operation signal received by the reception means, it is determined whether or not the crane operation indicated in the operation signal can be executed, and it is determined that it is executable. A remote control device for a crane, comprising: control means for controlling a drive unit for driving the crane to cause the crane to perform an operation indicated by the operation signal when the crane is activated.