US20090109295A1 - Method and apparatus for operating at least one camera from a position estimate of a container to estimate its container code - Google Patents

Method and apparatus for operating at least one camera from a position estimate of a container to estimate its container code Download PDF

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US20090109295A1
US20090109295A1 US12/262,114 US26211408A US2009109295A1 US 20090109295 A1 US20090109295 A1 US 20090109295A1 US 26211408 A US26211408 A US 26211408A US 2009109295 A1 US2009109295 A1 US 2009109295A1
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Prior art keywords
container
estimate
sensed
camera
create
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US12/262,114
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English (en)
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Henry King
Toru Takehara
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HKI Systems and Service LLC
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Individual
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Priority to US12/262,114 priority Critical patent/US20090109295A1/en
Assigned to PACECO CORP. reassignment PACECO CORP. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: KING, HENRY, TAKEHARA, TORU
Publication of US20090109295A1 publication Critical patent/US20090109295A1/en
Assigned to HKI SYSTEMS AND SERVICE LLC reassignment HKI SYSTEMS AND SERVICE LLC ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: PACECO CORP.
Assigned to HKI SYSTEMS AND SERVICE LLC reassignment HKI SYSTEMS AND SERVICE LLC ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: PACECO CORP.
Assigned to HKI SYSTEMS AND SERVICE LLC reassignment HKI SYSTEMS AND SERVICE LLC ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: PACECO CORP.
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/08—Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
    • G06Q10/087—Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G1/00—Storing articles, individually or in orderly arrangement, in warehouses or magazines
    • B65G1/02—Storage devices
    • B65G1/04—Storage devices mechanical
    • B65G1/137—Storage devices mechanical with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
    • B66F—HOISTING, LIFTING, HAULING OR PUSHING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. DEVICES WHICH APPLY A LIFTING OR PUSHING FORCE DIRECTLY TO THE SURFACE OF A LOAD
    • B66F9/00—Devices for lifting or lowering bulky or heavy goods for loading or unloading purposes
    • B66F9/06—Devices for lifting or lowering bulky or heavy goods for loading or unloading purposes movable, with their loads, on wheels or the like, e.g. fork-lift trucks
    • B66F9/075—Constructional features or details
    • B66F9/0755—Position control; Position detectors
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
    • B66F—HOISTING, LIFTING, HAULING OR PUSHING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. DEVICES WHICH APPLY A LIFTING OR PUSHING FORCE DIRECTLY TO THE SURFACE OF A LOAD
    • B66F9/00—Devices for lifting or lowering bulky or heavy goods for loading or unloading purposes
    • B66F9/06—Devices for lifting or lowering bulky or heavy goods for loading or unloading purposes movable, with their loads, on wheels or the like, e.g. fork-lift trucks
    • B66F9/075—Constructional features or details
    • B66F9/12—Platforms; Forks; Other load supporting or gripping members
    • B66F9/18—Load gripping or retaining means
    • B66F9/186—Container lifting frames
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/08—Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G2203/00—Indexing code relating to control or detection of the articles or the load carriers during conveying
    • B65G2203/04—Detection means
    • B65G2203/041—Camera
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G63/00—Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installations
    • B65G63/002—Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installations for articles
    • B65G63/004—Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installations for articles for containers

Definitions

  • This invention relates to operating at least one camera to create an image of a container by an apparatus on a container handler for use in estimating the container's code.
  • Optical characteristic systems have been in use for several years in container shipping and storage yards, but have had some problems.
  • the cameras have tended to be rigidly mounted to the container handlers and unresponsive to the actual position of the containers with respect to the cameras, which leads to the cameras being operated far more often than if the container's position was known and used. Methods and apparatus are needed to address this issue and take advantage of the opportunity that solving these problems provides.
  • At least one camera is configured to mount on a container handler, the camera is operated so that the camera is active only when a container being handled is in range to create the container images. Further, the camera may be operated so that the container can actively be found for image capture. A position estimate of the container is created and the camera controlled with at least one directive in response to the position estimate to create at least one container image used to create an estimate of the container code of the container.
  • the apparatus embodying the invention may include a first module generating the position estimate received by a second module to create directives for controlling the cameras.
  • the first module may at least partly provide the means for creating the position estimate and the second module may at least partly provide the means for controlling at least one camera with at least one directive in response to the position estimate.
  • the first module may further receive an estimate of the container size of the container further affecting the directives.
  • the first module may communicate with a handler interface to receive at least one of the following from sensors on or in the container handler: a sensed container presence, a sensed stack height, a container size estimate, a twistlock sensed state, a spreader sensed state, a sensed landing state, and/or a sensed hoist height.
  • the camera may be stationary or capable of directed movement.
  • the camera may be operated by any combination of: initiating image capture, adjusting the focal length, altering the shutter speed, pivoting in one or two angular degrees of freedom, and/or positioning on a track. At least two cameras may preferably be operated with separate directives.
  • the second module may use at least one camera and lighting module containing the camera and a light source, possibly with light enabling and/or flash controls.
  • the optical characteristic system may or may not include the first module and/or the second module.
  • the optical characteristic system may be configured to mount on the container handler, or be at a distance with a wireless transceiver employed to deliver the container images from the container handler to the optical characteristic system.
  • FIG. 1 shows an example of the apparatus and method operating at least one camera by creating a position estimate of a container being handled by a container handler and controlling the camera with a directive in response to the position estimate to create a container image used by an optical characteristic system to create an estimate of the container's code for further use by a container management system.
  • FIG. 2 shows some possible details of the position estimate of FIG. 1 .
  • FIG. 3 shows some possible details of the directive for the camera of FIG. 1 .
  • FIG. 4 shows a refinement of some aspects of FIG. 1 showing a second camera and a wireless transceiver for sending at least the container image to the optical characteristic system.
  • FIG. 5 shows a handler interface communicating with sensors on or in the container handler to aid in creating the position estimate by the first module of FIGS. 1 and 4 .
  • FIGS. 6A and 6B show examples of the container of FIG. 1 and its container code.
  • FIG. 6C shows an example of a container code estimate of FIG. 6 B's container code.
  • FIG. 7 shows an example of a stack of containers and a sensed stack height.
  • FIGS. 8A to 8D show examples of the use of the directives for the camera.
  • FIG. 9 shows an example of a camera and lighting module for use in or with the second module of FIGS. 1 and 4 .
  • FIGS. 10A and 10B show the directive of the camera to position it on a track.
  • FIG. 11 shows various combinations of the first module and second module, possibly included in the optical characteristic system of FIGS. 1 and 4 , possibly including at least one instance of at least one of a neural network, an inferential engine, a finite state machine and/or a computer instructed by a program system in a computer readable memory.
  • FIG. 12 shows a flowchart of the program system of FIG. 11 including two program steps, that may themselves be distinct program systems residing in separate computer readable memories in some embodiments of the invention.
  • FIG. 13 shows various combinations of the first module, second module and/or the optical characteristic system including the handler interface of FIG. 5 and/or including an interface to two instances of the camera and lighting module of FIG. 9 and/or including an enhanced container image.
  • FIG. 14 to 16 show flowcharts of some details of the first program system or program step of FIG. 12 , creating the position estimate.
  • FIG. 17 shows a flowchart of some details of the second program system or program step of FIG. 12 , controlling the camera with a directive in response to the position estimate.
  • FIG. 18 shows a refinement of the program system of FIG. 12 to include using the enhanced container image of FIG. 13 to create the container code estimate.
  • This invention relates to operating at least one camera to create an image of a container by an apparatus on a container handler for use in estimating the container's code.
  • the camera is operated so that the camera is active only when a container being handled is in focal range of the camera lens to create the container images. Further, the camera may be operated so that the container can actively be found by the camera for image capture.
  • a position estimate of the container is created and the camera controlled with at least one directive in response to the position estimate to create at least one container image used to create an estimate of the container code of the container.
  • FIG. 1 shows the operation of at least one camera 40 configured to mount on a container handler 2 by creating a position estimate 20 of the position 14 of a container 10 being handled by the container handler and controlling the camera with at least one directive 50 in response to the position estimate to create at least one container image 42 .
  • the container image is used to create a container code estimate 70 of the container code 12 of the container.
  • the container code estimate may be generated by an optical characteristic system 60 and sent to a container management system 6 for a container facility, such as a terminal shipyard, a railway terminal, a container storage facility and/or a factory.
  • the container position indicated by position estimate 20 may be based upon a position reference 18 that may or may not coincide with the location the camera.
  • the apparatus embodying the invention may include a first module 100 generating the position estimate 20 used by a second module 200 to create the directive 50 used by the camera 40 .
  • the first module may at least partly provide the means for creating the position estimate and the second module may at least partly provide the means for controlling at least one camera with at least one directive in response to the position estimate.
  • the apparatus may further include at least one light source 4 .
  • the container images 42 may sometimes be unreadable by the optical characteristic system 60 , whether or not mounted on the container handler 2 . These container images may be sent to a second optical characteristic system that may use a human operator to determine the container code estimate 70 for the Container Management System 6 .
  • FIG. 2 shows the position estimate 20 of FIG. 1 may include at least one of the following: a first angular estimate 22 , a second angular estimate 24 , a distance estimate 26 , a height estimate 28 , an X-axis estimate 30 , a Y-axis estimate 32 , a Z-axis estimate 34 , and/or at least one fixed location estimates 36 .
  • FIG. 3 shows some details of the directive 50 used to control one or more of the cameras 40 of FIG. 1 , and may include at least one of the following: an image capture directive 51 , a focal length 52 , a shutter seed 53 , a track position 54 , a first angular directive 56 , and/or a second angular directive 58 .
  • the first module 100 may further receive an estimate of the container size 16 of the container 10 , as shown in FIG. 1 .
  • the container size may be a member of (but is not limited to) the container size group consisting of ten feet, twenty feet, twenty four feet, thirty three feet, forty five feet and fifty three feet.
  • the container handler 2 may include one or more of the following: a drayman truck, a UTR type truck, a bomb cart, a wheeled over the road chassis, a chassis rotator, a quay crane, a side picker, a top loader, a straddle carrier, a reach stacker and a Rubber Tire Gantry (RTG) crane.
  • the invention includes specific embodiments suited for individual container handler collection, which will be discussed later.
  • a drayman truck may be used to haul containers on chassis over open roads whereas a UTR type truck is restricted to operate in a container terminal such as a shipyard or rail yard.
  • Some embodiments of the invention send the container image 42 to the optical characteristic system 60 to create the container code estimate 70 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 .
  • the optical characteristic system may be configured to mount on the container handler 2 , or be at a distance with a wireless transceiver 90 employed to deliver 92 the container images from the container handler to the optical characteristic system.
  • the optical characteristic system may include the first module 100 and/or the second module 200 as shown in FIGS. 11 and 13 .
  • FIG. 5 shows the first module 100 may communicate with a handler interface 140 to receive at least one of the following from the container handler 2 :
  • FIGS. 6A and 6B show two examples of containers 10 and their container codes 12 , the first written vertically and the second written horizontally.
  • FIG. 6C shows a container code estimate 70 of a container code. Note that the container code estimate of FIG. 6C does not completely agree with the container code of FIG. 6B . Enhancing the container image 42 to create an enhanced container image 76 shown in FIG. 13 can reduce these discrepancies. This will be discussed with regards FIGS. 13 , 17 and 18 hereafter.
  • FIG. 7 shows an example of a stack of containers 10 and the sensed stack height 108 .
  • containers may be stacked higher than four containers, and as shown in this Figure, may typically be stacked up to seven containers high.
  • containers range between eight and ten feet in height and usually between eight and a half feet and nine and a half feet in height.
  • FIGS. 8A to 8D show some examples of the directives 50 used to operate the camera 40 .
  • the camera may be operated by any combination of the following: a fixed camera for forty foot containers and a fixed camera for twenty foot containers, pivoting the camera in a first angular degree of freedom 202 by a first angular directive 56 , pivoting the camera in a second angular degree of freedom 204 by a second angular directive 58 , adjusting the focal length 206 to 208 of the camera.
  • FIG. 9 shows a camera and lighting module 230 that may be included in the second module 200 .
  • the camera and lighting module includes a camera 40 and a light source 4 .
  • the camera may be operating based upon one or more of the following:
  • the directives 50 may also enable a lighting directive 55 for stimulating a lighting control 220 trigger the light source either to strobe or to be steadily turned on.
  • the light source may include flood lights, infra-red sources, arrays of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and/or Xenon light sources.
  • the camera 40 may be positioned on a track 230 in response to the track position 54 at a first track position 234 as shown in FIG. 10A .
  • FIG. 10B shows the camera on the track at a second track position 236 .
  • the track may include one rail as shown in FIG. 10B or more than one rail as shown in FIG. 10A .
  • FIG. 11 shows an optical characteristic system 60 for mounting on a container handler as previously shown and including the first module 100 and/or the second module 200 .
  • the optical characteristic system and/or the first module and/or the second module may include at least one instance of a neural network 70 and/or an inferential engine 72 and/or a finite state machine 74 and/or a computer 80 accessibly coupled 84 to a computer readable memory 82 and instructed by a program system 300 including program steps residing in the memory.
  • a neural network 70 maintains a collection of neurons and a collection of synaptic connections between the neurons. Neural networks are stimulated at their neurons leading through their synaptic connections to the firing of other neurons. Examples of neural networks include but are not limited to aromatic chemical compound detectors used to detect the presence of bombs and drugs.
  • an inferential engine 72 maintains a collection of inference rules and a fact database and responds to queries and assertions by invoking rules and accessing the fact database.
  • inferential engines include fuzzy logic controllers and constraint based decision engines used to determine paths through networks based upon the network constraints, such as the current location of parked and moving vehicles and available storage locations for containers.
  • a finite state machine 74 receives at least one input, maintains and updates at least one state and generates at least one output based upon the value of at least one of the inputs and/or the value of at least one of the states.
  • a computer 80 includes at least one data processor and at least one instruction processor instructed by the program system 300 , where each of the data processors is instructed by at least one of the instruction processors.
  • the boxes denote steps or program steps of at least one of the invention's methods and may further denote at least one dominant response in a neural network 70 , and/or at least one state transition of the finite state machine 74 , and/or at least one inferential link in the inferential engine 72 , and/or a program step, or operation, or program thread, executing upon the computer 80 .
  • Each of these steps may at least partly support the operation to be performed as part of a means for an operation or use.
  • Other circuitry such as network interfaces, radio transmitters, radio receivers, specialized encoders and/or decoders, sensors, memory management and so on may also be involved in performing the operation further providing the means for the operation.
  • starting in a flowchart is denoted by a rounded box with the word “Start” in it and may refer to at least one of the following: entering a subroutine or a macro instruction sequence in the computer 80 , and/or of directing a state transition of the finite state machine 74 , possibly pushing of a return state, and/or entering a deeper node of the inferential engine 72 and/or stimulating a list of neurons in the neural network 70 .
  • termination in a flowchart is denoted by a rounded box with the word “Exit” in it and may refer to completion of those operations, which may result in at least one of the following: a return to dormancy of the firing of the neurons in the neural network 70 , and/or traversal to a higher node in the inferential graph 72 of the fact database and/or the rules collection, and/or possibly return to a previously pushed state in the finite state machine 74 , and/or in a subroutine return in the computer 80 .
  • FIG. 12 shows a flowchart of the program system 300 of FIG. 11 , including at least one of the following:
  • FIG. 13 shows a refinement of various embodiments shown in FIG. 12 , where the computer 80 is first communicatively coupled 142 to the handler interface 140 , which may be preferred for the first module 100 whether or not included in the optical characteristic system 60 . Also, the computer is second communicatively coupled 234 , possibly through a camera interface 232 to a first and second camera and lighting modules, which may be preferred for the second module 200 whether or not included in the optical characteristic system. The computer is third communicatively coupled 94 to the wireless transceiver 90 , which may be preferred for the second module, again whether or not included in the optical characteristic system.
  • At least one of the first 142 , second 234 and third 94 communicative couplings may include a wireline communications protocol, which may further includes at least one of the following: a Synchronous Serial Interface protocol, an Ethernet protocol, a Serial Peripheral Interface protocol, an RS-232 protocol, and Inter-IC protocol (sometimes abbreviated as I2C), a Universal Serial Bus (USB) protocol, a Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol, a firewire protocol, which may include implementations of a version of the IEEE 1394 protocol, an RS-485 protocol and/or an RS-422 protocol.
  • a wireline communications protocol which may further includes at least one of the following: a Synchronous Serial Interface protocol, an Ethernet protocol, a Serial Peripheral Interface protocol, an RS-232 protocol, and Inter-IC protocol (sometimes abbreviated as I2C), a Universal Serial Bus (USB) protocol, a Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol, a firewire protocol, which may include implementations of a version of the IEEE 1394
  • the wireless transceiver 90 may include a radio frequency tag terminal and/or a radio frequency transmitter and receiver compliant with at least one wireless signaling convention that may implement at least one of a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) scheme, a Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) scheme, and/or a spread spectrum scheme, such as:
  • TDMA Time Division Multiple Access
  • FDMA Frequency Division Multiple Access
  • spread spectrum scheme such as:
  • the first module 100 may use two position references 18 as shown in FIG. 1 , one near the first camera and lighting module 230 and the second near the second camera and lighting module, calculating two position estimates to readily generate components to their directives 50 , such as the first angular estimate 52 to be used as the first angular directive 56 , and so on.
  • the computer readable memory 82 may further include various combinations of some or all of the following: the position estimate 20 , the container image 42 , the second container image 46 , a directive 50 preferably for the first camera and lighting module 230 , a second directive preferably for the second camera and lighting module, an enhanced container image 76 , and/or the container code estimate 72 .
  • the first and second container images may be created by the first camera and light module, and may be used to create the enhanced container image.
  • FIG. 14 shows some details of the first program system as the program step 150 of FIG. 12 , and may include at least one of the following program steps:
  • FIG. 15 further shows some details of the first program system as the program step 150 , and may further include program step 166 to create the position estimate 20 based upon at least one of the following: the sensed container presence 104 , the sensed stack height 108 , the container size estimate 112 , the twistlock sensed state 116 , the spreader sensed state 120 , the sensed landing state 124 , the sensed hoist height 128 , and/or sensed container weight 132 .
  • Various individual and combinations of these sensed states may be used for instance to determine a fixed location, such as landing on the bed of the bomb cart 84 .
  • FIG. 16 shows a further refinement of the first program step as the program step 150 , and may include at least one of the following program steps:
  • FIG. 17 shows some details of the second program system as the program step 250 , and may include at least one of the following program steps:
  • FIG. 18 shows some further details of the program system 300 of FIG. 12 , including the program step 302 that uses the enhanced container image 76 to create the container code estimate 70 .
  • the handler interface 140 may vary for different container handlers 2 .
  • the container handler may include a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) Interface coupled via a wireline protocol to position estimate 20 to get crane spreader interface status and position, and may further, possibly separately couple sensors to a crane hoist and trolley drum for estimates of the spreader vertical and horizontal position relative to dock and/or a sensor for determining the hoist and trolley position, for instance by using a tachometer signal from the trolley and hoist motors, proximity switches, optical encoders, or a laser beam.
  • PLC Programmable Logic Controller
  • the handler interface may include a wireline network interface to at least one of the sensors of the container handler.
  • a wireline network interface may implement an interface to at least one of the wireline communications protocols mentioned previously. Additional sensors of the RTG and Quay Crane may require the sensing of the hoist position (the vertical height) by coupling to the hoist drum with a tachometer sensor, proximity, or optical sensors, and/or digital encoders.
  • the handler interface 140 may include a wireline network interface to at least one of the sensors of the container handler. Other sensors may be accessible to the handler interface through separate wireline network interfaces and/or wireline network couplings.
  • the handler interface 140 may include a wireline network interface to at least one, and possibly all the accessed sensors of the container handler. Alternatively, more than one wireline network interfaces and/or wireline network couplings may be used.
  • the handler interface 140 may further receive any or all of the following information that may be forwarded to the container management system 6 : the location of the container 10 , a sensed operator identity of the operator operating the container handler 2 , a container radio frequency tag, a container weight, a container damage estimate, an indication of the container handler moving in a reverse motion, a frequent stops count, a fuel level estimate, a compass reading, a collision state, a wind speed estimate, a vehicle speed, and an estimate of the state of a vehicle braking system.
  • the location of the container may be in terms of a three dimensional location and/or a stack or tier location.
  • the handler interface 140 may include a second radio transceiver providing a radio frequency tag interface capable of locating the container handler 2 and/or identifying the container 10 and/or its container code 12 .
  • the handler interface 140 may include a third radio transceiver using a Global Positioning System and/or a Differential Global Position System to determine the location of the container 2 .
  • a third radio transceiver using a Global Positioning System and/or a Differential Global Position System to determine the location of the container 2 .
  • two transceivers may be employed, one for transmitting the optical characteristics and container images, and the other for monitoring and controlling system's powering up and powering down processes.
  • the handler interface 140 may include an interface to a short range and/or low power sonar, radar, or laser that may provide a position estimate 20 of the container 10 .
  • the radar may preferably be non-toxic for humans and possibly livestock and other animals in or near the containers.

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US12/262,114 Abandoned US20090109295A1 (en) 2007-10-30 2008-10-30 Method and apparatus for operating at least one camera from a position estimate of a container to estimate its container code
US12/262,130 Active 2029-11-17 US8146813B2 (en) 2007-10-30 2008-10-30 Methods and apparatus processing container images and/or identifying codes for front end loaders or container handlers servicing rail cars
US12/262,125 Active 2032-01-12 US8488884B2 (en) 2007-10-30 2008-10-30 Method and apparatus for operating, interfacing and/or managing for at least one optical characteristic system for container handlers in a container yard
US13/422,442 Active US8720777B2 (en) 2007-10-30 2012-03-16 Method and apparatus processing container images and/or identifying codes for front end loaders or container handlers servicing rail cars
US13/943,667 Active US9530114B2 (en) 2007-10-30 2013-07-16 Method and apparatus for operating, interfacing and/or managing for at least one optical characteristic system for container handlers in a container yard

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US13/422,442 Active US8720777B2 (en) 2007-10-30 2012-03-16 Method and apparatus processing container images and/or identifying codes for front end loaders or container handlers servicing rail cars
US13/943,667 Active US9530114B2 (en) 2007-10-30 2013-07-16 Method and apparatus for operating, interfacing and/or managing for at least one optical characteristic system for container handlers in a container yard

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US9530114B2 (en) 2016-12-27
US20140147045A1 (en) 2014-05-29
WO2009058384A3 (fr) 2009-07-02
EP2215826A1 (fr) 2010-08-11
US20130062408A1 (en) 2013-03-14
WO2009058371A1 (fr) 2009-05-07
WO2009058384A2 (fr) 2009-05-07
US20090110283A1 (en) 2009-04-30
US8146813B2 (en) 2012-04-03
EP2215585A2 (fr) 2010-08-11
WO2009058382A1 (fr) 2009-05-07
US8488884B2 (en) 2013-07-16
EP2215826A4 (fr) 2012-08-08
US8720777B2 (en) 2014-05-13
EP2215825A4 (fr) 2012-08-08
EP2215825A1 (fr) 2010-08-11
US20090108065A1 (en) 2009-04-30

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