TWI876707B - Lifting equipment area warning system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A lifting equipment area warning system is applicable to a lifting equipment that hang a workpiece, where the workpiece corresponds to a projection area on a ground. The system includes a camera device and a computing host. The camera device is oriented towards the workpiece to capture images and generate a plurality of captured frames. The computing host is communicably connected to the camera device. The computing host is configured to retrieve the plurality of captured frames and selectively issue a warning message based on the plurality of captured frames. In particular, selectively issuing the warning message by the computing host includes: determining a movement direction of the lifting equipment by the computing host when the distance between the workpiece and the ground is less than a specified height, detecting an eyesight direction of a human body image in the low-altitude caution zone formed by the projection area expanding along the movement direction, and issuing the warning message when the eyesight direction deviates from the workpiece for a predetermined duration.

Description

Spreader field warning system and method

The present invention relates to a hanger for hanging workpieces and image processing, and in particular to a hanger field warning system and method.

Rail-mounted lifting equipment such as overhead cranes, bridge cranes, overhead cranes, mobile gantry cranes, etc. provide the necessary support when moving heavy objects.

However, when the hoist operator uses the rail hoist to transport the workpiece, he usually cannot directly observe the surrounding workers and can only control the hoist according to the preset transportation route. If the workers on the workpiece movement route are not paying attention and do not notice that the workpiece transportation operation is in progress, they are likely to be hit by the fast-moving large workpiece and cause a work safety accident.

In view of the above, the present invention provides a sling field warning system and method to minimize the dangers that may be caused by sling operation and ensure the safety of surrounding workers.

A sling field warning system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applicable to a sling for suspending a workpiece, wherein the workpiece corresponds to a projection range on the ground. The system includes a photographic device and a computing host. The photographic device takes an image of the workpiece to generate a plurality of image frames. The computing host is communicatively connected to the photographic device. The computing host is used to obtain the plurality of image frames and selectively issue a warning message based on these image frames. The selective issuance of a warning message by the computing host includes: determining the moving direction of the sling when the distance between the workpiece and the ground is less than a specified height, detecting the line of sight of a human body image in a low-altitude warning area formed by the expansion of the projection range along the moving direction, and issuing a warning message when the line of sight deviates from the workpiece for a predetermined period of time.

A method for warning a sling field according to an embodiment of the present invention is applicable to a sling for suspending a workpiece, wherein the workpiece corresponds to a projection range on the ground. The method comprises: a photographic device takes an image of the workpiece to generate a plurality of image frames, and a computing host obtains the plurality of image frames, and selectively issues a warning message based on the image frames. The computing host selectively issues a warning message including: determining the moving direction of the sling when the distance between the workpiece and the ground is less than a specified height, detecting the sight direction of a human body image in a low-altitude warning area formed by the expansion of the projection range along the moving direction, and issuing the warning message when the sight direction deviates from the workpiece for a predetermined period of time.

In summary, a sling field warning system and method in one embodiment of the present invention introduces complete image recognition technology as an effective means to reduce risks. The monitoring method proposed in the present invention can be coordinated with the area that the workpiece will pass through when moving, and can monitor in real time and issue an alarm to remind workers to pay attention. The present invention allows the sling operation to be carried out under sufficient visibility to reduce potential industrial safety hazards. In general, through comprehensive safety management, the present invention can minimize the dangers that may be caused by the operation of rail-type slings and ensure the safety of surrounding workers.

The above description of the disclosed content and the following description of the implementation methods are used to demonstrate and explain the spirit and principle of the present invention, and provide a further explanation of the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

The following detailed description of the features and advantages of the present invention is provided in the implementation mode, and the content is sufficient to enable any person skilled in the relevant art to understand the technical content of the present invention and implement it accordingly. According to the content disclosed in this specification, the scope of the patent application and the drawings, any person skilled in the relevant art can easily understand the relevant purposes and advantages of the present invention. The following embodiments are to further illustrate the viewpoints of the present invention, but are not to limit the scope of the present invention by any viewpoint.

Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of a first application scenario example of the sling field warning system of the present invention. The sling field warning system is applicable to a sling 20 for slinging a workpiece 10, and the sling 20 moves the workpiece 10 in a moving direction D1. The height of the workpiece 10 from the ground G is H1, and the workpiece 10 corresponds to a projection range Z1 on the ground G. There is a person 30 around the workpiece 10, and the line of sight of the person 30 is D2.

FIG2 is a block diagram of a spreader field warning system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG2 , the spreader field warning system 50 includes: a camera 51 and a computing host 53.

The camera 51 takes images toward the workpiece 10 to generate a plurality of image frames. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG1 , the camera 51 can be installed on the sling 20, and its shooting angle can cover the workpiece 10 and the personnel 30 located around the workpiece 10, and the camera 51 takes images from above the workpiece 10. However, the present invention does not limit the installation position of the camera 51, nor does it limit the number of camera devices 51. The sling field warning system proposed in the present invention can be realized by installing a plurality of camera devices with different shooting angles.

As shown in FIG2 , the computing host 53 is communicatively connected to the photographing device 51. The computing host 53 is used to obtain a plurality of images taken by the photographing device 51, and then selectively issues a warning message based on these images. In one embodiment, the computing host 53 is, for example, a personal computer or a server, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

The specific steps of the computing host 53 selectively issuing a warning message according to the plurality of image capture images are as follows: When the height H1 of the workpiece 10 from the ground G is less than a specified height (e.g., 1.5 meters), the computing host 53 determines the moving direction D1 of the sling 20. The computing host 53 then detects the sight direction D2 of the human image in the low-altitude warning area Z2 formed by the expansion of the projection range Z1 along the moving direction D1. When the angle between the sight direction D2 and the moving direction D1 is less than a preset angle (e.g., 120 degrees) for a predetermined time (e.g., 45 seconds), the computing host 53 issues a warning message to prevent the workpiece 10 that continues to move from hitting the person 30.

FIG3 is a block diagram of a spreader area warning system 60 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Compared to the spreader area warning system 50 of the first embodiment, the spreader area warning system 60 of the second embodiment further includes a turning detector 55.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the turning detector 55 is communicatively connected to the computing host 53 . The turning detector 55 is used to detect the movement information of the sling 20 and output the movement information to the computing host 53 . The computing host 53 then generates the movement direction D1 according to the movement information.

In one embodiment, the turning detector 55 can be implemented by hardware or software, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

Hardware example: The steering controller 5 is a motor encoder installed on the motor of the sling 20. The motor encoder can output movement information representing the rotation direction of the motor. The computing host 53 then calculates the movement direction D1 of the sling 20 according to the motor rotation direction.

Software example: The computing host 53 executes image recognition software to calculate the moving direction D1 of the sling 20 according to the background changes in the multiple image capture frames. The background changes are, for example, signs drawn on the ground G in accordance with the moving route of the sling 20.

FIG4 is a flow chart of a spreader field warning method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method can be performed using the spreader field warning system 50 of the first embodiment or the spreader field warning system 60 of the second embodiment. As shown in FIG4 , the method includes steps S1 and S3.

In step S1, the camera 51 takes images of the workpiece 10 to generate a plurality of image frames. In step S3, the computing host 53 obtains the plurality of image frames taken by the camera 51 and selectively issues a warning message based on the image frames.

Fig. 5 is a flow chart of a first implementation of step S3 in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 5, the first implementation includes steps S31 to S34.

Step S31 follows step S1. In step S31, the computing host 53 determines whether the height H1 of the workpiece 10 from the ground G is less than a specified height.

In one embodiment, the method of obtaining the height H1 includes but is not limited to: the computing host 53 calculates it through the control signal of the sling 20 itself; directly obtains it through a height sensor set around the sling 20 or the workpiece 10 itself; converts it through image recognition, wherein the camera 51 is set on the side of the sling 20 to take an image of the workpiece 10 and the ground G. The designated height can be set according to the height of the person 30. For example, it is set to 1.5 meters, and the present invention is not limited to this.

If the determination in step S31 is yes, the process proceeds to step S32 and the following process. If the determination in step S32 is no, the process proceeds to step S38.

In step S32, the computing host 53 determines the moving direction D1 of the spreader. In the spreader field warning system 50 of the first embodiment, the computing host 53 can obtain the control signal of the spreader 20 itself to obtain the moving direction D1. In the spreader field warning system 60 of the second embodiment, the computing host 53 can obtain the moving information related to the moving direction D1 (such as the rotation direction of the spreader 20 motor, or the background change in the image capture screen) through the turning detector 55.

In step S33, the computing host 53 detects the sight direction D2 of the human body image in the low-altitude warning area Z2.

The human body image corresponds to the person 30 in the multiple image frames taken by the camera 51. The computing host 53 can use OpenCV with the human body feature model to detect the human body image in the image frame. The present invention does not limit the human body feature model or the algorithm used by the computing host 53 to detect the human body image.

Please refer back to FIG. 1 . The workpiece 10 corresponds to a projection range Z1 on the ground G, and the low-altitude warning area Z2 is formed by expanding the projection range Z1 along the moving direction D1, as shown in FIG. 1 . In one embodiment, the expansion length is, for example, twice the length of the workpiece 10. In other words, in the moving direction D1, the length of Z2 is twice the length of Z1, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In step S34, the computing host 53 determines whether the angle between the sight direction D2 and the moving direction D1 is less than a preset angle. FIG. 6 is a top view schematic diagram of the moving direction D1, the sight direction D2, and the angle Ɵ. As shown in FIG. 6, if the angle Ɵ is less than the preset angle, it means that the sight direction D2 of the person 30 does not include the workpiece 10 moving along the moving direction D1, that is, the person 30 cannot see the workpiece 10, which will lead to a work safety accident. In one embodiment, the preset angle can be set to 120 degrees, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

If the determination in step S34 is yes, the process proceeds to step S35. If the determination in step S35 is no, the process returns to step S33 and continues the side view direction D2.

In step S35, the computing host 53 calculates the cumulative time that the angle Ɵ is less than the preset angle. In one embodiment, the cumulative time can be set to 45 seconds, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In step S36, the computing host 53 determines whether the accumulated time exceeds the predetermined time. If the determination is yes, the process proceeds to step S37. If the determination is no, the process returns to step S35 to continue calculating the accumulated time.

In step S37, the computing host 53 issues a warning message. When step S37 is executed, it means that the personnel 30 has not paid attention to the workpiece 10 for a period of time, which may lead to a work safety accident. Therefore, the computing host 53 issues a warning message to notify the on-site personnel or the operator of the sling 20 to avoid accidents.

Please refer to FIG. 1 , FIG. 5 and FIG. 7 , FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a second application scenario example of the sling field warning system of the present invention.

As shown in FIG5 , the precondition of the process from step S32 to step S37 is: the judgment of step S31 is yes, that is, the height H of the workpiece 10 from the ground G is less than the specified height. The specified height is generally set to the height of a person, which means that the height H of the workpiece 10 from the ground G does not exceed the height of a person, so there is no risk of the workpiece 10 hitting the person 30 from above. Therefore, the size of the low-altitude warning area Z2 depends on the projection range Z1 of the workpiece 10 itself and the moving direction D1, as shown in FIG1 .

As shown in Fig. 5, when the determination in step S31 is negative, it means that the height H of the workpiece 10 from the ground G is not less than the specified height. At this time, there is a risk that the workpiece 10 may fall from a height, so it is necessary to set a larger high-altitude warning area Z3, as shown in Fig. 7.

In step S38, the computing host 53 determines whether there is a human body image in the high-altitude warning area Z3. If the judgment is yes, continue to step S37. If the judgment is no, return to step S1. Please refer to Figure 7, the high-altitude warning area Z3 is formed by expanding the projection range Z1 to the surrounding areas. In one embodiment, the expansion length is, for example, one times the length of the workpiece 10. In other words, the area of the high-altitude warning area Z3 is approximately four times the length of the projection range Z1, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the application scenario shown in Figure 7, the height H of the workpiece 10 from the ground G is greater than the height of the person 30, and the hoist 20 will apply a force to the workpiece 10 when transporting the workpiece 10 along the moving direction D1. Once the workpiece 10 falls, its landing point may be located around the projection range Z1. Therefore, if the personnel 30 is located in the high-altitude warning area Z3, an alarm needs to be issued to notify the personnel 30 to pay attention to the workpiece 10 that may fall from above.

Please refer to Fig. 8, which is a flow chart of the second implementation of step S3 in Fig. 4. Compared with the first implementation, the second implementation further includes step S39.

Step S39 is a continuation of step S31 which is judged as "yes". In step S39, the computing host 53 judges whether there is a human body image in the projection range Z1. If it is judged as yes, it continues to step S37. If it is judged as no, it returns to step S1. The second embodiment provides a more stringent alarm mechanism. If it is found that the person 30 is under the workpiece 10 (for example, fainted), an alarm is immediately issued to notify other personnel on the scene to handle it.

In summary, a sling field warning system and method in one embodiment of the present invention introduces complete image recognition technology as an effective means to reduce risks. The monitoring method proposed in the present invention can be coordinated with the area that the workpiece will pass through when moving, and can monitor in real time and issue an alarm to remind workers to pay attention. The present invention allows the sling operation to be carried out under sufficient visibility to reduce potential industrial safety hazards. In general, through comprehensive safety management, the present invention can minimize the dangers that may be caused by the operation of rail-type slings and ensure the safety of surrounding workers.

Although the present invention is disclosed as above with the aforementioned embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any changes and modifications made within the spirit and scope of the present invention are within the scope of patent protection of the present invention. Please refer to the attached patent application for the scope of protection defined by the present invention.

10: Workpiece 20: Hoist 50,60: Hoist field warning system 51: Camera 53: Computing host 55: Turning detector D1: Moving direction D2: Line of sight H1,H: Height G: Ground Z1: Projection range Z2: Low-altitude warning area Z3: High-altitude warning area S1,S3,S31-S39: Steps

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a first application scenario example of the spreader field warning system of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the spreader field warning system according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the spreader field warning system according to the second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a spreader field warning method according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a first implementation method of a step in FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is a top view schematic diagram of a moving direction, a sight line direction, and an angle; FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a second application scenario example of the spreader field warning system of the present invention; and FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a second implementation method of a step in FIG. 4.

S1, S3: Steps

Claims (9)

A sling field warning system is applicable to a sling for slinging a workpiece, wherein the workpiece corresponds to a projection range on a ground, and the system comprises: A photographic device, which takes images of the workpiece to generate a plurality of image frames; and A computing host, which is communicatively connected to the photographic device, and is used to obtain the image frames and selectively issue a warning message based on the image frames; Wherein, the selective issuance of the warning message by the computing host includes: When a distance between the workpiece and the ground is less than a specified height, the computing host determines a moving direction of the sling; The computing host detects a line of sight of a human image in a low-altitude warning area formed by the expansion of the projection range along the moving direction; When the angle between the sight line direction and the moving direction is less than a preset angle for a predetermined period of time, the computing host sends the warning message. The sling field warning system as described in claim 1, wherein the selective issuance of the warning message by the computing host further includes: When the distance between the workpiece and the ground is not less than the specified height, the computing host detects a high-altitude warning area formed by the projection range extending to the surrounding areas; and When another human image is detected in the high-altitude warning area, the computing host issues the warning message. The sling field warning system as described in claim 1, wherein the selective issuance of the warning message by the computing host further includes: When the human body image is detected to be within the projection range in the low-altitude warning area, the computing host issues the warning message. A sling field warning system as described in claim 1, wherein the photographic device is disposed on the sling to capture images of the workpiece from above the workpiece. The sling field warning system as described in claim 1 further includes: A turning detector, which is communicatively connected to the computing host, and the turning detector is used to detect the movement information of the sling and output the movement information to the computing host; wherein the computing host further generates the movement direction based on the movement information. A method for warning a field of a sling is applicable to a sling for slinging a workpiece, wherein the workpiece corresponds to a projection range on a ground, and the method comprises: Using a camera to capture images of the workpiece to generate a plurality of image frames; and Using a computing host to obtain the image frames and selectively issue a warning message based on the image frames; Wherein the selective issuance of the warning message by the computing host comprises: When a distance between the workpiece and the ground is less than a specified height, the computing host determines a moving direction of the sling; Using the computing host to detect a line of sight of a human image in a low-altitude warning area formed by the expansion of the projection range along the moving direction; and When the line of sight deviates from the workpiece for a predetermined period of time, the computing host issues the warning message. The method for sling field warning as described in claim 6, wherein the selective issuance of the warning message by the computing host further includes: When the distance between the workpiece and the ground is not less than the specified height, the computing host detects a high-altitude warning area formed by the projection range extending to the surrounding areas; and When another human image is detected in the high-altitude warning area, the computing host issues the warning message. The sling field warning method as described in claim 6, wherein the selective issuance of the warning message by the computing host further includes: When the human body image is detected to be within the projection range in the low-altitude warning area, the computing host issues the warning message. The method for warning the spreader field as described in claim 6, wherein the computing host determines the moving direction of the spreader, including: Detecting the movement information of the spreader with a turning detector that is communicatively connected to the computing host; and Obtaining the movement information from the turning detector with the computing host, and generating the moving direction according to the movement information.

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