Crane control comprising a visualisation apparatus

Abstract

A crane control for a crane includes a visualization apparatus which is adapted to generate a stereoscopically visualized camera image having depth information of a working environment of the crane for an operator of the crane control. The visualization apparatus is configured to generate in a representation overlying the camera image a graphic auxiliary representation representing a dimension which can be recognized per se in the camera image. Furthermore, the visualization apparatus includes a display device which displays the stereoscopically visualized camera image together with the overlying graphic auxiliary representation.

Claims

1. A crane controller for controlling a crane, the crane controller comprising: a visualization apparatus configured to: generate a stereoscopic camera image having depth information of a working environment of the crane to be used by an operator, and generate a graphic auxiliary representation overlying the stereoscopic camera image, the graphic auxiliary representation representing a dimension to be recognized in the stereoscopic camera image, wherein the visualization apparatus includes a display device configured to display the stereoscopic camera image together with the overlying graphic auxiliary representation, and wherein the display device is one of virtual reality goggles or a 3D display screen.

2. The crane controller according to claim 1, wherein the graphic auxiliary representation represents a spacing between a working part of the crane and a reference object in the working environment of the crane.

3. The crane controller according to claim 2, wherein the graphic auxiliary representation includes a warning representation generated when the spacing between working part of the crane and the reference object is below a predetermined value.

4. The crane controller according to claim 2, wherein the working part of the crane and the reference object are predeterminable or predetermined.

5. The crane controller according to claim 2, wherein the spacing between the working part of the crane and the reference object is represented by a marking appearing in size proportionally to the spacing.

6. The crane controller according to claim 5, wherein the marking is located at a surface of the reference object facing towards the working part of the crane.

7. The crane controller according to claim 1, wherein the dimension represented by the graphic auxiliary representation is a dimension of a working part of the crane relative to a reference object in the working environment of the crane.

8. The crane controller according to claim 7, wherein the working part of the crane and the reference object are predeterminable or predetermined.

9. The crane controller according to claim 1, wherein the graphic auxiliary representation represents a dimension of a working part of the crane.

10. The crane controller according to claim 9, wherein the graphic auxiliary representation is located on a surface of a reference object disposed beneath the working part, the surface facing towards the working part of the crane.

11. The crane controller according to claim 9, wherein the working part of the crane is predeterminable or predetermined.

12. A crane comprising the crane controller according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the Figures in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a crane control for a crane,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a visualized camera image of an embodiment of a proposed crane control,

(4) FIGS. 3 and 4 shows visualized camera images of a further embodiment of a proposed crane control,

(5) FIGS. 5 and 6 shows visualized camera images of a further embodiment of a proposed crane control,

(6) FIG. 7 shows a visualized camera image of a further embodiment of a proposed crane control, and

(7) FIG. 8 shows a visualized camera image of a further embodiment of a proposed crane control.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) FIG. 1 shows a crane controller for a crane 1. The crane 1 is controlled by an operator 4 by an operating apparatus 10. To visualize the working environment of the crane 1, the operator wears a visualization apparatus 2 which includes a display device in the form of virtual reality goggles (or otherwise than as illustrated in the form of a 3D display screen). The visualization apparatus 2 is adapted to generate a camera image 3 of a portion of the working environment of the crane 1 for the operator of the crane control.

(9) FIG. 2 shows a visualized camera image 3 of an embodiment of a proposed crane control. A graphic auxiliary representation 5 which is superimposed on the visualized camera image 3 includes a marking 9 which represents the spacing between a working part 6 of a crane 1 in the form of a gripper and a surface facing towards the working part 6, of a reference object 7 in the form of a log as an item to be gripped. In addition, the graphic auxiliary representation 5 includes a numerical display of the spacing.

(10) FIGS. 3 and 4 show visualized camera images 3 of an embodiment of a proposed crane control. A graphic auxiliary representation 5 includes a marking 9 with which a spacing of a working part 6 of the crane 1 in relation to a reference object 7 is represented. A comparison between FIGS. 3 and 4 shows the illustrated marking 9 (which here is circular) is proportional in size to the spacing between the working part 6 of the crane 1 and the reference object 7.

(11) FIGS. 5 and 6 show visualized camera images 3 of an embodiment of a proposed crane control. A graphic auxiliary representation 5 which is superimposed on the visualized camera image 3 includes a projection 13 which represents a dimension of a working part 6 of the crane 1. The working part 6 of the crane 1 is here in the form of a gripper having two gripper jaws. The graphic auxiliary representation 5 includes a spacing of the gripper jaws, which can be detected for example by an opening angle of the gripper jaws. A dimension of the edges of the gripper jaws can also be represented by the graphic auxiliary representation 5. The dimension represented by the graphic auxiliary representation 5 can self-evidently be proportional to the dimensions of the working part 6—as can also be seen from a comparison of FIGS. 5 and 6. The fall lines 11 can be optionally represented.

(12) FIG. 7 shows a visualized camera image 3 of an embodiment of a proposed crane control. A graphic auxiliary representation 5 here includes a warning representation 8 which is displayed when the spacing between a working part 6 of the crane 1 and a reference object 7, here by way of example in the form of a person within a certain distance of the crane 1, is below a predeterminable value.

(13) The graphic auxiliary representations 5 shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, in the respective visualized camera images 3, can also include a numerical display of the spacing, as shown in the example in FIG. 2.

(14) Preferably, the proposed crane control includes at least one operating device actuable by the operator 4 for controlling crane movements of the crane 1. The at least one actuable operating device can be for example a joystick which permits movements of a tip of the crane 1 with a plurality of, for example three, degrees of freedom. The joystick can permit a per se known crane tip control or coordinate control. By virtue thereof, upon deflection of the joystick in a direction corresponding to a vertical direction of movement of the crane tip, the crane 1 can be actuated by the crane control in such a way that the tip of the crane 1 actually moves along a vertical line. Likewise corresponding movements in the other degrees of freedom are possible. When using such a crane tip control or coordinate control, the graphic auxiliary representations shown in FIGS. 3 to 7 are particularly advantageous as the crane tip of the crane 1 can be moved linearly (for example along a vertical line) by virtue of actuation by the crane tip control or coordinate control.

(15) FIG. 8 shows a visualized camera image 3 of an embodiment of a proposed crane control. A graphic auxiliary representation 5 includes a dimension of a working part 6 of the crane 1. The working part 6 of the crane 1 is here in the form of a gripper having two gripper jaws. In the case of an item 12 to be gripped, which is picked up with the gripper, a dimension in the form of a spacing of the gripper jaws relative to each other, which can be detected for example by an opening angle of the gripper jaws, and thus a diameter of the item 12 to be gripped, in the form of a log, can be displayed.

LIST OF REFERENCES

(16) 1 crane 2 visualization apparatus 3 camera image 4 operator 5 graphic auxiliary representation 6 working part 7 reference object 8 warning representation 9 marking 10 operating apparatus 11 fall lines 12 item to be gripped 13 projection