METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING AT LEAST ONE CAMERA FROM A POSITION ESTIMATE OF A CONTAINER TO ESTIMATE ITS CONTAINER CODE

1 . An apparatus configured to operate at least one camera configured to mount on a container handler, comprising:

said first module configured to create a position estimate of a container handled by said container handler; and

a second module configured to control said camera with at least one directive in response to said position estimate to create a container image of said container, whereby

said container image is used to estimate a container code of said container.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said position estimate includes at least one member of the collection comprising:

a first angular estimate,

a second angular estimate,

a distance estimate,

a height estimate,

an X-axis estimate,

a Y-axis estimate,

a Z-axis estimate, and

a fixed location estimate.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first module comprises a handler interface to at least one of:

a presence sensor configured to respond to said container to create a sensed container present;

a stack height sensor configured to respond to a stack height of said container to create a sensed stack height;

a size sensor configured to respond to a size of said container to create a container size estimate;

a twistlock sensor configured to respond to a twistlock state of a twistlock controlled by said container handler to create a twistlock sensed state;

a spreader sensor configured to respond to a spreader state of a spreader controlled by said container handler to create a spreader sensed state;

a landing sensor configured to respond to a landing state of said container to create a sensed landing state;

a hoist sensor configured to respond to a height of a hoist controlled by said container handler to create a sensed hoist height; and

wherein said first module generates said position estimate based upon at least one member of a position-related-estimate group consisting of: said sensed container present, said sensed stack height, said container size estimate, said twistlock sensed state, said spreader sensed state, said sensed landing state, and said sensed hoist height.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said second module comprises at least one of:

an image capture control configured to initiate image capture by said camera in response to an image capture directive;

a focal length control configured to adjust said camera in response to a focal length;

a shutter speed control configured to alter said camera in response to a shutter speed;

a first pivot control configured to pivot said camera in a first angular degree of freedom in response to a first angular directive;

a second pivot control configured to pivot said camera in a second angular degree of freedom in response to a second angular directive; and

a track control configured to adjust a position of said camera on a track in response to a track position.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein at least one member of a module collection includes at least one instance of at least one member of the group consisting of:

a neural network,

an inferential engine,

a finite state machine, and

a computer accessibly coupled to a computer readable memory, said computer instructed by a program system including at least one program step residing in said computer readable memory;

wherein said module collection includes as members said first module and said second module.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said program system includes at least one the program steps of:

creating said position estimate of said container handled by said container handler; and

directing said at least one camera to create said container image of said container in response to said position estimate.

7 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the program step creating said position estimate comprises at least one of the program steps of:

calculating a first angular estimate based upon an X-axis estimate, a Y-axis estimate, and a Z-axis estimate;

calculating a second angular estimate based upon said X-axis estimate, said Y-axis estimate, and said Z-axis estimate;

calculating a distance estimate based upon said X-axis estimate, said Y-axis estimate, and said Z-axis estimate;

calculating a focal length based upon said distance estimate; and

using a fixed location estimate to determine at least one of said first angular estimate, said second angular estimate, said distance estimate, and said focal length.

8 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein at least one member of a module collection is separate from said optical characteristic apparatus, wherein said module collection includes as members said first module and said second module.

9 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein at least one member of a module collection is included in said optical characteristic apparatus, wherein said module collection includes as members said first module and said second module.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said container handler includes at least one member of the group consisting of: a UTR type truck, a drayman truck, a bomb cart, an 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 crane.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said container is a member of the group consisting of a ten foot container, a twenty foot container, a twenty four foot container, a thirty three foot container, a forty foot container, a forty five foot container, a fifty three foot container, and dual twenty foot containers.

12 . An apparatus configured to operate at least one camera configured to mount on a container handler, comprising

means for creating a position estimate of a container handled by said container handler; and

means for controlling at least one camera with at least one directive in response to said position estimate to create a container image of said container, whereby said container image is used to create to estimate a container code of said container.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the means for creating said position estimate comprises at least one of:

means for sensing a presence of said container to create a sensed container present;

means for sensing a stack height of said container to create a sensed stack height;

means for sensing a size of said container to create a container size estimate;

means for sensing a twistlock state of a twistlock controlled by said container handler to create a twistlock sensed state;

means for sensing a spreader state of a spreader controlled by said container handler to create a spreader sensed state;

means for sensing a landing state of said container to create a sensed landing state;

means for sensing a height of a hoist controlled by said container handler to create a sensed hoist height; and

wherein the means for creating said position estimate further comprises:

means for estimating said position estimate based upon at least one member of a position-related-estimate group consisting of: said sensed container present, said sensed stack height, said container size estimate, said twistlock sensed state, said spreader sensed state, said sensed landing state, and said sensed hoist height.

14 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the means for directing said at least one camera comprises at least one of:

means for adjusting a focal length of said camera based upon a distance estimate;

means for fixing a shutter speed of said camera;

means for moving said camera on a track to a track position;

means for pivoting said camera in a first angular degree of freedom by a first angular estimate; and

means for pivoting said camera in a second angular degree of freedom by a second angular estimate.

15 . The apparatus of claim 12 ,

wherein at least one member of a means collection includes at least one instance of at least one member of the group consisting of:

a neural network,

an inferential engine,

a finite state machine, and

a computer accessibly coupled to a computer readable memory, said computer instructed by a program system including at least one program step residing in said computer readable memory;

wherein said means collection includes as members said means for creating and said means for directing.

16 . A method, comprising the step of:

operating at least one camera configured to mount on a container handler, comprising the steps of:

creating a position estimate of a container being handled by said container handler; and

controlling said camera with at least one directive in response to said position estimate to create a container image of said container, whereby said container image is used to estimate a container code of said container.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of creating said position estimate comprises at least one of the steps of:

sensing a presence of said container to create a sensed container present;

sensing a stack height of said container to create a sensed stack height;

sensing a size of said container to create a container size estimate;

sensing a twistlock state of a twistlock controlled by said container handler to create a twistlock sensed state;

sensing a spreader state of a spreader controlled by said container handler to create a spreader sensed state;

sensing a landing state of said container to create a sensed landing state; and

sensing a height of a hoist controlled by said container handler to create a sensed hoist height; and

wherein the step of creating said position estimate further comprises the step of:

estimating said position estimate based upon at least one member of a group consisting of: said sensed container present, said sensed stack height, said container size estimate, said twistlock sensed state, said spreader sensed state, said sensed landing state, and said sensed hoist height.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the step controlling said at least one camera, comprises at least one of the steps of:

adjusting a focal length of said camera;

fixing a shutter speed of said camera;

moving said camera on a track to a track position;

pivoting said camera in a first angular degree of freedom by a first angular directive; and

pivoting said camera in a second angular degree of freedom by a second angular directive.

19 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising the step of: using an enhanced image to create said container code estimate, said enhanced image created by using at least two of said container images.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein said container handler includes at least one member of the group consisting of: a Draymen truck, UTR type truck, a bomb cart, a chassis rotator, an over the road chassis, a quay crane, a side picker, a top loader, a straddle carrier, a reach stacker, and a rubber tire gantry crane.

21 . A first program system of program steps residing in a computer readable memory, said first program system comprising the program step of:

creating a position estimate of a container handled by a container handler for use in directing at least one camera mounted on said container handler to create a container image used to estimate a container code of said container.

22 . A second program system of program steps residing in a computer readable memory, said second program system comprising the program step of:

controlling at least one camera with at least one directive in response to a position estimate of a container being handled by a container handler to create a container image, whereby

said camera is configured to mount on said container handler,

said container image is used to estimate a container code of said container.