Control system for container terminal and related methods
A control system is for a container terminal with containers. The control system includes a server, and a terminal tractor operable within the container terminal. The terminal tractor comprises onboard tractor sensors configured to generate sensor data of at least some of the containers, a geolocation device configured to generate a geolocation value for the terminal tractor, a wireless transceiver, and a controller coupled to the onboard tractor sensors, the geolocation device, and the wireless transceiver. The controller is configured to transmit the sensor data and the geolocation value for the terminal tractor to the server. The server is in communication with the terminal tractor and is configured to generate a database associated with the sensor data, the database comprising, for each container, a container type value, a container logo image, and a vehicle classification value.
1. A control system for an inventory management facility, the control system comprising:
one or more shipping assets in the inventory management facility;
one or more sensors configured to generate sensor data of the one or more shipping assets; and
a server in communication with the one or more sensors, the server including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums storing instructions comprising one or more algorithms that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform steps to:
generate a database associated with the one or more shipping assets based upon the sensor data; and
track at least one of a location or a movement, or a combination thereof, of a shipping asset of the one or more shipping assets within the inventory management facility,
wherein the one or more sensors comprises one or more image sensors configured to generate image data, and
wherein the server is configured to identify a shipping asset of the one or more shipping assets based upon the image data,
wherein the server is configured to perform optical character recognition (OCR) on the image data including at least one of:
generating a text string for the shipping asset,
determining a color of the shipping asset, or
generating logo image data associated with a logo carried by the shipping asset, or
a combination of two or more thereof; and
wherein the server is configured to perform machine learning on the image data including executing at least one of:
a first machine learning model comprising a neural network trained to predict a location of text sequences in the image data; or
a second machine learning model comprising a neural network for scanning the text sequences and predicting a sequence of missing characters; or
a combination thereof,
wherein the server is configured to track the at least one of the location or the movement, or the combination thereof, of the shipping asset within the inventory management facility based on the at least one of the generated text string for the shipping asset, the determined color of for the shipping asset, or the generated logo image data for the shipping asset, or the combination of two or more thereof; and
one or more vehicles in the inventory management facility,
wherein the server is in communication with a vehicle of the one or more vehicles and is configured to transmit one or more operational values to the vehicle to position the shipping asset at a predetermined location within the inventory management facility based upon the sensor data, and
wherein the vehicle comprises:
a geolocation device configured to generate a geolocation value for the vehicle;
a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with the server; and
a controller coupled to the wireless transceiver and the geolocation device,
wherein the controller is configured to transmit the geolocation value for the vehicle to the server.
2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the inventory management facility includes at least one of:
a railyard, a railroad classification yard, a terminal, a container terminal, an intermodal yard, a warehouse, a container warehouse, a distribution facility, or a docked container ship, or a combination of two or more thereof.
3. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more shipping assets includes at least one of:
a container, a railcar container, a railcar, freight, a truck, a hostler, a bobtail, a trailer, an intermodal carrier, a boxcar, a cargobeamer car, a coil car, a combine car, a flatcar, a container flatcar, a schnable car, a gondola car, a Presflo car, a Prestwin car, a bulk cement wagon car, a roll-block car, a slate wagon car, a stock car, a tank car, a tank wagon car, a tanker, a milk car, a “Whale Belly” car, a transporter wagon car, a well car, a watercraft, or a container ship, or a combination of two or more thereof.
4. The control system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more vehicles in the inventory management facility,
wherein the server is in communication with a vehicle of the one or more vehicles and is configured to transmit one or more operational values to the vehicle to position the shipping asset at a predetermined location within the inventory management facility based upon the sensor data, and
wherein the one or more vehicles includes one of:
a terminal tractor;
a remote control terminal tractor;
a locomotive; or
a remote control locomotive, or
a combination of two or more thereof.
5. The control system of claim 4 , wherein the terminal tractor includes one of:
a hostler, a truck, a bobtail, or a Rubber Tired Gantry Crane (RTG), or a combination of two or more thereof.
6. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more image sensors is one of:
mounted in a fixed location in the inventory management facility;
mounted onboard one or more vehicles in the inventory management facility;
mounted onboard one or more remote control vehicles in the inventory management facility;
mounted at an entry point of the inventory management facility;
mounted at an exit point of the inventory management facility; or
mounted onboard a Rubber Tired Gantry Crane (RTG) in the inventory management facility; or
a combination of two or more thereof.
7. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the database comprises, for the shipping asset of the one or more shipping assets, at least one of:
a shipping asset type value, a shipping asset logo image, a vehicle classification value of a vehicle loaded with the shipping asset, a supplier, a supplier ID, a seal status, or a road ability metric, or a combination of two or more thereof.
8. The control system of claim 1 ,
wherein the first machine learning model comprises a convolutional neural network (CNN) trained to predict the location of text sequences in the image data; or
wherein the second machine learning model comprises a recurrent neural network (RNN) for scanning the text sequences and predicting the sequence of missing characters; or
a combination thereof.
9. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the server is configured to monitor one or more vehicles in the inventory management facility for traffic violations.
10. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors further comprises one or more proximity sensors configured to detect a presence of one or more vehicles in the inventory management facility.
11. The control system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more proximity sensors includes one of a range finder sensor or a pressure sensor, or a combination thereof.
12. A server for controlling an inventory management facility including one or more shipping assets, wherein the server is in communication with one or more sensors configured to generate sensor data of the one or more shipping assets in the inventory management facility, the server comprising:
one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums storing instructions comprising one or more algorithms that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform steps to:
generate a database associated with the one or more shipping assets based upon the sensor data; and
track at least one of a location or a movement, or a combination thereof, of a shipping asset of the one or more shipping assets within the inventory management facility,
wherein the one or more sensors comprises one or more image sensors configured to generate image data,
wherein the server is configured to identify a shipping asset of the one or more shipping assets based upon the image data,
wherein the server is configured to perform optical character recognition (OCR) on the image data including at least one of:
generating a text string for the shipping asset,
determining a color of the shipping asset, or
generating logo image data associated with a logo carried by the shipping asset, or
a combination of two or more thereof; and
wherein the server is configured to perform machine learning on the image data including executing at least one of:
a first machine learning model comprising a neural network trained to predict a location of text sequences in the image data; or
a second machine learning model comprising a neural network for scanning the text sequences and predicting a sequence of missing characters; or
a combination thereof,
wherein the server is configured to track the at least one of the location or the movement, or the combination thereof, of the shipping asset within the inventory management facility based on the at least one of the generated text string for the shipping asset, the determined color of for the shipping asset, or the generated logo image data for the shipping asset, or the combination of two or more thereof; and
one or more vehicles in the inventory management facility,
wherein the server is in communication with a vehicle of the one or more vehicles and is configured to transmit one or more operational values to the vehicle to position the shipping asset at a predetermined location within the inventory management facility based upon the sensor data, and
wherein the vehicle comprises:
a geolocation device configured to generate a geolocation value for the vehicle;
a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with the server; and
a controller coupled to the wireless transceiver and the geolocation device,
wherein the controller is configured to transmit the geolocation value for the vehicle to the server.
13. The server of claim 12 , wherein the inventory management facility includes at least one of a railyard, a railroad classification yard, a terminal, a container terminal, an intermodal yard, a warehouse, a container warehouse, a distribution facility, or a docked container ship, or a combination of two or more thereof,
wherein the one or more shipping assets includes at least one of a container, a railcar container, a railcar, freight, a truck, a hostler, a bobtail, a trailer, an intermodal carrier, a boxcar, a cargobeamer car, a coil car, a combine car, a flatcar, a container flatcar, a schnable car, a gondola car, a Presflo car, a Prestwin car, a bulk cement wagon car, a roll-block car, a slate wagon car, a stock car, a tank car, a tank wagon car, a tanker, a milk car, a “Whale Belly” car, a transporter wagon car, a well car, a watercraft, or a container ship, or a combination of two or more thereof, and
wherein the server is in communication with a vehicle of the one or more vehicles in the inventory management facility and is configured to transmit one or more operational values to the vehicle to position the shipping asset at a predetermined location within the inventory management facility based upon the sensor data, and
wherein the one or more vehicles includes at least one of a terminal tractor, a remote control terminal tractor, a locomotive, or a remote control locomotive, or a combination of two or more thereof.
14. The server of claim 12 , wherein the database comprises, for the shipping asset of the one or more shipping assets, at least one of:
a shipping asset type value, a shipping asset logo image, a vehicle classification value of a vehicle loaded with the shipping asset, a supplier, a supplier ID, a seal status, or a road ability metric, or a combination of two or more thereof.
15. The server of claim 12 ,
wherein the first machine learning model comprises a convolutional neural network (CNN) trained to predict the location of text sequences in the image data; or
wherein the second machine learning model comprises a recurrent neural network (RNN) for scanning the text sequences and predicting the sequence of missing characters; or
a combination thereof.
16. A method for operating a control system for an inventory management facility including one or more shipping assets, and one or more sensors configured to generate sensor data of the one or more shipping assets in the inventory management facility, the method comprising:
operating a server in communication with the one or more sensors to generate a database associated with the one or more shipping assets based upon the sensor data;
tracking at least one of a location or a movement, or a combination thereof, of a shipping asset of the one or more shipping assets within the inventory management facility, wherein the one or more sensors comprises one or more image sensors configured to generate image data,
wherein the server is configured to identify a shipping asset of the one or more shipping assets based upon the image data,
wherein the step of operating the server to generate the database comprises performing optical character recognition (OCR) on the container image data including at least one of:
generating a text string for the shipping asset,
determining a color of the shipping asset, or
generating logo image data associated with a logo carried by the shipping asset, or
a combination of two or more thereof;
wherein the step of operating the server to generate the database comprises performing machine learning on the image data including at least one of:
executing a first machine learning model comprising a neural network trained to predict a location of text sequences in the image data; or
executing a second machine learning model comprising a neural network for scanning the text sequences and predicting a sequence of missing characters, or
a combination thereof;
wherein the server is configured to track the at least one of the location or the movement, or the combination thereof, of the shipping asset within the inventory management facility based on the at least one of the generated text string for the shipping asset, the determined color of for the shipping asset, or the generated logo image data for the shipping asset, or the combination of two or more thereof; and
wherein the server is in communication with one or more vehicles in the inventory management facility; and
operating the server to transmit one or more operational values to the vehicle to position the shipping asset at a predetermined location within the inventory management facility based upon the sensor data.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the inventory management facility includes at least one of a railyard, a railroad classification yard, a terminal, a container terminal, an intermodal yard, a warehouse, a container warehouse, a distribution facility, or a docked container ship, or a combination of two or more thereof,
wherein the one or more shipping assets includes at least one of a container, a railcar container, a railcar, freight, a truck, a hostler, a bobtail, a trailer, an intermodal carrier, a boxcar, a cargobeamer car, a coil car, a combine car, a flatcar, a container flatcar, a schnable car, a gondola car, a Presflo car, a Prestwin car, a bulk cement wagon car, a roll-block car, a slate wagon car, a stock car, a tank car, a tank wagon car, a tanker, a milk car, a “Whale Belly” car, a transporter wagon car, a well car, a watercraft, or a container ship, or a combination of two or more thereof; and
wherein the one or more vehicles includes at least one of a terminal tractor, a remote control terminal tractor, a locomotive, or a remote control locomotive, or a combination of two or more thereof.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of operating the server to generate the database comprises generating, for the shipping asset, at least one of:
a shipping asset type value, a shipping asset logo image, a vehicle classification value of a vehicle loaded with the shipping asset, a supplier, a supplier ID, a seal status, or a road ability metric, or a combination of two or more thereof.
19. The method of claim 16 ,
wherein the first machine learning model comprising the neural network includes a convolutional neural network (CNN) trained to predict the location of text sequences in the image data; or
wherein the second machine learning model comprising the neural network includes a recurrent neural network (RNN) for scanning the text sequences and predicting the sequence of missing characters, or
a combination thereof.