Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Article handling
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-25
2003-12-16
Tran, Khoi H. (Department: 3651)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Article handling
C700S225000, C414S137100, C414S139400, C414S139900, C340S870030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06665585
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to container managing apparatus and method for carrying a container in and out of a container terminal in a port, loading and unloading a container in and out of a container yard by a yard crane (yard cargo handling machine) and shipping and unshipping a container in and out of a container ship by a container crane. It further relates to inside transportation carriage and method employed in the container managing apparatus and method for delivering a container between on the one hand the container crane which loads and unloads the container in and out of the container ship and on the other hand the yard crane which loads and unloads the container at a designated address in the container yard, or between the yard crane and another yard crane.
BACKGROUND ART
A container terminal is located at a cross point of land and marine transportations at which containers are transferred between different types of transportation means such as a container ship and a trailer (chassis). Once cargoes are packed in a container, one will know attributes of the cargoes such as kind, weight, destination and owner from a container number applied on each container and a voucher issued when the cargoes are packed in the container. The information is always transmitted with the container number and the voucher describing the attributes being as one set.
A container will pass through an entrance gate of a container terminal in a case of, for example, (1) carry-in of a container packed with cargoes (loaded containers) upon exporting thereof; (2) carry-out of a loaded container upon importing thereof; (3) carry-in of a container from which cargoes have been unpacked (empty containers) upon storage of the empty containers; and (4) carry-out of an empty container upon packing of cargoes. A container and a trailer will pass through an exit gate of the container terminal in a case of, for example, (1) exit of an empty trailer from which a container packed with cargoes (loaded container) has been transferred to a container yard; (2) carry-out of a loaded container; (3) carry-out of an empty container in which cargoes are to be packed; and (4) exit of an empty trailer from which an empty container has been transferred to the container yard.
FIG. 1
shows a containerized cargo carry-in voucher which describes physical distribution information such as the kind, weight, destination, owner and container number of cargoes. The container is carried in together with the carry-in voucher.
FIG. 2
is a perspective view of the container. Reference numeral
1
denotes a container. A container number
1
a
is entered on each of the top surface and front, rear, left and right side surfaces of the container
1
. The container number
1
a
is defined by the ISO and, for example, as shown in the Figure, includes eleven characters of ABZU 0012346. In other words, four characters are assigned as an owner code in which a capital U in the last is a common code to indicate a container. A number includes a 6-digit set of numerals and one numeral used in checking an error in the code and number is attached at the end. As a consequence, the container number
1
a
is shown as an 11-digit set of characters in total.
FIG. 3
is a rear perspective view of the container deposited on a trailer. In the figure, reference numeral
1
denotes the container. The container
1
is deposited on a trailer
2
with handles of closing doors
1
b
being sealed by a seal
3
.
FIG. 4A
is a plan view of an example of a conventional seal and shows a state before sealing. The seal
3
comprises a cover
3
a
and a band
3
b.
A protrusion
3
c
is provided at a tip end of the band
3
b
and a seal number
3
d
is impressed on the band
3
b.
The band
3
b
is made of color steel sheet iron.
FIG. 4B
shows a state after sealing; by bending the planar band
3
b
and inserting the protrusion
3
c
through a hole (not shown) on the cover
3
a
to be caulked, the seal
3
forms a loop that will not open again unless it is broken. It should be appreciated that the seal
3
is not limited to that of the above-mentioned band type and may be of various kinds including rod and wire types.
FIG. 5
is a conceptive view of conventional carry-out (import) and -in (export) management of a container at the terminal entrance and exit gates. Upon carry-out or -in of a loaded container to import or export cargoes, the loaded container
1
with the container number
1
a
entered on each of its top, front, rear, left and right surfaces is deposited on the trailer (chassis)
2
and transported to the container terminal. The trailer
2
stops once when it arrives in front of a check-in booth
4
of the terminal entrance or exit gate and an operator (driver) of the trailer hands the voucher (containerized cargo carry-out or -in voucher) having been brought with him or her and describing the physical distribution information such as the shipping company, the name of the ship and the container number to a gateman (staff) to perform the container carry-out or -in procedure with the voucher. The gateman places the voucher on a camera table in the check-in booth
4
and transmits the content thereof to a clerk room (not shown) and transmits the seal number after he or she has confirmed whether the seal is sealed completely or not. Also, when the trailer
2
has stopped, a camera
7
provided above each of the terminal entrance and exit gates photographs the container number
1
a
entered on the container
1
and transmits it to the clerk room. In the clerk room, a clerk confirms the content of the carryin voucher, the container number and seal number on the CRT screen and then inputs the same into the computer, whereby a container storage address in the container yard at the terminal, whether carry-out of the loaded container is allowed or not, etc. are determined by the computer, and the clerk prints out a destination or exit permit voucher from a printer booth
6
. Meanwhile, the driver starts to and stops again in front of the printer booth
6
, and receives the destination or exit permit voucher to move to an designated position in the container yard or exit. Reference numeral
5
denotes a crossing gate.
FIGS. 6 and 7
show a flowchart showing a summary of the conventional carry-out (import) or -in (export) management of the container at the container terminal, which is divided into two along a direction of the flow (
FIGS. 6 and 7
show the upstream and downstream sides, respectively) with A and B being connections.
In the case of exporting cargoes, as shown in
FIGS. 6 and 7
, the owner initially makes a reservation for a ship and prepares a document (containerized cargo carry-in voucher) which will be described below, and then requests a marine cargo distributor to transport a container. The distributor performs a procedure for export at a container custom office, and packs the cargoes into the container after the procedure for export is completed. When the packing job is completed, an operator (driver) of a trailer deposits the container on the trailer, and starts with the document being brought with him or her to a gate of the container terminal. When arriving at the gate, the driver passes the document to the gateman (staff). Upon receipt of the document, the gateman sets the document on the camera table and presses a button to photograph the document so that data is transmitted to a management room where it is displayed on a CRT screen. In the management room, the data is inputted into the computer with view of the CRT screen. Based on the data, the computer determines a container deposit address within the container yard in the container terminal. When the container deposit address (the spot of delivery with a yard crane) is determined, it is printed on a yard destination voucher in the management room and is passed to the driver. The information of the container deposit address is also transmitted to a terminal installed on the yard crane (yard cargo handling machine). Upon receipt of the yard destination voucher, the drive
Ishikarajima-Harima Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Tran Khoi H.
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