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CN-121995359-A - Method and system for monitoring an opening for loading/unloading cargo

CN121995359ACN 121995359 ACN121995359 ACN 121995359ACN-121995359-A

Abstract

A method for monitoring an opening (200) for a freight vehicle (300) comprises arranging a radar system (110) at the opening (200) for access by the freight vehicle (300) to a cargo loading/unloading station (210), monitoring, by means of the radar system (110), two detection zones (112 a,112 b) in an area in front of the opening (200) or within the opening (200), an upper zone (112 a) at a height such that a human target standing on the floor cannot invade the upper zone, and a lower zone (112 b) comprising at least one main part located below the upper zone (112 a). When a target is detected only in the lower zone (112 b), an opening alarm is generated, the opening alarm indicating that the target is not authorized to enter and exit the opening (200). When an object is detected in the upper zone (112 a), generation of the opening alarm is suppressed.

Inventors

  • A. Muzaka

Assignees

  • 印斯派克特公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20251106
Priority Date
20241108

Claims (9)

  1. 1. A method for monitoring an opening (200) for a freight vehicle (300), the method comprising: -arranging a radar system (110) at an opening (200) for access to a cargo loading/unloading station (210) by a freight vehicle (300), Monitoring, by means of the radar system (110), two detection zones (112 a, 112 b) in an area in front of the opening (200) or within the opening (200), the two detection zones being an upper zone (112 a) at a height such that a human target standing on the floor cannot invade the upper zone, and a lower zone (112 b) comprising at least one main portion located below the upper zone (112 a), Generating an opening alarm indicating that the target is not authorized to enter and exit the opening (200) when the target is detected only in the lower zone (112 b), -Suppressing generation of the opening alarm when a target is detected in the upper zone (112 a) such that the opening alarm is not generated even when a target is detected in the lower zone (112 b).
  2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the lower zone (112 b) is separate from the upper zone (112 a) and extends between the upper zone (112 a) and the floor.
  3. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper zone (112 a) is at a height such that a freight vehicle (300), in particular a truck, truck trailer and/or fork truck, intrudes into the upper zone, which is preferably at least 2.5m higher.
  4. 4. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the two detection regions (112 a, 112 b) have respective front boundary regions remote from the opening (200) and located in front of the opening (200), wherein the front boundary region of the lower region (112 b) is at a distance from the opening (200) in the direction of the entrance of the opening (200) that is less than or equal to the distance of the front boundary region of the upper region (112 a) from the opening (200) in the direction of the entrance.
  5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the radar system (110) is located on a top portion of the opening (200) and the distance of the front boundary region of the lower zone (112 b) from the opening (200) in the inlet direction is substantially equal to the distance of the front boundary region of the upper zone (112 a) from the opening (200) in the inlet direction.
  6. 6. The method of claim 4, wherein the radar system (110) is substantially at a floor level and the distance of the front boundary region of the lower zone (112 b) from the opening (200) in the inlet direction is less than the distance of the front boundary region of the upper zone (112 a) from the opening (200) in the inlet direction.
  7. 7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the radar system (110) is a stereo radar system (110) and the two detection areas (112 a, 112 b) are in the form of parallelepipeds.
  8. 8. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the radar system (110) comprises a single radar device configured to monitor the two detection zones (112 a, 112 b) simultaneously.
  9. 9. A system (100) for monitoring an opening (200) for cargo loading/unloading (210), the system comprising: a radar system (110) adapted to be arranged at an opening (200) for ingress and egress of cargo loading/unloading stations (210) by a cargo vehicle (300), Wherein the radar system (110) is configured to monitor two detection zones (112 a, 112 b) in an area in front of the opening (200) or within the opening (200), the two detection zones being an upper zone (112 a) at a height such that a human target standing on the floor cannot invade the upper zone, and a lower zone (112 b) comprising at least one main portion below the upper zone (112 a), Wherein the radar system (110) is configured to generate in output a status signal indicating the presence or absence of an object in each of the two detection zones (112 a, 112 b), -A processing system in signal communication with the radar system (110) for receiving the status signal, the processing system being configured to: -when an object is detected only in the lower zone (112 b), generating an opening alarm indicating that an object is not authorized to enter and exit the opening (200), and -Suppressing generation of the opening alarm when a target is detected in the upper zone (112 a) such that the opening alarm is not generated even when a target is detected in the lower zone (112 b).

Description

Method and system for monitoring an opening for loading/unloading cargo Technical Field The present invention relates to the field of security in a work environment, in particular for loading/unloading goods from vehicles such as trucks and forklifts. Background At a logistics place, various types of goods are stored, which are regularly loaded and unloaded by special transportation vehicles. For this purpose, the logistics place is equipped with a loading/unloading station, i.e. a loading/unloading station, for loading and unloading goods from a truck or from a truck trailer, which loading/unloading zone has an appropriately sized opening facing the outside of the building. In logistics places, at other types of loading/unloading stations, goods are loaded and unloaded by fork trucks. Both types of stations may be partially or fully automated, for example, utilizing a vertically moving platform to align with the height of the vehicle shelves and/or the load to be handled, and may utilize automated means to grab, transport and release the load, thereby preventing the load from accumulating in a disordered manner. Sometimes, the level of automation may be such that the loading and unloading members are automatically activated when it is recognized that the shipment vehicle has been properly accessed. Such platforms or automation components may be dangerous to people who are too close to the devices or platforms as they move. It is therefore necessary to provide safety measures to detect and signal the approach of a person, to prevent the opening from opening, or to prevent dangerous parts from moving, or at least to immediately give an immediate warning of danger. Disclosure of Invention The present invention aims to automatically monitor the area of an opening for the ingress and egress of cargo loading/unloading stations by vehicles to easily distinguish between normal conditions (such as the vehicle approaching the opening) and dangerous conditions (such as the person approaching the opening). The above objects and other objects are achieved by a method and an apparatus for monitoring an opening for loading/unloading goods according to any of the appended claims. According to the invention, a radar system is located at the access opening of the loading/unloading station. The radar system monitors two detection zones in the area in front of or within the opening, an upper zone at a height such that a human target standing on the floor cannot invade the upper zone, and a lower zone. An opening alarm is generated only when a target is detected in the lower zone, the opening alarm indicating that the target is not authorized to enter and exit the opening. On the other hand, if an object is detected in the upper zone, while a previous opening alarm has not been activated, generation of the opening alarm is suppressed, and thus the object can reach the opening, pass through the lower zone, without triggering the opening alarm. Advantageously, when a dangerous situation occurs, the access of a human operator to the opening is detected only in the lower zone, triggering an alarm. On the other hand, cargo vehicles (such as trucks, truck trailers, forklifts) are also high enough to intrude into the upper zone and thus be able to reach the opening without triggering an alarm. In other words, the radar system enables discrimination between operators and vehicles based on whether the area is encroached. Other features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention. Drawings For a better understanding of the following detailed description, the drawings illustrate some embodiments of the invention, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an opening for accessing a station for loading/unloading goods from a truck, the opening being equipped with a system for monitoring the opening, according to one embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 2 and 3 show perspective views of an opening for the ingress and egress of a station for loading/unloading of goods by a forklift, the opening being equipped with a system for monitoring the opening, according to another embodiment of the invention. Detailed Description The figures illustrate examples of systems, generally indicated at 100, for monitoring an opening for loading/unloading cargo according to some embodiments of the invention. In a known manner, the opening 200 is an opening for ingress and egress of cargo loading/unloading station 210 by a cargo vehicle 300. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the load/unload station 210 is a loading and unloading area and the opening 200 is an opening formed through an outer wall of a building. In more detail, the opening 200 has a shape and size substantially corresponding to the shape and size of the rear of a vehicle 300 for cargo transportation, such as a truck (or truck trailer), so that their edges may o