System and method for providing low latency high throughput communications between mobile cranes

A wireless backhaul comprising:

• a first microwave directional antenna configured for mounting on a first crane,
• a second microwave directional antenna configured for mounting on the first crane, wherein the first and second microwave directional antennas are aimed in opposite directions, and
• transceiver equipment connected to the first microwave directional antenna and the second microwave directional antenna, the transceiver equipment configured to be capable of (a) relaying to the second microwave directional antenna, data the first microwave directional antenna receives, (b) relaying to the first microwave directional antenna, data the second microwave directional antenna receives, and (c) transmitting data to and/or receiving data from digital equipment disposed on the first crane,
• wherein the first microwave directional antenna is configured for aiming at a second crane, and the second microwave directional antenna is configured for aiming at a third crane, wherein the first crane, the second crane and the third cranes are disposed along a common path.

A container loading facility comprising:

• a first mobile crane having first radio transceiving equipment and a first container handling device installed thereon,
• a second mobile crane having second radio transceiving equipment and a second container handling device installed thereon,
• N additional mobile cranes each having transceiving equipment, where N is a positive integer, and
• a fixed tower having a third radio transceiving equipment installed thereon, wherein the first radio transceiving equipment is configured to operate in a mode that relays data between the second radio transceiving equipment and the third radio transceiving equipment with fiber-like performance in terms of low latency, low jitter, high bandwidth, availability and reliability,
• wherein each crane wirelessly communicates with a maximum of two other cranes or fixed towers.

A container loading facility comprising:

• a first mobile crane having first radio transceiving equipment and a first container handling device installed thereon,
• a second mobile crane having second radio transceiving equipment and a second container handling device installed thereon, and
• a first fixed tower having a third radio transceiving equipment installed thereon, wherein the first radio transceiving equipment is configured to operate in a first mode that relays data between the second radio transceiving equipment and the third radio transceiving equipment with fiber-like performance in terms of low latency, low jitter, high bandwidth, availability and reliability, and
• wherein the second radio transceiving equipment selectively operates in a second mode different from the first mode that relays signals received from the first radio transceiving equipment to fourth radio transceiving equipment disposed on a second fixed tower.

A container loading facility comprising:

• a first fixed backhaul tower comprising a first fixed backhaul tower microwave antenna;
• a second fixed backhaul tower comprising a second fixed backhaul tower microwave antenna;
• a first crane;
• a second crane;
• an end crane;
• a first microwave directional antenna on the first crane, the first microwave directional antenna aiming at the first fixed backhaul tower microwave antenna;
• a second microwave directional antenna on the first crane, wherein the first and second microwave directional antennas are aimed in opposite directions, the second microwave directional antenna aiming from the first crane towards a third directional microwave antenna on the second crane;
• the third microwave directional antenna on the second crane aiming at the second microwave directional antenna on the first crane;
• a fourth microwave directional antenna on the second crane;
• a first end crane microwave antenna on the end crane and aiming at the fourth microwave directional antenna on the second crane or alternatively at a further microwave directional antenna on a crane disposed between the second crane and the end crane,
• a second end crane microwave antenna on the end crane and aimed at the second fixed backhaul tower microwave antenna, and
• transceiver equipment connected to the first microwave directional antenna and the second microwave directional antenna, the transceiver equipment configured to be capable of (a) relaying to the second microwave directional antenna, data the first microwave directional antenna receives, (b) relaying to the first microwave directional antenna, data the second microwave directional antenna receives, and (c) transmitting data to and/or receiving data from digital equipment disposed on the first crane.