Two / multi-stage parking device and empty confirming method thereof

TWI935232BActive Publication Date: 2026-08-11IHI PARKING SQUARE CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
TW111142051
Authority / Receiving Office
TW · TW
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2021-12-09
Filing Date
2022-11-03
Publication Date
2026-08-11
Estimated Expiration
2042-11-02

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing multi-stage parking devices face issues with safety confirmation inefficiencies, particularly in dimly lit environments, where visually confirming the presence of foreign objects in adjacent vehicle compartments is cumbersome and prone to missed detections due to blind spots and the need for manual movement to operate confirmation buttons.

Method used

The system employs a combination of segment sensors, cameras, and a control device to detect foreign objects in all vehicle compartments, displaying images on a monitor without blind spots, and allowing remote confirmation via buttons on an operation panel, enabling seamless and efficient safety verification from a centralized location.

Benefits of technology

This solution allows users to confirm the absence of foreign objects in all compartments easily and smoothly, even in dimly lit conditions, without needing to physically move to distant compartments, reducing the likelihood of missed detections and enhancing user convenience.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

When a foreign object is detected entering or exiting by the section sensor (24), the compartment (12) where the foreign object is likely to be present is memorized as the monitoring compartment (13B). After the user performs the operation of entering or exiting the parking space for their own vehicle, the pair of camera images (29a, 29b) of the monitoring compartment (13B) other than the user's monitoring compartment are switched and displayed sequentially on the monitor only when there is a monitoring compartment (13B) other than the user's monitoring compartment. In addition, regardless of whether there is a monitoring compartment (13B), the pair of camera images (29a, 29b) of the user's monitoring compartment (13A) are displayed on the monitor. When the unattended confirmation button (31a, 31b) corresponding to all the displayed camera images (29a, 29b) is operated (ON), a signal indicating the completion of the unattended confirmation operation (c) is output.
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Description

Two-stage parking devices and their unmanned confirmation methods This invention relates to a two-stage parking device having a plurality of parking pads and a method for unattended parking. Multi-stage parking systems can be broadly categorized into two types: above-ground, which provides parking space only on the ground; and pit, which provides parking space both above and below ground. Whether above-ground or pit, vehicles enter and exit the parking space by either directly entering the parking rack at the entry / exit height (FL) or exiting from the parking rack at the entry / exit height. Furthermore, the multi-section parking system creates two or more parking spaces within the same space by raising or lowering or moving the parking rack laterally to store vehicles. These two multi-stage parking devices have been disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1. Multi-stage parking systems are widely used in apartment buildings and other residential complexes, where unique authentication numbers are provided to contracting parties who have pre-determined contracts, and the contracting parties use parking racks that are linked to their authentication numbers. At this point, when the parking rack is invoked, the contractor enters the authentication number that has been linked to the parking rack, thereby authenticating the contractor and enabling the contractor to operate the device on the linked parking rack. However, when a user enters or exits their vehicle directly onto the parking rack located at the entry and exit height of the two-stage parking system, the safety assurance is entrusted to the user. At this time, in a two-stage parking system with multiple compartments, if the safety of the compartments located far from the control panel is checked visually, blind spots will be created due to vehicles located in other compartments. As a means of solving this problem, patent document 2 has been disclosed, for example. In Patent Document 2, "Mechanical Parking Device and its Safety Confirmation Method and Procedure," it is determined whether a sensor detected an object after the previous entrance / exit door closed during the parking process, either upon entry or exit. Furthermore, when an object is detected by any sensor, the unattended confirmation button located at the detected position is activated (ON) to perform a human-assisted unattended confirmation. [Previous Technical Documents] [Patent Literature] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-105997 Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 6560426 According to the system in Patent Document 2 mentioned above, when an object such as a person or animal enters the passenger compartment after the previous closing action of the entrance / exit door, the presence of the object can be detected. However, when this system is applied to a two-stage parking device, the following problem occurs. (1) The compartments (passenger compartments) located at the entrance and exit height of the vehicle are arranged in a plurality of adjacent compartments in the width direction of the vehicle. For example, typically, 3 to 8 passenger compartments are arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction. In the system of Patent Document 2, in order to visually confirm the passenger compartment, an unoccupied confirmation button is installed near each passenger compartment. Therefore, when the no-confirmation button is located in a remote part of the vehicle, the user has to walk to move it each time, which lacks convenience and ease. (2) When a vehicle enters or exits the mechanical parking device, in addition to the vehicle's entry and exit operations, the user also needs to perform unattended confirmation or gate closing operations. At this time, in dimly lit environments such as at night, even if the passenger compartment is visually confirmed, there is still a possibility of missing the presence of foreign objects (people or animals). This invention was developed to solve the aforementioned problems. Specifically, the purpose of this invention is to provide a multi-stage parking device and its unoccupied confirmation method, which involves setting multiple stages adjacent to each other in the parking compartment. Even in dimly lit environments, it is not necessary to move to a distant parking compartment, thus significantly reducing the chance of missing foreign objects (people or animals) and confirming that all parking compartments are unoccupied. According to the present invention, a multi-stage parking device is provided, which has a plurality of compartments located adjacent to each other at the entry and exit height in the width direction of the vehicle and accommodating the vehicle on the inside. The user directly enters and exits the vehicle on the parking rack located in the aforementioned compartments. The multi-stage parking system includes: multiple segment sensors for detecting the entry and exit of foreign objects relative to the aforementioned vehicle compartments; multiple pairs of cameras for capturing images of the interior of the multiple aforementioned vehicle compartments without blind spots; monitors for displaying the interior of the multiple aforementioned vehicle compartments without blind spots using images from a pair of cameras; a control device for controlling the raising, lowering, or lateral movement of the parking rack; and an operation panel for operating the aforementioned control device. The aforementioned control panel or the aforementioned monitor has a pair of unattended confirmation buttons, each corresponding to one of the aforementioned camera images on the monitor; Furthermore, the two-stage parking device performs the following processing: (A) When the entry or exit of the aforementioned foreign object is detected by the aforementioned section sensor, the aforementioned compartment where the aforementioned foreign object is likely to exist will be memorized as a compartment to be noticed. After the aforementioned user performs the entry and exit operations of their own vehicle, (B) Only when there is a monitoring room other than the one used by the user, will the images of the pair of cameras in the monitoring room other than the one used by the user be switched and displayed sequentially on the monitor. (C) Regardless of whether the aforementioned observation compartment exists, the images of the pair of aforementioned cameras used by the aforementioned user in the aforementioned observation compartment shall be displayed on the aforementioned monitor; In (B) and (C) above, when the aforementioned unattended confirmation button corresponding to all the aforementioned camera images is operated, a completion signal for the aforementioned unattended confirmation operation is output. Furthermore, according to the present invention, an unmanned confirmation method for the above-mentioned two-stage parking device is provided, which performs the following processing: (A) When the aforementioned foreign object is detected by the aforementioned section sensor, the aforementioned compartment where the aforementioned foreign object is likely to be present will be memorized as the aforementioned compartment to be noticed. After the aforementioned user performs the entry and exit operations of their own vehicle, (B) Only when there is a monitoring room other than the one used by the user, will the images of the pair of cameras in the monitoring room other than the one used by the user be switched and displayed sequentially on the monitor. (C) Regardless of whether the aforementioned observation compartment exists, the images of the pair of aforementioned cameras used by the aforementioned user in the aforementioned observation compartment shall be displayed on the aforementioned monitor; In (B) and (C) above, when the aforementioned unattended confirmation button corresponding to all the aforementioned camera images is operated, a completion signal for the aforementioned unattended confirmation operation is output. According to the present invention described above, after a user performs the operation of entering or exiting their vehicle, in a situation where there is no possibility of foreign objects being present in the observation compartment, the images of a pair of cameras in the observation compartment used by the user are displayed on the monitor. Furthermore, when only the observation compartment used by the user is the observation compartment, the images of a pair of cameras in the observation compartment used by the user are also displayed on the monitor in the same manner. In contrast, the user operation (ON) displays a pair of unattended confirmation buttons corresponding to a pair of camera images, thereby outputting a completion signal for the unattended operation and ending the unattended operation. Therefore, when there is no monitoring cabin or when the cabin is used as the monitoring cabin, the unattended operation can be completed simply by turning on the unattended confirmation button on one of the control panels, so it can be done easily and smoothly. Furthermore, when there is a monitoring compartment other than the user's own compartment, the images from the pair of cameras in the monitoring compartment other than the user's own compartment are switched and displayed sequentially on the monitor only in such cases. This display is performed, for example, before the display of the images from the camera in the user's own compartment. At this point, the user sequentially operates the unattended confirmation button corresponding to all the camera images displayed (ON). Next, the user in the vehicle operates the pair of unattended confirmation buttons corresponding to one pair of camera images displayed (ON) again, thereby outputting a completion signal for the unattended confirmation operation and completing the unattended confirmation operation. Therefore, even if the cabin is located far from the cabin in use, there is no need to move to the far-away cabin. Simply operate one of the unattended confirmation buttons on the control panel repeatedly (ON) to end the unattended confirmation operation, which can be done simply and smoothly. Therefore, even if multiple compartments (passenger compartments) are arranged adjacent to each other, users can confirm that no one is in any compartment by simply watching the monitor and operating the control panel, without having to move to a distant compartment. Furthermore, even in dimly lit environments such as at night, the monitor can display images brightly, and it can automatically detect foreign objects (people or animals) and highlight them, thus greatly reducing the possibility of missing the presence of foreign objects. 1: Vehicle 2: Parking rack 4: Cable components (chains or metal wires) 5: Lifting drive device 6a, 6b: Wheels 7: Rectangular frame 8a, 8b: Horizontal tracks 9: Ontology Framework 12: Car Room 13A: Utilizing the car compartment 13B: Pay attention to the carriage. 14: Pillar 16, 16a, 16b, 16c: Gate 17: Gate sensor 17a: Light-emitting part 17b: Light-receiving part 18: Control device 18a: Memory device 18b: Input device 18c: Output device 18d: Calculation device 19: Database 21: Emergency Stop Button 22: Contactless reader (card reader) 24, 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d: Segment sensors 26, 26a, 26b, 26c: Camera 28: Monitor 29a, 29b: Camera footage 30: Operating Panel 31a, 31b: No confirmation button 32: Security Confirmation Button 33: Display device 100: Multi-stage parking device A, B, C: Inbound / Outbound Departments a: Call operation b: Inbound / outbound operations c: No confirmation required d: Gate closing operation FL: In / Out Height N: Unique Number X: Contactless media (IC card) Sa1~Sd5: Steps Figure 1 is a front view of the multi-segment parking device of the present invention with the front part omitted. Figure 2 is a front view of the front part of the multi-segment parking device of the present invention. Figure 3 is a top view of Figures 1 and 2. Figure 4A is an explanatory diagram of the control device. Figure 4B is an explanatory diagram of the monitor and control panel. Figure 5 shows the relationship between the segment sensor that detected the foreign object and the passenger compartment. Figure 6 shows the overall flowchart of the control method for the two-stage parking device. The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Furthermore, common parts in all the drawings are given the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted. Figure 1 is a front view of the second multi-stage parking device 100 of the present invention with the preceding part omitted. In this example, the multi-stage parking device 100 is a three-stage lifting and traversing type on the ground, which has three storage positions (1F, 2F, 3F) for storing vehicles 1 in the same set space. In this example, the two parking racks 2 on the 1st floor can move horizontally, the two parking racks 2 on the 2nd floor can move horizontally and rise and fall, and the three parking racks 2 on the 3rd floor can only rise and fall. Therefore, in this example, the number of storage units for vehicle 1 is 3×3-2=7. In this example, the three-section, multi-stage parking system has three entry and exit sections (hereinafter referred to as parking compartments) A, B, and C. The full width of the parking racks 2 is preferably the same, but it can also be different. Furthermore, the parking compartments A, B, and C can be arranged such that the three parking racks 2 are spaced apart by a required gap (e.g., less than 40mm) and are adjacent to each other. The two parking racks 2 located on the 1F are configured with wheels 6a at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and move horizontally along two horizontal tracks 8a provided on the 1F by means of a horizontal drive device (not shown), and vehicles 1 can directly enter and exit the parking space in any of the parking compartments A, B, and C. Hereinafter, "entering and exiting the parking space" refers to entering and exiting the parking space. The two parking racks 2 located on the 2F have wheels 6b at both ends of the rectangular frame 7 that suspends them along the length direction. The rectangular frame 7 is configured to surround the parking rack 2 in the middle section between the uppermost and lowermost sections and can suspend the parking rack 2 and move laterally. As such, the two parking racks 2 located on the 2F can be moved horizontally along two horizontal tracks 8b located on the 2F by means of a horizontal drive device (not shown), and vehicles 1 can directly enter and exit the parking space in any of the parking compartments A, B, and C. In this example, the two-stage parking device 100 has a parking rack 2, which can lift and lower the vehicle 1 between the entry / exit height (FL) at which the vehicle 1 enters and exits the parking space and the storage space above the entry / exit height. This liftable parking rack 2 includes the two parking racks 2 located on the 2nd floor and the three parking racks 2 located on the 3rd floor. In this example, the two-stage parking device 100 is further configured to include a lifting drive device 5, which raises and lowers the parking rack 2. The lifting drive device 5 raises or lowers the lower end of a flexible cable component 4 (chain or metal wire) that extends vertically in a position that will not interfere with the vehicle 1. The lifting drive device 5 used on the 2F is fixed to the rectangular frame 7 and moves horizontally together with the rectangular frame 7. The lifting drive device 5 used in 3F is fixed to the main frame 9, and the three parking racks 2 are raised and lowered independently from the main frame 9. Furthermore, in this example, the lower ends of the four cable components 4 are arranged in four positions, fixed to the front and back of the parking frame 2, taking into account load balance, and the parking frame 2 is raised and lowered while maintaining a horizontal state by means of the lifting drive device 5. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned two-stage parking device 100; it can also be any other two-stage parking device as long as it has a plurality of parking racks 2. For example, the storage location can be set below the entry and exit height. In this invention, the two-stage parking device 100 is, in principle, only available to the contractor, who establishes a one-to-one connection with one of the parking racks 2. Hereinafter, "contractor" refers to the holder of IC card X, which is authorized by the contract to use the multi-stage parking device 100. The aforementioned multi-stage parking device 100 is operated by the user (in principle, the contractor) in sequence as follows: call operation a, entry / exit operation b, no-confirmation operation c, and gate closing operation d. The multi-stage parking device 100 moves the parking rack 2 from its storage position to the parking compartment 12 via a user's call operation a, and allows the vehicle 1 to enter or exit directly onto the parking rack located in the parking compartment 12 via an entry / exit operation b. Furthermore, an unattended entry / exit confirmation operation c confirms that no one is in the parking compartment, and a gate closing operation d completely closes the gate 16 (described later). Therefore, in the two-stage parking device 100, the parking rack 2 is not moved after the gate is closed. Figure 2 is a front view of the front part of the multi-segment parking device 100 of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a top view of Figures 1 and 2. In Figures 2 and 3, the multi-section parking system 100 includes a plurality of compartments 12, a plurality of supports 14, a plurality of gates 16, gate sensors 17, and a control device 18 (not shown, see Figure 4A). A plurality of compartments 12 (three in this example) are located adjacent to each other at the entry / exit height FL in the width direction of the vehicle 1. Each compartment 12 is configured to accommodate the vehicle 1 on its inner side. Multiple (four in this example) pillars 14 are located on both sides of the front of each compartment 12. A plurality of gates 16 (three in this example) are provided between adjacent supports 14 and are configured to open and close the front of each compartment 12. In Figure 2, the gates 16 of parking compartments A, B, and C are designated as gates 16a, 16b, and 16c from left to right. Each gate 16 is independently opened and closed by the control device 18 of the two-stage parking system 100. Each gate 16 is configured such that when open, vehicles 1 can enter and exit the parking space, and when closed, vehicles 1 cannot enter or exit the parking space, nor can people enter or exit. Furthermore, compartments A, B, and C are designed to prevent foreign objects from entering from outside the gates. "Foreign objects" refers to people or animals. The gate sensor 17 detects foreign objects in front of the gate. In this example, the gate sensor 17 is a photoelectric sensor, consisting of a light-emitting part 17a and a light-receiving part 17b located on the outer side of the four pillars 14 in the width direction. By horizontally illuminating laser light through the light-emitting part 17a and receiving the laser light through the light-receiving part 17b, foreign objects that block the laser light can be detected. The laser beam is positioned outside the gates 16a, 16b, and 16c. Furthermore, the laser beam height is set to reliably detect foreign objects. Furthermore, in this example, only one set of gate sensors 17 is provided so that they can simultaneously detect the entire front part of the gate 16. Furthermore, the gate sensor 17 is not limited to a single set; it can be installed on each gate 16a, 16b, and 16c, or multiple sensors can be installed at different heights. In addition, the gate sensor 17 is not limited to the aforementioned photoelectric sensor; any sensor capable of detecting foreign objects in front of the gate can be of other forms. In Figure 2, the multi-stage parking device 100 series is further equipped with an emergency stop button 21 and a contactless reader 22. The emergency stop button 21 has the function of stopping the operation of the two-stage parking device 100 by means of its actuation (ON). The emergency stop button 21 is preferably a non-contact button, but it can also be a contact type, such as a mechanical switch. The emergency stop button 21 and the contactless reader 22 are, in this example, installed on the central right-hand support 14. However, such installations can also be placed in other locations as long as they are easily and briefly accessible to the user. The contactless medium X is preferably a touchless key with an embedded IC (Integrated Circuit) chip having a unique number N. The contactless key system can be electronic money cards such as FeliCa (registered trademark), Suica (registered trademark), Rakuten Edy (registered trademark), nanaco (registered trademark), and WAON (registered trademark). The unique number N is a unique number stored in the contactless IC card. The unique number N is, for example, a 16-digit number composed of numbers and Latin letters. Hereinafter, contactless media X will be referred to as "IC card X". The contactless reader 22 is a device for reading IC card X in a contactless manner. The contactless reader 22 may be a card reader that receives the unique number N of IC card X. Figure 4A is an explanatory diagram of the control device 18. The control device 18 controls the lifting or lateral movement of the parking rack 2 and the opening and closing of the gate 16. The control device 18 can be installed inside the body of the two-stage parking device 100, outside the body, or at a remote location. The control device 18 has a database 19, which is linked to the IC card X and stores the user's authentication number and the vehicle compartment 12 used by the user (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle compartment 13A"). In Figure 2, the control device 18 is, for example, a computer (PC; Personal Computer), and has a memory device 18a, an input device 18b, an output device 18c, and a calculation device 18d. The database 19 is stored in the memory device 18a. The 18a series of memory devices includes main memory devices, magnetic disk devices, optical disk devices, or other memory. The memory device 18a establishes a connection between the contractor's IC card X and one of the multiple parking racks 2 of the two-stage parking device 100 and stores the information therein. Here, "establishing a connection and storing the information" means that the contractor, the IC card X's unique number N, the authentication number, the parking rack 2 with the contract, and the parking compartment 13A are each associated with a one-to-one correspondence. Input devices 18b series keyboard or LCD display. Output devices include printers or LCD displays. The input device 18b and the output device 18c can be integrated or separated. For example, the input device 18b and the output device 18c can also be composed of a single touch-sensitive liquid crystal display. In Figures 2 and 3, the multi-stage parking device 100 series further includes multiple stage sensors 24, multiple pairs of cameras 26, a monitor 28, and an operation panel 30. Multiple segment sensors 24 series detect the entry and exit of foreign objects relative to compartments A, B, and C. In Figure 3, four segment sensors 24 (hereinafter referred to as 24a, 24b, 24c, and 24d) are a plurality of photoelectric sensors that horizontally irradiate laser light in the length direction of the vehicle 1. Among them, two segment sensors 24a and 24d are located on the outer side of the vehicle compartment as a whole in the width direction, and two segment sensors 24b and 24c are arranged along the boundary of the adjacent plurality of vehicle compartments A, B, and C. The configuration of the section sensor 24 is the same as that of the gate sensor 17. Additionally, in Figure 3, the rear sides of compartments A, B, and C are designed to prevent people or animals from entering from the outside. Furthermore, a sensor identical to gate sensor 17 can also be installed on these rear sides. Multiple cameras (series 26) were used to capture the interiors of multiple compartments A, B, and C without any blind spots. The camera 26 can be a surveillance camera, with a pair of cameras installed in each of the compartments A, B, and C, and the cameras are respectively positioned to enclose the parking racks 2 located in the plurality of compartments A, B, and C and facing each other. Furthermore, camera 26 preferably has the function of automatically detecting people or animals and highlighting them. For example, camera 26 is a digital camera or digital video camera, which has the function of automatically detecting the eyes or head of people or animals, and the function of automatically adjusting the brightness. This configuration allows for the use of a pair of cameras 26 to capture images of the interiors of vehicle compartments A, B, and C (front, rear, left, and right sides of vehicle 1) without any blind spots, even when vehicle 1 is on a parking rack. In Figure 2, the control panel 30 is positioned so that the user can easily access the emergency stop button 21 and the contactless reader 22, and the user will not be detected as a foreign object by the gate sensor 17 when using it. In addition, the monitor 28 is positioned in a location easily visible to the user of the operation panel 30, such as the upper part of the operation panel 30. Figure 4B is an explanatory diagram of the monitor 28 and the control panel 30. The monitor 28 displays the interior of multiple compartments A, B, and C from a single viewpoint using images from a pair of cameras 29a and 29b. The operation panel 30 series operation control device 18 provides guidance to the user. In this diagram, the control panel 30 has a pair of (left and right) no-show confirmation buttons 31a and 31b that correspond to one of the (left and right) camera images 29a and 29b on the monitor, respectively. In addition, the no-confirmation buttons 31a and 31b can be located on the monitor 28. Furthermore, the no-confirmation buttons 31a and 31b are not limited to mechanical buttons, but can also be virtual buttons displayed on the display device 33 or the monitor 28. In addition, the control panel 30 series also has a safety confirmation button 32, a display device 33 for displaying text or images, and a speaker (not shown) for outputting sound. The safety confirmation button 32 is used during call operation a or gate closing operation d to confirm safety. The display device 33 or the speaker outputs operation messages corresponding to each standby and operating state in standby and operating states. The standby state is the standby state for call operation a, warehouse entry / exit operation b, no one confirms operation c, and gate closing operation d. When the section sensor 24 detects the entry or exit of a foreign object, the control device 18 will memorize the compartment 12 where the foreign object is likely to be present as the compartment 13B to be monitored. Note that during the time period other than when the parking rack 2 of compartments A, B, and C moves laterally and when the user performs their own vehicle entry and exit operations, the laser light of one or both of the photoelectric sensors on one side of the width direction in compartment 13B is blocked more than once. Figure 5 shows the relationship between the section sensor 24 that detected the foreign object and the attention compartment 13B. When no foreign object is detected in section sensor 24, it is determined that there is no attention in compartment 13B. When only two segment sensors 24a and 24d located on the outer side of the entire vehicle compartment in the width direction detect foreign objects, since it is possible that the foreign object is only present in vehicle compartment A or vehicle compartment C, vehicle compartment A or vehicle compartment C becomes the vehicle compartment 13B to be noticed. When a foreign object is detected by two segment sensors 24b and 24c along the boundary of a plurality of adjacent compartments A, B, and C, each compartment A or B or compartment B and C becomes the compartment of attention 13B because there may be foreign objects on both sides of it. Furthermore, when multiple segment sensors 24 detect foreign objects, all compartments 12 corresponding to each become attention compartments 13B. Furthermore, when the entry or exit of a foreign object is detected, only the compartment 12 other than the compartment 13A used by the user is remembered as the attention compartment 13B. That is, the compartment 13A used by the user is excluded from the attention compartment 13B. As will be explained later, this is because the compartment 13A is always an object that is not recognized. The control device 18 only switches the images 29a and 29b from one of the cameras in the monitoring compartment 13B and displays them sequentially on the monitor when the monitoring compartment 13B is in use. Furthermore, regardless of whether the driver's compartment 13B is being observed, the control device 18 displays images 29a and 29b from a pair of cameras in the driver's compartment 13A on the monitor. Furthermore, when the unattended confirmation buttons 31a and 31b corresponding to all the displayed camera images 29a and 29b are operated, the control device 18 outputs a completion signal for the unattended confirmation operation c. Figure 6 shows the overall flowchart of the control method for the two-stage parking device. In this diagram, the user sequentially performs the following operations: a) call operation, b) entry / exit operation, c) no confirmation operation, and d) gate closing operation. In addition, the control device 18 sequentially performs authentication, call action and gate opening, no confirmation, authentication and gate closing in response to the user's operation. The control method of the two-stage parking device will be explained below with reference to Figure 6. Call operation a consists of steps Sa1 to Sa4. In step Sa1, the IC card is touched to the contactless reader 22. This action authenticates the user and turns the power on. Furthermore, a security confirmation message is output via the display device 33 or the speaker. In step Sa2, the user confirms the safety of the vehicle interior and surroundings and presses the "Safety Confirmation Button". Additionally, the available parking rack number is displayed on the display device 33. This allows the user to confirm that they have booked a parking rack 2. In step Sa3, the user confirms the displayed parking rack number and touches the "call" button displayed on the display device 33. In step Sa4, the "call action" is initiated. During step Sa4, an operation message corresponding to the call action is output via display device 33 or speaker. This operation message may be, for example, "In operation", "Do not leave the control panel", or "Safety check of surroundings". The inbound / outbound operation b consists of steps Sb1 to Sb3. In step Sb1, after the parking rack 2 stops, the display device 33 switches to the call completion screen. The user confirms that no one is near the front gate and touches "Open". In step Sb2, gate 16 is opened ("gate opening"). In step Sb3, the user confirms that the gate 16 is fully open and that the vehicle is allowed to enter or leave the warehouse. Next, the operation message corresponding to the next unconfirmed operation c is output via the display device 33 or the speaker. The unattended confirmation operation c consists of steps Sc1 and Sc2. Steps Sc1 and Sc2 are equivalent to the unattended confirmation method of this invention. In step Sc1, the images 29a and 29b from the pair of cameras monitoring compartment 13B are switched and displayed sequentially on the monitor only when compartment 13B is being monitored. The user operates (ON) the unattended confirmation buttons 31a and 31b corresponding to all displayed camera images 29a and 29b. Step Sc1 is only performed when compartment 13B is being monitored; it is omitted when compartment 13B is not being monitored. In step Sc2, regardless of whether the driver's compartment 13B is being monitored, the images 29a and 29b from the pair of (left and right) cameras in the driver's compartment 13A are displayed on the monitor. The user operates (ON) the unattended confirmation buttons 31a and 31b corresponding to all the displayed camera images 29a and 29b. In steps Sc1 and Sc2, when the unattended confirmation buttons 31a and 31b corresponding to all the displayed camera images 29a and 29b are operated in sequence, a completion signal for unattended confirmation operation c ("unattended confirmation") is output. Alternatively, the order of steps Sc1 and Sc2 can be reversed. Furthermore, the detection of foreign objects entering and exiting by the section sensor 24 can be performed during time periods other than the lateral movement of the parking rack 2 in the cabin 12 (step Sa4) and the user's own vehicle entry and exit operations (step Sb3). The gate closing operation d consists of steps Sd1 to Sd5. In step Sd1, the user confirms the safety of the device and its surroundings and presses the "Safety Confirmation Button". In step Sd2, the user touches the "gate closed" button on the display device 33. In step Sd3, the IC card is touched to the contactless reader 22 again ("authentication"). In step Sd4, gate 16 is closed ("gate closed"). In step Sd5, each machine returns to its fixed position. The gate sensor 17 stops detecting foreign objects from the start of step Sa4 of call operation a until step Sc1 of operation c when no one confirms it. Because during the entry / exit operation b during this period, gate 16 is open to allow people or vehicles 1 to pass through gate 16, the detection of foreign objects is stopped to avoid detecting people or vehicles 1 entering or leaving the warehouse as foreign objects. According to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, after the user's vehicle enters or exits the parking space, when there is no possibility of foreign objects in the monitoring compartment 13B, the images 29a and 29b from the camera used by the user in the monitoring compartment 13A are displayed on the monitor. When only the monitoring compartment 13B is used by the user in the monitoring compartment 13A, the images 29a and 29b from the camera used by the user in the monitoring compartment 13A are also displayed on the monitor in the same way. In contrast, a pair of unattended confirmation buttons 31a and 31b corresponding to one of the camera images 29a and 29b displayed by the user operation (ON) are used to output a completion signal for unattended confirmation operation c and end unattended confirmation operation c. Therefore, when there is no attention in the cabin 13B or when only the cabin 13A is used as the attention cabin 13B, the no-attendance operation c is ended simply by operating (ON) the no-attendance confirmation buttons 31a and 31b on one of the control panels, so it can be carried out simply and smoothly. Furthermore, when there is a monitoring compartment 13B other than the user's monitoring compartment, only in this case are the camera images 29a and 29b of the monitoring compartment 13B other than the user's monitoring compartment switched and displayed sequentially on the monitor. This display is performed, for example, before the display of the camera images 29a and 29b of the user's monitoring compartment 13A. At this time, the user sequentially operates (ON) the unattended confirmation buttons 31a and 31b corresponding to all the camera images 29a and 29b displayed. Next, the user in the vehicle compartment 13A operates (ON) again the pair of unattended confirmation buttons 31a and 31b corresponding to one pair of camera images 29a and 29b displayed, thereby outputting a completion signal for unattended confirmation operation c and ending unattended confirmation operation c. Therefore, even if the cabin 13B is located far from the cabin 13A, there is no need to move to the far-away cabin. Simply repeat the operation (ON) of one of the operation panels 30 on the unattended confirmation buttons 31a and 31b to end the unattended confirmation operation c, so it can be done simply and smoothly. Therefore, even if multiple compartments 12 (passenger compartments) are arranged adjacent to each other, the user can confirm that no one is in any compartment by watching the monitor 28 and operating the control panel 30 without having to move to a distant compartment. Furthermore, even in dimly lit environments such as at night, the monitor can display images brightly, and it can automatically detect foreign objects (people or animals) and highlight them, thus greatly reducing the possibility of missing the presence of foreign objects. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. a: Call operation b: Inbound / outbound operations c: No confirmation required d: Gate closing operation Sa1~Sd5: Steps

Claims

1. A two-stage parking device comprising a plurality of parking compartments arranged at the entry / exit height and adjacent to each other in the width direction of the vehicle, and accommodating the vehicle inside the compartment, wherein the user directly enters or exits the vehicle onto the parking rack located in the aforementioned parking compartment; the two-stage parking device comprising: a plurality of segment sensors for detecting the entry or exit of foreign objects relative to the aforementioned parking compartments; a plurality of pairs of cameras, including pairs of cameras respectively disposed in the plurality of aforementioned parking compartments to capture the interior of the plurality of aforementioned parking compartments without blind spots; a monitor for displaying images of the interior of the plurality of aforementioned parking compartments captured by the plurality of pairs of aforementioned cameras without blind spots; a control device for controlling the lifting or lateral movement of the parking rack; and an operation panel for operating the aforementioned control device; the aforementioned operation panel or the aforementioned monitor having a pair of unattended confirmation buttons corresponding to the images captured by the pairs of aforementioned cameras on the monitor; Furthermore, the two-stage parking system performs the following processing: (A) When the entry or exit of the aforementioned foreign object is detected by the aforementioned section sensor, the aforementioned compartment where the aforementioned foreign object is likely to exist is memorized as a monitoring compartment; After the aforementioned user performs the entry and exit operation of their own vehicle, (B) Only when there is a monitoring compartment other than the one used by the aforementioned user, the images captured by the aforementioned cameras corresponding to the aforementioned monitoring compartments other than the one used by the aforementioned user are switched and displayed sequentially on the aforementioned monitor; (C) Regardless of whether there is a monitoring compartment, the images captured by the aforementioned cameras corresponding to the aforementioned monitoring compartments used by the aforementioned user are displayed on the aforementioned monitor; In the aforementioned (B) and (C), when the aforementioned unattended confirmation button corresponding to all the images captured by the aforementioned cameras is operated, a signal indicating completion of the unattended confirmation operation is output.

2. The multi-stage parking device as described in claim 1, wherein, The aforementioned segment sensor is a plurality of photoelectric sensors. The plurality of aforementioned photoelectric sensors are located on the outer side of the vehicle compartment as it is located in the width direction, and at the boundary with the adjacent plurality of aforementioned vehicle compartments, respectively irradiating laser light horizontally in the length direction of the aforementioned vehicle.

3. The multi-stage parking device as described in claim 2, wherein, The aforementioned car compartment is one where, during a time period other than the lateral movement of the aforementioned parking rack and the time when the user performs the entry and exit operations of their own vehicle, the aforementioned laser light from one or both sides of the aforementioned photoelectric sensor located on one side in the width direction is blocked more than once.

4. The multi-stage parking device as described in claim 1 comprises: a plurality of storage positions located above or below the aforementioned vehicle compartment for storing the aforementioned vehicle; and a gate that can open and close the front of the aforementioned vehicle compartment; the aforementioned parking rack is moved from the aforementioned storage positions to the aforementioned vehicle compartment by a call operation of the aforementioned user, and after a completion signal is output before the aforementioned unconfirmed operation, the aforementioned gate is completely closed by a gate closing operation of the aforementioned user.

5. The multi-stage parking device as described in claim 1, wherein, The aforementioned cameras are a plurality of surveillance cameras, which are respectively arranged to face each other so that the aforementioned parking racks of the plurality of aforementioned vehicle compartments are located between the plurality of aforementioned surveillance cameras, and automatically detect people or animals and highlight them.

6. The multi-stage parking device as described in claim 1, wherein, The aforementioned control panel further includes: a safety confirmation button, a display device for displaying text or images, and a speaker for outputting sound; and outputs operation messages corresponding to each standby state via the aforementioned display device or the aforementioned speaker.

7. A method for confirming the absence of an unattended person in a two-stage parking device, as described in claim 1, wherein the method performs the following processing: (A) When the entry or exit of a foreign object is detected by the aforementioned segment sensor, the aforementioned compartment where the foreign object is likely to be present is memorized as the aforementioned attention compartment; After the aforementioned user performs the entry and exit operation of their own vehicle, (B) Only when there is the aforementioned attention compartment other than the aforementioned user's previously used compartment, are the images captured by the pairs of aforementioned cameras corresponding to the aforementioned attention compartments other than the aforementioned user's previously used compartments switched and displayed sequentially on the aforementioned monitor; (C) Regardless of whether there is the aforementioned attention compartment, the images captured by the pairs of aforementioned cameras corresponding to the aforementioned user's previously used compartment are displayed on the aforementioned monitor; In the aforementioned (B) and (C), when the aforementioned unattended person confirmation button corresponding to all the images captured by the aforementioned cameras is operated, a completion signal for the aforementioned unattended person confirmation operation is output.

8. The unattended confirmation method for the multi-stage parking device as described in claim 7, wherein, The detection of the entry and exit of the aforementioned foreign objects is carried out during time periods other than the lateral movement of the aforementioned parking rack in the aforementioned vehicle compartment and the time when the user performs the entry and exit operations of their own vehicle.

Citation Information

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