Parking management method and device

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention discloses a parking management method, and the method comprises the steps: obtaining the parking information of a parking region, and storing the obtained parking information; periodically performing parking judgment operation according to a first time interval; the parking judgment operation comprises the following steps: judging whether parking change occurs in the parking area within the latest first time interval according to respective ending images of the two latest first time intervals; when it is judged that parking change occurs in the parking area, if the parking information includes an image, determining a target image, and determining a parking management result according to the target image; the target images are a preset number of images before the ending image in the latest first time interval or an image in a preset time period before the ending image in the latest first time interval; or, if the parking information comprises a video, determining a target video, and determining a parking management result according to the target video; the target video is a video in a previous preset time period from the ending image in the latest first time interval.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of parking management, and in particular to a parking management method and device. Background Art

[0002] In the existing parking fee charging technology, a camera is used to collect parking images of vehicles. Each time an image is collected, the image is transmitted to a server, and the server performs functions such as vehicle identification and fee charging.

[0003] Since each image needs to be transmitted to the server for recognition, the camera consumes more power on the one hand, and the bandwidth, storage, and computing load requirements of the server are also very high on the other hand. In addition, since many cameras use 4G, 5G and other methods to transmit images, the fees required are also higher.

[0004] In particular, solar power supply technology is increasingly being used in the field of parking technology, and more and more cameras are being used without wiring, and no longer use the mains power supply, which results in a limited amount of power available to the camera. Since the above parking metering technology consumes a lot of power, it is particularly difficult to apply the above parking metering technology to cameras that are not powered by the mains or do not require wiring.

[0005] In addition, the existing on-street parking fee calculation method is described as follows:

[0006] 1) Use parking space inspection management personnel to inspect:

[0007] Parking space inspection managers inspect parking spaces at fixed time intervals (e.g., 15 minutes) and record vehicle entry and exit times, charges, etc. This method requires a lot of manpower, is inefficient, and billing is not accurate enough.

[0008] 2) Geomagnetic parking fee form:

[0009] The geomagnetic parking fee collection method uses geomagnetism to be set under the road surface corresponding to each parking space, which is easy to install. However, geomagnetism can only identify whether there is a vehicle in the parking space, but cannot identify the license plate number of the vehicle in the parking space. Therefore, it is necessary to cooperate with manual photography to obtain the corresponding license plate number of the corresponding parking space, and manage and charge on this basis. This not only requires a lot of manpower, but also requires large-scale transformation of the existing road surface, such as excavating the existing road surface, and the construction will cause problems such as affecting traffic, which is costly and requires a lot of manpower. In addition, the accuracy of actual geomagnetic parking detection is not ideal.

[0010] 3) Video parking fee collection method:

[0011] The video pole parking fee payment method is to set up a video pole in a corner of the parking space, and the video monitors the vehicles entering and leaving, which can automatically complete the parking and self-service payment. However, this method has the following problems:

[0012] (1) Easy to damage: Since the video poles are generally set on one side of the parking space along the length direction, the height is usually 80cm-120cm, which is relatively short. There are cases where people damage the video poles to evade payment;

[0013] (2) Easy to be blocked: Since the video pole is short, it is easy for some obstructions to be set up on it artificially or accidentally, resulting in problems such as inability to identify parking lots;

[0014] (3) High cost: The deployment cost of video poles powered by mains electricity is high, as is the wiring required to break the line.

[0015] (4) Landscape impact: Each parking space corresponds to a video pole, and a large number of video poles have a great impact on the urban landscape.

[0016] 4) High-definition video charging form:

[0017] This method is to deploy high-position video cameras on the horizontal arm of the pole on the same side of the on-street parking space, with a height of 6-8 meters. Usually, two cameras are installed at one point to shoot 6-8 parking spaces. The images of the parking area are collected through video, and the vehicle information in the images is identified to realize the billing and management of on-street parking spaces. However, this method has the following problems:

[0018] (1) Since the camera is installed at a high position and has a horizontal arm, the requirements for the pole are high, the pole foundation must be large, and the construction cost is high;

[0019] (2) The camera is powered by the mains, and the pole location requires road breaking and construction to obtain power. The cost is very high, and the road breaking and restoration site will damage the municipal administration, bring various inconveniences and problems, and affect the beauty of the urban environment;

[0020] (3) Due to the high deployment cost, it is difficult to promote in areas with limited financial resources.

[0021] 5) High-position snapshot charging mode:

[0022] This method is to deploy high-position snapshot cameras on the opposite side of the on-street parking spaces, such as poles or light poles, at a height of 3-4 meters. Usually, two cameras are installed at one point to capture 3-5 parking spaces. By capturing images of the parking area and identifying vehicle information in the images, on-street parking space billing and management can be achieved. Although this solution can solve the problem of high-position video solutions with high construction costs and large damage, this method has the following problems:

[0023] (1) The camera installation position needs to ensure that the license plate of the vehicle being photographed is not likely to be blocked by adjacent vehicles. Therefore, the deployment position requirements are high, and the project deployment design will be very restricted, making the design difficult.

[0024] (2) This method can only capture images of vehicles parked in parking spaces. Due to the occlusion of vehicles near parking spaces, the shooting angle cannot be too large, resulting in a camera at one installation point only being able to capture 3-4 parking spaces, or even less, which is far less than the 6-8 parking spaces captured by the high-position video solution. At the same time, the shooting position must strictly meet the requirements, resulting in the need for a large number of poles, which has a significant impact on the city's appearance and is not conducive to the deployment and promotion of the project. In addition, if two vehicles are too close, the license plate will be blocked, making it impossible to recognize and charge. Summary of the invention

[0025] The embodiments of this specification provide a parking management method and device to solve the technical problems of reducing parking management power consumption and improving parking management effects.

[0026] To solve the above technical problems, the embodiments of this specification adopt the following technical solutions:

[0027] This specification provides a parking management method, which includes:

[0028] Acquire parking information of the parking area and store the acquired parking information;

[0029] The parking determination operation is performed periodically according to the first time interval; wherein each parking determination operation includes: judging whether a parking change occurs in the parking area within the latest first time interval according to the end images of the latest two first time intervals;

[0030] When it is determined that a parking change occurs in the parking area:

[0031] If the parking information includes an image, a target image is determined, and a parking management result is determined according to the target image; wherein the target image is a preset number of images before the end image in the latest first time interval or an image in a preset period before the end image in the latest first time interval;

[0032] or,

[0033] If the parking information includes a video, a target video is determined, and a parking management result is determined according to the target video; wherein the target video is a video of a preset time period before the end image in the latest first time interval.

[0034] Optionally, judging whether a parking change occurs in the parking area within the latest first time interval according to the respective end images of the two latest first time intervals includes:

[0035] The parking features of the respective end images of the two latest first time intervals are compared to determine whether a parking change occurs in the parking area within the latest first time interval.

[0036] Optionally, performing parking feature comparison on the latest end images of the two first time intervals includes:

[0037] The parking features of the end images of the two latest first time intervals are respectively extracted, and the parking features of the end images of the two latest first time intervals are compared.

[0038] Optionally, periodically performing the parking determination operation according to the first time interval includes:

[0039] The latest ending image within the first time interval is periodically sent to the specific subject at the first time interval, so that the specific subject can perform a parking determination operation.

[0040] Optionally, the number of target images is determined according to the time required for a vehicle to enter or exit a parking area or parking space;

[0041] and / or,

[0042] The duration of the target video is determined according to the time required for the vehicle to enter and exit the parking area or parking space.

[0043] Optionally, obtaining parking information of a parking area includes:

[0044] The images of the parking area are periodically acquired at second time intervals.

[0045] Optionally, the duration of the first time interval is greater than the duration of the second time interval;

[0046] and / or,

[0047] The duration of the second time interval and / or the first time interval is not greater than the time required for the vehicle to enter or exit the parking area or parking space.

[0048] Optionally, the time length covered by the target image is not less than the time required for the vehicle to enter or exit the parking area or parking space;

[0049] and / or,

[0050] The duration of the target video is not less than the time required for the vehicle to enter or exit the parking area or parking space;

[0051] and / or,

[0052] The time required for a vehicle to enter and exit a parking area or parking space refers to the average time it takes for a vehicle to enter and exit a parking area or parking space.

[0053] Optionally, the target images are all images acquired within the latest first time interval;

[0054] and / or,

[0055] The target video is the latest video in the first time interval.

[0056] The embodiment of this specification provides a parking management device, the device comprising:

[0057] An information collection module is used to obtain parking information of a parking area and store the obtained parking information;

[0058] The parking processing module is used to periodically perform parking determination operations according to the first time interval; wherein each parking determination operation includes: determining whether a parking change occurs in the parking area within the latest first time interval according to the end images of the two latest first time intervals;

[0059] And, when it is determined that a parking change occurs in the parking area:

[0060] If the parking information includes an image, a target image is determined, and a parking management result is determined according to the target image; wherein the target image is a preset number of images before the end image in the latest first time interval or an image in a preset period before the end image in the latest first time interval;

[0061] or,

[0062] If the parking information includes a video, a target video is determined, and a parking management result is determined according to the target video; wherein the target video is a video of a preset time period before the end image in the latest first time interval.

[0063] At least one of the above technical solutions adopted in the embodiments of this specification can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0064] First, the parking judgment operation is performed through the end images of the two first time intervals, and when it is judged that the parking information has changed, the parking management result is determined according to the target image or target video. It is not necessary to identify or detect each image acquired by the parking image acquisition device, and it can effectively reduce the number of images, image sending frequency and image sending power consumption or the number of videos, video sending frequency and video sending power consumption that need to be sent between the parking information acquisition device and the subject performing the parking judgment operation or the subject determining the parking management result, and can reduce the amount of received data and bandwidth, storage and computing load of the subject, thereby reducing the power consumption of parking management including the power consumption of the parking image acquisition device and the power consumption of the subject, improving the energy efficiency of parking management, reducing 4G / 5G traffic charges, and reducing the deployment (computing and storage resource procurement costs) and operation and maintenance (server electricity costs, bandwidth costs, etc.) costs of the subject. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0065] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this specification or the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments of this specification or the prior art description are briefly described below. Obviously, the following only describes the drawings required for use in some embodiments of this application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative labor.

[0066] Figure 1 It is a flowchart of the parking management method in the first embodiment of this specification.

[0067] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the parking management example in the first embodiment of this specification.

[0068] Figure 3 It is a working logic diagram of a parking management example in the first embodiment of this specification.

[0069] Figure 4 It is another working logic diagram of the parking management example in the first embodiment of this specification.

[0070] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the parking management device in the second embodiment of this specification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0071] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in this specification, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this specification will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments involved in the specific implementation methods are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments in the specific implementation methods without making creative work should belong to the scope of protection of this application.

[0072] The first embodiment of this specification (hereinafter referred to as "embodiment 1") provides a parking management method. The execution subject of embodiment 1 includes but is not limited to a terminal or a server or an operating system or an application program, that is, the execution subject can be various and can be set, used or changed as needed. In addition, a third-party application program can also assist the execution subject in executing embodiment 1.

[0073] like Figure 1 As shown, the parking management method provided in the first embodiment includes:

[0074] S101: Acquire parking information of a parking area, and store the acquired parking information;

[0075] In the first embodiment, parking information of a parking area may be obtained and stored. The parking information includes but is not limited to images or videos, that is, the parking information of the parking area is an image or video collected for the parking area. Furthermore, the parking information may include both videos and images, that is, the videos and images may be obtained separately.

[0076] In particular, if the parking information is an image, the image of the parking area may be acquired periodically, for example, at a second time interval, and the image of the parking area is acquired once every second time interval. That is, acquiring the parking information of the parking area may include: acquiring the image of the parking area periodically at the second time interval.

[0077] Exemplarily, the above parking information can be obtained by a parking information collection device, which can have a collection module (the collection module can include one or more cameras to respectively obtain videos and / or images) and a storage module, and the collection module is used to collect parking information of the parking area, and the obtained parking information of the parking area can be stored in the storage module. Among them, the parking area generally refers to an area available for parking (especially an on-street or roadside parking area), which can include one or more parking spaces, regardless of whether the parking spaces are marked.

[0078] S103: performing a parking determination operation periodically according to the first time interval; wherein each parking determination operation includes: determining whether a parking change occurs in the parking area within the latest first time interval according to the end images of the two latest first time intervals;

[0079] In the first embodiment, the parking determination operation may be performed periodically, for example, at a first time interval, the parking determination operation is performed once every first time interval. That is, after each first time interval, the parking determination operation is performed for the latest first time interval.

[0080] Each parking judgment operation may include: judging whether a parking change occurs in the parking area within the latest single first time interval according to the end images of the two latest first time intervals (judging whether a parking change occurs may be specific to a certain parking space in the parking area, that is, judging whether a parking change occurs in a single parking space. A parking change occurs in a single parking space in the parking area, which is equivalent to a parking change in the parking area). Accordingly, for the first first time interval, the parking judgment operation may not be performed, and the parking judgment operation may be performed starting from the second first time interval. Alternatively, for the first first time interval, the parking judgment operation may be performed, but the result of the parking judgment operation may be preset.

[0081] The ending image in the latest first time interval is the last image acquired in the latest first time interval. In particular, the ending image in a single first time interval may be an image acquired at the end time point of the first time interval. For two adjacent first time intervals, the end time point of the previous first time interval is the start time point of the next first time interval, so the ending image in the previous first time interval may be the start image in the next first time interval (the start image in a single first time interval is the first image acquired in the first time interval).

[0082] In the first embodiment, the duration of the first time interval is longer than the duration of the second time interval. For example, the second time interval is 5 seconds, that is, the image of the parking area is acquired every 5 seconds. The first time interval is 5 minutes, that is, the parking determination operation is performed every 5 minutes.

[0083] For example, if a parking judgment operation is performed at 12:05, then 11:55 to 12:00 and 12:00 to 12:05 are the two latest first time intervals, and 12:00 to 12:05 is the latest first time interval, so the parking judgment operation is to judge whether a parking change occurs in the parking area from 12:00 to 12:05 based on the ending image from 11:55 to 12:00 and the ending image from 12:00 to 12:05. Among them, the ending image from 11:55 to 12:00 is the last image obtained from 11:55 to 12:00, and the ending image from 12:00 to 12:05 is the last image obtained from 12:00 to 12:05. Similarly, if a parking judgment operation is continued at 12:10, then 12:00 to 12:05 and 12:05 to 12:10 are the two latest first time intervals, and the parking judgment operation is to judge whether there is a parking change in the parking area between 12:05 and 12:10 based on the ending image between 12:05 and 12:10 and the ending image between 12:05 and 12:10. Among them, the ending image between 12:05 and 12:05 is the last image obtained between 12:05 and 12:10, and the ending image between 12:05 and 12:10 is the last image obtained between 12:05 and 12:10. The same can be said for other situations.

[0084] Generally, the second time interval and / or the first time interval is not longer than the time required for a vehicle to enter or exit a parking area or a parking space. Specifically, the average time for a vehicle to enter or exit a parking area or a parking space in the parking area can be statistically calculated, and the average time can be used as the time required for a vehicle to enter or exit a parking area or a parking space.

[0085] In the first embodiment, judging whether a parking change occurs in the parking area within the latest first time interval based on the respective end images of the two latest first time intervals may include: comparing parking features of the respective end images of the two latest first time intervals to judge whether a parking change occurs in the parking area within the latest first time interval.

[0086] Wherein, comparing the parking features of the end images of the two latest first time intervals may include: extracting the parking features of the end images of the two latest first time intervals respectively, and comparing the parking features of the end images of the two latest first time intervals. A suitable feature extraction algorithm, image recognition algorithm, image detection algorithm or other means may be selected to extract features, which is not limited to the first embodiment.

[0087] Specifically, parking characteristics include but are not limited to whether there is a vehicle in the parking area and / or the characteristics of the vehicle in the parking area, and the characteristics of the vehicle include but are not limited to the width / height / length / color / license plate number of the vehicle. Accordingly, parking changes include but are not limited to the entry or exit of a vehicle into or from a parking area (or a single parking space in a parking area), or the change from a vehicle to no vehicle or from no vehicle to a vehicle, or the change of the parked vehicle. In addition, for a parking area or a single parking space in a parking area, the condition of whether there is a vehicle or no vehicle can be set as needed, for example, a vehicle is counted as having a vehicle if it completely or mostly enters the parking area or a single parking space, or a vehicle is counted as having no vehicle if it completely or mostly leaves the parking area or a single parking space.

[0088] For example, a parking determination operation is performed at 12:05, and if the parking characteristics of the ending images between 11:55 and 12:00 indicate that a certain parking space in the parking area has a vehicle parked, and the parking characteristics of the ending images between 12:00 and 12:05 indicate that no vehicle is parked in the parking space in the parking area, then it is determined that a parking change has occurred between 12:05 and 12:05. Alternatively, a parking determination operation is performed at 12:10, and if the parking characteristics of the ending images between 12:05 and 12:10 indicate that no vehicle is parked in the parking area, and the parking characteristics of the ending images between 12:05 and 12:10 indicate that a vehicle is parked in the parking area, then it is determined that a parking change has occurred between 12:05 and 12:10. Alternatively, a parking judgment operation is performed at 12:15. If the vehicle characteristics of a vehicle parked in a parking space in the parking area represented by the parking characteristics of the ending image between 12:05 and 12:10 are different from the vehicle characteristics of the vehicle parked in the parking space in the parking area represented by the ending image between 12:10 and 12:15, then it is judged that a parking change occurs between 12:10 and 12:15 (i.e., a change in the parked vehicle occurs).

[0089] In addition, when the parking information includes video, only one image (eg, an image at the end of the first time interval) may be collected as an end image in each first time interval, and the collected end image is used for parking determination operations.

[0090] Exemplarily, the parking information collection device may have a processor module, and the processor module periodically performs parking determination operations according to the first time interval. The collection module may transmit the end image in each first time interval to the processor module, or the processor module may obtain the end image in each first time interval from the storage module. Embodiment 1 does not limit how to obtain the end image. In addition, each image may correspond to time information (the time information corresponding to the image may be the shooting or collection time of the image), and the order of each image may be determined according to the time information, so as to determine the end image in each first time interval according to the time information.

[0091] Exemplarily, the parking judgment operation may be performed by a specific subject (including but not limited to a server). That is, the parking information collection device may send the latest ending image within the first time interval to the specific subject at every first time interval, so that after the specific subject receives the latest ending image within the first time interval, the parking judgment operation is periodically performed according to the above content. Therefore, performing the parking judgment operation periodically according to the first time interval may include: periodically sending the latest ending image within the first time interval to the specific subject according to the first time interval (the time required for the sending process can be ignored), so that the specific subject performs the parking judgment operation.

[0092] Exemplarily, the parking information collection device may have a data transmission module, through which the ending image is sent to a specific subject.

[0093] S105: When it is determined that a parking change occurs in the parking area: if the parking information includes an image, a target image is determined, and a parking management result is determined based on the target image; wherein the target image is a preset number of images from the end image within the latest first time interval or an image from the preset period of time from the end image within the latest first time interval; or, if the parking information includes a video, a target video is determined, and a parking management result is determined based on the target video; wherein the target video is a video from the preset period of time from the end image within the latest first time interval.

[0094] In the first embodiment, when it is determined that a parking change occurs in the parking area, different processing methods may be used according to different parking information contents, as described in case one or case two:

[0095] Case 1: Parking information includes images

[0096] If the parking information includes images or only includes images, a target image can be determined, and the parking management result can be determined according to the target image; wherein the target image is a preset number of images before the end image in the latest first time interval or an image in a preset period (or called a first preset period) before the end image in the latest first time interval. It can be seen that the target image can be multiple images.

[0097] For example, if the preset number is n, the target image may be the n-1 images before the end image of the latest first time interval and the end image of the latest first time interval itself; or, if the preset time period is t, the target image may be the images acquired within the time period t forward from the time corresponding to the end image of the latest first time interval, including the end image itself.

[0098] For example, assuming that the first time interval is 5 minutes, if the result of the parking judgment operation performed at 12:20 is that the vehicle information in the parking area changes, the target image will be the first preset number of images from the end image in the first time interval from 12:15 to 12:20, or the image in the first preset time period from the end image in the first time interval from 12:15 to 12:20.

[0099] The specific number of target images can be determined as needed, for example, based on the time required for a vehicle to enter and exit a parking area or a parking space. Specifically, the average time for a vehicle to enter and exit a parking area or a parking space within a parking area can be statistically calculated, and the number of target images can be determined based on the average time. If the target image is the first n images from the end image within the latest first time interval, the time interval between the first and last images of the n images should not be less than the average time; or if the target image is an image within a preset time period before the end image within the latest first time interval, the preset time period should not be less than the average time. In short, the length of time covered by the target image (i.e., the time interval between the first and last images of the target image) should not be less than the time required for a vehicle to enter and exit a parking area or a parking space.

[0100] In particular, the time length covered by the target image may be not less than the first time interval. In addition, when the first time interval and the first time interval are determined, the number of images that can be obtained within the first time interval is also determined, and the target image may specifically be all images that have been obtained within the latest first time interval (generally, all images that have been obtained within the latest first time interval by the camera corresponding to the parking area or parking space where the parking information has changed). In other words, the above-mentioned preset time period may be the first time interval.

[0101] In particular, in case 1, the target image may not include the end image in the latest first time interval, but the n images before the end image in the latest first time interval or the images in the previous t time period are used as the target image.

[0102] Case 2: Parking information including video

[0103] If the parking information includes video or only includes video, the target video can be determined and the parking management result can be determined based on the target video; wherein the target video is the video of the previous preset period (or called the second preset period) starting from the end image in the latest first time interval.

[0104] For example, the preset time period is t, and the target image may be a video acquired within a time period t forward from the time corresponding to the end image in the latest first time interval.

[0105] For example, assuming that the first time interval is 5 minutes, if the result of the parking judgment operation performed at 12:20 is that the vehicle information in the parking area changes, the target image is the video of the previous preset time period starting from the end image in the first time interval from 12:15 to 12:20.

[0106] The specific duration of the target video can be determined as needed, for example, based on the time required for a vehicle to enter and exit a parking area or a parking space. Specifically, the average time for a vehicle to enter and exit a parking area or a parking space within a parking area can be statistically calculated, and the duration of the target video can be determined based on the average time. Generally, the duration of the target video should not be less than the average time. In short, the duration of the target video should not be less than the time required for a vehicle to enter and exit a parking area or a parking space.

[0107] In particular, the time length covered by the target video may be not less than the first time interval. In addition, the target video may be the latest video acquired in the first time interval (generally, all videos acquired by the camera corresponding to the parking area or parking space where the parking information changes in the latest first time interval).

[0108] In embodiment one, the parking management result can be determined based on the target image or target video, and the parking management result includes but is not limited to vehicle information entering and exiting the parking area or parking space and / or parking time information and / or parking fee information and / or parking area occupancy information (the function of the parking area occupancy information includes but is not limited to displaying it to the user).

[0109] Among them, the parking management result can be determined by a specific subject (including but not limited to a server) according to the target image. Therefore, before determining the parking management result according to the target image or target video, the specific subject can obtain the target image or target video, and the target image or target video is used by the specific subject to determine the parking management result. The specific subject can use a suitable algorithm to identify or detect the target image or target video, so as to determine the parking management result, which is not limited to the first embodiment.

[0110] If the parking judgment operation and the determination of the parking management result are performed by the same subject, the subject may determine which images or videos are target images or target videos, and obtain the required target images or target videos from the parking information collection device. For example, the subject sends an instruction to the parking information collection device so that the parking information collection device sends the corresponding target image or target video to the subject. Furthermore, if the target image includes the latest ending image within the second time interval, the parking information collection device may not repeatedly send the latest ending image within the second time interval to the subject.

[0111] If the parking judgment operation and the determination of the parking management result are performed by different subjects, the subject that performs the parking judgment operation (referred to as the first subject) can determine which images or videos are target images or target videos, and make the parking information collection device send the target images or target videos to the subject that performs the parking management result (referred to as the second subject). For example, the first subject sends an instruction to the parking information collection device so that the parking information collection device sends the corresponding target image or target video to the second subject. Alternatively, the second subject can determine which images or videos are target images or target videos (the first subject and the second subject can communicate, so that the second subject can determine the target image or target video), and obtain the required target image or target video from the parking information collection device. For example, the second subject sends an instruction to the parking information collection device so that the parking information collection device sends the corresponding target image or target video to the second subject. In addition, if the target image includes the latest ending image in the second time interval, the latest ending image in the second time interval may not be repeatedly sent to the second subject.

[0112] In the first embodiment, the parking information collection device can compress the target image or target video, and send the compression result (for example, if the target image is compressed into a data packet or video, the compression result is the data packet or video; or if the target video is compressed) to the corresponding subject. The corresponding subject can decompress the target image or target video, or obtain the target image by video framing (when the target image is compressed into a video), and then determine the parking management result according to the target image or target video.

[0113] In addition, for the parking information collection device, the images or videos that have been stored therein (i.e., from storage to date) for a period of time that reaches or exceeds a preset period of time can be deleted, thereby saving the storage space of the parking information collection device. Alternatively, the images or videos that have been stored within the latest third time interval for a period of time that reaches or exceeds a preset period of time can be sent to other entities (such as other storage devices) at every third time interval, and the images or videos stored by the parking information collection device and sent to other entities can be deleted. The third time interval is longer than the second time interval. In this way, the storage space of the parking information collection device can be saved while retaining the acquired images or videos.

[0114] Exemplarily, the parking information collection device may have a power supply module for supplying power to the above modules and other modules. The power supply module may include one or more batteries, and the power supply module may be a solar power supply module, which is powered by solar energy, or may be powered by mains electricity or other suitable power supply methods. The modules may be connected in a suitable manner to achieve data transmission or power supply between each other, which is not limited to the first embodiment.

[0115] In addition, the parking information collection device may also only collect video, and obtain the above-mentioned image by video framing (for example, video framing is performed every first time interval, which is also a way of periodically acquiring images).

[0116] In addition, the parking information collection device may have multiple collection modules (e.g., multiple cameras), each of which collects images or videos for one or more parking areas or parking spaces. For any collection module, the above contents are executed based on the images or videos collected by the collection module, and the parking management result of the parking area or parking space targeted by the collection module can be determined as above.

[0117] In addition, in the first embodiment, the number of target images or the duration of the target video may be determined according to different types of parking management requirements, as described below (the first embodiment is not limited to the following description):

[0118] 1. The key information of parking management can be determined based on the latest ending image in the first time interval

[0119] In the first embodiment, certain information may be used as key information for parking management, and the key information for parking management includes but is not limited to the license plate number.

[0120] If the parking management key information can be determined according to the latest ending image within the first time interval, the latest ending image within the first time interval may be determined as the target image.

[0121] 2. Key parking management information cannot be determined based on the latest end image within the first time interval

[0122] If the key parking management information cannot be determined based on the latest end image within the first time interval, as described above, the first preset number of images from the latest end image within the first time interval or the images of the first preset period of time from the latest end image within the first time interval can be used as target images, or the video of the first preset period of time from the latest end image within the first time interval can be used as the target video.

[0123] 3. Parking management target conditions exist

[0124] In the first embodiment, certain parking management target conditions may be set, for example, by setting the parking management target conditions through the management background, or by the user through the application on the terminal held by the user to personalize the parking management target conditions. Parking management target conditions are generally used to restrict parking management and improve the accuracy of parking management. For example, the start and end time points of parking billing are restricted, and the accuracy or precision of the start and end time points of parking billing is required to meet certain conditions.

[0125] If the parking management target condition exists, as described above, the first preset number of images from the end image in the latest first time interval or the images of the first preset period of time from the end image in the latest first time interval can be used as the target images, or the video of the first preset period of time from the end image in the latest first time interval can be used as the target video.

[0126] In particular, in this clause, the target image generally includes the latest end image within the first time interval.

[0127] 4. No parking management target conditions exist

[0128] If there is no parking management target condition, the latest ending image within the first time interval may be determined as the target image.

[0129] 5. Changes in parking vehicles

[0130] If a parking vehicle changes in a parking area or parking space within the latest first time interval, i.e., an original vehicle leaves and a new vehicle enters a single parking area or parking space, then the parking change in the first time interval can be determined by the end images of the two latest first time intervals (i.e., the first time interval and the previous first time interval). In this case, the end image of the latest first time interval generally captures the newly entered vehicle, and based on the end image of the latest first time interval, generally only the parking management key information of the newly entered vehicle can be determined (equivalent to not being able to determine the parking management key information of the leaving vehicle), or the parking management key information cannot be determined (for example, the license plate of the newly entered vehicle is blocked), so this article is actually equivalent to Article 2. With reference to Article 2, the images of the first preset number of images from the end image of the latest first time interval or the images of the first preset period of time from the end image of the latest first time interval can be used as the target image, or the video of the first preset period of time from the end image of the latest first time interval can be used as the target video.

[0131] From the above content, it can be seen that under Article 2 or Article 3, multiple images are generally used as target images, which is further explained as follows:

[0132] In Article 2, although the key information of parking management cannot be determined based on the latest ending image in the first time interval, since the vehicle entering and exiting the parking area or parking space is a continuously changing process, the images of the first preset number of images from the latest ending image in the first time interval or the images of the first preset period of time from the latest ending image in the first time interval can be selected. These images can cover or track the process of the vehicle entering and exiting the parking area or parking space, and then the key information of parking management can be determined through these images. For example, in the latest ending image in the first time interval, the vehicle has been parked, but the license plate is blocked by other objects (for example, blocked by other vehicles, not intentional blocking of the license plate by humans) and cannot be identified, so the key information of parking management, the license plate, cannot be determined only by the latest ending image in the first time interval. However, since the first preset number of images from the latest ending image in the first time interval or the images of the first preset period of time from the latest ending image in the first time interval reflect the parking process of the vehicle, the vehicle status or position in these images is generally changing, and the license plate will not be blocked all the time, and the license plate information can be determined from these images. Similarly, in Article 5, the target image can be used to track the process of the original vehicle leaving and the new vehicle entering, thereby determining the key parking management information of the original vehicle and the new vehicle.

[0133] In Article 3, due to the existence of parking management target conditions, there are higher requirements for the accuracy of parking management. Therefore, a preset number of images from the end image of the latest first time interval or images of the preset period from the end image of the latest first time interval can be selected, and the process of vehicles entering or leaving the parking area or parking space can be covered or tracked through these images, and then the information required for parking management can be determined more accurately through these images, such as more accurately determining the time when the vehicle enters or leaves the parking area or parking space, that is, the start or end time of parking billing.

[0134] Correspondingly, in Article 4, since there is no parking management target condition, the accuracy of parking management is relatively low. Therefore, the information required for parking management can generally be determined through the end image of the latest first time interval. If it is determined that the vehicle enters the parking area or parking space within the latest first time interval, the acquisition time of the end image of the latest first time interval or the end time of the latest first time interval can be used as the time when the vehicle enters or exits the parking area or parking space, that is, the starting time of parking billing; or if it is determined that the vehicle leaves the parking area or parking space within the latest first time interval, the end time of the previous first time interval of the latest first time interval can be used as the time when the vehicle leaves the parking area or parking space, that is, the end time of parking billing (this can ensure that the parking fee is not overcalculated).

[0135] The following combination Figure 2 and Figure 3, Example 1 is further described by way of example:

[0136] In this example, the parking information collection device may include a camera, a communication module, a power management module, a power supply module, and a charging module. The power management module may control the working state of each module (e.g., working / sleeping / power off). The camera may be a dual-channel camera with two lens modules and a large focal length zoom lens, which can adapt to various road widths.

[0137] In this example, the camera can use a high-frequency capture method, for example, capture the parking area once every 6 seconds (belonging to the second time interval). During the interval between shots, high-energy-consuming components (such as cameras) can be put into sleep or powered off (this can be achieved through the power management module). This can reduce power consumption and extend the power supply time of the power supply module. The power supply module can use a battery, and the charging module can use solar charging (supporting MPPT, which can be maintenance-free) or other methods.

[0138] In this example, the latest ending image within the first time interval (the ending image can be taken by a single acquisition module or each image can be taken by the same acquisition module) can be sent to the server through a communication module (such as a 4G or 5G communication module) every 120 seconds (belonging to the first time interval), and the server performs a parking judgment operation.

[0139] Assuming that a vehicle parks in a parking space within a first time interval, the end images of the two latest first time intervals (i.e., the first time interval and the previous first time interval) can be used to determine that a parking change has occurred within the first time interval, and a target image can be obtained from the parking information collection device, where the target image is all images within the first time interval.

[0140] The server determines the parking management result based on the target image. The parking management result includes but is not limited to the information of the vehicle (such as license plate information), the time information of the vehicle entering the parking space of the parking area (the time information of the vehicle entering the parking space can be determined based on the time information corresponding to each target image, for example, if a target image shows that the vehicle enters the parking space, the shooting time of the target image can be used as the time when the vehicle enters the parking space; or the vehicle trajectory is tracked through each target image using vehicle tracking technology, so as to accurately determine the time when the vehicle enters the parking space), and parking billing or charging is started according to the parking time (some fixed-fee parking areas can charge when the vehicle enters).

[0141] If the vehicle leaves the parking space in the parking area within another first time interval, the parking change in the first time interval can be determined through the end images of the two latest first time intervals (i.e., the first time interval and the previous first time interval), and the target image is obtained from the parking information collection device. The target image is all images within the first time interval.

[0142] The server determines the parking management result based on the target image. The parking management result includes but is not limited to the information of the vehicle (such as license plate information), the time information of the vehicle leaving the parking space of the parking area (the time information of the vehicle leaving the parking space can be determined based on the time information corresponding to each target image. For example, if a target image shows that the vehicle leaves the parking space, the shooting time of the previous target image of the target image or the end time of the previous first time interval can be used as the time when the vehicle leaves the parking space (this can ensure that the parking fee is not overcalculated); or the vehicle tracking technology is used to track the vehicle trajectory through each target image, so as to accurately determine the time when the vehicle leaves the parking space), and the parking billing is terminated or charged according to the departure time.

[0143] The following combination Figure 2 and Figure 4 , Example 1 is further described by way of example:

[0144] In this example, the parking information collection device may include a camera, a communication module, a power management module, a power supply module, and a charging module. The power management module may control the working state of each module (e.g., working / sleeping / power off). The camera may be a dual-channel camera with two lens modules and a large focal length zoom lens. It may shoot videos and images separately and can adapt to various road widths.

[0145] In this example, the camera can continuously shoot video of the parking area. In addition, an image of the parking area is shot every 120 seconds (belonging to the first time interval) as the end image within the latest 120 seconds, and the end image within the latest 120 seconds is sent to the server through a communication module (such as a 4G or 5G communication module), and the server performs a parking judgment operation. During the interval between shooting, high-energy-consuming components (such as cameras) can be put into sleep or powered off (this can be achieved through a power management module). This can reduce power consumption and make the power supply time of the power supply module longer. The power supply module can use a battery, and the charging module can use solar charging (supporting MPPT, which can be maintenance-free) or other methods.

[0146] Assuming that a car parks in a parking space within a first time interval, the end images of the two latest first time intervals (i.e., the first time interval and the previous first time interval) can be used to determine that a parking change has occurred within the first time interval, and a target video can be obtained from the parking information collection device, where the target video is the video of the first time interval.

[0147] The server determines the parking management result based on the target image. The parking management result includes but is not limited to the information of the vehicle (such as license plate information), the time information of the vehicle entering the parking space of the parking area (the time information of the vehicle entering the parking space can be determined based on the time information corresponding to each target image, for example, if a target image shows that the vehicle enters the parking space, the shooting time of the target image can be used as the time when the vehicle enters the parking space; or the vehicle trajectory is tracked through each target image using vehicle tracking technology, so as to accurately determine the time when the vehicle enters the parking space), and parking billing or charging is started according to the parking time (some fixed-fee parking areas can charge when the vehicle enters).

[0148] If the vehicle leaves the parking space in the parking area within another first time interval, it can be determined that a parking change has occurred in the first time interval through the end images of the two latest first time intervals (i.e., the first time interval and the previous first time interval), and a target video can be obtained from the parking information collection device, where the target video is the video of the first time interval.

[0149] The server determines the parking management result based on the target image. The parking management result includes but is not limited to the information of the vehicle (such as license plate information), the time information of the vehicle leaving the parking space of the parking area (the time information of the vehicle leaving the parking space can be determined based on the time information corresponding to each target image. For example, if a target image shows that the vehicle leaves the parking space, the shooting time of the previous target image of the target image or the end time of the previous first time interval can be used as the time when the vehicle leaves the parking space (this can ensure that the parking fee is not overcalculated); or the vehicle tracking technology is used to track the vehicle trajectory through each target image, so as to accurately determine the time when the vehicle leaves the parking space), and the parking billing is terminated or charged according to the departure time.

[0150] Embodiment 1 can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0151] First, the parking judgment operation is performed through the end images of the two first time intervals, and when it is determined that the parking information has changed, the parking management result is determined according to the target image or target video. It is not necessary to identify or detect each image acquired by the parking image acquisition device, and it can effectively reduce the number of images, image sending frequency and image sending power consumption or the amount of videos, video sending frequency and video sending power consumption that need to be sent between the parking information acquisition device and the subject performing the parking judgment operation or the subject determining the parking management result, and can reduce the amount of received data as well as the bandwidth, storage and computing load of the subject, thereby reducing the power consumption of parking management including the power consumption of the parking image acquisition device and the power consumption of the subject, and improving the energy efficiency of parking management. In the case where the parking image acquisition device adopts wireless transmission, it can also effectively reduce the wireless transmission charges, reduce the 4G / 5G traffic charges, and reduce the deployment (computing and storage resource procurement costs) and operation and maintenance (server electricity charges, bandwidth charges, etc.) costs of the subject.

[0152] After determining that a parking change has occurred in the parking area, a target image is determined according to the parking management requirement type, and then the parking management result is determined according to the target image. For example, even if the vehicle is parked in a parking space and its license plate is blocked by other objects, the dynamic parking process of the vehicle entering and exiting the parking area or parking space can still be fully tracked through the target image. Therefore, the vehicle's license plate information and other features can still be identified through the target image through the dynamic parking process, thereby improving the accuracy and comprehensiveness of parking management, and the license plate information can be collected even if the license plate is blocked. For example, in the case of parking management target conditions, various types of parking-related information can be more accurately determined through the target image, thereby improving the accuracy and comprehensiveness of parking management. It can be seen that Example 1 can determine the corresponding target image according to different parking management requirement types, and then determine the parking management result, thereby improving the diversity, accuracy and comprehensiveness of parking management, and achieving better parking management effects.

[0153] The cycle of the parking judgment operation is greater than the cycle of image acquisition. Each parking judgment operation also judges whether the parking information has changed based on the end images of the two latest first time intervals. Therefore, there is no need to identify or detect each image, which can effectively reduce the number of images that need to be parked. The power consumption of parking management is reduced.

[0154] Since the first time interval is no longer than the time required for a vehicle to enter or exit a parking area or parking space, each vehicle entering or exiting a parking area or parking space can be detected through the parking judgment operation, and the situation of a single vehicle entering or exiting a parking area or parking space will not be missed, thereby ensuring the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the parking judgment. Since the second time interval is smaller, the association between the target images is closer, which is conducive to more accurate tracking of the process of vehicles entering or exiting a parking area or parking space.

[0155] Since the time length covered by the target image is not less than the time required for the vehicle to enter and exit the parking area or parking space, even if the number of images that need to be identified or detected is reduced, the process of the vehicle entering and exiting the parking area or parking space can still be fully tracked through the target image or target video, and the parking management result can be accurately determined, thereby ensuring the accuracy and comprehensiveness of parking management.

[0156] Images or videos that have been stored for a period of time that reaches or exceeds a preset period of time are sent to other entities at third time intervals, and the images or videos that have been sent to other entities are deleted. This can save storage space and reduce the frequency of sending images or videos to other entities, thereby further reducing the power consumption of the parking information collection equipment.

[0157] By compressing transmission, the number of transmissions can be minimized, data transmission time can be reduced, power consumption can be reduced, and the bandwidth, storage, load, etc. of the receiving entity can be reduced.

[0158] Since the license plate information can be collected even if the license plate is blocked, the camera can use a high-resolution (e.g., 4K resolution) camera, and each camera can cover more parking spaces. For example, two 4K cameras on a pole can collect images of at least seven parking spaces, thereby greatly reducing the number of poles used to install parking information collection equipment, and the position of each pole is more flexible, and the distance between each pole can be increased. Since the existing street light poles are relatively far apart, the first embodiment facilitates the installation of parking information collection equipment with the help of existing street light poles, avoiding various problems caused by re-construction.

[0159] Advanced power management technology is used to control the sleep / power-off of each hardware functional unit, so that the device can quickly enter sleep or low-power state during image acquisition, and can quickly wake up to complete the capture, realizing the device's high-frequency capture and low-power consumption characteristics. In the case of high-frequency capture, the correlation between each target image is closer, which is conducive to more accurate tracking of the process of vehicles entering and exiting parking areas or parking spaces.

[0160] Embodiment 1 can be powered by a large-capacity battery. A single charge can enable long-term operation of the device. The device can be charged by solar energy. In most environments with good solar energy, the device can be powered without maintenance. At the same time, benefiting from the low power consumption characteristics, the ability of the device to withstand continuous rainy days can be greatly enhanced.

[0161] like Figure 5 As shown, the second embodiment of this specification provides a parking management device corresponding to the method described in the first embodiment, and the device includes:

[0162] The information collection module 202 is used to obtain parking information of the parking area and store the obtained parking information;

[0163] The parking processing module 204 is used to periodically perform parking determination operations according to the first time interval; wherein each parking determination operation includes: determining whether a parking change occurs in the parking area within the latest first time interval according to the end images of the two latest first time intervals;

[0164] And, when it is determined that a parking change occurs in the parking area:

[0165] If the parking information includes an image, a target image is determined, and a parking management result is determined according to the target image; wherein the target image is a preset number of images before the end image in the latest first time interval or an image in a preset period before the end image in the latest first time interval;

[0166] or,

[0167] If the parking information includes a video, a target video is determined, and a parking management result is determined according to the target video; wherein the target video is a video of a preset time period before the end image in the latest first time interval.

[0168] Optionally, judging whether a parking change occurs in the parking area within the latest first time interval according to the respective end images of the two latest first time intervals includes:

[0169] The parking features of the respective end images of the two latest first time intervals are compared to determine whether a parking change occurs in the parking area within the latest first time interval.

[0170] Optionally, performing parking feature comparison on the latest end images of the two first time intervals includes:

[0171] The parking features of the end images of the two latest first time intervals are respectively extracted, and the parking features of the end images of the two latest first time intervals are compared.

[0172] Optionally, periodically performing the parking determination operation according to the first time interval includes:

[0173] The latest ending image within the first time interval is periodically sent to the specific subject at the first time interval, so that the specific subject can perform a parking determination operation.

[0174] Optionally, the number of target images is determined according to the time required for a vehicle to enter or exit a parking area or parking space;

[0175] and / or,

[0176] The duration of the target video is determined according to the time required for the vehicle to enter and exit the parking area or parking space.

[0177] Optionally, obtaining parking information of a parking area includes:

[0178] The images of the parking area are periodically acquired at second time intervals.

[0179] Optionally, the duration of the first time interval is greater than the duration of the second time interval;

[0180] and / or,

[0181] The duration of the second time interval and / or the first time interval is not greater than the time required for the vehicle to enter or exit the parking area or parking space.

[0182] Optionally, the length of time covered by the target image is not less than the time required for the vehicle to enter or exit the parking area or parking space;

[0183] and / or,

[0184] The duration of the target video is not less than the time required for the vehicle to enter or exit the parking area or parking space;

[0185] and / or,

[0186] The time required for a vehicle to enter and exit a parking area or parking space refers to the average time it takes for a vehicle to enter and exit a parking area or parking space.

[0187] Optionally, the target images are all images acquired within the latest first time interval;

[0188] and / or,

[0189] The target video is the latest video in the first time interval.

[0190] The second embodiment can achieve the same technical effect as the first embodiment, and the embodiments can be used in combination.

[0191] The above is only an embodiment of this specification and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various changes and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application should be included in the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A parking management method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Acquire parking information of the parking area and store the acquired parking information; The parking determination operation is performed periodically according to the first time interval; wherein each parking determination operation includes: judging whether a parking change occurs in the parking area within the latest first time interval according to the end images of the latest two first time intervals; When it is determined that a parking change occurs in the parking area: If the parking information includes an image, a target image is determined, and a parking management result is determined according to the target image; wherein the target image is a preset number of images before the end image in the latest first time interval or an image in a preset period before the end image in the latest first time interval; or, If the parking information includes a video, a target video is determined, and a parking management result is determined according to the target video; wherein the target video is a video of a preset time period before the end image in the latest first time interval.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Judging whether a parking change occurs in the parking area within the latest first time interval according to the respective end images of the latest two first time intervals includes: The parking features of the respective end images of the two latest first time intervals are compared to determine whether a parking change occurs in the parking area within the latest first time interval.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that Comparing the parking features of the end images of the two latest first time intervals comprises: The parking features of the end images of the two latest first time intervals are respectively extracted, and the parking features of the end images of the two latest first time intervals are compared.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The periodic parking determination operation according to the first time interval includes: The latest ending image within the first time interval is periodically sent to the specific subject at the first time interval, so that the specific subject can perform a parking determination operation.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The number of target images is determined according to the time required for the vehicle to enter and exit the parking area or parking space; and / or, The duration of the target video is determined according to the time required for the vehicle to enter and exit the parking area or parking space.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Obtaining parking information for a parking area includes: The images of the parking area are periodically acquired at second time intervals.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The duration of the first time interval is greater than the duration of the second time interval; and / or, The duration of the second time interval and / or the first time interval is not greater than the time required for the vehicle to enter or exit the parking area or parking space.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The time length covered by the target image is not less than the time required for the vehicle to enter or exit the parking area or parking space; and / or, The duration of the target video is not less than the time required for the vehicle to enter or exit the parking area or parking space; and / or, The time required for a vehicle to enter and exit a parking area or parking space refers to the average time it takes for a vehicle to enter and exit a parking area or parking space.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The target images are all images acquired within the latest first time interval; and / or, The target video is the latest video in the first time interval.

10. A parking management device, characterized in that: The device comprises: An information collection module is used to obtain parking information of a parking area and store the obtained parking information; The parking processing module is used to periodically perform parking determination operations according to the first time interval; wherein each parking determination operation includes: determining whether a parking change occurs in the parking area within the latest first time interval according to the end images of the two latest first time intervals; And, when it is determined that a parking change occurs in the parking area: If the parking information includes an image, a target image is determined, and a parking management result is determined according to the target image; wherein the target image is a preset number of images before the end image in the latest first time interval or an image in a preset period before the end image in the latest first time interval; or, If the parking information includes a video, a target video is determined, and a parking management result is determined according to the target video; wherein the target video is a video of a preset time period before the end image in the latest first time interval.

Images