Parking space ground lock control method based on vehicle-mounted camera

Abstract

The invention discloses a parking space ground lock control method based on a vehicle-mounted camera, and the method at least comprises the following steps: S1, a vehicle-mounted terminal system accesses a cloud control platform and obtains the information of a parking space to be parked, and the information of the parking space to be parked at least comprises a unique identification ID code of the parking space; s2, when the vehicle runs to the vicinity of the parking space, scanning a two-dimensional code of a parking space area through a vehicle-mounted camera, analyzing the two-dimensional code by a vehicle-mounted terminal system and judging whether the two-dimensional code is matched with an ID code of the parking space obtained in advance, and if so, sending a first control signal to the cloud control platform; s3, the cloud control platform sends a second control signal to a corresponding parking space lock after receiving the first control signal; and S4, after the parking space ground lock receives the second control signal, unlocking operation is executed so that the vehicle can be parked in the parking space, and the parking space parking state and the parking space ground lock state information are fed back to the cloud control platform.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of parking space lock control technology, and in particular to a parking space lock control method based on an in-vehicle camera. Background Technology

[0002] The intelligent parking system is designed to address parking difficulties by effectively and rationally allocating parking space resources. It typically employs technologies such as artificial intelligence, next-generation information technology, big data, and cloud computing to construct a parking network that can sense, identify, and control parking spaces. This enables intelligent matching of vehicles and parking spaces, allowing for on-demand parking space reservations based on a parking cloud platform. In the parking system, drivers provide information such as their destination, estimated start and end times, and the system intelligently matches parking spaces, providing the reserved space and the shortest driving route within the parking lot. This allows for on-demand parking space reservations, eliminating the need for drivers to manually search for available spaces and ensuring a safe and quick arrival at their assigned parking spot.

[0003] Parking space locks are crucial terminals for ensuring the effective operation of intelligent numbered parking systems. By controlling the locks, the occupancy and release of parking spaces are managed, thereby improving the utilization rate of parking spaces. (See also...) Figure 1 The image shows a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of existing smart parking space locks for numbered parking. Figure 1 In this architecture, the smart parking space lock connects to existing smart parking management systems or other IoT platforms, enabling the setting of license plate information for vehicles waiting to park based on user reservations or system allocations. Simultaneously, the lock hardware integrates a camera. Once a vehicle is detected entering a parking space, the camera automatically activates and uses a license plate recognition algorithm to obtain the license plate information, matching it with pre-bound license plate numbers to determine the lock's open / closed status. This facilitates automatic control of the parking space lock, effectively ensuring that reserved parking spaces are occupied and preventing disorderly parking such as reserved spaces being occupied.

[0004] Existing technology Figure 1 The technical solution uses license plate recognition at the ground lock end to achieve numbered parking. However, setting up a camera in the ground lock greatly increases the cost of the ground lock. At the same time, the camera at the ground lock end is limited by the installation location, resulting in a limited field of view. In addition, it is easy to be run over by vehicles when parked, causing damage.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to propose a solution to address the technical problems existing in the current technology, given its technical deficiencies. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the technical deficiencies of existing technologies, this invention proposes a parking space lock control method based on an in-vehicle camera. The parking space lock is connected to a cloud control platform, and the target parking space is identified by scanning a code using the in-vehicle camera, thereby controlling the parking space lock. This enables effective management of numbered parking spaces through the parking space lock, while significantly reducing the hardware cost of the parking space lock.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A parking space lock control method based on an in-vehicle camera includes at least the following steps: Step S1: The vehicle terminal system accesses the cloud control platform and obtains the parking space information, which includes at least the unique identifier ID code of the parking space. Step S2: When the vehicle drives to the vicinity of the parking space, it scans the QR code of the parking space area through the vehicle camera. The vehicle terminal system parses the QR code and determines whether it matches the ID code of the parking space obtained in advance. If it does, it sends the first control signal to the cloud control platform. Step S3: After receiving the first control signal, the cloud control platform sends the second control signal to the corresponding parking space lock; Step S4: After receiving the second control signal, the parking space lock performs an unlocking operation to allow the vehicle to park in the parking space, and feeds back the parking space status and parking space lock status information to the cloud control platform.

[0008] As a further improvement, the vehicle terminal system is used to obtain parking space information, scan the code to identify the parking space through the vehicle camera, and report the arrival information to the cloud control platform and initiate the unlocking operation. Parking space locks: used for data communication with the cloud control platform to control and provide feedback on the status of the locks; Cloud control platform: used to receive and process information transmitted from vehicle terminal systems and parking space locks.

[0009] As a further improvement, the following steps are also included: Step S5: After the vehicle leaves the parking space, the parking space lock will lock and send the status information back to the cloud control platform.

[0010] As a further improvement, multiple parking management systems are connected to the cloud control platform, with each parking management system managing multiple parking spaces; the parking space information also includes parking lot signage information.

[0011] As a further improvement, the parking space locks are connected to the cloud control platform through the parking management system.

[0012] As a further improvement, the parking management system pre-registers information on vehicles waiting to park and automatically opens the barrier gate after matching the information of arriving vehicles.

[0013] As a further improvement, parking lot entrances are equipped with parking lot identification QR codes. Vehicles scan the code at the entrance using their onboard cameras to identify parking lot information and send the information to the cloud control platform, which then remotely controls the opening of the parking lot gate.

[0014] As a further improvement, the parking space information also includes an electronic map of the parking lot, and the vehicle terminal system imports the electronic map to locate the target parking space.

[0015] As a further improvement, the vehicle-mounted terminal system uses the vehicle-mounted camera to scan a code for real-time positioning and displays the current location and the target parking space location on an electronic map to enable navigation within the parking lot.

[0016] As a further improvement, parking lock users can access the cloud control platform via their mobile phones and publish information about sharing available parking spaces.

[0017] The technical solution of this invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. By scanning the code with the vehicle terminal camera to identify parking spaces and control the parking space locks, the system can effectively manage numbered parking spaces and significantly reduce the hardware cost of the parking space locks.

[0018] 2. Through parking space locks and cloud control platforms, parking location and time can be accurately recorded, preventing other vehicles from illegally occupying parking spaces and improving the utilization rate of parking spaces.

[0019] 3. It simplifies the process of private parking space sharing, improves the efficiency of parking space reservation and numbered guidance, effectively avoids vehicle parking space conflicts, realizes intelligent management and allocation of parking spaces, realizes numbered guidance for parking, reduces parking and retrieval time, and improves the utilization rate of parking space resources. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 The existing technology utilizes a parking space lock with an integrated camera as the architecture for a numbered parking system. Figure 2 To realize the parking system architecture of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a parking space lock control method based on an in-vehicle camera according to the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the parking space lock of the present invention. Figure 5 This is a system architecture block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a system architecture block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of autonomous driving to the target parking space in the technical solution of this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] In the era of intelligent technology, automobiles have become another major smart terminal sector after mobile phones. In-vehicle cameras, acting as the eyes of the car, are crucial for perceiving the external environment, providing essential information for the actions of both the vehicle and the driver. However, current technologies for applications requiring license plate recognition, such as parking lot gates and parking space locks, rely on independently installed cameras to collect license plate information and achieve control, thus increasing hardware costs. To address these shortcomings, this invention proposes using a complete in-vehicle camera system to identify parking space information and control parking space locks, eliminating the need for cameras on the locks themselves and significantly reducing the hardware cost of parking space locks in numbered parking systems.

[0023] See Figure 2 The diagram shows the system architecture of a parking space lock control method based on a vehicle-mounted camera, as described in this invention. Each parking space is equipped with a parking space lock and assigned a unique identification code. Each parking space lock is connected to a cloud control platform. The cloud control platform is the control center for parking space management, recording the usage status of each parking space and controlling the opening and closing of the parking space locks, as well as providing parking space operation services to customers. Simultaneously, the vehicle-mounted terminal system is also connected to the cloud control platform. The vehicle-mounted terminal system has an APP module, allowing users to select a parking space or apply for a parking space through the APP, with the cloud platform allocating the optimal parking space.

[0024] See Figure 3 The diagram shown is a flowchart of a parking space lock control method based on a vehicle-mounted camera according to the present invention, which includes at least the following steps: Step S1: The vehicle terminal system accesses the cloud control platform and obtains the parking space information. The parking space information includes at least the unique ID code of the parking space, which is uniquely bound to the parking space lock on the parking space. Step S2: When the vehicle approaches the parking space, it scans the QR code of the parking space area using the vehicle camera. The vehicle terminal system parses the QR code and determines whether it matches the ID code of the parking space obtained in advance. If it does, it sends the first control signal to the cloud control platform. In this step, the QR code information obtained matches the ID code of the parking space obtained in advance, indicating that the vehicle has arrived at the parking space. The vehicle terminal system sends a command to the cloud control platform to inform the vehicle that it has arrived and to request the parking space lock to be opened. Step S3: After receiving the first control signal, the cloud control platform sends the second control signal to the parking space lock; that is, the cloud control platform sends an unlocking command to the parking space lock. Step S4: After receiving the second control signal, the parking space lock performs an unlocking operation to allow the vehicle to park in the parking space, and feeds back the parking space status and parking space lock status information to the cloud control platform; Step S5: After the vehicle leaves the parking space, the parking space lock will lock and send the status information back to the cloud control platform.

[0025] like Figure 2-3 As shown, the present invention provides a parking space lock control system based on an in-vehicle camera, comprising: Vehicle-mounted terminal system: used to obtain parking space information, scan the code to identify the parking space through the vehicle-mounted camera, and report the arrival information to the cloud control platform and initiate the unlocking operation; Parking space locks: used for data communication with the cloud control platform to control and provide feedback on the status of the locks; Cloud control platform: used to receive and process information transmitted from the vehicle terminal system and parking space locks; The vehicle-mounted terminal system is used to obtain parking space information. Users register a unique account through the vehicle-mounted terminal system's APP module, log in to the APP, select a parking space in the operation interface, or apply for a parking space and have it allocated by the platform. After confirming the parking space, the cloud control platform sends the parking space information (including at least the unique parking space ID code) to the vehicle-mounted terminal system, and the parking space reservation is successful. When the vehicle drives to the vicinity of the parking space, it scans the QR code to identify the parking space using the vehicle-mounted camera. When the obtained QR code information matches the parking space ID code, it means that the vehicle has arrived at the parking space. The vehicle-mounted terminal system reports the arrival information to the cloud control platform and requests the unlocking operation. The cloud control platform sends an unlocking command to the parking space lock, and the parking space lock executes the unlocking operation to allow the vehicle to park normally. At the same time, it transmits the current parking status of the vehicle and the lifting status of the parking lock to the cloud control platform.

[0026] The above technical solution uses a simple architecture to achieve parking space sharing. Only by installing a parking space lock can a private parking space be published in the cloud. At the same time, the parking space lock is controlled by the vehicle camera, which greatly simplifies the hardware structure of the parking space lock and reduces hardware costs.

[0027] See Figure 4The diagram shows the principle block diagram of the parking space lock of the present invention, which includes a parking space lock mechanical body and a control unit. The control unit includes at least a controller, a wireless communication module, a vehicle sensing module, a motor drive module, and a motor. The controller is used to control the operation of the wireless communication module, the vehicle sensing module, and the motor drive module. The motor drive module is used to drive the motor to control the parking space lock mechanical body to perform unlocking or locking operations. The wireless communication module is used to access the cloud control platform to receive and feedback information. The vehicle sensing module is used to sense whether there is a vehicle parked in the parking space. In a preferred embodiment, the vehicle sensing module adopts any one of an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, or a geomagnetic sensor.

[0028] The vehicle-mounted terminal system includes at least a vehicle-mounted camera, an image processing module, and a data transmission module. Existing cars are equipped with a large number of vehicle-mounted cameras, which can capture images of the entire vehicle. This invention directly uses vehicle-mounted camera resources to scan the parking space area from all angles, greatly reducing the probability of misjudgment. The image processing module is used to process the images captured by the vehicle-mounted camera or the data collected by the sensor. Usually, a QR code with parking space identification information is affixed to the parking space area or parking space lock. By parsing the QR code information and checking whether it matches the pre-acquired parking space ID code, it is determined whether the parking space area has been reached, and thus an arrival information is sent to the cloud control platform. The data transmission module communicates with the cloud control platform to obtain the information of the parking space to be parked and sends back the arrival information to request the unlocking operation.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, see [link to previous document]. Figure 5 Users of parking locks can access the cloud control platform via their mobile phones to publish information about available parking spaces, such as available time periods, the area of ​​the parking lot, and whether the space is a charging station. Using the technical architecture of this invention, a large number of private parking spaces can be easily shared by installing parking locks with network connectivity. This can effectively identify a large number of idle parking spaces during certain periods and alleviate the parking problem.

[0030] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, see Figure 6 The parking management system is also connected to the cloud control platform. Each parking space is located in a different parking lot, and vehicles must first pass through the parking lot gate to park. After the parking management system is connected to the cloud control platform, it can pre-register the information of vehicles intending to enter the parking lot, and automatically open the gate when the vehicle arrives at the parking lot. Parking space locks can be connected to the cloud control platform through the parking management system, or they can be connected to the cloud control platform at the same level as the parking management system.

[0031] Using the above-described technical solution of this invention, a vehicle-mounted terminal system can navigate to a parking space. Once a user selects a parking space, a navigation path to the parking lot entrance is generated, and an electronic map of the parking lot is imported. After entering the parking lot, the vehicle-mounted terminal system uses a vehicle-mounted camera to scan a QR code for real-time positioning, displaying the current location and the target parking space location on the electronic map, thus enabling navigation within the parking lot. In a preferred embodiment, the parking lot gate does not require a camera; only a parking lot identification QR code is needed. After the vehicle scans the code at the parking lot entrance, it sends information to the cloud control platform, which then remotely controls the parking lot gate to open.

[0032] The vehicle-mounted terminal system APP includes at least a user interface module, a parking record module, a parking space query module, and a payment module. The user interface module displays the user interaction interface. The parking record module records the user's parking time, calculates the parking duration and generates the corresponding parking record when the user leaves the parking lot. The parking space query module queries available parking space information. The payment module provides the function of paying parking fees. The data transmission module is responsible for data interaction with the vehicle-mounted terminal system, including data interaction between the user interface module and the parking record module, data interaction between the user interface module and the parking space query module, data interaction between the user interface module and the payment module, data interaction between the parking space query module and the parking management system, and the payment module transmitting the calculated parking fees to the parking record management module.

[0033] In the above technical solutions, in some application scenarios where it is inconvenient to configure vehicle-mounted terminal systems, the vehicle-mounted terminal system can be replaced by a mobile phone. That is, parking space reservation can be realized by logging into the cloud control platform through the mobile phone APP, and the parking space lock can be unlocked by scanning the parking space QR code with the mobile phone.

[0034] With the advent of the artificial intelligence era, autonomous vehicles are an inevitable trend. The technical solution of this invention can be perfectly integrated into autonomous vehicles, enabling them to automatically navigate to parking spaces and park. The specific process is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, users reserve suitable parking spaces through the in-vehicle terminal system, and the cloud control platform allocates parking spaces according to user requests. Based on the parking space information, the in-vehicle terminal system activates navigation and automatically drives to the parking lot entrance. The vehicle scans the parking lot QR code with the in-vehicle camera and sends control information to the cloud control platform to confirm arrival at the parking lot entrance. The cloud control platform then sends a gate control command to open the gate. Once the vehicle enters the parking lot, the in-vehicle terminal system imports the parking lot's electronic map, scans the parking space QR code in the parking area with the in-vehicle camera to determine the current location, and automatically navigates to the target parking space. After scanning the parking space QR code to confirm arrival at the target parking space, the cloud control platform sends a control command to the parking space lock to perform the unlocking operation.

[0035] The above description of the embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications to the present invention without departing from the principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

[0036] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A parking space lock control method based on an in-vehicle camera, characterized in that, It should include at least the following steps: Step S1: The vehicle terminal system accesses the cloud control platform and obtains the parking space information, which includes at least the unique identifier ID code of the parking space. Step S2: When the vehicle drives to the vicinity of the parking space, it scans the QR code of the parking space area through the vehicle camera. The vehicle terminal system parses the QR code and determines whether it matches the ID code of the parking space obtained in advance. If it does, it sends the first control signal to the cloud control platform. Step S3: After receiving the first control signal, the cloud control platform sends the second control signal to the corresponding parking space lock; Step S4: After receiving the second control signal, the parking space lock performs an unlocking operation to allow the vehicle to park in the parking space, and feeds back the parking space status and parking space lock status information to the cloud control platform.

2. The parking space lock control method based on a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, Vehicle-mounted terminal system: used to obtain parking space information, scan the code to identify the parking space through the vehicle-mounted camera, and report the arrival information to the cloud control platform and initiate the unlocking operation; Parking space locks: used for data communication with the cloud control platform to control and provide feedback on the status of the locks; Cloud control platform: used to receive and process information transmitted from vehicle terminal systems and parking space locks.

3. The parking space lock control method based on a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes the following steps: Step S5: After the vehicle leaves the parking space, the parking space lock will lock and send the status information back to the cloud control platform.

4. The parking space lock control method based on a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 3, characterized in that, Multiple parking management systems are connected to the cloud control platform, and each parking management system manages multiple parking spaces. The parking space information also includes parking lot signage information.

5. The parking space lock control method based on a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 4, characterized in that, The parking space locks are connected to the cloud control platform through the parking management system.

6. The parking space lock control method based on a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 4, characterized in that, The parking management system pre-registers information on vehicles waiting to park and automatically opens the barrier gate after matching the information of arriving vehicles.

7. The parking space lock control method based on a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 6, characterized in that, A parking lot sign QR code is set up at the parking lot entrance. Vehicles scan the code at the entrance using their onboard cameras to identify parking information and send the information to the cloud control platform. The cloud control platform then remotely controls the opening of the parking lot gate.

8. The parking space lock control method based on a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 3, characterized in that, The parking space information also includes an electronic map of the parking lot, which is imported into the vehicle terminal system to locate the target parking space.

9. The parking space lock control method based on a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 8, characterized in that, The vehicle-mounted terminal system uses the vehicle-mounted camera to scan a code for real-time positioning and displays the current location and the target parking space location on an electronic map to enable navigation within the parking lot.

10. The parking space lock control method based on a vehicle-mounted camera according to claim 3, characterized in that, Users of parking locks can access the cloud control platform via their mobile phones and publish information about vacant parking spaces.

Images