Access control system and access control program

Abstract

To provide an access control system for simple and reliable execution of cashless parking fee settlement processing and an access control at parking facilities.SOLUTION: An access control system has a detection unit, an acquisition unit, and a management unit. The detection unit detects a vehicle passing through an entrance / exit gate of a controlled area based on images taken of the area including the entrance / exit gate and the controlled area. The acquisition unit acquires identification information including at least one of unique information of an on-board unit installed in the detected vehicle, unique information of an ETC card inserted in the on-board unit, and a vehicle number. The management unit stores vehicle feature information indicating the characteristics of the detected vehicle in association with identification information of the vehicle. The detection unit identifies parking area information of a parking area in a controlled area where the vehicle concerned enters based on the image captured by a camera. The management unit further stores the identified parking area information in association with the vehicle feature information and the identification information of the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an entrance / exit management system and an entrance / exit management program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, various methods for cashless payment of parking fees have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which parking fees are calculated based on data on the vehicle's entry time and departure time, transmitted to a website server, and payment of the parking fee is accepted on the website. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-256995 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, when settling parking fees, the user confirms the parking booth used and inputs it into a website to execute the payment process. This is inconvenient for users, as it requires the user to check the booth number and input it into the website every time they settle the parking fee. In addition, if the user is unable to check the booth number due to nighttime or bad weather, the vehicle cannot be properly removed, which is a problem. Furthermore, if the user makes a mistake in checking or inputting the booth number, not only will the vehicle be unable to be removed, but further problems such as erroneous billing may occur.

[0005] In relation to the above-mentioned problems, technology has been proposed in recent years to recognize vehicle license plate information from images captured by a camera, identify the vehicle using the license plate information, and perform settlement processing and entry / exit management.

[0006] However, when using such technology in an outdoor environment, such as a parking lot, if the number cannot be clearly photographed due to nighttime or bad weather, the recognition accuracy of the number information decreases, and the vehicle cannot be properly identified. Even during the day or on a sunny day, the position of the sun changes depending on the time of day and the season, so the number cannot be clearly photographed due to the influence of reflections and shadows, and the recognition accuracy of the number information decreases. Furthermore, if a vehicle deviates from the specified entry direction and enters at an angle, the number cannot be clearly photographed, the recognition accuracy of the number information decreases, and the settlement process and entry / exit management cannot be properly performed.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an entrance / exit management system and an entrance / exit management program for easily and reliably executing a cashless settlement process for parking fees and entrance / exit management in a parking lot. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The above object can be achieved by the following means.

[0009] The entrance / exit management system includes a detection unit, an acquisition unit, and a management unit. The detection unit detects a vehicle passing through the entrance / exit of the controlled area based on an image captured by a camera of the entrance / exit of the controlled area and an area including the controlled area. The acquisition unit acquires identification information including at least one of unique information of an on-board device installed in the vehicle detected by the detection unit, unique information of an ETC card inserted into the on-board device, and a vehicle number. The management unit associates and stores vehicle characteristic information indicating the characteristics of the vehicle detected by the detection unit with the identification information acquired from the vehicle. When the detection unit detects that the vehicle has passed through the entrance / exit in the direction of entering the controlled area, the detection unit detects that the vehicle is entering a parking area in the controlled area based on the image captured by the camera, and identifies parking area information for identifying the parking area. The management unit further associates and stores the parking area information identified by the detection unit with the vehicle characteristic information and identification information of the vehicle.

[0010] The entrance / exit management program is configured to cause a computer to execute a process including a detection step, an acquisition step, and a management step. The detection step detects a vehicle passing through the entrance / exit of the controlled area based on an image captured by a camera of the entrance / exit of the controlled area and an area including the controlled area. The acquisition step acquires identification information including at least one of unique information of an on-board device installed in the vehicle detected by the detection unit, unique information of an ETC card inserted in the on-board device, and a vehicle number. The management unit associates and stores vehicle characteristic information indicating the characteristics of the vehicle detected by the detection unit with the identification information acquired from the vehicle. When the detection step detects that a vehicle has passed through the entrance / exit in the direction of entering the controlled area, the detection step detects that the vehicle enters a parking area in the controlled area based on an image captured by the camera, and identifies parking area information for identifying the parking area. The management step further associates and stores the parking area information identified in the detection step with the vehicle characteristic information and identification information of the vehicle. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the entrance / exit management system of the present invention, a vehicle passing through the entrance / exit of a controlled area is detected based on an image captured by a camera of the entrance / exit of the controlled area and an area including the controlled area, and identification information of the detected vehicle is acquired. The entrance / exit management system also associates and stores vehicle characteristic information indicating the characteristics of the detected vehicle with the identification information acquired from the vehicle. The entrance / exit management system detects that the vehicle enters a parking area in the controlled area based on the image captured by the camera, and specifies parking area information for identifying the parking area. The entrance / exit management system further associates and stores the specified parking area information with the vehicle characteristic information and identification information of the vehicle. This makes it possible to register parking area information of the parking area into which the vehicle entered, associated with the vehicle characteristic information and identification information of the vehicle that passed through the entrance / exit of the controlled area. Therefore, based on information that is easy for users to understand, such as the parking area information of the parking area into which the vehicle has entered, it is possible to easily refer to and use identification information such as the unique information of the on-board unit, the unique information of the ETC card, and the vehicle number, making it possible to simply and reliably carry out cashless settlement processing of parking fees and entry and exit management at the parking lot. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an acquisition device. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a detection device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information terminal. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a server. [Diagram 5] 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a control unit of the server. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in a server. [Figure 7]1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ETC vehicle-mounted device. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a payment system. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an entrance / exit management process executed by the server. [Figure 10] 10 is a subroutine flowchart showing the procedure of the entrance process shown in step S100 of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] 10 is a subroutine flowchart showing the procedure of the settlement process shown in step S200 of FIG. 9. [Figure 12] 10 is a subroutine flowchart showing the procedure of the settlement process shown in step S300 of FIG. 9. [Figure 13] 11 is a diagram for explaining how the process of identifying parking area information and the process of registering association with identification information shown in steps S106 and S107 in FIG. 10 are performed. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated description will be omitted. In addition, the dimensional ratios of the drawings may be exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual ratios.

[0014] (Overall system configuration) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, the system 1 is composed of an in-venue system 10, an information terminal 20, a server 30, an ETC vehicle-mounted device 40, and a payment system 50. The in-venue system 10, the information terminal 20, the server 30, and the payment system 50 are connected via a network, and each component can communicate with each other using various wired or wireless communication methods. The ETC vehicle-mounted device 40 can wirelessly communicate with an acquisition device 110 of the in-venue system 10 using a predetermined communication standard such as DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication).

[0016] The in-venue system 10 is installed in a controlled area such as a paid parking lot. The in-venue system 10 includes an acquisition device 110 and a detection device 120.

[0017] The acquisition device 110 includes an ETC antenna, and performs wireless communication using a communication standard such as DSRC with an ETC vehicle-mounted unit 40 mounted on a vehicle that has passed (or is about to pass) a gate line provided at the entrance / exit of a controlled area.

[0018] Detection device 120 is equipped with a camera whose imaging range includes the entrance / exit of the controlled area and an area within the controlled area, and detects when a vehicle passes through the entrance / exit of the controlled area or when a vehicle enters a designated parking area set up within the controlled area.

[0019] The information terminal 20 is a terminal for a user to register payment information and the like. The information terminal 20 is, for example, a terminal such as a smartphone used by a driver of a vehicle. The information terminal 20 communicates with a server 30 and the like via a network. Note that the information terminal 20 is not limited to a terminal owned by a user, and may be an automatic settlement machine installed in a controlled area.

[0020] The server 30 transmits and receives various information between each component of the in-venue system 10, the information terminal 20, the payment system 50, and the like.

[0021] The ETC vehicle-mounted device 40 is attached to a vehicle and communicates wirelessly with the acquisition device 110 located within a predetermined distance. The ETC vehicle-mounted device 40 acquires various information from an inserted ETC card and transmits it to the acquisition device 110.

[0022] The settlement system 50 is a system installed in a settlement organization (financial institution) such as a bank or a credit card company, or in a settlement agent that performs various operations for making settlements at such settlement organizations.

[0023] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the server 30 constitutes the entrance / exit management system. Note that the processing executed by the server 30 may be executed by other components such as the acquisition device 110 and the detection device 120. In this case, the relevant components constitute the entrance / exit management system. Also, the server 30 and the other components may operate in cooperation with each other, and the server 30 and the relevant components may constitute the entrance / exit management system.

[0024] Each component will be described in detail below.

[0025] (Acquisition device 110) FIG. 2A is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the acquisition device.

[0026] 2A, the acquisition device 110 includes a control unit 111, a storage unit 112, a communication unit 113, and an ETC antenna 114. The components are connected to each other via a bus so as to be able to communicate with each other. Also, the components may be connected to the server 30 directly via a network without using a bus.

[0027] The control unit 111 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls the above-mentioned components as well as the components of the in-venue system 10 and executes various types of calculation processing in accordance with a program.

[0028] The storage unit 112 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various programs and data in advance, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores programs and data as a working area, and a hard disk that stores various programs and data.

[0029] The communication unit 113 includes an interface for communicating with other terminals or devices via a network. The communication unit 113 transmits and receives various data to and from the server 30, for example.

[0030] The ETC antenna 114 is configured to perform wireless communication with the ETC vehicle-mounted unit 40 according to a predetermined communication standard. The acquisition device 110 acquires an in-vehicle unit ID, represented by a Wireless Call Number (WCN), which is unique information for identifying the ETC vehicle-mounted unit 40, from the ETC vehicle-mounted unit 40 via the ETC antenna 114. The acquisition device 110 also acquires an ETC card number, which is unique information for identifying an ETC card inserted into the ETC vehicle-mounted unit 40, from the ETC vehicle-mounted unit 40 via the ETC antenna 114. The ETC card number is acquired in an encrypted state, and may be decrypted before being transmitted to the upper server 30, for example.

[0031] (Detection device 120) FIG. 2B is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the detection device.

[0032] 2B, the detection device 120 includes a control unit 121, a storage unit 122, a communication unit 123, and a camera 124. The components are connected to each other via a bus so as to be able to communicate with each other. In addition, when the detection device 120 is a device that does not include the control unit 121, the storage unit 122, etc., the camera 124 may be configured to be connected to the control unit 111 of the acquisition device 110.

[0033] The control unit 121, the storage unit 122, and the communication unit 123 of the detection device 120 are similar to the corresponding components of the acquisition device 110, and therefore a duplicated description will be omitted.

[0034] The camera 124 is set so that the range of the camera 124 covers the entrance and exit of the controlled area and the controlled area. In the controlled area, parking areas (also called parking sections, car spaces, etc.) for parking vehicles are provided. In each parking area, parking area information such as a section number for identifying each parking area is set. By analyzing the images (video) continuously taken by the camera 124 using a known image analysis technique, it is possible to detect that a vehicle is about to enter the controlled area or that a vehicle is about to exit the controlled area. The image (video) analysis may be performed using known techniques such as background subtraction and AI image recognition using machine learning. In addition, by analyzing the images taken by the camera 124, vehicle feature information indicating the characteristics of the vehicle may be extracted, and the extracted vehicle feature information may be used to track the moving vehicle. By tracking the vehicle moving in the controlled area, it may be possible to detect which parking area the vehicle that entered the controlled area entered after moving in the controlled area. Furthermore, by tracking vehicles exiting parking areas, it may be possible to determine in which parking area a vehicle exiting a controlled area was parked.

[0035] (Information terminal 20) FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the information terminal.

[0036] 3, the information terminal 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, a display unit 24, and an operation reception unit 25. The components are connected to each other via a bus so as to be able to communicate with each other. The control unit 21, the storage unit 22, and the communication unit 23 of the information terminal 20 are similar to the corresponding configurations of the acquisition device 110, and therefore, redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0037] Display unit 24 includes an LCD (liquid crystal display), an organic EL display, etc., and displays various information. Operation reception unit 25 includes a touch sensor, a pointing device such as a mouse, a keyboard, etc., and receives various operations from the user. Display unit 24 and operation reception unit 25 may form a touch panel by superimposing a touch sensor as operation reception unit 25 on the display surface as display unit 24.

[0038] (Server 30) Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the server, Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a control unit of the server, and Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the server.

[0039] 4, the server 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a communication unit 33. The components are connected to each other via a bus so as to be able to communicate with each other. The control unit 31, the storage unit 32, and the communication unit 33 of the server 30 are similar to the corresponding configurations of the acquisition device 110, and therefore redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0040] 5, the control unit 31 of the server 30 loads a program and executes processing, thereby functioning as a detection unit 311, an acquisition unit 312, a management unit 313, and a reception unit 314. The control unit 31 may also be configured to distribute some of its functions to the control units in each component of the in-venue system 10.

[0041] The detection unit 311 detects vehicles passing through the entrance / exit of a controlled area based on images captured by a camera of the entrance / exit of the controlled area and an area including the controlled area.

[0042] The acquisition unit 312 acquires identification information including at least one of the unique information of the ETC vehicle-mounted unit 40 (vehicle-mounted unit 40) installed in the vehicle detected by the detection unit 311, the unique information of the ETC card inserted into the vehicle-mounted unit 40, and the vehicle number.

[0043] The management unit 313 stores vehicle characteristic information indicating the characteristics of the vehicle detected by the detection unit 311 in association with the identification information acquired from the vehicle.

[0044] When the detection unit 311 detects that a vehicle has passed through an entrance / exit (gate line) in the direction of entering a controlled area, it detects that the vehicle is entering a parking area within the controlled area based on an image captured by the camera 124, and specifies parking area information for identifying the parking area.

[0045] The management unit 313 stores the parking area information identified by the detection unit 311 in association with the vehicle characteristic information and identification information of the vehicle.

[0046] The reception unit 314 receives input of parking area information for the parking area from the vehicle user, and also receives input of payment method information from the user for identifying a payment method selected by the person who will bear the fee charged to the vehicle or the vehicle user.

[0047] If the parking area information accepted by the acceptance unit 314 matches the parking area information registered in the management unit 313, the management unit 313 executes the payment settlement process using the accepted payment method information.

[0048] When the detection unit 311 detects that a vehicle is passing through an entrance / exit in the direction of exiting the controlled area, the management unit 313 determines whether or not the settlement process for the vehicle price corresponding to the identification information acquired by the acquisition unit 312 has been executed, and if it has been executed, records that the vehicle has exited normally, and if it has not been executed, records fraudulent vehicle information indicating that the vehicle has entered fraudulently, in association with the identification information of the vehicle.

[0049] When it is recorded that a vehicle has illegally exited, the management unit 313 extracts an image of the vehicle from the parking area to passing through the entrance / exit from the images taken by the camera 124, and stores information showing the extracted image in association with the vehicle characteristic information and identification information.

[0050] When the detection unit 311 detects that a vehicle is passing through an entrance / exit in the direction of entering a controlled area, the management unit 313 determines whether or not at least one of the vehicle characteristic information and identification information obtained from the vehicle matches at least one of the vehicle characteristic information and identification information stored as unauthorized vehicle information, and if there is a match, outputs a warning to the administrator.

[0051] The reception unit 314 receives input of payment method information from the user and can further receive instructions to automatically pay the price. When such instructions are received, the management unit 313 stores the automatic payment registration information and the payment method information in association with the identification information.

[0052] When the detection unit 311 detects that a vehicle is passing through an entrance / exit in the direction of entering a controlled area, the management unit 313 determines whether or not automatic payment registration information and payment method information are stored in association with the identification information obtained from the vehicle, and if stored, when the detection unit 311 detects that the vehicle is passing through an entrance / exit in the direction of exiting the controlled area, the management unit 313 records that the vehicle has exited normally and performs a payment settlement process using the payment method information.

[0053] For example, the server 30, as the reception unit 314, provides a dedicated web page that the user can access using the information terminal 20 in order to receive and register input of various pieces of information based on instructions from the user. The dedicated web page is provided, for example, using a different URL for each parking lot. For example, when the information terminal 20 of the user connects to a wireless LAN network provided in the parking lot, the web page of that URL is set to be displayed on the information terminal 20. This allows users who use the parking lot to easily access the web page and register the necessary information.

[0054] Next, the information stored in the storage unit 32 of the server 30 will be described.

[0055] As shown in Fig. 6, identification information, payment information, and user information are stored in association with each other in the memory unit 32 of the server 30. The identification information is information for identifying the vehicle, the vehicle user, etc. The payment information and user information are information related to the vehicle user and the payment method. The payment information and user information constitute customer information.

[0056] The identification information includes the vehicle-mounted device ID, the ETC card number, and the vehicle number.

[0057] Payment information includes credit card information, bank account information, and other payment scheme information. Payment information is used as information regarding the payment method selected by the party responsible for the fees charged to the vehicle or the user of the vehicle. Payment information also includes automatic payment registration information indicating that the user has authorized the vehicle to automatically pay the fees in a predetermined manner when the vehicle is removed.

[0058] The user information includes user identification information for identifying the user, contact information, authentication information, etc. The user identification information includes, for example, the name, address, date of birth, gender, nickname, driver's license number, etc. The contact information includes, for example, a telephone number, an email address, and an ID for SNS or various messaging services, etc. The authentication information stores an ID, a password, etc. for accessing a member-only website, etc.

[0059] In addition, the storage unit 32 of the server 30 also stores vehicle feature information of each vehicle extracted by the detection unit 311 using the image captured by the camera 124 in association with the identification information of each vehicle. The vehicle feature information includes the shape of the vehicle, the manufacturer's logo, the body color, the model, the size, and information on the movement of the vehicle. The vehicle feature information may also include information such as feature points and feature amounts extracted by machine learning models to track the vehicle in various image recognition technologies. For example, when a vehicle enters a controlled area multiple times, the multiple vehicle feature information extracted in each of the multiple times may be accumulated and stored like history information in association with the identification information of the vehicle. Alternatively, only information with differences among the multiple vehicle feature information extracted in each of the multiple times may be accumulated and stored like a change history. The latest vehicle feature information or the vehicle feature information for the most recent several times may also be stored.

[0060] In addition, the memory unit 32 of the server 30 also stores illegal vehicle information that is registered in association with the identification information, etc., of a vehicle that has entered the race illegally.

[0061] The above information described as being stored in the memory unit 32 may be stored in external storage that can be connected to the server 30 via a network, and may be configured to be accessed and retrieved from the server 30 as needed.

[0062] (ETC on-board device 40) FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ETC vehicle-mounted unit.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 7, the ETC vehicle-mounted device 40 includes a control unit 41, a storage unit 42, a communication unit 43, a card acceptance unit 44, and an output unit 45. The components are connected to each other via a bus so that they can communicate with each other. The control unit 41, the storage unit 42, and the communication unit 43 of the ETC vehicle-mounted device 40 are similar to the corresponding configurations of the acquisition device 110, so duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0064] The card acceptance unit 44 accepts the insertion of an ETC card. The card acceptance unit 44 acquires various information, including the ETC card number, from the inserted ETC card. The control unit 41 transmits the information acquired by the card acceptance unit 44 to the acquisition device 110 via the communication unit 43.

[0065] The output unit 45 is configured to output light and sound, and is configured, for example, with an indicator lamp that shows the reading status of the ETC card, a speaker that outputs voice guidance, etc.

[0066] The storage unit 42 stores an on-board device ID, represented by a wireless call number (WCN), which is unique information for identifying the ETC on-board device 40 as a wireless base station. Therefore, the acquisition device 110 can acquire the on-board device ID of the ETC on-board device 40 when performing wireless communication with the ETC on-board device 40 via the ETC antenna 114.

[0067] (Payment System 50) FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the payment system.

[0068] As shown in Fig. 8, the payment system 50 includes a control unit 51, a storage unit 52, and a communication unit 53. The components are connected to each other via a bus so as to be able to communicate with each other. The control unit 51, the storage unit 52, and the communication unit 53 of the payment system 50 are similar to the corresponding configurations of the acquisition device 110, and therefore redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0069] The payment system 50 is a system installed in, for example, a payment institution (financial institution) such as a bank or credit card company, a payment institution that provides various code payment services, or a payment agent that performs various operations for making payments at such payment institutions. The server 30 can execute payment of parking fees by credit card payment, bank account transfer, etc. by transmitting and receiving information to and from the payment system 50.

[0070] Furthermore, the payment system 50 may hold information regarding the credit card associated with the user's ETC card, and information indicating whether the user's ETC card has been rejected (set as invalid) by the issuer of the ETC card. The above information is stored in the storage unit 52 of the payment system 50. Note that the payment system 50 does not need to hold rejection information associated with the ETC card number. In this case, for example, the ETC card number may be converted into credit card information, and whether the credit card has been rejected may be confirmed with the credit card company each time.

[0071] The system 1 may include configurations other than those described above. Each of the above configurations may include components other than those described above, or may not include some of the above-mentioned components. Each of the above configurations may be configured by a plurality of devices, or may be configured integrally. A function described as being performed by a certain configuration may be performed by another configuration instead.

[0072] An overview of the processing in the system will be explained.

[0073] (Processing Overview) FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the entrance / exit management process executed by the server. FIG. 10 is a subroutine flowchart showing the procedure of the entrance process shown in step S100 of FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is a subroutine flowchart showing the procedure of the payment process shown in step S200 of FIG. 9. FIG. 12 is a subroutine flowchart showing the procedure of the payment process shown in step S300 of FIG. 9. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the manner in which the process of identifying parking area information and the process of registering association with identification information shown in steps S106 and S107 of FIG. 10 are executed. The processes shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 9 to 12 are stored as programs in the memory unit 32 of the server 30, and are executed by the control unit 31 controlling each unit.

[0074] (Overall processing flow) 9, the server 30 executes an entry process when a vehicle enters a controlled area (step S100). Details of the entry process will be described later with reference to FIGS.

[0075] Next, the server 30 executes a settlement process for the fee required for the vehicle to exit the controlled area (step S200). The details of the settlement process will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0076] Next, the server 30 executes an exit process when the vehicle exits the controlled area (step S300). Details of the exit process will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0077] Note that the processing in Figure 9 shows the sequence of processing executed by the server 30 from when a vehicle enters the controlled area until it exits it. When multiple vehicles are present, the necessary processing is executed for each vehicle at the required timing.

[0078] (Admission processing) As shown in Fig. 10, the server 30 judges whether or not it has detected the entry of a vehicle into a controlled area (step S101). Specifically, the server 30 judges whether or not the vehicle has passed the gate line at the entrance in the direction of entering the controlled area by analyzing the image captured by the camera 124. The server 30 also acquires vehicle characteristic information indicating the characteristics of the vehicle by analyzing the image captured by the camera 124. Note that the timing of acquiring the vehicle characteristic information is not limited to the processing of step S101, and the information may be acquired at any timing or time interval as long as the image of the vehicle can be captured by the camera 124.

[0079] If the entry of a vehicle is not detected (step S101: NO), the server 30 waits until the entry is detected.

[0080] If the entry of a vehicle is detected (step S101: YES), the server 30 acquires identification information for the vehicle detected in the process of step S101 (step S102). For example, the server 30 acquires an on-board device ID and an ETC card number acquired from the ETC on-board device 40 of the vehicle via the acquisition device 110, and acquires a vehicle number based on an image captured by the camera 124. The server 30 associates the identification information acquired in the process of step S102 with the vehicle characteristic information acquired in the process of step S101 and the like, and stores them in the database of the storage unit 32.

[0081] The server 30 determines whether the vehicle is registered as an illegal vehicle (step S103). Specifically, the server 30 refers to the database of the storage unit 32 and determines whether the illegal vehicle information is associated with the vehicle characteristic information acquired in the process of step S101 or the identification information acquired in the process of step S102 and registered.

[0082] If the illegal vehicle information is associated and registered (step S103: YES), the server 30 sends a warning to the administrator of the controlled area or the administrator of the entrance / exit management system, etc., that an illegal vehicle has entered (step S104).

[0083] If the fraudulent vehicle information is not associated and registered (step S103: NO), the server 30 determines whether an instruction to permit automatic payment for the vehicle is registered (step S105). Specifically, the server 30 refers to the database in the storage unit 32 and determines whether automatic payment registration information is registered in association with the identification information, etc., of the vehicle.

[0084] If the automatic payment registration information has been registered (step S105: YES), the server 30 ends the admission process (return).

[0085] If the automatic payment registration information is not registered (step S105: NO), the server 30 detects that the vehicle enters a parking area in the controlled area based on the image captured by the camera 124, and identifies parking area information for identifying the parking area (step S106). As shown in FIG. 13, the server 30 uses vehicle feature information extracted from the image acquired from the camera 124 to track the vehicle from when it passes through the gate line of the entrance / exit of the controlled area in the entrance direction until it enters the parking area, and identifies which parking area the vehicle entered and stopped (parked). In the example of FIG. 13, ten parking areas are provided in the controlled area, and parking area information from "1" to "10" is set for each parking area. The parking area information for each parking area may be stored in advance in association with the coordinates corresponding to each parking area on the image captured by the camera 124, or may be recognized by analyzing the image captured by the camera 124. In the example of FIG. 13, since the vehicle has entered and is parked in parking area "4", the server 30 identifies "4" as the parking area information of the parking area into which the vehicle has entered.

[0086] The server 30 stores the parking area information identified in the process of step S106 in association with the vehicle characteristic information and identification information of the vehicle (step S107), and ends the entry process (return). In the example of Fig. 13, the identification information (WCN) of the vehicle acquired by the antenna 114 (DSRC antenna) is displayed in association with the vehicle being tracked by analyzing the image captured by the camera 124 of the vehicle's movement after entering the controlled area. The server 30 associates the identified parking area information "4" with the WCN of the vehicle and the extracted vehicle characteristic information, and stores the information.

[0087] (Settlement process) After the entry process is executed, when the user finishes parking and leaves the controlled area, the server 30 executes the settlement process shown in Fig. 11. The settlement process may be executed when the user leaves the controlled area, or may be executed in advance at an earlier timing. Below, an example will be described in which the settlement process is executed shortly before the user leaves the controlled area (for example, when the user returns to the vehicle parked in the parking area and is about to head toward the exit of the controlled area).

[0088] As shown in FIG. 11, the server 30 judges whether or not it has received input of parking area information, such as the section number of the parking area used by the vehicle, from the vehicle user (step S201). For example, the user uses the information terminal 20 to read a two-dimensional barcode for payment provided in the managed area, access a dedicated web page provided by the server 30 or the like, and inputs parking area information, such as the section number of the parking area where the vehicle was parked. In this way, the server 30 receives input of the parking area information from the user. Alternatively, the user may input the parking area information into a payment machine provided in the managed area. In this case, the parking area information is transmitted from the payment machine to the server 30, and the server 30 receives input of the parking area information from the user.

[0089] If the input of the parking area information has not been accepted (step S201: NO), the server 30 waits until the input of the parking area information is accepted.

[0090] When the input of parking area information is accepted (step S201: YES), the server 30 determines whether the accepted input of parking area information is stored in the database of the memory unit 32 as parking area information of a parking area in use (step S202).

[0091] If the parking area is not stored as parking area information of the parking area in use (step S202: NO), there is nothing to settle, so the server 30 returns to the process of step S201 and accepts input of parking area information again from the user.

[0092] If it is stored as parking area information for the parking area in use (step S202: YES), the server 30 accepts input of payment method information, such as credit card information, from the user (step S203). For example, the user uses the information terminal 20 to input payment method information on a dedicated web page. This allows the server 30 to accept input of payment method information from the user. Alternatively, the user may input payment method information by reading a payment method, such as a credit card, at a payment machine installed in the controlled area. In this case, the payment method information is transmitted from the payment machine to the server 30, and the server 30 accepts input of payment method information from the user.

[0093] The server 30 executes a settlement process for the fee for use of the parking area using the payment method information received in the process of step S203 (step S204). The fee for use of the parking area can be calculated, for example, by acquiring the time from when use of the parking area begins until the settlement process is executed as the usage time, and based on a preset hourly parking fee or fee table and the usage time.

[0094] The server 30 stores information indicating that the settlement process has been executed in association with the identification information associated with the parking area information in the database of the storage unit 32 (step S205).

[0095] The server 30 can receive an instruction from the user to automatically pay the fee from the next time onwards, and judges whether the instruction has been received (step S206). The method of receiving the instruction from the user can be executed using the user's information terminal 20 or a payment machine, similar to the process of steps S201 and S203.

[0096] If the instruction to automatically pay the price has not been received (step S206: NO), the server 30 ends the settlement process (returns).

[0097] If an instruction to automatically pay the fee is received (step S206: YES), the server 30 stores the automatic payment instruction (automatic payment registration information) and payment method information in association with the identification information associated with the parking area information (step S207), and terminates the settlement process (return).

[0098] (Participation Processing) After the settlement process has been executed, when the user actually causes the vehicle to exit the controlled area, the server 30 executes the exit process shown in FIG.

[0099] 12, the server 30 judges whether or not it has detected the exit of a vehicle from a controlled area (step S301). The method of detecting the exit is the same as the method of detecting the entry in the process of step S101 in FIG.

[0100] If the exit of the vehicle is not detected (step S301: NO), the server 30 waits until the exit is detected.

[0101] When the exit of a vehicle is detected (step S301: YES), the server 30 judges whether the settlement process has been completed for the vehicle (step S302). Specifically, the server 30 judges whether information indicating that the settlement process has been executed is stored in association with the identification information acquired by the acquisition device 110 from the vehicle exiting the controlled area in the database of the storage unit 32. If information indicating that the settlement process has been executed is stored, it is determined that the settlement process has been completed, and if the information is not stored, it is determined that the settlement process has not been completed.

[0102] If the settlement process is completed (step S302: YES), the server 30 ends the exit process (return).

[0103] If the settlement process is not complete (step S302: NO), the server 30 determines whether an automatic payment instruction (automatic payment registration information) has been registered (step S303). Specifically, the server 30 determines whether the automatic payment registration information is associated with the identification information acquired by the acquisition device 110 from the vehicle exiting the controlled area and stored in the database of the storage unit 32.

[0104] If an automatic payment instruction (automatic payment registration information) has been registered (step S303: YES), the server 30 automatically executes the settlement process for the fare using the payment method information stored in association with the identification information in the database of the memory unit 32 (step S304), and terminates the exit process (return).

[0105] If automatic payment instructions (automatic payment registration information) have not been registered (step S303: NO), the server 30 registers fraudulent vehicle information indicating that the vehicle entered the race fraudulently in association with the vehicle's identification information in the database of the memory unit 32 (step S305).

[0106] In addition, the server 30 extracts an image of the vehicle from the parking area to passing through the entrance / exit from the images taken by the camera 124, and registers information indicating the extracted image in association with the vehicle characteristic information and identification information of the vehicle (step S306), and terminates the exit processing (return).

[0107] According to the above embodiment, the following effects are achieved.

[0108] The entrance / exit management system 1 detects a vehicle passing through the entrance / exit of a controlled area based on an image captured by the camera 124 of the entrance / exit of the controlled area and an area including the controlled area. The entrance / exit management system 1 acquires identification information including at least one of unique information of the on-board device installed in the detected vehicle, unique information of the ETC card inserted in the on-board device, and the vehicle number. The entrance / exit management system 1 associates and stores vehicle characteristic information indicating the characteristics of the detected vehicle with the identification information acquired from the vehicle. When the entrance / exit management system 1 detects that the vehicle has passed through the entrance / exit in the direction of entering the controlled area, the entrance / exit management system 1 detects that the vehicle is entering a parking area in the controlled area based on the image captured by the camera 124, and identifies parking area information for identifying the parking area. The entrance / exit management system 1 further associates and stores the identified parking area information with the vehicle characteristic information and identification information of the vehicle as parking area information indicating a parking area in use.

[0109] This makes it possible to register the parking area information of the parking area into which the vehicle entered in association with the vehicle characteristic information and identification information of the vehicle that passed through the entrance / exit of the managed area. Therefore, based on the parking area information of the parking area into which the vehicle entered, which is information that is easy for the user to understand, the identification information such as the unique information of the on-board device, the unique information of the ETC card, and the vehicle number can be easily referenced and used, so that the cashless settlement process of the parking fee and the entrance / exit management at the parking lot can be easily and reliably performed.

[0110] Here, a technology has been proposed that recognizes the number information of a vehicle from an image taken by a camera, identifies the vehicle by the number information, and performs settlement processing and entry / exit management. It seems that such a technology can easily perform cashless settlement of parking fees. However, when recognizing the number information of a vehicle from an image taken by a camera, for example, when it is snowing or raining, there is a problem that cashless settlement cannot be performed simply because the number plate is hidden by snow or mud. In addition, even during the daytime or on a sunny day, the position of the sun changes depending on the time of day and the season, so the number plate cannot be clearly photographed due to the influence of sunlight reflection and shadows, and the recognition accuracy of the number information decreases, making it impossible to perform cashless settlement. Furthermore, if a vehicle deviates from the specified entry direction and enters at an angle, the number plate cannot be clearly photographed, the recognition accuracy of the number information decreases, and settlement processing and entry / exit management cannot be performed appropriately. In response to this, the present invention solves the above problems by combining the recognition technology using a camera with ETC technology, which is wireless communication.

[0111] Furthermore, according to the present invention, since the camera can detect when a vehicle enters or leaves a parking area, vehicle detection sensors such as loop coils currently installed for each parking area can be eliminated in locking plate type parking lots and lockless type parking lots where entry and exit management is performed for each parking area. Also, in gated parking lots where a gate is installed at the entrance and exit of a managed area to regulate entry and exit, and entry and exit management is performed for the entire managed area, the gate is no longer necessary, so it can be developed as a gateless parking lot. If a device for regulating the movement of a vehicle, such as a locking plate or gate, becomes abnormal due to a malfunction or the like, the user will not be able to exit the vehicle from the parking lot when necessary, which has a significant impact on the convenience of the user. For this reason, in recent years, there has been a growing trend toward lockless and gateless parking lots. According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a lockless parking lot or a gateless parking lot simply and at low cost while preventing fraud that is a concern with lockless and gateless parking lots.

[0112] The entrance / exit management system 1 also accepts, from a vehicle user, input of parking area information of the parking area used by the vehicle user. If the accepted parking area information matches the parking area information stored in the management unit that indicates the parking area in use, the entrance / exit management system 1 accepts, from the user, input of payment method information for identifying the payment method selected by the person who bears the fee to be charged to the vehicle or the vehicle user. The entrance / exit management system 1 uses the accepted payment method information to execute a settlement process for the fee for use of the parking area, and stores the fact that the settlement process has been executed in association with identification information associated with the parking area information. In this way, by simply accepting parking area information and payment method information from the user, cashless settlement processing of parking fees at the parking lot and entrance / exit management can be executed easily and reliably.

[0113] In addition, when the entrance / exit management system 1 detects that a vehicle is passing through the entrance / exit gate in the direction of exiting from the controlled area, it judges whether or not the settlement process has been performed for the acquired identification information, and if it has been performed, records that the vehicle has exited normally, and if it has not been performed, records fraudulent vehicle information indicating that the vehicle has entered fraudulently in association with the identification information of the vehicle. This makes it possible to record fraudulent vehicle information in association with the identification information of a vehicle that has exited from the controlled area without executing the settlement process. Therefore, it is possible to reliably identify a fraudulent vehicle, leading to appropriate measures. As a result, it is possible to deter fraudulent acts.

[0114] Furthermore, when the entry / exit management system 1 records that a vehicle has illegally entered the area, it extracts an image of the vehicle from the parking area to the entrance / exit from the images captured by the camera 124, and stores information indicating the extracted image in association with the vehicle characteristic information and the identification information. This makes it possible to record an image of the vehicle from the parking area to the entrance / exit in association with the identification information of the vehicle that has exited the controlled area without executing the settlement process. Therefore, it is possible to reliably identify the illegal vehicle, and also record the state in which the vehicle illegally exited the controlled area as an image, leading to appropriate measures. As a result, it is possible to deter illegal acts.

[0115] Furthermore, when the entrance / exit management system 1 detects that a vehicle is passing through the entrance / exit gate in the direction of entering the controlled area, it determines whether or not at least one of the vehicle characteristic information and identification information acquired from the vehicle matches at least one of the vehicle characteristic information and identification information stored as illegal vehicle information, and if they match, it outputs a warning to the administrator. This makes it possible to output a warning to the administrator when a vehicle that has previously illegally entered the area re-enters, leading to appropriate measures being taken. As a result, further illegal acts can be deterred.

[0116] The entrance / exit management system 1 can also accept input of payment method information from the user and can further accept an instruction to automatically pay the fee, and when the instruction is accepted, the management unit stores the automatic payment registration information and the payment method information in association with the identification information. When the entrance / exit management system 1 detects that a vehicle is passing through the entrance / exit in the direction of entering the controlled area, it judges whether the automatic payment registration information and the payment method information are stored in association with the identification information acquired from the vehicle, and if they are stored, when the detection unit detects that the vehicle is passing through the entrance / exit in the direction of exiting the controlled area, it records that the vehicle has normally exited and executes the settlement process of the fee using the payment method information. As a result, the user does not need to perform the settlement process every time the parking lot is used, and only needs to enter the vehicle into the parking area of ​​the controlled area, park it, and when parking is finished, just leave it to automatically execute the settlement process. This can dramatically improve the convenience of the user.

[0117] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the claims.

[0118] For example, in the above embodiment, the information terminal 20 has been described as a terminal that is possessed by the user. However, the information terminal 20 may be a shared terminal installed in a parking lot or the like. In this case, even if the user does not possess the information terminal, the user can perform operations such as registering necessary information.

[0119] In addition, the processing of the system according to the embodiment described above may include steps other than the steps of the flowchart described above, or may not include some of the steps described above. In addition, the order of the steps is not limited to the embodiment described above. Furthermore, each step may be combined with other steps and executed as one step, may be included in other steps and executed, or may be divided into multiple steps and executed. For example, in the flowchart of FIG. 10, an example has been described in which the detection process of step S101 is performed and then the identification information acquisition process of step S102 is performed, but this is not limited thereto, and the process of step S102 may be performed first.

[0120] In addition, the means and methods for performing various processes in each device of the system according to the above-mentioned embodiment can be realized by either a dedicated hardware circuit or a programmed computer. The above-mentioned program may be provided by a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), or may be provided online via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the program recorded in the computer-readable recording medium is usually transferred to and stored in a storage unit such as a hard disk. In addition, the above-mentioned program may be provided as a standalone application software, or may be incorporated into the software of each device of the system as one function of the device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0121] 1. Entrance and exit management system; 10 In-house system, 110 Acquisition device; 111 control section, 112 Memory section, 113 Communications Department, 114 ETC antenna, 120 Detection device, 121 control section, 122 Memory section, 123 Communications Department, 20 Information terminal, 21 Control section, 22 Memory section, 23 Communications Department, 24 Display section, 25 Operation reception unit, 30 servers, 31 Control section, 311 Detection unit, 312 Acquisition Department; 313 Management Department; 314 Reception Department, 32 storage section, 33 Communications Department, 40 ETC on-board device, 41 control section, 42 Memory section, 43 Communications Department, 44 Card acceptance section, 45 output section, 50 Payment systems, 51 control section, 52 Memory section, 53 Communications Department.

Claims

1. A detection unit that detects a vehicle passing through an entrance / exit of a controlled area based on an image captured by a camera of the entrance / exit of the controlled area and an area including the controlled area; an acquisition unit that acquires identification information including at least one of unique information of an on-board device installed in the vehicle detected by the detection unit, unique information of an ETC card inserted in the on-board device, and a vehicle number; a management unit that stores vehicle feature information indicating features of the vehicle detected by the detection unit and the identification information acquired from the vehicle in association with each other, When the detection unit detects that the vehicle has passed through the entrance / exit in a direction toward entering the controlled area, the detection unit detects that the vehicle is entering a parking area within the controlled area based on an image captured by the camera, and specifies parking area information for identifying the parking area; The management unit stores the parking area information identified by the detection unit as parking area information indicating a parking area in use, further associating it with the vehicle characteristic information and the identification information of the vehicle.

2. The parking area information input unit may further include a receiving unit that receives, from a user of the vehicle, input of parking area information of the parking area used by the user, When the received parking area information matches the parking area information indicating a parking area in use stored in the management unit, the reception unit receives from the user an input of payment method information for identifying a payment method selected by a person who bears the fee to be charged to the vehicle or the user of the vehicle; The entry / exit management system of claim 1, wherein the management unit uses the payment method information accepted by the reception unit to execute a settlement process for the fee for use of the parking area, and stores the fact that the settlement process has been executed in association with the identification information associated with the parking area information.

3. 3. The entry / exit management system of claim 2, wherein when the detection unit detects that the vehicle is passing through the entry / exit gate in the direction of exiting the controlled area, the management unit determines whether the settlement process is being executed for the identification information acquired by the acquisition unit, and if it is being executed, records that the vehicle has exited normally, and if it is not being executed, records illegal vehicle information indicating that the vehicle has entered illegally, associated with the identification information of the vehicle.

4. The entry / exit management system described in claim 3, wherein when it is recorded that the vehicle has entered illegally, the management unit extracts an image of the vehicle from the parking area to passing through the entry / exit gate from the images taken by the camera, and stores information indicating the extracted image in association with the vehicle characteristic information and the identification information.

5. The entrance / exit management system of claim 3, wherein when the detection unit detects that the vehicle is passing through the entrance / exit gate in the direction of entering the controlled area, the management unit determines whether at least one of the vehicle characteristic information and the identification information obtained from the vehicle matches at least one of the vehicle characteristic information and the identification information stored as the unauthorized vehicle information, and if there is a match, outputs a warning to an administrator.

6. The entry / exit management system of claim 2, wherein the reception unit receives input of the payment method information from the user and is further capable of receiving an instruction to automatically pay the fee, and when the instruction is received, the management unit stores automatic payment registration information and the payment method information in association with the identification information.

7. 7. The entrance / exit management system of claim 6, wherein when the detection unit detects that the vehicle is passing through the entrance / exit in the direction of entering the controlled area, the management unit determines whether the automatic payment registration information and the payment method information are stored in association with the identification information obtained from the vehicle, and if they are stored, when the detection unit detects that the vehicle is passing through the entrance / exit in the direction of exiting the controlled area, records that the vehicle has exited normally, and executes a settlement process for the fee using the payment method information.

8. A detection step of detecting a vehicle passing through an entrance / exit of the controlled area based on an image captured by a camera of the entrance / exit of the controlled area and an area including the controlled area; an acquisition step of acquiring identification information including at least one of unique information of an on-board device installed in the vehicle detected in the detection step, unique information of an ETC card inserted in the on-board device, and a vehicle number; a management step of storing vehicle feature information indicating features of the vehicle detected in the detection step and the identification information acquired from the vehicle in association with each other, When it is detected that the vehicle has passed through the entrance / exit in a direction toward entering the controlled area, the detection step detects that the vehicle is entering a parking area in the controlled area based on an image captured by the camera, and specifies parking area information for identifying the parking area; The management step is an entry / exit management program that causes a computer to execute a process of further associating and storing the parking area information identified in the detection step with the vehicle characteristic information and the identification information of the vehicle.

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