Parking lot management system and parking lot management method

Abstract

To enable the use of images of occupants of vehicles that have misused parking spaces to deter unauthorized use.SOLUTION: A parking lot management system includes: a vehicle license number management unit that acquires and manages license numbers from vehicles in parking lots; a vehicle image management unit that captures and manages vehicle images of the vehicles; an occupant image management unit that captures and stores occupant images of the vehicles; and an unauthorized vehicle management unit that manages license numbers acquired from unauthorized vehicles that have entered or left the parking lots without paying the parking fee. The occupant image management unit stores unauthorized user information assigned to the occupant image corresponding to the license numbers of the unauthorized vehicles obtained by the unauthorized vehicle management unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present technology relates to a parking lot management system and a parking lot management method. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, so-called flapless parking systems have become widespread in paid parking lots, which do not have gate devices at the entrances and exits, and do not have exit prevention devices at the parking spaces. In order to prevent unauthorized use, such as leaving the parking lot without paying the parking fee, the vehicle number of the parked vehicle is captured by a camera, and if the vehicle leaves the parking lot without paying the fee, it is stored in a blacklist, and if the vehicle is parked again, a warning is issued or an additional fee is charged. However, this does not adequately prevent unauthorized use. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-81807 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for solving the problem of reliably photographing unauthorized users of a parking lot by recording images of the occupants of a vehicle photographed outside the vehicle if the vehicle number photographed by a camera in the parking lot matches a vehicle number held in a database.

[0005] However, the technology in Patent Document 1 simply stores an image file of the occupant's face in correspondence with the vehicle number of the vehicle that has been fraudulently used, and does not effectively utilize the vehicle number or the image file of the occupant's face to deter fraudulent use.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present technology is to make it possible to deter unauthorized use of a parking lot by using images of occupants of vehicles that have made unauthorized use of the parking lot. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] 1) The first parking lot management system of the present invention is a vehicle number management unit that acquires and manages vehicle numbers from vehicles in a parking lot; a vehicle image management unit that takes and manages vehicle images of the vehicle; an occupant image management unit that captures and stores images of occupants of the vehicle; an illegal vehicle management unit that manages vehicle numbers obtained from illegal vehicles that have entered or left the parking lot without paying a parking fee; Equipped with The occupant image management unit adds unauthorized user information to the occupant image corresponding to the vehicle number of the unauthorized vehicle acquired by the unauthorized vehicle management unit and stores the image. It is a parking lot management system.

[0008] According to the first parking lot management system, the occupant image stored in association with the vehicle number of the vehicle that has been used fraudulently can be effectively used to prevent future fraudulent use, thereby preventing fraudulent use.

[0009] Here, definitions of terms used in this specification will be given. "Unauthorized use" refers to entering or leaving the parking lot without settling or paying the parking fee. An "illegal vehicle" is a vehicle that has entered or left the parking lot without paying the toll. In the embodiment of the present technology, an illegal vehicle is determined based on the vehicle number. A "vehicle with a fraudulent history" is a vehicle with a vehicle number that has previously exited or been parked at a parking lot without paying the fee and has not paid the fee. The term "fraudulent driver" refers to a driver of a vehicle that leaves or leaves a parking lot without paying the toll. In an embodiment of the present technology, an occupant image is recorded together with the fraudulent vehicle. A "driver with a fraudulent history" is a driver of a vehicle with a vehicle number that has previously entered or exited a parking lot without paying the fee and has not paid the fee. In an embodiment of the present technology, the fraudulent history of a vehicle and a driver is deleted from the database when any unpaid parking fees are settled.

[0010] 2) The second parking lot management system of the present invention is the first parking lot management system, The vehicle further includes a notification unit that notifies a driver in the parking lot of information including the acquired vehicle number.

[0011] According to the second parking lot management system of the present invention, the occupant can recognize that the vehicle number information has been recorded accurately, and the occurrence of unauthorized entry / exit can be minimized.

[0012] 3) The third parking lot management system of the present invention is the second parking lot management system, the occupant image management unit includes a surveillance camera that captures the occupant image in the parking lot, and a face recognition unit that recognizes the face of the occupant from the occupant image and compares the face with a face of a past occupant image stored, The notification unit notifies the user of details regarding payment of the parking fee when a face recognized from the occupant image captured by the surveillance camera is recognized to match a face of the occupant image of the past. It is characterized by:

[0013] According to the third parking lot management system of the present invention, users can be made aware that their occupant images are reliably captured and recognized, and unauthorized use can be prevented.

[0014] 4) A fourth parking lot management system of the present invention is the third parking lot management system, The notification unit is characterized in that when the face recognition unit recognizes that the face of the occupant matches the face of the occupant image having the fraudulent user information, it notifies the driver of a warning about unpaid parking fees.

[0015] According to the fourth parking lot management system of the present invention, a warning is given to the occupant about unpaid parking fees, thereby preventing fraudulent use.

[0016] 5) The fifth parking lot management system of the present invention is the fourth parking lot management system, The notification unit is characterized in that even if the face of the occupant in the face recognition unit matches the face of the occupant image having the fraudulent user information, if the occupant is not the driver related to the current parking.

[0017] According to the fifth parking lot management system of the present invention, unauthorized use can be prevented by notifying the appropriate occupants.

[0018] 6) The sixth parking lot management system of the present invention is the fourth parking lot management system, The vehicle number management unit stores vehicle numbers of non-notification targets that are targets for which a warning about the unpaid parking fee is not to be notified, The notification unit is characterized in that even if the face of the occupant in the face recognition unit matches the face of the occupant image having the fraudulent user information, if the vehicle number of the vehicle is a non-notification target, no notification will be made.

[0019] According to the sixth parking lot management system of the present invention, unauthorized use can be prevented by notifying the occupants of appropriate vehicles.

[0020] 7) The seventh parking lot management system of the present invention is the fourth parking lot management system, The face recognition unit is characterized in that when the vehicle number acquired by the vehicle number management unit matches the vehicle number corresponding to the occupant image to which the fraudulent user information is attached, the face recognition unit compares the face of the occupant image captured by the surveillance camera with the face of the past occupant image.

[0021] According to the seventh parking lot management system of the present invention, unauthorized use can be prevented by notifying the occupants of appropriate vehicles.

[0022] 8) The eighth parking lot management system of the present invention is the fourth parking lot management system, The parking lot may be provided with a payment management unit that displays a payment screen on a payment machine or a terminal of the driver to allow the driver to pay the current parking fee and the unpaid parking fee together. Parking management system.

[0023] According to the eighth parking lot management system of the present invention, it is possible to provide a means for settling unpaid parking fees, thereby promoting the use of the parking lot.

[0024] 9) The parking lot management method of the present invention comprises: A parking lot management method executed by a parking lot management system, comprising: Obtain the vehicle number from the vehicle in the parking lot, Taking a vehicle image and an occupant image of the vehicle; storing a vehicle number obtained from a fraudulent vehicle that has entered or left the parking lot without paying a parking fee; The unauthorized user information is added to the occupant image corresponding to the stored vehicle number of the unauthorized vehicle and then stored. Effect of the Invention

[0025] As described above, according to the present technology, it is possible to deter unauthorized use by using images of the occupants of the vehicle that has engaged in unauthorized use. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the configuration of a parking lot according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the parking lot management system of the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram (part 1) of a database according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram (part 2) of the database according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an electrical block diagram of the settlement machine of the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is an operational flow diagram (part 1) of the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a second operational flow diagram of the present embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is an operational flow diagram (part 3) of the present embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a settlement screen of the settlement machine of the present embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a settlement screen of the settlement machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 1 is an explanatory diagram of a vehicle image and an occupant image to which fraudulent use information is added according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a parking lot according to another embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is an operational flow diagram of another embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a camera image according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Hereinafter, the parking lot management system of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0028] (Parking lot management system configuration) FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of the configuration of a parking lot according to this embodiment. The parking lot 100 has a vehicle entrance / exit 116 which is an entrance / exit for vehicles, a pedestrian entrance / exit 118 which is an entrance / exit for pedestrians, a vehicle passage 122, and a parking space 124. The vehicle entrance / exit 116 is not equipped with a gate device that regulates the entry and exit of vehicles, and the parking lot 100 is a so-called gateless parking lot. In addition, the parking lot 100 does not issue parking tickets using a ticket issuing machine or the like, and is a so-called ticketless / gateless parking lot. Vehicle C passes through the vehicle passage 122 and parks in the parking space 124.

[0029] A parking lot management system 110 is installed in parking lot 100 to settle parking fees and manage the parking lot. The parking lot management system 110 is a computer system that has a payment machine 132, a parking lot management device 130, an entrance camera 112, an exit camera 113, and a pedestrian entrance / exit camera 114, all of which are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via a local area network (LAN).

[0030] The entrance camera 112 is one of the in-park cameras installed within the parking lot 100. It is installed near the vehicle entrance / exit 116 and captures an image of the vehicle C, for example, from the front, so that the license plate and occupants of the entering vehicle C are visible. The exit camera 113 is also one of the in-park cameras installed within the parking lot 100. It is installed near the vehicle entrance / exit 116 and captures an image of the exiting vehicle C, for example, from the front, so that the license plate and occupants of the vehicle C are visible.

[0031] The pedestrian entrance / exit camera 114 is also one of the in-park cameras installed within the parking lot 100. It is installed near the pedestrian entrance / exit 118 and captures images of pedestrians so that their faces are visible as they enter or exit. An area called a pedestrian notification range 120 is set near the pedestrian entrance / exit 118. When the parking lot management system 110 has information to notify users of the parking lot 100, i.e., occupants of vehicle C, the information is notified here. The pedestrian entrance / exit camera 114 and the payment machine 132 are installed around the pedestrian notification range 120. In this embodiment, a part of the function of the payment machine 132 functions as a means for notifying occupants of information (notification unit 210).

[0032] The parking lot management device 130 is typically a personal computer for management. A database (DB) is connected to the parking lot management device 130, and is synchronized with some of the data in the internal memory of the payment machine 132. The parking lot management device 130 can also cooperate with multiple payment machines in multiple parking lots to comprehensively manage them, but here it is shown in a state where it only handles management of one parking lot.

[0033] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the parking lot management system of this embodiment. The parking lot management system 110 has a parking lot management device 130 and a payment machine 132, and each function of the parking lot management device 130 and each function of the payment machine 132 are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other. The parking lot management device 130 has a vehicle number management unit 202, a vehicle image management unit 204, an occupant image management unit 206, an illegal vehicle management unit 208, a settlement management unit 212, a face recognition unit 214, etc. The vehicle number management unit 202 acquires and manages the vehicle number from vehicle C. The vehicle number management unit 202 has a vehicle (location) DB 2021 for managing the vehicle number, or has a virtual vehicle number by connecting to an external cloud or the like and acquiring information. The acquired vehicle number is stored in the vehicle (location) DB 2021. The vehicle number management unit 202 also has a vehicle number DB 2022 that is not subject to notification. The vehicle image management unit 204 takes and manages vehicle images of the vehicle C. The vehicle image management unit 204 has a vehicle image DB 2041 for managing the vehicle images. The taken vehicle images are stored in the vehicle image DB 2041. The vehicle images include the license plate. The passenger image management unit 206 captures and stores passenger images of the vehicle. The passenger image management unit 206 has a passenger image DB 2061. The settlement machine 132 has a notification unit 210 and also has a function related to settlement. The function related to settlement will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0034] 3 and 4 are explanatory diagrams of the database of this embodiment. The vehicle image DB 2041 records each vehicle image with a unique ID. Also, depending on the ID, the fraudulent entry flag may be set or not. In the following explanation, the setting of the fraudulent entry flag will be expressed as "fraudulent flag ON", and the not setting of the fraudulent entry flag will be expressed as "fraudulent flag OFF". A unique ID is assigned to each passenger image and recorded in the passenger image DB 2061. Depending on the ID, the illegal entry flag may be ON or OFF.

[0035] A unique ID is assigned to each vehicle and recorded in the vehicle (in-vehicle) DB 2021. In addition, for each vehicle ID, the vehicle image ID, occupant image ID, vehicle number, and entry date and time are recorded. The fraudulent vehicle DB2081 records each fraudulent vehicle with a unique ID. In addition, for each fraudulent vehicle ID, a vehicle image ID, a user image ID, a vehicle number, a fraudulent entry date and time, and an unpaid fee are recorded. In short, the fraudulent vehicle DB records the fraudulent vehicle and the passenger image of the fraudulent vehicle in association with each other. The vehicle number not subject to notification DB2022 is a database that records the vehicle numbers of vehicles that are recognized as fraudulent vehicles but do not notify the user of the contents of the warning. These are vehicle numbers of specific registered vehicles (for example, regularly registered vehicles) and vehicle numbers of rental cars and car sharing vehicles. Other methods for identifying rental cars and car sharing vehicles include vehicle numbers of use type (kana); wa, re (excluding light vehicles), or, if the Land Transport Bureau is in Hokkaido or Okinawa, vehicle numbers of use type: wa.

[0036] FIG. 5 is an electrical block diagram of the settlement machine of this embodiment. The settlement machine 132 has a memory 502 and a central processing unit (CPU) 503. These are connected to an interface 504 via a bus 501, and are connected to each unit. The local communication unit 505 is connected to a local network within the parking lot 100 . The external communication unit 506 is connected to a network (Internet) outside the parking lot 100. It is used when the parking lot management device 130 is not installed in the parking lot 100 but in a remote location, or for communication with an external settlement institution. The human sensor 507 reacts when a person stands in front of the settlement machine 132, enabling operation. The audio output device 508 is a speaker or the like that outputs operational guidance. In this embodiment, it is also possible to function as the notification unit 210.

[0037] The coin handling device 509 is a coin circulation type coin sorting and coin circulation type dispensing device. The bill handling device 510 is a bill reader and a bill dispensing device. The display screen device 511 is a touch panel type liquid crystal display screen. In this embodiment, it is also possible to function as the notification unit 210.

[0038] The receipt printer 512 is a so-called receipt printer. The card reader 513 is a card reader that reads a credit card, a house card, or the like. The two-dimensional code reader 514 is a barcode reader with a built-in optical scanner. It is also possible to implement the present invention in a parking lot where electronic payment is made using the user's mobile terminal (smartphone) without using the settlement machine 132. In that case, the functions of the settlement machine 130 would be replaced by another system, but as this is not the main part of the invention, an explanation of this will be omitted.

[0039] (Example of parking management system operation) An example of the operation of the parking lot management system will be described below with reference to the operation flow diagrams of FIGS.

[0040] (When entering) With reference to FIG. 6, the process related to the entrance camera 112 will be described first. The parking lot management system 110 monitors whether an entering vehicle is detected from an image (step S101). When an entering vehicle is detected (when an entering vehicle appears in the image), the vehicle number is recognized (step S102). This process is a series of processes in which the vehicle number management unit 202 extracts the license plate from the image, reads the vehicle number by optical character recognition (OCR), and records the date, time, and vehicle number in the vehicle (vehicle presence) DB2021.

[0041] Next, the parking lot management system 110 searches for a vehicle with the same vehicle number in the fraudulent vehicle DB 2081. If the same vehicle number is found, it is a vehicle with a fraud history, and the result in step S103 is YES, but if the same vehicle number is not found, the result is NO.

[0042] If the answer is YES, that is, if the entering vehicle has a fraud history, the face image of the driver is recognized (step S104). This is done by searching the occupant image DB2061 for the presence or absence of an occupant image that is thought to be the same person, and if the same person is found, the driver is deemed to have a fraud history. In this case, the answer is YES in step S105, but if there is no occupant image of the same person, the answer is NO. If the answer is YES, the flag is turned ON as a fraudulent driver. This means that at this point, a fraudulent driver flag is recorded in the corresponding vehicle image and occupant image, meaning that the person is temporarily marked as a fraudulent vehicle and fraudulent driver. Finally, in step S107, the vehicle image and vehicle number are recorded, and in step S108, the occupant image is recorded, and the process ends.

[0043] Here, even if the vehicle is owned by a driver recorded in the passenger image DB2061 as a driver with a fraudulent history, if the vehicle is not recorded in the fraudulent vehicle DB2081, the fraudulent driver flag will not be ON, and therefore a warning will not be issued for the first vehicle to be driven fraudulently. In other words, if a driver recorded in the passenger image DB2061 as a driver with a fraudulent history enters a vehicle recorded in the fraudulent vehicle DB2081, the driver will be subject to a warning.

[0044] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the occupant image stored in association with the vehicle number of the vehicle that has been fraudulently used can be effectively used to prevent future fraudulent use, thereby minimizing the occurrence of fraudulent use.

[0045] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the settlement screen of the settlement machine of this embodiment. In this embodiment, the parking fee must be settled before exiting the parking lot 100. If it is determined that no parking fee will be incurred (0 yen settlement), it is not treated as an illegal exit, but if a parking fee is incurred and the vehicle exits without paying, it is treated as an illegal exit.

[0046] Fig. 9(1) shows the operational state of the display screen device 511 (an example of the notification unit 210) of the settlement machine 132 at the time of settlement. The display screen device 511 is configured with a numeric keypad section 5111 for inputting the four-digit number of the vehicle number, and displays a pseudo license plate image showing the four-digit number of the inputted vehicle number. In addition, an operation key section 5112, an operation input display section 5113, and a message section 5114 are also displayed. For example, the user inputs the four-digit number of his / her vehicle number and presses the search key of the operation key section 5112. The display screen of the display screen device 511 then changes to the screen of Fig. 9(2).

[0047] As shown in FIG. 9(2), the display screen device 511 constitutes an image display unit 5115, which displays an image of the parked vehicle (vehicle image) captured and recorded by the entrance camera 112 at the time of entry. The recognition result of the vehicle number is also displayed on the lower side of the image display unit 5115. The image displayed is an image of the front of the vehicle including the license plate, but an image of the driver (passenger image) is also displayed. A rectangular frame may be superimposed on the passenger image to indicate that a facial image has been recognized. When the user presses the "Pay for this vehicle" key on the operation key unit 5112, the payment screen shown in FIG. 10 is displayed.

[0048] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the settlement screen of the settlement machine of this embodiment. 10(1), image display section 5115 first displays the past unpaid and unsettled parking fees and the total amount of the current parking fee. The amount is shown in message section 5114, and when the amount is paid, the amount is reflected in operation input display section 5113. Operation key section 5112 is also displayed, which includes operation keys for calling an attendant, operation keys for checking the breakdown of the fee, and a partial settlement key for partial settlement.

[0049] When the user operates the settlement machine 132 to pay a portion of the parking fee, the display screen of the image display unit 5115 transitions as shown in FIG. 10(2), and the paid amount and the unpaid amount are respectively displayed in the operation input display unit 5113 and the message unit 5114. When the settlement is made in this manner, the settlement machine 132 records the information that the payment has been completed in the vehicle (vehicle location) DB 2021.

[0050] Thus, according to an embodiment of the present invention, along with the vehicle number recognition result, an image of the occupants can be reliably captured to let the user know that they have been recognized, thereby minimizing the occurrence of fraudulent entry / exit.

[0051] Furthermore, according to the embodiment of the present invention, a means for settling unpaid parking fees can be provided, thereby promoting the use of the parking lot.

[0052] (At the time of participation) The process related to the exit camera in FIG. 7 will be explained first. The parking lot management system 110 monitors whether an exiting vehicle is detected from the image (step S111). If detected (if an exiting vehicle appears in the image), a process to recognize the vehicle number is executed (step S112). In S112, the license plate is extracted from the image and the vehicle number is read by OCR, and then the vehicle (vehicle presence) DB 2021 is searched to read the entry date and time information of the data for that vehicle number, and the presence or absence of information on whether payment has been made is searched for (step S113). If payment has been made, step S113 becomes YES and the process ends.

[0053] If the payment has not been settled, step S113 becomes NO, and in step S114 the vehicle is recorded as a vehicle with a fraudulent history in the fraudulent vehicle DB2081. Next, in step S115, the driver's face is recognized from the image at the time of leaving (see FIG. 11), and in step S116 the vehicle is recorded as a driver with a fraudulent history in the occupant image DB2061. Here, instead of a fraudulent driver flag, history information linked to the date and time of fraudulent entry, unpaid toll, etc. is added, the occupant image DB2061 is updated, and the process ends.

[0054] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a vehicle image and an occupant image to which the fraudulent use information is added according to this embodiment. The fraudulent vehicle DB2081 is added with fraudulent use information and stores a vehicle image at the time of exit as shown in Fig. 11. The occupant image DB2061 is also added with fraudulent use information and stores an occupant image obtained from the vehicle image at the time of exit as shown in Fig. 11.

[0055] In order to avoid the occupant image DB 2061 from becoming bloated, the information on the fraud history in step S116 may be recorded in a separately prepared fraudulent occupant image DB (not shown). Fig. 11 shows an example in which, by pressing the unpaid settlement key in Fig. 10(2) on the settlement screen of the settlement machine, the vehicle image and occupant image recorded as the fraud history are displayed side by side, allowing the user to easily confirm them.

[0056] (When passengers enter or exit through a pedestrian entrance) The operation of the processing and notification device 210 associated with the pedestrian entrance / exit camera 114 in FIG. 8 will be described. The parking lot management system 110 monitors whether a pedestrian is detected from the image (step S121). If a pedestrian is detected (if a pedestrian appears in the image), the result is YES, and in step S122, the face of the pedestrian is recognized (step S122). Next, the passenger image DB2061 is searched for the same person, and if the same person is found and matches the passenger image with the fraudulent driver flag ON, the result is YES in step S123. In this case, in step S124, the notification exemption DB2022 is searched for whether the vehicle number is not subject to notification. As described above, this is done by searching for the vehicle number of a specific registered vehicle (for example, a regular registered vehicle) and the vehicle number of a rental car or car share. Other methods for identifying rental cars and car shares include vehicle numbers of use type (kana); wa, re (excluding light vehicles), or, if the Land Transport Bureau is in Hokkaido or Okinawa, vehicle numbers of use type: wa.

[0057] If the vehicle number is not exempt, the result in step S124 becomes NO, and in step S125 a pre-settlement notice (warning) is issued. The pre-settlement notice (warning) is a notice before settlement to the driver of a vehicle that is not exempt, with an occupant image with the fraudulent driver flag ON, and is output as a voice by the output function of the settlement device 132, with the content of the notice being "For vehicle 2265, please settle the unsettled amount as well," output to the driver of a vehicle that has a history of fraudulent entries without settlement in the past.

[0058] On the other hand, if the fraudulent driver flag is not ON in step S123, or if the image of the same person matches the image in the occupant image DB2061 and the result in step S124 is YES as the vehicle number is excluded, a pre-payment notice (vehicle number) is issued in step S126. The pre-payment notice (warning) is output to the driver of the vehicle with no history of fraudulent entry, for example, with a message such as "Vehicle 2265, please settle your payment before entering the race."

[0059] In this manner, in an embodiment of the present invention, a notification unit 210 is provided that notifies the driver, who is a pedestrian, of information including the vehicle number in the parking lot 100, so that the occupant can recognize that the vehicle number information has been accurately recorded, and the occurrence of unauthorized entry / exit can be minimized.

[0060] Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present invention, the notification unit 210 notifies the contents of a warning when the face recognition unit 214 recognizes that the face of a driver as a pedestrian matches the face of an occupant image having fraudulent user information, thereby minimizing the occurrence of fraudulent entry / exit.

[0061] In an embodiment of the present invention, even if the face of an occupant in the face recognition unit 214 matches the face of an occupant image having fraudulent user information, if the occupant is not the driver for this parking (e.g., a passenger), the notification unit 210 does not issue a warning notification. This can be achieved by determining only the image of the occupant who is the driver from the image of the vehicle at the time of entry, and recording only the image of the driver occupant. Therefore, since the appropriate occupant is notified, the occurrence of fraudulent entry / exit can be minimized.

[0062] Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present invention, even if the face of the occupant in the face recognition unit 214 matches the face of the occupant image having the fraudulent user information, if the vehicle number of the vehicle is a non-notification target, the notification unit 210 will not notify, and instead notify the appropriate vehicle occupant, thereby minimizing the occurrence of fraudulent entry / exit.

[0063] <Use of passenger images in other parking lots> In the above-mentioned embodiment of the present invention, including other embodiments, images of occupants of vehicles that use a parking lot are acquired and managed. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the user of the parking lot may be further configured to obtain permission to use the occupant images in other parking lots. In this case, permission for the use of the image is accepted, and images for which permission has not been granted may be processed for use. In this case, the images will be recorded and stored both before and after processing.

[0064] The permission can be accepted via the payment machine 132 or other input device. It may also be accepted via the user's smartphone. In this case, when the permission is accepted via the user's smartphone, after entry, at the passage connecting the parking lot and the commercial facility, permission is recommended and the vehicle number is notified (notification of the reading result). In addition, before exiting, permission is recommended and the vehicle number (4 digits) is notified.

[0065] It may also be configured so that permission is accepted from the next time onwards when paying. Furthermore, it may be configured so that a user who has once given permission will not be prompted to give permission again from the next time. In addition, the permission status of a user who has once given permission may be displayed at the time of payment and made changeable in order to cancel the permission. It may also be configured so that an incentive is given when giving permission. In this case, permission will not be necessary from the next time onwards. However, it is also possible to give an opportunity to cancel permission and eliminate the incentive. The incentive may be a discount on parking fees, an extension of service time, the awarding of points, etc. It may also be configured so that permission is accepted (automatic acceptance) when a discount coupon is issued at the store.

[0066] If the system is configured so that occupant images can be used in other parking lots, images of unauthorized vehicles and images of users can be shared among a plurality of parking lots.

[0067] <Other embodiments> FIG. 12 is a configuration diagram of a parking lot according to another embodiment. The parking lot 100A in FIG. 12 is, for example, a small parking lot that does not have a pedestrian entrance / exit 118. The parking lot 100A is equipped with a payment machine 132. In addition, multiple in-parking cameras 127 are installed in the parking lot 100A. Note that each parking space in the parking lot 100A is not equipped with a flap device that prevents vehicles from leaving the parking lot without payment, making it a so-called flapless parking lot. In addition, the parking lot does not issue parking tickets using a ticket issuing machine or the like, making it a so-called ticketless / flapless parking lot.

[0068] FIG. 13 is an operational flow diagram of another embodiment. Each of the multiple on-site cameras 127 constantly monitors steps S201, S221, and S231, and when any of them detects a target vehicle or pedestrian, the operation of the flow starts. Note that the contents of the flow after any of steps S201, S221, and S231 become YES are the same as those in Figs. 6 to 8 described above, and only the differences will be explained.

[0069] (When entering) If the result of step S204 is YES, in step S205, the parking management system 110 temporarily stores the flag of the fraudulent driver ON in a memory or the like, and in step S206, monitors whether the driver who gets off the vehicle is detected. Next, in step S207, the face recognition process of the driver who gets off the vehicle is performed, and the occupant image is recorded in step S208 including the state of the flag of the fraudulent driver. That is, in another embodiment, the face recognition of the driver who gets off the vehicle is performed only after the driver who gets off the vehicle is detected. As a result, even if the vehicle image is small or has low resolution and the face of the occupant is difficult to recognize, the recognition accuracy can be improved by recognizing the face at the time of getting off the vehicle. In a small parking lot, the budget may be limited, and the image that can be acquired by the on-site camera 127 may be small or have low resolution. The above configuration is advantageous even in such cases.

[0070] (At the time of participation) The flow when entering the competition is the same as in Figure 7. (When pedestrians enter or exit) When the parking lot management system 110 detects a pedestrian P in step S231, it recognizes the face of the pedestrian P in step 232, and then suspends notification until the pedestrian P enters the pedestrian notification range 120. When the pedestrian P enters the pedestrian notification range 120 in step 233, the result becomes YES and the subsequent notification process is performed.

[0071] FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of an in-venue camera image according to another embodiment. The facial recognition process of the disembarking driver can recognize the driver when he / she approaches the on-site camera 127 to a certain extent along the pedestrian's path. The driver is tracked until the driver moves into the pedestrian notification range 120 shown in the figure, and a notification is output when the driver enters the notification range. This results in an audio notification that is easy for the driver as pedestrian P to hear. Note that the tracking of the path of pedestrian P from the image in this case may be monitored in cooperation with another camera (on-site camera 128). Of course, the on-site camera 128 may also recognize the image of the driver.

[0072] <Modification> In the configuration of notifying the vehicle number before settlement described above with reference to Fig. 9 and Fig. 10, in other embodiments, if the vehicle number is announced together with the number of the vehicle space 124, such as "Customer in car 2265 parked in car space 2...", the user can easily recognize it. Also, if the vehicle number is notified as "Car 2265 to Yokohama 505...", the user can easily recognize that the vehicle number has been recognized and recorded more accurately. Furthermore, notifying the vehicle number in this way is convenient for the user as it is an assistance in case the user forgets the vehicle number of his / her vehicle before settlement.

[0073] In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle number of the fraudulent vehicle and the passenger image of the driver associated with the fraudulent vehicle may be recorded. In this case, it is easy to identify so-called habitual fraudsters, and it is possible to further deter fraud. It is also possible to limit the warning to fraudsters, and even if the vehicle number is different each time, such as in the case of a rental car, it is easy to identify habitual fraudsters from the passenger image, which leads to deterrence of fraud.

[0074] Also, if a child commits fraud by borrowing a parent's car, the parent will not be warned when the child re-enters the track, but if the parent pays the fee, the child may commit fraud again, and this deterrents fraud in the sense that such indulgence will not work. Naturally, even if a child borrows someone else's car to enter the track fraudulently, the child will not be warned if the other person re-enters the track.

[0075] In addition, the driver and passenger can be identified from the vehicle image by observing the facial image and behavior through the windshield, and the driver and passenger in the front seat can be identified from the operation state when parking and the line of sight (both right-hand drive and left-hand drive can be recognized). Of course, if the operation of the steering wheel can be seen, it can be easily identified.

[0076] In the case of flapless vehicles, it may not be possible to identify the driver when parking facing forward, but the driver can be estimated from the vehicle model, vehicle number, and the position of the exit door.

[0077] In addition, when tracking pedestrian movement, if the venue is crowded with a large number of pedestrians, it is possible to identify and track the same person, and in addition to tracking faces, it is also possible to track people who have the same luggage, clothing, or walking style.

[0078] In the above embodiment of the present invention, if the occupant image is captured twice, once inside the vehicle and once in the aisle after getting off the vehicle, and multiple pieces of image data are recorded with the same occupant image ID, the recognition accuracy is improved.

[0079] Pre-payment notifications are sent to drivers with a history of fraudulent driving who enter and exit through the parking lot entrance and exit, but notifications can also be sent in elevator halls of nearby facilities other than corridors, and notifications regarding fraud are particularly effective as a deterrent.

[0080] Although several embodiments have been described so far, further different embodiments may be those which combine the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications in whole or in part. In addition, in a parking lot that supports ETC vehicles among a plurality of parking lots, the vehicle number may be extracted from ETC setup information, etc.

[0081] In addition, the technology of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be variously changed, substituted, or modified within the scope of the gist of the technical idea. Furthermore, if the technical idea can be realized in a different way due to the progress of technology or a different technology derived therefrom, it may be implemented using that method. Therefore, the claims cover all embodiments that can be included in the scope of the technical idea. [Industrial Applicability]

[0082] As described above, the technology of the present invention is suitable for use in paid parking lots. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 202 Vehicle Number Management Department 204 Vehicle Image Management Department 206 Crew Image Management Department 208 Illegal Vehicle Management Department 210 Notification Department 214 Face Recognition Unit 112 Entrance Camera 113 Exit Camera 130 Parking lot management device 114 Pedestrian entrance / exit camera 117 In-venue camera 132 Payment machine

Claims

1. a vehicle number management unit that acquires and manages vehicle numbers from vehicles in a parking lot; a vehicle image management unit that takes and manages vehicle images of the vehicle; an occupant image management unit that captures and stores images of occupants of the vehicle; an illegal vehicle management unit that manages vehicle numbers obtained from illegal vehicles that have entered or left the parking lot without paying a parking fee; Equipped with The occupant image management unit adds unauthorized user information to the occupant image corresponding to the vehicle number of the unauthorized vehicle acquired by the unauthorized vehicle management unit and stores the image. Parking management system.

2. The parking lot management system according to claim 1, The vehicle further includes a notification unit that notifies a driver in the parking lot of information including the acquired vehicle number. Parking management system.

3. The parking lot management system according to claim 2, the occupant image management unit includes a surveillance camera that captures the occupant image in the parking lot, and a face recognition unit that recognizes the face of the occupant from the occupant image and compares the face with a face of a past occupant image stored, The notification unit notifies the user of details regarding payment of the parking fee when a face recognized from the occupant image captured by the surveillance camera is recognized to match a face of the occupant image of the past. Parking management system.

4. The parking lot management system according to claim 3, The notification unit notifies the driver of a warning about an unpaid parking fee when the face recognition unit recognizes that the face of the driver matches the face of the driver image having the unauthorized user information. Parking management system.

5. The parking lot management system according to claim 4, The notification unit does not notify the driver if the driver is not a driver for this parking even if the face of the driver matches the face of the driver image having the fraudulent user information in the face recognition unit. Parking management system.

6. The parking lot management system according to claim 4, The vehicle number management unit stores vehicle numbers of non-notification targets that are targets for which a warning about the unpaid parking fee is not to be notified, The notification unit does not notify the driver when the vehicle number of the vehicle is a non-notification target vehicle number even if the face of the driver matches the face of the driver image having the fraudulent user information in the face recognition unit. Parking management system.

7. The parking lot management system according to claim 4, the face recognition unit compares a face of the occupant image captured by the surveillance camera with a face of the past occupant image when the vehicle number acquired by the vehicle number management unit matches a vehicle number corresponding to the occupant image to which the fraudulent user information is attached; Parking management system.

8. The parking lot management system according to claim 4, The parking lot may be provided with a payment management unit that displays a payment screen on a payment machine or a terminal of the driver to allow the driver to pay the current parking fee and the unpaid parking fee together. Parking management system.

9. A parking lot management method executed by a parking lot management system, comprising: Obtain the vehicle number from the vehicle in the parking lot, Taking a vehicle image and an occupant image of the vehicle; storing a vehicle number obtained from a fraudulent vehicle that has entered or left the parking lot without paying a parking fee; adding unauthorized user information to the occupant image corresponding to the stored vehicle number of the unauthorized vehicle and storing the image; Parking lot management methods.

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