Parking lot management system

Abstract

To manage a parking lot using a camera so as to identify a vehicle in a parking lot.SOLUTION: A parking lot 20 includes an entrance / exit passage 40 through which a vehicle 30 travels in opposite directions when entering and leaving the lot. A system 10 for managing the parking lot 20 includes: a management server 130; a camera 300 configured to photograph a portion of each vehicle 30 in the entrance / exit passage 40 where a number unique to the vehicle is displayed; and a signal processing unit 100 configured to determine whether the vehicle 30 is in an entry stage or an exit stage, and, when the vehicle is determined to be in the entry stage, recognize the unique number of the vehicle based on an image signal received from the camera as an entry number, and, when the vehicle is determined to be in the exit stage, recognize the unique number of the vehicle based on an image signal received from the camera as an exit number, associate the entry number and the exit number with parking lot information for identifying the parking lot 20, and transmit the information to the management server 130.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 21

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for non - contact shape - identification of an object in a facility by scanning the object with electromagnetic waves in the x - direction and y - direction to monitor the facility, a technique for identifying a moving body entering or exiting the facility to manage the facility, The and a technique for identifying a user who is a user of the moving body and / or a user who uses the facility to manage the facility. technology of identifying a vehicle as an object using a camera in a parking lot as a facility and managing the parking lot It relates to the above.

Background Art

[0002] There already exists a technique for non - contact shape - identification of an object without using a camera by scanning the object in one direction with a line sensor.

[0003] An example of this is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In this technique, for the purpose of determining the vehicle type of a vehicle body traveling on a horizontal support surface (for example, a road surface), a plurality of light - emitting elements arranged one - dimensionally in the vertical direction and a plurality of light - receiving elements arranged one - dimensionally in the vertical direction are arranged so as to face each other horizontally. Thus, a silhouette sensor is configured as a line sensor.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem that the shape of an object to be identified cannot be accurately measured by the silhouette sensor.

[0006] Specifically, in the silhouette sensor, the light-emitting element emits electromagnetic waves such as light, radio waves, or sound waves toward the light-receiving element. As long as the electromagnetic waves are normal, both the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element usually have directivity.

[0007] If the electromagnetic waves are selected as laser light, neither the light-emitting element nor the light-receiving element needs to have directivity. However, in that case, there are problems such as the system being expensive, the power consumption of the elements increasing, and the emitted laser light being dangerous if it enters a human eye.

[0008] Therefore, when using normal electromagnetic waves so as not to have those problems, the electromagnetic waves emitted from one light-emitting element travel through space with a divergence angle. As a result, one electromagnetic wave may be received simultaneously by a plurality of light-receiving elements against one's will.

[0009] As a result, when using normal electromagnetic waves, there is a possibility that the one-dimensional pattern represented by the light-receiving elements that are shielded by the object to be identified and cannot receive the electromagnetic waves may not accurately reflect the actual silhouette of the object to be identified.

[0010] Therefore, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the light-receiving element receives light from an unexpected light-emitting element, there is a problem that the light cannot be removed as noise light, and thus the shape of the object to be identified cannot be accurately measured.

[0011] Note that the function (use) of identifying an object is embodied as a function of discriminating the vehicle type of a running automobile on a toll road as disclosed in Patent Document 1, and is also embodied as a function of identifying and classifying the vehicles entering and leaving the parking lot in a parking lot, for example.

[0012] Furthermore, there is a need to accurately associate the vehicle identified in this way with the user as the passenger of the vehicle.

[0013] Against this background, the present invention provides a technology for non-contact shape identification of an object in a facility by scanning the object with electromagnetic waves in the x-direction and the y-direction, and monitoring the facility; a technology for identifying and managing a moving body entering or leaving a designated facility by using a line sensor for non-contact shape identification of an object and an imaging device for imaging the object without using a camera. The A technology that enables identification and management of a user who is a user of the moving body and / or a user who uses the facility. technology of identifying a vehicle as an object using a camera in a parking lot as a facility and managing the parking lot It has been made with the object of providing the above.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0014] To solve the problem, according to an aspect of the present invention, First there is provided A parking lot management system, comprising The parking lot includes access roads where vehicles travel in opposite directions when entering and leaving the parking lot, The system A camera installed in the parking lot, which captures a part of each vehicle on which a unique number of the vehicle is displayed when the vehicle entering the parking lot and the vehicle leaving the parking lot are located on the access road, and generates an image signal representing the imaging result An in-out discrimination unit that discriminates whether the vehicle is in an inbound stage of entering the parking lot or an outbound stage of leaving the parking lot on the access road When it is determined that the vehicle is in the inbound stage, the unique number of the vehicle is recognized as the inbound time number based on the image signal received from the camera. On the other hand, when it is determined that the vehicle is in the outbound stage, the unique number of the vehicle is recognized as the outbound time number based on the image signal received from the camera. A number recognition unit A management server for managing the parking lot A number transmission unit installed in the parking lot, which transmits the inbound time number and the outbound time number in association with parking lot information for identifying the parking lot to the management server A parking lot management system including .

[0015] Also, according to another aspect of the present invention, Second aspect there is provided A parking lot management system, comprising The parking lot includes access roads where vehicles travel in opposite directions when entering and leaving the parking lot, The system A management server for managing the parking lot A camera installed in the parking lot, which captures a part of each vehicle on which a unique number of the vehicle is displayed when the vehicle entering the parking lot and the vehicle leaving the parking lot are located on the access road, and generates an image signal representing the imaging result A signal processing unit installed in the parking lot, which has a function of determining whether the vehicle is in the inbound stage of entering the parking lot in the access passage or in the outbound stage of leaving the parking lot from the parking lot in the access passage, and when it is determined that the vehicle is in the inbound stage, recognizing the number unique to the vehicle as the inbound number based on the image signal received from the camera, while when it is determined that the vehicle is in the outbound stage, recognizing the number unique to the vehicle as the outbound number based on the image signal received from the camera, and a function of transmitting the inbound number and the outbound number in association with the parking lot information for identifying the parking lot to the management server A parking lot management system including the above .

[0016] The following aspects are obtained by the present invention. Each aspect is divided into paragraphs, each paragraph is numbered, and other paragraph numbers are cited as necessary. This is for facilitating the understanding of some of the technical features that the present invention can adopt and combinations thereof, and it should not be construed that the technical features that the present invention can adopt and combinations thereof are limited to the following aspects. That is, although not described in the following aspects, it should be construed that it is not prohibited to appropriately extract and adopt the technical features described in this specification as the technical features of the present invention.

[0017] Furthermore, describing each paragraph in a form that cites the numbers of other paragraphs does not necessarily mean preventing the technical features described in each paragraph from being separated and made independent from the technical features described in other paragraphs. It should be construed that the technical features described in each paragraph can be appropriately made independent according to their nature.

[0018] (1) An object identification method for non-contact shape identification of an object without using a camera by scanning the object in one direction with a line sensor, which is carried out during relative movement of the object relative to the line sensor in a direction intersecting the length direction of the line sensor such that a transmitter array, which is a row of a plurality of transmitters, and a receiver array, which is a row of a plurality of receivers, are spatially arranged to face each other with a central space therebetween, and the object passes through the central space of the line sensor. A transmission step of continuously or time-discretely operating the plurality of transmitters to transmit a plurality of signals from those transmitters, A target reception step of attempting to receive the plurality of transmitted signals a plurality of times time-discretely by the plurality of receivers, thereby resulting in the execution of a plurality of reception events. When each receiver simultaneously receives two or more signals from two or more transmitters, among those transmitters, the opposing transmitter pre-assigned to correspond one-to-one to each receiver is set as a target transmitter, and the signal transmitted from that target transmitter is selected as a valid signal. In each reception event, among the plurality of receivers, those that have received a valid signal from their respective opposing transmitters are distinguished from those that have not received a valid signal, one-dimensional information is generated from the result, and a plurality of pieces of one-dimensional information respectively generated in the plurality of reception events are arranged to be converted into two-dimensional information, and an actual silhouette of the object is estimated based on the two-dimensional information; a silhouette estimation step and an object identification step of identifying the object based on a degree of shape approximation between the estimated actual silhouette and a plurality of predetermined reference silhouettes An object identification method including these steps.

[0019] (2) Each transmitter is configured to transmit a signal representing a unique transmitter ID, The target reception step includes a step of extracting a transmitter ID from a signal received by each receiver from each transmitter, and among a plurality of transmitter IDs respectively represented by a plurality of signals simultaneously received by each receiver from a plurality of transmitters, selecting, as the valid signal, a signal that matches a regular transmitter ID assigned to the opposing transmitter. The object identification method according to item (1).

[0020] (3) Each receiver (for example, a beacon receiver) is configured to receive a signal from each transmitter (for example, a beacon transmitter) by a short-range wireless communication method. The object identification method according to item (1) or (2).

[0021] (4) Each transmitter is a light emitter (for example, an LED light source, a laser light source, etc.) that emits light, which is visible light or infrared light, in a unique blinking pattern, each receiver is a light receiver (for example, a photodiode, a light sensor, etc.) that receives the light emitted from each light emitter, The target reception step includes a step of extracting a blinking pattern from the light received by each light receiver and converting the blinking pattern into a light emitter ID. The object identification method according to item (1) or (2).

[0022] (5) The plurality of reference silhouettes each have a shape unique to a plurality of object categories as a plurality of candidates for identifying the object, according to the object identification method according to any one of (1) to (4).

[0023] (6) Further, including a speed acquisition step of acquiring a moving speed when the object passes through the central space of the line sensor during the relative movement, in the silhouette estimation step, using the acquired moving speed, determining a spatial interval between the plurality of one-dimensional information, and arranging the plurality of one-dimensional information at the determined spatial interval to convert the plurality of one-dimensional information into the two-dimensional information, according to the object identification method according to any one of (1) to (5).

[0024] (7) A signal transmitted by an end transmitter located at one end of the plurality of transmitters is received by an end receiver located at one end of the plurality of receivers and facing the end transmitter without being blocked by the object, as long as an actual silhouette dimension of the object in the length direction of the line sensor does not exceed a predetermined upper limit dimension, according to the object identification method according to any one of (1) to (6).

[0025] (8) Further, including a first abnormality determination unit that determines that there is an abnormality in the operating state of the line sensor when the end receiver does not receive a signal from the end transmitter, according to the object identification method according to (7).

[0026] (9) Further, including a second abnormality determination unit that determines that there is an abnormality in the posture of the line sensor when the end receiver does not receive a signal from the end transmitter, according to the object identification method according to (7) or (8).

[0027] (10) Further, including a failure diagnosis step of performing a failure diagnosis on the operating state of the line sensor prior to the actual operation of object identification. The fault diagnosis process ignores the correspondence between the transmitter and the receiver, and for each receiver, determines whether the receiver has received all signals or some of the multiple signals from the multiple transmitters. If all or some of the multiple receivers do not receive signals from the same transmitter, it is determined that the transmitter is faulty. On the other hand, if any one of the receivers does not receive signals from any transmitter, it is determined that any one of the receivers is faulty. The object identification method according to any one of (1) to (9).

[0028] (11) A program executed by a computer to implement the object identification method according to any one of (1) to (10).

[0029] Throughout this specification, the term "program" can be interpreted, for example, to mean a combination of instructions executed by a computer to perform its functions, or to include not only those combinations of instructions but also files and data processed according to each instruction, but is not limited thereto.

[0030] Also, this program can be executed by a computer alone to achieve the intended purpose, or can be executed by a computer together with other programs to achieve the intended purpose, but is not limited thereto. In the latter case, the program according to this item can be mainly data, but is not limited thereto.

[0031] (12) A recording medium on which the program according to (11) is recorded in a computer-readable manner.

[0032] Throughout this specification, the term "recording medium" can be interpreted to mean various forms of recording media, and such recording media include, for example, magnetic recording media such as flexible disks, optical recording media such as CDs and CD-ROMs, magneto-optical recording media such as MOs, and non-removable storage such as ROMs, but are not limited thereto.

[0033] (13) The minimum dimension of the central space between the transmitter row and the receiver row is 30 cm, 50 cm, 1 m, or 2 m. The object identification method according to any one of (1) to (10).

[0034] (14) The object includes a vehicle such as a bicycle, a motorcycle, and an automobile or a moving body. The object identification method according to any one of (1) to (10).

[0035] (15) The plurality of reference silhouettes includes a plurality of standard silhouettes for each of a vehicle, a human, and an animal. The object identification method according to any one of (1) to (10).

[0036] (16) The line sensor includes a first line sensor and a second line sensor that are respectively installed at two locations spaced apart from each other in the traveling direction of the object. The object identification method according to any one of (1) to (10).

[0037] (17) The object travels along a predetermined passage, the transmitter row and the receiver row are respectively installed at two locations facing each other so as to sandwich the passage, and the object is identified while the object is traveling in one direction along the passage. The object identification method according to any one of (1) to (10).

[0038] (18) The passage is arranged so as to connect an open space and a dead-end space to each other, the object travels in both forward and reverse directions along the passage, and the line sensor includes an outer line sensor installed on the open space side and an inner line sensor installed on the dead-end space side of the passage. The object identification method according to (17).

[0039] (19) An object identification system that non-contactingly identifies the shape of an object without using a camera by scanning the object in one direction with a line sensor, A line sensor in which a transmitter array, which is a row of a plurality of transmitters, and a receiver array, which is a row of a plurality of receivers, are spatially arranged so as to face each other with a central space therebetween, and the object moves relative to the line sensor in a direction intersecting the length direction of the line sensor so as to pass through the central space. A target receiving unit that attempts to receive the plurality of transmitted signals a plurality of times at discrete times by the plurality of receivers, thereby resulting in a plurality of reception events. When each receiver simultaneously receives two or more signals from two or more transmitters, among those transmitters, a counter transmitter pre-assigned to correspond one-to-one to each receiver is set as a target transmitter, and a signal transmitted from the target transmitter is selected as a valid signal. In each reception event, among the plurality of receivers, those that have received a valid signal from their respective counter transmitters and those that have not received a valid signal are distinguished from each other, one-dimensional information is generated from the result, and the plurality of one-dimensional information generated in the plurality of reception events are arranged to be converted into two-dimensional information, and an actual silhouette of the object is estimated based on the two-dimensional information. An object identification unit that identifies the object based on a degree of shape approximation between the estimated actual silhouette and a plurality of predetermined reference silhouettes An object identification system including the above.

[0040] (20) An object identification system that non-contactingly identifies the shape of an object without using a camera by scanning the object in one direction with a line sensor. A line sensor in which a transmitter array, which is a row of a plurality of transmitters, and a receiver array, which is a row of a plurality of receivers, are spatially arranged so as to face each other with a central space therebetween, and the object moves relative to the line sensor in a direction intersecting the length direction of the line sensor so as to pass through the central space, and a plurality of signals transmitted from the plurality of transmitters are at least partially blocked by the object and do not reach the receiver array. Based on the reception result of the line sensor, estimate the actual silhouette of the object, and identify the object based on the shape approximation degree between the estimated actual silhouette and a plurality of predetermined reference silhouettes. An object identification unit including The object includes a vehicle The communication terminal is carried by a user who is a passenger of the vehicle during boarding or is mounted on the vehicle Each transmitter transmits a signal representing a unique transmitter ID During boarding, the communication terminal receives a portion of a plurality of signals from the plurality of transmitters that enters the vehicle The object identification system further includes A management server capable of communicating with the communication terminal A communication unit capable of transmitting a signal representing the reception state of the plurality of receivers and / or the object identification result of the object identification unit to the management server including When the communication terminal receives a signal from at least one of the plurality of transmitters, it extracts the transmitter ID from the signal, associates the transmitter ID with user identification information, and transmits it to the management server When the management server receives the transmitter ID from the communication terminal in a state where the line sensor detects the object and the object is identified as a vehicle, if the transmitter ID belongs to the line sensor, it includes a user-vehicle association unit that associates the user with the vehicle. An object identification system

[0041] (21) In order to identify and manage, as objects, a vehicle entering or leaving a specified facility and a user who is the user of the vehicle, in a state where they are distinguished from each other, a line sensor extending in a direction intersecting the traveling direction of an object passing through the passage of the facility is provided in the passage of the facility. By scanning an object passing through the passage relative to its traveling direction, a silhouette of the object is acquired, and object identification processing is performed based on the silhouette. The line sensor is used to determine whether the object is a vehicle based on the acquired silhouette. If it is a vehicle, the vehicle type is discriminated based on the silhouette. The vehicle is photographed using a camera in temporal linkage with the object identification processing, the determination, or the discrimination, and a vehicle number is acquired based on the photographed vehicle image. The facility, the vehicle type, the vehicle number, and a user ID or a terminal ID are associated with each other, and these elements are registered in a vehicle / user management list. A vehicle / user identification management system and a vehicle / user identification management method.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0042]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0043] Hereinafter, some of the more specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0044] [First Embodiment]

[0045] In FIG. 1, the hardware configuration of an object identification system 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as "system 10") according to an exemplary first embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown in a plan view. This system 10 is designed to implement an object identification method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] In this embodiment, this system 10 is incorporated as a part of a parking lot management system 1000 that manages the parking lot 20 unmanned and remotely.

[0047] Briefly described, this system 10 is designed to non - contact - shape - identify the object without using a camera by scanning a three - dimensional object in one direction with a line sensor.

[0048] This system 10 is implemented to identify whether an object entering or leaving the parking lot 20 is a vehicle 30, a human, or an animal. The parking lot 20 has an access passage 40 that connects an inner area (dead-end space) 34 having a plurality of vehicle compartments 32 capable of accommodating a plurality of vehicles and an outer area (open space) 38 that is a road 36 adjacent to the parking lot 20 to each other.

[0049] The vehicle 30 travels along the common access passage 40 both when entering the parking lot 20 and when leaving the parking lot 20. Specifically, when entering the parking lot, the vehicle 30 travels in one direction (from the outside to the inside) along the access passage 40, while when leaving the parking lot, the vehicle 30 travels in the reverse direction (from the inside to the outside) along the access passage 40.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 1, this system 10 includes an outer line sensor 50 installed on the side of the outer area 38 and an inner line sensor 52 installed on the side of the inner area 34 in the access passage 40. Both the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52 are installed on the support surface (for example, road surface or ground) 54 of the parking lot 20 in an upright posture that extends generally perpendicular to the support surface 54.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, for both the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52, a transmitter post 62 formed by housing a row of a plurality of transmitters 60 in a housing 74 and a receiver post 72 formed by housing a row of a plurality of receivers 70 in a housing 76 are spatially arranged so as to face each other with a central space 77 therebetween. Both the transmitter post 62 and the receiver post 72 are configured such that a plurality of sensor elements (this term is used to collectively refer to the transmitters 60 and the receivers 70) are arranged one-dimensionally (for example, along a straight or curved center line).

[0052] Furthermore, for both the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52, one transmitter 60 and one receiver 70 that form a pair with each other among the plurality of transmitters 60 and the plurality of receivers 70 are arranged to face each other in the horizontal direction as shown in FIG. 3.

[0053] The transmitter post 62 and the receiver post 72 each have columnar housings 74 and 76 that extend generally vertically from the support surface 54, and a plurality of transmitters 60 and a plurality of receivers 70 are respectively housed in those housings 74 and 76 so as to have a waterproof function (so as not to malfunction due to the intrusion of rainwater or puddles).

[0054] In the present embodiment, both the transmitter 60 and the receiver 70 are sensor elements (for example, beacon transmitters and beacon receivers) of a type that communicate using non-visible light (for example, radio waves). Instead, sensor elements of a type that use visible light, infrared light, sound waves, or ultrasonic waves, for example, a combination of an LED light source and a photosensor, a combination of an infrared light source and an infrared sensor, a combination of a laser light source and a photosensor, or a combination of a sound wave generator and a sound wave sensor may be used. That is, the transmitter 60 is an example of an electromagnetic wave emitting element, while the receiver 70 is an example of an electromagnetic wave incident element.

[0055] In one example, each transmitter 60 is a light emitter 60 that emits light, which is visible light or infrared light, in a unique blinking pattern. In contrast, each receiver 70 is a light receiver 70 that receives the light emitted from each light emitter 60. In this case, the target receiving unit 108 extracts the blinking pattern from the light received by each light receiver 70, converts the blinking pattern into a light emitter ID, and thereby determines whether the light emitter 60 that emitted the received light is an opposing light emitter (an example of a regular transmitter), that is, a regular light emitter (an example of a regular transmitter).

[0056] As shown in the front view in Fig. 3, during the object identification operation, a plurality of transmitters 60 each transmit a plurality of signals simultaneously. Among these signals, the portions blocked by the vehicle 30 do not enter the opposing receiver 70, while the portions not blocked by the vehicle 30 pass through the central space 77 and enter the opposing receiver 70.

[0057] As shown in the side view in Fig. 4, for both the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52, and also for both the transmitter post 62 and the receiver post 72, among the plurality of sensor elements 60, 70 arranged in a row, the uppermost ones (the uppermost transmitter (an example of the "end transmitter") 60 and the uppermost receiver (an example of the "end receiver") 70) are such that, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, for all types of vehicles 30 that are size - compatible, the height - direction positions of the uppermost transmitter 60 and the uppermost receiver 70 are selected so that the signal transmitted by the uppermost transmitter 60 is received by the uppermost receiver 70.

[0058] Therefore, the signal transmitted by the uppermost transmitter 60 is received by the uppermost receiver 70 that faces the uppermost transmitter 60 without being blocked by the object 30, as long as the actual silhouette dimension of the object 30 in the length direction of each line sensor 50, 52 does not exceed a predetermined upper limit dimension.

[0059] Furthermore, as shown in the side view in Fig. 4, for both the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52, and also for both the transmitter post 62 and the receiver post 72, among the plurality of sensor elements 60, 70 arranged in a row, the lowermost ones (the lowermost transmitter 60 and the lowermost receiver 70) are such that, for all types of vehicles 30, when the tire (wheel) 78 of the vehicle 30 passes through the line sensors 50, 52, the height - direction positions of the lowermost transmitter 60 and the lowermost receiver 70 are selected so that the signal transmitted from the lowermost transmitter 60 is blocked by the tire 78 and not received by the lowermost receiver 70. Thereby, it is possible to detect the timing when the tire 78 of the vehicle 30 passes through each line sensor 50, 52.

[0060] As shown in the front view in Fig. 5, for both the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 60, each transmitter 60 in the transmitter post 62 transmits signals omnidirectionally (e.g., radially). Therefore, the signal transmitted from one transmitter 60 may be received simultaneously not only by the opposing receiver (e.g., one opposing receiver) 70 facing that transmitter 60 but also by a plurality of receivers 70 located around it.

[0061] To eliminate this possibility, in this embodiment, target reception is performed for each receiver 70. Specifically, when each receiver 70 simultaneously receives two or more signals from two or more transmitters 60, among those transmitters 60, signal processing is performed to select, as a valid signal, the signal transmitted from the opposing transmitter 60 that has been previously assigned to correspond one-to-one to each receiver 70, and to exclude the other signals as invalid signals. This is also referred to as filtering processing.

[0062] In connection with this, Fig. 6 shows, in tabular form, the relationship between the numbers of a plurality of receivers 70, the numbers of a plurality of transmitters (regular transmitters) 60 that respectively correspond one-to-one to those receivers 70, and the plurality of transmitter IDs (regular transmitter IDs) for each transmitter 60, for each of the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52.

[0063] Specifically, in the above-mentioned target reception, for each receiver 70, one opposing transmitter 60 corresponding to it and the transmitter ID assigned to that opposing transmitter 60, i.e., the regular transmitter ID, are determined. When each receiver 70 simultaneously receives two or more signals from two or more transmitters 60, among those transmitters 60, the signal representing the regular transmitter ID is selected as a valid signal, while the other signals are ignored. This is also referred to as soft filtering processing.

[0064] That is, in the above-described target reception, when each receiver 70 simultaneously receives two or more signals from two or more transmitters 60, one opposing transmitter 60 assigned one regular transmitter ID is selected as one target transmitter 60, and in fact, an attempt is made to receive signals only from that target transmitter 60.

[0065] On the other hand, random reception means that each receiver 70 ignores which transmitter 60 is the aforementioned regular transmitter, converts at least one randomly received signal into at least one actual transmitter ID, and assigns that at least one actual transmitter ID to each receiver 70.

[0066] In this embodiment, for a plurality of receivers 70, the above-described target reception is sequentially performed from the uppermost receiver 70 toward the lowermost receiver 70 (it may be in the reverse direction or in another direction). This is when the relative movement between the outer line sensor 50 and the object 30 is referred to as a physical scan (x-direction scan, front-rear direction scan), and it is referred to as a soft scan (y-direction scan, vertical direction scan) for the outer line sensor 50, that is, the plurality of receivers 70.

[0067] In this embodiment, the inner line sensor 52 is designed to have the same configuration as the outer line sensor 50. However, in this embodiment, object identification is performed exclusively using the outer line sensor 50. However, instead of this, the present invention may be implemented in a mode where object identification is performed exclusively using the inner line sensor 52, or the present invention may be implemented in a mode where object identification is performed using both line sensors 50 and 52.

[0068] Therefore, as will be described later, the inner line sensor 52 may be designed to be simpler than the outer line sensor 50 (for example, reducing the number of sensor element pairs (transmission type opposed sensor elements) composed of the transmitter 60 and the receiver 70 facing each other to one or a plurality, or reducing the number of sensor element pairs in the outer line sensor 50) so as to have the minimum necessary configuration for jointly performing the incoming and outgoing determination with the outer line sensor 50.

[0069] As described above, this system 10 is designed to non - contactingly and shape - discriminately identify the three - dimensional object 30 without using a camera by physically scanning the three - dimensional object 30 in one direction with the outer line sensor 50.

[0070] Specifically, as shown in the side view in FIG. 7, as an example of an object, when the vehicle 30 as the object is moving in one direction through the entrance / exit passage 40 of the parking lot 20, the vehicle 30 is scanned in one direction by the outer line sensor 50 and the vehicle 30 is identified.

[0071] By moving the vehicle 30 as a moving body so as to pass through the central space 77 relative to the outer line sensor 50 as a stationary object, a relative movement is realized in which the vehicle 30 moves relative to the outer line sensor 50 in a direction (scanning direction) intersecting the length direction of the outer line sensor 50.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 8 by using a dot pattern to indicate the presence or absence of reception for each receiver 70 (for each receiver 70, a non - reception state due to signal interruption, that is, an OFF state of the receiver 70 is indicated by a dot), as a result of the vehicle 30 being scanned in one direction by the outer line sensor 50, a plurality of one - dimensional information about the vehicle 30 is generated at discrete times. These one - dimensional information are sequentially generated at a predetermined sampling period Δt.

[0073] In the example shown in FIG. 8, time t1 is associated with time t1 in the example shown in FIG. 7. In FIG. 7, among the object 30, the one-dimensional information obtained when the part indicated by time t1 is measured by the outer line sensor 50 is shown in FIG. 8 as a dot pattern. Similarly, in FIG. 8, time t2 is associated with the part indicated by time t2 in FIG. 7. The same applies to the other times t3 and t4.

[0074] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of one-dimensional information (one dot sequence) generated by the above-described one-way scan is synthesized into two-dimensional information (a plurality of dot sequences), whereby the actual silhouette of the object 30 is estimated. The shape of the actual silhouette is represented, for example, by an envelope enclosing a plurality of dots representing the two-dimensional information.

[0075] The synthesis of the plurality of one-dimensional information may be performed by arranging them evenly at a common spatial interval. The length of the spatial interval at that time may be a fixed value or a variable value set according to the measured value of the moving speed of the object 30.

[0076] Alternatively, the moving speed of the object 30 (for example, vehicle traveling speed, vehicle speed) may be acquired at substantially the same timing as the sampling timing of the one-dimensional information, and the plurality of one-dimensional information may be arranged unevenly at a plurality of spatial intervals corresponding to the plurality of acquired actual speeds.

[0077] Specifically, using the plurality of acquired moving speeds, the spatial interval between the plurality of one-dimensional information may be determined, and the one-dimensional information may be arranged with the determined spatial interval therebetween to be converted into two-dimensional information.

[0078] As described above, this system 10 is implemented to identify whether the object 30 entering or leaving the parking lot 20 is a vehicle, a human, or an animal. On the other hand, for object identification, a plurality of reference silhouettes are prepared, and it is determined whether the actual silhouette estimated as described above most closely resembles any of those reference silhouettes, and the object category corresponding to the reference silhouette with the closest approximation is determined to be the current object 30.

[0079] Therefore, in the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the plurality of reference silhouettes include a plurality of standard silhouettes for each of a vehicle, a human (e.g., a vertically elongated simple-shaped silhouette), and an animal (e.g., a horizontally elongated simple-shaped silhouette).

[0080] The degree of approximation (or similarity) in shape between the actual silhouette and each reference silhouette is calculated, for example, for each reference silhouette, as the degree of shape approximation between the actual silhouette and each reference silhouette. The shape approximation can be calculated, for example, as the number of a plurality of bits that occupy the area where the bitmap data representing the actual silhouette and the bitmap data representing each reference silhouette overlap each other.

[0081] Furthermore, when calculating the degree of shape approximation between the actual silhouette and each reference silhouette, the actual silhouette and each reference silhouette are superimposed on the bitmap memory so that the baseline of the actual silhouette (representing the position of the support surface 54) and the baseline of each reference silhouette coincide with each other. As a result, the actual silhouette and each reference silhouette are positioned relative to each other in the vertical direction (y direction). On the other hand, the relative positioning in the horizontal direction (x direction) is performed by calculation so that the overlapping area between the actual silhouette and each reference silhouette is maximized.

[0082] Furthermore, for each reference silhouette, while varying the magnification of the actual silhouette, maximize the shape approximation degree with respect to each reference silhouette, and use the maximum value as the representative approximation degree. Compare the representative approximation degree of that reference silhouette with the representative approximation degrees calculated in the same way for the remaining reference silhouettes, and identify the current object 30 as the object category corresponding to the one for which the maximum representative approximation degree is obtained among all the reference silhouettes.

[0083] FIG. 9 conceptually shows an exemplary relationship between a plurality of object categories and a plurality of reference silhouettes in a tabular format. As shown in the figure, the reference silhouette for a human is, for example, a silhouette with a simple vertically elongated shape. Also, the reference silhouette for an animal is, for example, a silhouette with a simple horizontally elongated shape. Each reference silhouette is based on a straight line representing the support surface 54 as a baseline, and is positioned relatively with respect to that baseline.

[0084] In the example shown in FIG. 9, as a plurality of reference silhouettes for a vehicle, a plurality of standard silhouettes (following the shape-based classification used when standardly classifying the vehicle from its shape) are selected. However, instead of this, a plurality of individual silhouettes for each vehicle type may be selected. By doing so, when the object 30 is identified as a vehicle, it becomes possible to further identify which vehicle type (for example, even the vehicle manufacturer name) the vehicle 30 is.

[0085] Below FIG. 2, the software configuration of this system 10 is conceptually shown in a functional block diagram.

[0086] The user uses the communication terminal 90. The communication terminal 90 may be a device carried by the user and having a wireless communication function, for example, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a PDA, etc. Instead of this, the communication terminal 90 may be something not carried by the user, for example, an in-vehicle communication terminal or an in-vehicle computer mounted on the vehicle 30.

[0087] This system 10 has a signal processing unit 100 connected to the transmitter posts 62, 62 and the receiver posts 72, 72 of each of the line sensors 50, 52, respectively. This signal processing unit 100 is configured to perform object identification and inbound / outbound discrimination based on a plurality of signals from the receiver posts 72, 72 of each of the line sensors 50, 52.

[0088] Specifically, the signal processing unit 100 is configured to include a computer (processor) 160 and a memory 162 in terms of its hardware configuration. The memory 162 has a first storage unit 102 that stores the relationship illustratively shown in FIG. 6 and a second storage unit 104 that stores the relationship illustratively shown in FIG. 9.

[0089] The signal processing unit 100 further has a transmitting unit 106 that operates a plurality of transmitters 60 all at once and continuously (even discretely in time), and a target receiving unit (including a filtering unit) 108 for performing the aforementioned target reception.

[0090] The signal processing unit 100 further has a silhouette estimation unit 110 for estimating the actual silhouette of the vehicle 30 based on the reception result by the target receiving unit 108, and an object identification unit 112 for identifying the object 30 based on the estimated actual silhouette.

[0091] The signal processing unit 100 is further configured to have an inbound / outbound discrimination unit 114 for discriminating whether the vehicle 30 (after the object 30 is identified as a vehicle) is in the inbound stage or the outbound stage using the two line sensors 50 and 52, and a speed acquisition unit 116 for acquiring the moving speed of the object 30. The acquired moving speed is used, for example, by the silhouette estimation unit 110 when synthesizing a plurality of one-dimensional information into two-dimensional information as described above.

[0092] The silhouette estimation unit 110 estimates the actual silhouette of the object 30 by using the straight line representing the support surface 54 as a baseline (see FIG. 9) and relatively positioning the two-dimensional information with respect to the baseline.

[0093] The speed acquisition unit 116 may be configured to receive, for example, from the object 30, a signal representing its moving speed, and acquire the moving speed of the object 30 from the signal, or may be configured as a Doppler speedometer.

[0094] Alternatively, the speed acquisition unit 116 may be configured to obtain the average moving speed of the object 30 by dividing the distance between the installation positions of the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52 by the time difference between the timing when the object 30 passes the outer line sensor 50 (the timing when any one of the receivers 72 or a predetermined plurality of consecutive receivers 72 in the outer line sensor 50 first turn off) and the timing when the same object 30 passes the inner line sensor 52 (the timing when any one of the receivers 72 or a predetermined plurality of consecutive receivers 72 in the inner line sensor 52 first turn off).

[0095] The signal processing unit 100 further includes a communication device 300 (see FIG. 18) for transmitting at least the execution results of the object identification unit 112 and the incoming / outgoing determination unit 114 to the management server 130. The communication device 300 has, for example, a long-distance wireless communication function.

[0096] This system 10 further includes a drive unit 120 connected to the transmitter posts 62, 62 and the receiver posts 72, 72 of each of the line sensors 50, 52, and a power supply unit 122. The drive unit 120 supplies power from a power supply unit (commercial power supply, solar cell, battery, etc.) 122 to the respective transmitters 60 and receivers 70. Thereby, the drive unit 120 causes the transmitter 60 to shift to a state of transmitting a signal, and causes the receiver 70 to shift to a state of attempting to receive signals from some of the transmitters 60.

[0097] However, the transmitter 60 and the receiver 70 may be of a self - contained type that can operate without external power supply, by a combination of a solar cell and a rechargeable battery (storage battery).

[0098] This system 10 further includes a management server 130 operated by a management center 124 installed at a remote location from the parking lot 20. The management server 130 is capable of long - distance wireless communication with the signal processing unit 100.

[0099] The management server 130 has a parking lot management unit 132 that manages the parking lot 20 based on the signals received from the signal processing unit (for example, installed in the parking lot 20 but may also be installed outside the parking lot 20) 100 and the signals received from the user's communication terminal 90.

[0100] The management server 130 is connected to a settlement server 140 in order to perform electronic settlement of parking fees by the user.

[0101] <Object Identification>

[0102] FIG. 10 conceptually shows an exemplary object identification program executed in the object identification unit 112 of the signal processing unit 100 shown in FIG. 2 as a flowchart. In the present embodiment, only the outer line sensor 50 is used for object identification, and the remaining inner line sensors 52 are used together with the outer line sensor 50 for determining entry and exit.

[0103] This object identification program is pre - stored in the memory 162 and is executed as appropriate by a computer (especially a processor) 160.

[0104] When this object identification program is executed, first, in step S1001, a plurality of transmitters 60 in the outer line sensor 50 are driven all at once, whereby these transmitters 60 transmit a plurality of signals representing their respective unique transmitter IDs.

[0105] Next, in step S1002, start the current scan for the object 30 (strictly speaking, the object 30 does not always exist in the vicinity of the outer line sensor 50), and record the current time as the current scan timing t n (In this case, n = 1, and in the example shown in FIG. 7, n = 1, 2, 3, 4,...), and store it in the memory 162. Here, "scan" is not a soft scan (sequential target reception for each receiver 70), but a physical scan. For example, at a certain moment, it is similar to an event of attempting to photograph the object 30 using a plurality of transmitters 60 and a plurality of receivers 70.

[0106] Subsequently, in step S1003, sequentially shift to the mode of performing the aforementioned target reception for each receiver 70.

[0107] Thereafter, in step S1004, in preparation for the synthesis process (step S1016) described below that converts a plurality of one-dimensional information into two-dimensional information (the actual silhouette of the object 30), use the speed acquisition unit 116 to acquire the current vehicle speed of the vehicle 30, and associate it with the current scan timing t n and store it in the memory 162.

[0108] Subsequently, in step S1005, select any one of the plurality of receivers 70 (for example, the uppermost receiver 70 or the lowermost receiver 70) as the current implementation target, and for this one receiver 70 in this time, read out the corresponding regular transmitter ID from the memory 162, that is, as shown in FIG. 6, the regular transmitter ID pre-assigned to one transmitter (regular transmitter) 60 facing each receiver 70.

[0109] Thereafter, in step S1006, at least one signal received by the current receiver 70 from at least one transmitter 60 is respectively converted into an actual transmitter ID, and it is determined whether any of the actual transmitter IDs matches the read regular transmitter ID. If they match, the determination in step S1006 is YES, and in step S1007, it is determined that the current receiver 70 has received a valid signal. Subsequently, in step S1008, it is determined that the current receiver 70 is in the ON state.

[0110] On the contrary, if none of the at least one actual transmitter IDs converted from the signals received by the current receiver 70 match the read regular transmitter ID (including the case where the current receiver 70 does not receive a signal from any transmitter 60), the determination in step S1006 is NO. Subsequently, in step S1009, it is determined that the current receiver 70 has not received a valid signal. Subsequently, in step S1010, it is determined that the current receiver 70 is in the OFF state.

[0111] In any case, thereafter, in step S1011, it is determined whether target reception has ended for all receivers 70, that is, whether a plurality of target receptions (one reception event) belonging to the current scan have ended. If it has not ended, the determination in step S1011 is NO, and the process returns to step S1005 to perform target reception for the next receiver 70.

[0112] When the target reception (one reception event) is completed for all the receivers 70, the determination in step S1011 becomes YES. Subsequently, in S1012, the above-described multiple determination results regarding whether the multiple receivers 70 have received a valid signal are stored in the memory 162 in a bitmap format, for example, as shown on the left side in FIG. 8, in association with the height positions of the respective receivers 70, so as to distinguish whether they are in the ON state or the OFF state. Thereby, one-dimensional information for one column regarding the current reception event is generated. That is, among the multiple receivers 70, those that have received a valid signal from the respective opposing transmitters 60 are distinguished from those that have not, and one-dimensional information is generated from the result.

[0113] Thereafter, in step S1013, it is determined whether scanning (physical scanning at a plurality of predetermined discrete times) has been completed for all of a plurality of locations of the object 30 that are spatially discrete in the front-rear direction. Specifically, for example, it is determined whether the number of scans n has reached a preset upper limit value n max

[0114] In this case, assuming that the number of scans n has not reached the upper limit value n max the determination in step S1013 becomes NO, and in step S1014, it waits for a predetermined time interval between a plurality of adjacent scans from the current scan timing t n , that is, for one sampling period Δt (see FIG. 8) for one time to elapse. The sampling period Δt is one fixed value that is common to all the inter-scan time intervals (scan periods), but may be a variable value, for example.

[0115] When one sampling period Δt has elapsed, the determination in step S1014 becomes YES, and it returns to step S1002, and the next scan for another part of the same object 30 is started.

[0116] As a result of repeating the execution of steps S1002 - S1012 the required number of times, the number of scans n reaches the upper limit value n max ​When it reaches this point, the determination in step S1013 becomes YES. In step S1015, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the aforementioned plurality of one-dimensional information (dot sequences) are expanded or arranged on the bitmap 180 with a space of each x-direction interval Δx therebetween, thereby generating bitmap data as one piece of two-dimensional information.

[0117] As illustrated in FIG. 8, the bitmap data on the bitmap 180 has a plurality of black dots and a plurality of white dots arranged two-dimensionally.

[0118] Among the bitmap data, the plurality of black dots each represent that the corresponding receiver 70 is in the OFF state (transmitter signal cut-off state). In contrast, the plurality of white dots each represent that the corresponding receiver 70 is in the ON state (transmitter signal transmission state).

[0119] The bitmap 180 is a virtual two-dimensional map formed on the memory 162. Specifically, it is a two-dimensional coordinate plane in which the dimension in the traveling direction of the object 30 (x-direction dimension) is assigned to the horizontal axis and the dimension in the height direction of the object 30 (y-direction dimension) is assigned to the vertical axis. The dimension in the height direction of each part of the object 30 corresponds to each part from the baseline representing the height of the support surface 54, that is, the height dimension position of each receiver 70.

[0120] Regarding the dimension in the traveling direction of the object 30, on the bitmap 180, the interval Δx between adjacent ones among the plurality of dot sequences may be a fixed value common to the plurality of dot sequences, but in the present embodiment, it is a variable value common to the plurality of dot sequences.

[0121] Specifically, Δx is calculated as the product of the moving speed v of the object 30 and the sampling period Δt. As a result, the larger the moving speed v, the longer Δx becomes. The moving speed v of the object 30 is defined as the average moving speed when the object 30 passes through the access passage 40.

[0122] On the other hand, the moving speed v of the object 30 may be defined, for example, as an individual moving speed when the object 30 passes through each scan position on the access passage 40. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 8, for each scan, that is, for each dot column, the value of Δx is calculated individually.

[0123] Furthermore, in this step S1015, an envelope line circumscribing the outer contour of a collection of a plurality of black dots in the bitmap data is estimated as the actual silhouette of the object 30.

[0124] Thereafter, in step S1016, as described above, the shape approximation degree between the estimated actual silhouette and each of a plurality of reference silhouettes (see FIG. 9) as a plurality of candidates is calculated.

[0125] Subsequently, in step S1017, among the plurality of reference silhouettes, the one having the maximum value among the plurality of calculated shape approximation degrees is selected as one reference silhouette representing the actual silhouette of the object 30 this time.

[0126] Thereafter, in step S1018, from the selected one reference silhouette, according to the relationship illustrated in FIG. 9, it is identified whether the object 30 this time is a vehicle, a human, or an animal other than a human. In the illustrated example, the object 30 this time is identified as a vehicle. The identification result is stored in the memory 142 and is constantly shared with other programs in the signal processing unit 100, programs in the communication terminal 90, and programs in the management server 130.

[0127] Note that when any of the receivers 70 is in the ON state, none of the reference silhouettes is selected. At this time, this program determines in step S1018 that no object exists in the access passage 40.

[0128] This program then returns to step S1002 and starts the next scan process.

[0129] As is clear from the above description, according to the present embodiment, even if each receiver 70 receives a signal from an unexpected transmitter 60, the signal can be removed as a noise signal (a signal that does not correspond to the valid signal among a plurality of received signals for each receiver 70). Therefore, the shape of the object to be identified can be accurately measured.

[0130] <In-out determination>

[0131] FIG. 11 conceptually shows an exemplary in-out determination program executed in the in-out determination unit 114 of the signal processing unit 100 shown in FIG. 2 as a flowchart. In the present embodiment, both the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52 are used for in-out determination.

[0132] This in-out determination program is pre-stored in the memory 162 and is appropriately executed by a computer (particularly a processor) 160.

[0133] <Detection of initial state>

[0134] When this in-out determination program is executed, first, in step S1101, it is determined whether the outer line sensor 50 is in a completely ON state (since no object exists in the vicinity of the outer line sensor 50, all receivers 70 are in the ON state). If the outer line sensor 50 is at least partially in the OFF state (since any object exists in the vicinity of the outer line sensor 50, any receiver 70 is in the OFF state), there is a possibility that an object exists, so the determination is NO and the process returns to step S1101.

[0135] On the other hand, if the outer line sensor 50 is completely ON, the determination in step S1101 becomes YES. Subsequently, in step S1102, it is then determined whether the inner line sensor 52 is completely ON (a state where no object exists in the vicinity of the inner line sensor 52). If the inner line sensor 52 is at least partially OFF, there is a possibility that an object exists, so the determination becomes NO and the process returns to step S1101.

[0136] On the other hand, if both the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52 are completely ON, the determinations in both step S1101 and step S1102 become YES, and it is confirmed that the initial state for determining incoming and outgoing goods, that is, a state where no object exists at any location within the access passage 40, is established. This initial state is indicated by "t1" in each of the examples shown in FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b).

[0137] <Detection of the warehousing stage>

[0138] Subsequently, in step S1103, it is determined whether the outer line sensor 50 is at least partially OFF (a state where any object exists in the vicinity of the outer line sensor 50). If it is at least partially OFF, there is a possibility that an object exists, so the determination becomes YES and the process proceeds to step S1104.

[0139] In step S1104, it is determined whether the inner line sensor 52 is completely ON (a state where no object exists in the vicinity of the inner line sensor 52). If it is completely ON, there is a possibility that no object exists, so the determination becomes YES. This state is indicated by "t2" in the example shown in FIG. 12(a).

[0140] Next, in step S1105, it is determined whether the outer line sensor 50 is in a completely ON state (a state where no object exists in the vicinity of the outer line sensor 50). If it is in the completely ON state, there is a possibility that no object exists, so the determination is YES, and the process proceeds to step S1106.

[0141] In step S1106, it is determined whether the inner line sensor 52 is at least partially in an OFF state (a state where any object exists in the vicinity of the inner line sensor 52). If it is at least partially in the OFF state, there is a possibility that an object exists, so the determination is YES. This state is indicated by "t3" in the example shown in FIG. 12(a).

[0142] After that, in step S1107, it is determined that the current object is in the warehousing stage. The determination result is stored in the memory 142 and is continuously shared with other programs in the signal processing unit 100, programs in the communication terminal 90, and programs in the management server 130.

[0143] Subsequently, this program returns to stage S1101.

[0144] <Detection of the shipping stage>

[0145] If the determination in step S1103 or 1104 is NO, in step S1108, it is determined whether the outer line sensor 50 is in a completely ON state. If it is in the completely ON state, there is a possibility that no object exists, so the determination is YES, and the process proceeds to step S1109.

[0146] In step S1109, it is determined whether the inner line sensor 52 is at least partially in an OFF state. If it is at least partially in the OFF state, there is a possibility that an object exists, so the determination is YES. This state is indicated by "t2" in the example shown in FIG. 12(b).

[0147] Subsequently, in step S1110, it is determined whether the outer line sensor 50 is at least partially in the OFF state. If it is at least partially in the OFF state, there is a possibility that an object exists, so the determination becomes YES and the process proceeds to step S1111.

[0148] In that step S1111, it is determined whether the inner line sensor 52 is completely in the ON state. If it is completely in the ON state, there is a possibility that no object exists, so the determination becomes YES. This state is indicated by "t3" in the example shown in FIG. 12(b).

[0149] After that, in step S1112, it is determined that the current object is at the shipping stage. The determination result is stored in the memory 142 and is constantly shared with other programs in the signal processing unit 100, programs in the communication terminal 90, and programs in the management server 130.

[0150] Subsequently, this program returns to stage S1101.

[0151] <First Abnormality Judgment>

[0152] As shown in FIG. 13, FIG. 14 conceptually shows an exemplary first abnormality judgment program executed in the first abnormality judgment unit 200 of the signal processing unit 100 in the form of a flowchart. This first abnormality judgment program is executed to determine whether the operating states of the uppermost transmitter 60 and the uppermost receiver 70 are normal or abnormal for each of the line sensors 50 and 52.

[0153] When this first abnormality judgment program is executed, first, in step S1401, the outer line sensor 50 is selected as the line sensor to be judged this time.

[0154] Next, in step S1402, it is determined whether the uppermost receiver 70 has effectively received a signal from the uppermost transmitter 60 for the current line sensor to be determined. If the signal has been effectively received, the determination in step S1402 is YES, and in step S1403, it is determined that the operating states of both the uppermost transmitter 60 and the uppermost receiver 70 are normal for the current line sensor to be determined.

[0155] On the contrary, if the uppermost receiver 70 has not effectively received a signal from the uppermost transmitter 60 for the current line sensor to be determined, the determination in step S1402 is NO, and in step S1404, it is determined that the operating state of at least one of the uppermost transmitter 60 and the uppermost receiver 70 is abnormal for the current line sensor to be determined.

[0156] Thereafter, in step S1405, an abnormality determination result indicating that the operating state of at least one of the uppermost transmitter 60 and the uppermost receiver 70 is abnormal is transmitted to the management server 130 for the current line sensor to be determined.

[0157] In response to the abnormality determination result, the management server 130 dispatches an operator to the corresponding parking lot 20 to have the operator inspect, repair, and replace the uppermost transmitter 60 and the uppermost receiver 70 for the current line sensor to be determined.

[0158] In any case, thereafter, in step S1406, the line sensor on the side opposite to the current line sensor to be determined is selected as the next line sensor to be determined. Subsequently, this program proceeds to step S1402, and steps S1402 - S1405 are executed for a different one of the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52 than the previous time.

[0159] <Second Abnormality Determination>

[0160] As shown in FIG. 13, FIG. 15 conceptually shows an exemplary second abnormality determination program executed in the second abnormality determination unit 202 of the signal processing unit 100 as a flowchart. This second abnormality determination program is executed to determine whether the postures of the installation states of the respective line sensors 50 and 52 are normal or abnormal.

[0161] When this first abnormality determination program is executed, first, in step S1501, the outer line sensor 50 is selected as the line sensor to be determined this time.

[0162] Next, in step S1502, it is determined whether the uppermost receiver 70 is effectively receiving a signal from the uppermost transmitter 60 for the line sensor to be determined this time. If the signal is effectively received, the determination in step S1502 becomes YES, and in step S1503, it is determined that both the transmitter post 62 and the receiver post 72 are upright for the line sensor to be determined this time.

[0163] Because as long as the operating state of the line sensor to be determined this time is normal, if both the transmitter post 62 and the receiver post 72 are upright, the uppermost receiver 70 and the uppermost transmitter 60 face each other and there is no obstacle between them.

[0164] On the other hand, if the uppermost receiver 70 is not effectively receiving a signal from the uppermost transmitter 60 for the line sensor to be determined this time, the determination in step S1502 becomes NO, and in step S1504, it is determined that at least one of the transmitter post 62 and the receiver post 72 of the line sensor to be determined this time may be tilted.

[0165] Because as long as the operating state of the line sensor to be determined this time is normal, if at least one of the transmitter post 62 and the receiver post 72 is tilted, the uppermost receiver 70 and the uppermost transmitter 60 may not face each other or there may be an obstacle between them.

[0166] After that, in step S1505, for the current determination target line sensor, an abnormality determination result indicating that at least one of the transmitter post 62 and the receiver post 72 may be tilted is transmitted to the management server 130.

[0167] In response to the abnormality determination result, the management server 130 dispatches an operator to the corresponding parking lot 20, and causes the operator to inspect, repair, and replace the transmitter post 62 and the receiver post 72 for the current determination target line sensor.

[0168] In any case, after that, in step S1506, the line sensor on the side opposite to the current determination target line sensor is selected as the next determination target line sensor. Subsequently, this program proceeds to step S1502, and steps S1502 - S1505 are executed for a different one of the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52 from the previous time.

[0169] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the first abnormality determination unit 200 exists to determine the presence or absence of an abnormality in the operating states of the end transmitters and the end receivers, and the second abnormality determination unit 202 exists to determine the presence or absence of an abnormality in the postures of the line sensors 50 and 52.

[0170] However, since the first abnormality determination unit 200 and the second abnormality determination unit 202 focus on the same phenomenon of the presence or absence of communication between the end transmitter and the end receiver, strictly speaking, they cannot separately detect the phenomenon of an abnormality in the operating states of the end transmitter and the end receiver and the phenomenon of an abnormality in the postures of the line sensors 50 and 52.

[0171] Therefore, the present invention may be implemented in such a manner that the first abnormality determination unit 200 and the second abnormality determination unit 202 are combined, and it is determined that at least one of a device abnormality on the end transmitter and end receiver sides and a posture abnormality on the line sensors 50 and 52 sides exists when there is no communication between the end transmitter and the end receiver.

[0172] Even in this mode, although the true type of abnormality may not be accurately determined remotely, it becomes possible to accurately determine remotely whether or not it is necessary to dispatch an operator to the parking lot 20. Therefore, it becomes easier to reduce the labor cost of the operator than in the case of regularly dispatching the operator to the parking lot 20 with the awareness of waste.

[0173] <Fault diagnosis>

[0174] In FIG. 16, as shown in FIG. 13, an exemplary fault diagnosis program executed in the fault diagnosis unit 204 of the signal processing unit 100 is conceptually represented by a flowchart.

[0175] When this fault diagnosis program is executed, first, in step S1601, it is determined whether or not an interrupt signal has been generated by the execution of another startup timing control program (not shown). That interrupt signal is a signal for controlling the startup timing of this fault diagnosis program.

[0176] If that interrupt signal does not exist, the determination in step S1601 becomes NO, and the execution of the same step is repeated. However, if that interrupt signal exists, the determination in step S1601 becomes YES, and in step S1602, the execution of the object identification program shown in FIG. 10, the inbound / outbound discrimination program shown in FIG. 11, the first abnormality determination program shown in FIG. 12, and the second abnormality determination program shown in FIG. 13, that is, the normal operation of the object identification system 10 (processing using the line sensors 50 and 52) is temporarily prohibited.

[0177] Subsequently, in step S1603, a plurality of transmitters 60 in the outer line sensor 50 and a plurality of transmitters 60 in the inner line sensor 52 are driven all at once, whereby those transmitters 60 transmit a plurality of signals representing their respective unique transmitter IDs.

[0178] After that, in step S1604, for the plurality of receivers 70 in the outer line sensor 50 and the plurality of receivers 70 in the inner line sensor 52, the above-mentioned random reception is sequentially performed, that is, sequentially. As a result, for each of the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52, it is originally expected that at least one actual transmitter ID will be assigned to each receiver 70.

[0179] Subsequently, in step S1605, for each of the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52, by referring to the plurality of actual transmitter IDs assigned to each receiver 70 as described above, it is determined whether all the receivers 70 (or some of the plurality of receivers 70) receive signals from the same transmitter 60.

[0180] If for either or both of the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52, all the receivers 70 (or some of the plurality of receivers 70) do not receive signals from the same transmitter 60, the determination in step S1605 is YES, and in step S1606, for the corresponding one of the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor �, it is determined that the transmitter 60 is faulty. That is, it is determined that the transmitter 60 is a faulty transmitter.

[0181] Subsequently, in step S1607, for the corresponding one of the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52 (the one where the faulty transmitter 60 exists), the fault diagnosis result indicating that the transmitter 60 is faulty is transmitted to the management server 130 in association with the transmitter ID for identifying the transmitter 60. After that, this program returns to step S1601.

[0182] Receiving the fault diagnosis result, the management server 130 dispatches an operator to the corresponding parking lot 20 to have the faulty transmitter 60 inspected, repaired, and replaced.

[0183] On the other hand, when the determination in step S1605 is NO, in step S1608, by referring to the plurality of actual transmitter IDs, it is determined whether any of the receivers 70 has not received a signal from any of the transmitters 60.

[0184] For either or both of the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52, if any of the receivers 70 has not received a signal from any of the transmitters 60, the determination in step S1608 becomes YES, and in step S1609, for the corresponding one (the one with the faulty receiver 70) of the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52, it is determined that the receiver 70 is faulty. That is, it is determined that the receiver 70 is a faulty receiver.

[0185] Subsequently, in step S1610, for the corresponding one (the one with the faulty receiver 70) of the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52, a fault diagnosis result indicating that the receiver 70 is faulty is transmitted to the management server 130 in association with the transmitter ID for identifying the receiver 70. Thereafter, this program returns to step S1601.

[0186] In response to the fault diagnosis result, the management server 130 dispatches an operator to the corresponding parking lot 20 to have the faulty receiver 70 inspected, repaired, and replaced.

[0187] On the other hand, when both the determination in step S1605 and the determination in step S1708 are NO, in step S1611, for the corresponding one (the one without any faulty receiver 70 or faulty transmitter 60) of the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52, it is determined that all the transmitters 60 and all the receivers 70 are normal.

[0188] Thereafter, in step S1612, permission to resume the actual operation is given. Subsequently, this program returns to step S1601.

[0189] <Parking Lot Management>

[0190] Figure 17 conceptually shows an exemplary parking lot management program executed in the parking lot management unit 132 of the management server 130 shown in Figure 13 as a flowchart.

[0191] When this parking lot management program is executed, first, the user's communication terminal 90 transmits a request signal for logging in to the management server 130 to the management server 130 together with necessary personal information such as the user ID at step S1701. In response, when receiving the request signal, the management server 130 recognizes the communication terminal 90 and establishes communication with the communication terminal 90.

[0192] At step S1711, the management server 130 communicates with the signal processing unit 100, receives the object identification result from the memory 162, and refers to it to determine whether the object 30 passing through the access passage 40 of the parking lot 20 is a vehicle. If the object 30 is not a vehicle, the determination is NO and it returns to step S1711, but if the object 30 is a vehicle, the determination is YES and it proceeds to step S1712.

[0193] At step S1712, the management server 130 communicates with the signal processing unit 100, receives the inventory discrimination result from the memory 162, and refers to it to determine whether the vehicle 30 has entered the parking lot 20. When it is determined that the vehicle 30 has entered the parking lot 20, the determination at step S1712 is YES and it proceeds to step S1713.

[0194] At step S1713, the management server 130 selects any one of the plurality of vacant rooms in the parking lot 20 as the vehicle compartment of the current user. The relationship between the user ID and the number of the vehicle compartment in use is stored in the memory of the management server 130.

[0195] When the user's passenger compartment is selected this time, in step S1714, the management server 130 transmits the selected passenger compartment to the communication terminal 90 of the current user.

[0196] On the other hand, in step S1702, the communication terminal 90 receives information regarding the passenger compartment from the management server 130, and then, in step S1703, transmits an entry request to the management server 130.

[0197] When receiving the entry request, in step S1715, the management server 130 measures the current time and stores the entry time as the current time in the memory. Subsequently, in step S1716, the management server 130 transmits an entry completion signal indicating that the entry procedure has been completed to the communication terminal 90 of the current user.

[0198] On the other hand, in step S1704, the communication terminal 90 receives the entry completion signal from the management server 130.

[0199] Above, in step S1712, the case where the management server 130 determines that the vehicle 30 has entered the parking lot 20 has been described. However, when it is determined that the vehicle has exited, the determination in step S1712 becomes NO, and subsequently, in step S1717, if the management server 130 determines whether the vehicle 30 has exited the parking lot 20, the determination will be YES. If the determination in this step S1717 becomes NO, the process returns to step S1711.

[0200] After that, in step S1718, the management server 130 measures the current time and stores the exit time as the current time in the memory. Subsequently, in step S1719, the management server 130 reads out the entry time for the current user from the memory and calculates the parking time as the elapsed time from the entry time to the current exit time.

[0201] Thereafter, in step S1720, the management server 130 calculates a parking fee amount corresponding to the calculated length of the parking time, and transmits data representing the parking fee to the communication terminal 90 of the current user.

[0202] On the other hand, in step S1705, the communication terminal 90 receives data representing the parking fee from the management server 130, and subsequently, in step S1706, transmits a departure request to the management server 130.

[0203] Upon receiving the departure request, in step S1721, the management server 130 electronically settles the parking fee by communicating with the settlement server 140. Subsequently, in step S1722, the management server 130 transmits a departure completion signal indicating that the departure procedure has been completed to the communication terminal 90 of the current user.

[0204] On the other hand, in step S1707, the communication terminal 90 receives the departure completion signal from the management server 130.

[0205] Incidentally, at the stage where the vehicle 30 enters the parking lot 20, usually, first, the vehicle 30 approaches the access road 40 of the parking lot 20 from the outside of the parking lot 20, and eventually, the vehicle 30 passes through the outer line sensor 50 inwardly with the user on board the vehicle 30.

[0206] Thereafter, when the user drives the vehicle 30 to a predetermined passenger compartment, enters it, and parks, the user gets out of the vehicle 30. Subsequently, the user walks alone within the parking lot 20 to move to the access road 40, and eventually passes through the outer line sensor 50 in the opposite direction to before, that is, outwardly.

[0207] At this time, since the communication terminal 90 of the user passes through the outer line sensor 50 outwardly and receives a signal from at least one of its transmitters 60 at that time, the actual transmitter ID of the at least one transmitter 60 can be obtained.

[0208] Therefore, in the above-described step S1701 (however, at the time of storage) shown in FIG. 17, the communication terminal 90 may transmit the obtained actual transmitter ID to the management server 130 together with the user ID (an example of user identification information).

[0209] In this case, the management server 130 may determine whether the actual transmitter ID received from the communication terminal 90 belongs to the outer line sensor 50 of the parking lot 20.

[0210] When it is determined that the actual transmitter ID belongs to the outer line sensor 50 of the parking lot 20, the management server 130 may associate the received user ID with the one identified by the execution of the object identification program among the plurality of vehicle categories shown in FIG. 9 (for example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, object category No. 1), and save the pair of the user and the vehicle 30 in the memory.

[0211] Similarly, at the stage when the vehicle 30 leaves the parking lot 20, usually, first, the user walks alone from outside the parking lot 20 to approach the access passage 40, and then passes through the outer line sensor 50 inward.

[0212] After that, the user walks inside the parking lot 20 to his / her vehicle compartment, gets into the parked vehicle 30. Subsequently, the user starts the vehicle 30, drives it inside the parking lot 20 to approach the access passage 40. Then, the vehicle 30 passes through the outer line sensor 50 outward.

[0213] At this time, since the user's communication terminal 90 passes through the outer line sensor 50 inward and receives a signal from at least one of the transmitters 60 at that time, the actual transmitter ID of the at least one transmitter 60 can be obtained.

[0214] Therefore, in the above-described step S1701 (however, at the time of leaving the warehouse), the communication terminal 90 may transmit the obtained actual transmitter ID to the management server 130 together with the user ID.

[0215] In this case, the management server 130 may determine whether the actual transmitter ID received from the communication terminal 90 belongs to the outer line sensor 50 of the parking lot 20.

[0216] If it is determined that the actual transmitter ID belongs to the outer line sensor 50 of the parking lot 20, the management server 130 may associate the received user ID with the one identified by the execution of the object recognition program among the plurality of vehicle categories shown in FIG. 9 (for example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, object category No. 1), and save the pair of the user and the vehicle 30 in the memory.

[0217] If the pair saved in the memory at the time of entry and the pair saved in the memory at the time of exit match each other, it can be determined that the current user is classified into the same vehicle category. This may be interpreted as meaning that the accuracy of object recognition was high, and thus the accuracy of the association between the user and the vehicle 30 was high.

[0218] As a result, for example, when a user repeatedly uses the parking lot 20, the management center 124 can obtain valuable information such as the type of the vehicle 30 used as personal information regarding an individual user. The management center 124 can also utilize this personal information for future parking lot marketing.

[0219] Also, when the plurality of reference silhouettes are a larger number of vehicle type silhouettes (for example, silhouettes for all vehicle types sold in Japan) than the plurality of standard silhouettes illustrated in FIG. 9, when the same vehicle parks in the parking lot 20 a plurality of times, originally, the vehicle should be classified as the same vehicle type silhouette, but due to the measurement error of the outer line sensor 50, it may be classified and dispersed among a plurality of vehicle type silhouettes.

[0220] However, each time the same vehicle parks in the parking lot 20, the association between the user and the vehicle type category is performed. As a result, when the same user is associated with a plurality of vehicle type categories, it is possible to identify one vehicle type category that is most frequently associated with the same user as the true vehicle type category. In this case, as the number of the associations, that is, the number of the sample data increases, the identification accuracy of the vehicle improves.

[0221] [Second Embodiment]

[0222] Next, an object identification system 10 according to an exemplary second embodiment of the present invention will be described. For elements common to the first embodiment, the same names or reference numerals are used for citation, and redundant descriptions are omitted. Only different elements will be described in detail.

[0223] In the first embodiment, the outer line sensor 50 is used to realize the functions (uses) of object identification and incoming / outgoing discrimination. In this embodiment, the outer line sensor 50 is further used to realize the functions (uses) of user identification and association between the user and the vehicle.

[0224] Among the system 10 according to this embodiment, the parts for realizing the functions (uses) of object identification and incoming / outgoing discrimination are common to the first embodiment, and redundant descriptions are omitted. The parts for realizing the functions (uses) of user identification and association between the user and the vehicle will be described in detail.

[0225] FIG. 18 shows a front view of the outer line sensor 50 of the object identification system 10 according to this embodiment. A plurality of signals transmitted from the transmitter post 62 shown in the figure pass through the space without being blocked by the outer panel of the vehicle 30 and reach the receiver post 72, are blocked by the outer panel of the vehicle 30, and pass through the window glass of the vehicle 30 and enter the vehicle interior and are received by the communication terminal 90 of the user as a passenger.

[0226] As shown in the figure, the signal processing unit 100 has a communication device 300, and the management server 130 has a user-vehicle association unit 310. The signal processing unit 100 transmits necessary information to the management server 130 via the communication device 300, and based on the necessary information, the user-vehicle association unit 310 is activated. The management server 130 also communicates with the user's communication terminal 90.

[0227] In FIG. 19, an exemplary user-vehicle association program executed in the user-vehicle association unit 310 is conceptually represented as a flowchart together with a user identification support program executed in the user's communication terminal 90.

[0228] When the user-vehicle association program is activated, the management server 130 first receives, in step S1931, a signal representing the reception result of the receiver post 72 of the outer line sensor 50 from the signal processing unit 100. Further, based on the signal, it is determined whether the outer line sensor 50 is at least partially in an OFF state, that is, whether the outer line sensor 50 is detecting any object (currently, whether there is an object on the access passage 40 of the parking lot 20).

[0229] If the outer line sensor 50 is not at least partially in an OFF state, the determination is NO and the process returns to step S1931. However, if the outer line sensor 50 is at least partially in an OFF state, the determination in step S1931 is YES and the process proceeds to step S1932.

[0230] In this step S1932, by referring to the user ID, a reception request is transmitted to the user's communication terminal 90.

[0231] In contrast, in step S1901, the communication terminal 90 attempts to receive signals from the plurality of transmitters 60. Subsequently, in step S1902, each received signal is converted into an actual transmitter ID. Thereafter, in step S1903, the actual transmitter ID is transmitted to the management server 130 in association with the user ID.

[0232] In contrast, in step S1933, the management server 130 receives the actual transmitter ID from the communication terminal 90 in association with the user ID. Subsequently, in step S1934, the management server 130 receives the object identification result, which is the execution result of the object identification unit 112, from the signal processing unit 100. Thereafter, in step S1935, the object identification unit 112 determines whether the object is identified as the vehicle 30.

[0233] If the object is not identified as the vehicle 30 by the object identification unit 112, the determination is NO and the process returns to step S1931. However, if the object is identified as the vehicle 30, the determination in step S1935 is YES, and in step S1936, it is determined whether the actual transmitter ID received from the communication terminal 90 belongs to the outer line sensor 50, that is, whether it matches any of the plurality of actual transmitter IDs of the plurality of transmitters 60 belonging to the transmitter post 62 of the outer line sensor 50.

[0234] If the actual transmitter ID received from the communication terminal 90 does not belong to the outer line sensor 50, the determination is NO and the process returns to step S1931. However, if it belongs, the determination is YES, and in step S1937, the vehicle reference silhouette number (or vehicle type) assigned to the current vehicle 30 is received from the signal processing unit 100.

[0235] Subsequently, in step S1938, the management server 130 associates the current user (for example, the user ID) with the current vehicle 30 (for example, the current vehicle reference silhouette number (or vehicle type)). Thereafter, in step S1939, the association result is listed and stored in the user-vehicle association list as illustrated in FIG. 20.

[0236] [Other Embodiments]

[0237] 1. First Idea

[0238] A system for identifying and managing vehicles (an example of a moving body as a non - living thing) that enter or exit a facility (e.g., a parking lot) to be remotely managed by a management server and users (an example of a living thing) who are users of the vehicles, a passage provided in the facility, common to vehicles and users, and a line sensor installed in the passage and extending in a direction intersecting the traveling direction of an object passing through the passage, which scans the object relatively in its traveling direction to obtain a silhouette of the object and performs object identification processing based on the silhouette, a first determination unit provided in the facility or the management server, which determines whether the object is a vehicle based on the obtained silhouette, a vehicle type discrimination unit provided in the facility or the management server, which discriminates the type of the vehicle based on the obtained silhouette, a photographing device provided in the facility, which photographs an object located on the passage and photographs the vehicle as a vehicle image in temporal linkage with the object identification processing, the determination, or the discrimination, a vehicle identification information acquisition unit provided in the facility or the management server, which acquires vehicle identification information, which is identification information of the vehicle, based on the photographed vehicle image and including a vehicle - user identification management system.

[0239] Furthermore, a transmitter provided in the facility, which transmits a unique signal, and a communication terminal of a user in the vehicle, which, when receiving a signal from the transmitter, responds by transmitting a user ID or a terminal ID of the communication terminal to the management server in association with the ID of the facility and including, The management server is a vehicle / user identification management system that associates the facility, the type of the vehicle, the vehicle identification information, and the user ID or terminal ID with each other and registers these elements in a list.

[0240] 2. Second idea

[0241] A system for identifying and managing a vehicle (an example of a moving object as a non-living thing) that enters or exits a facility (e.g., a parking lot) to be remotely managed by a management server and a user (an example of a living thing) who is a user of the vehicle, A common passage for vehicles and users provided in the facility, A line sensor installed on the passage and extending in a direction intersecting the traveling direction of an object passing through the passage, which scans the object relative to its traveling direction to obtain a silhouette of the object and performs object identification processing based on the silhouette, A second determination unit provided in the facility or the management server that determines whether the object is a human based on the obtained silhouette, A photographing device provided in the facility that photographs an object located on the passage and photographs the user as a human image in time linkage with the object identification processing or the determination A vehicle / user identification management system including

[0242] Furthermore, A transmitter provided in the facility that transmits a unique signal, A communication terminal of a user in the vehicle that, when receiving a signal from the transmitter, responds by transmitting the user ID or the terminal ID of the communication terminal to the management server in association with the ID of the facility, Including The management server is a vehicle / user identification management system that associates the facility, the human image, and the user ID or terminal ID with each other and registers these elements in a list.

[0243] 3. Third idea

[0244] A system for identifying and managing vehicles (an example of a moving object as a non-living thing) that enter or leave a facility (e.g., a parking lot) to be remotely managed by a management server and users (an example of a living thing) who are users of the vehicles, a passage provided in the facility, common to the vehicle and the user, and a line sensor installed in the passage and extending in a direction intersecting the traveling direction of an object passing through the passage, which scans the object relatively in its traveling direction to obtain a silhouette of the object and performs object identification processing based on the silhouette, a discrimination unit provided in the facility or the management server that discriminates whether the object is a vehicle or a human based on the obtained silhouette, a photographing device provided in the facility that photographs an object located on the passage, an image classification unit provided in the facility or the management server that classifies the photographed object image as a vehicle image when the object is discriminated as a vehicle and as a human image of the user when the object is discriminated as a human, a vehicle-related information acquisition unit provided in the facility or the management server that acquires vehicle-related information related to the vehicle based on the photographed vehicle image A vehicle / user identification management system including.

[0245] Furthermore, a transmitter provided in the facility that transmits a unique signal, a communication terminal of a user in the vehicle that, when receiving a signal from the transmitter, responds by transmitting a user ID or a terminal ID of the communication terminal to the management server in association with the ID of the facility, including, The management server is a vehicle / user identification management system that associates the facility with the vehicle-related information or the human image, and the user ID or the terminal ID with each other and registers these elements in a list.

[0246] 4. First Embodiment

[0247] A method for identifying and managing vehicles entering or exiting a facility (e.g., a parking lot) to be remotely managed by a management server and users of the vehicles, wherein the facility is a passage common to vehicles and users, having a first position and a second position separated from each other, and when an object that is a vehicle or a user travels along the passage from the first position to the second position, it enters the facility, and conversely, when it travels along the passage from the second position to the first position, it exits the facility, a first line sensor installed at the first position, which acquires the silhouette of an object passing therethrough by irradiating electromagnetic waves, a first signal processing circuit that determines whether the object is a vehicle or a human based on a signal from the first line sensor, a first communication device that transmits the processing result of the first signal processing circuit to the management server, a photographing device that photographs an object located on the passage, a first transmitter installed at or near the first position that transmits a unique signal and includes, wherein the method when an object reaches the first position before the second position, determines whether the object is a vehicle or a user by the first line sensor and the first signal processing circuit, at the first position, when it is determined that the object is a vehicle, determines that the vehicle is in the vehicle storage stage of entering the parking lot, when it is determined that the vehicle is in the vehicle storage stage, the communication terminal of the user in the vehicle receives the signal from the first transmitter, and in response, transmits the parking lot ID identified by the signal as parking lot information and the user ID or the terminal ID of the communication terminal as user information to the management server, When it is determined at the first position that the object is a vehicle, the imaging device captures an image of the vehicle, extracts information of a predetermined type as vehicle information from the captured image, and the first communication device transmits the extracted vehicle information together with the parking lot ID to the management server. The management server associates the user information and the vehicle information with each other in association with the same parking lot ID, and registers the result in a management list. It includes the above steps.

[0248] 5. Second Embodiment

[0249] Furthermore, a second line sensor installed at the second position, which acquires a silhouette of an object passing therethrough by irradiating electromagnetic waves; a second signal processing circuit that determines whether the object is a vehicle or a human based on a signal from the second line sensor; a second communication device that transmits a processing result of the second signal processing circuit to the management server; a second transmitter installed at or near the second position, which transmits a unique signal are included. The method includes: When the object reaches the second position ahead of the first position, determining whether the object is a vehicle or a user by the second line sensor and the second signal processing circuit; When it is determined at the second position that the object is a user, determining that the user is in a user exit stage of getting out of the vehicle and walking alone to leave the parking lot; When it is determined that the user is in the user exit stage, a communication terminal of the walking user receives a signal from the second transmitter, and in response, transmits the parking lot ID identified by the signal as parking lot information and a user ID or a terminal ID of the communication terminal as second user information to the management server. When it is determined that the object is a user at the second position, the imaging device captures a human image (portrait) of the user, and the second communication device transmits the human image to the management server together with the parking lot ID. The management server associates the second user information with the human image in association with the same parking lot ID, and registers the result in the management list. It includes the above.

[0250] 6. Hardware Configuration (see Figure 21(a))

[0251] (1) First and second line sensors 50 and 52 for object identification

[0252] For object identification, a first line sensor installed at a first position on the upstream side in the traveling direction of the object (in the example shown in Figure 21, for example, when paying attention to the warehousing stage, the outer line sensor 50 corresponds), and for object identification, a second line sensor installed at a second position on the downstream side in the traveling direction of the object (in the example shown in Figure 21, for example, when paying attention to the warehousing stage, the inner line sensor 52 corresponds) are used.

[0253] (2) Transmitter 60 for parking lot identification that enables the user to identify the parking lot where the user is currently located using the user terminal 90

[0254] This transmitter for parking lot identification is unique to the parking lot 20 and has a function of transmitting a signal unique to the transmitter toward the user terminal 90 by a short-range wireless method. In the example shown in Figure 21, this transmitter for parking lot identification is at least one of a plurality of transmitters 60 mounted on the outer and inner line sensors 50 and 52. In another example, this transmitter for parking lot identification, although not shown, is at least one transmitter dedicatedly installed in the corresponding parking lot 20 separately from the plurality of transmitters mounted on the first and second line sensors.

[0255] (3) Imaging device 300

[0256] An imaging device is used to capture the objects within the parking lot 20 as moving images or still images. An example of this imaging device is the digital camera 300.

[0257] This imaging device is installed in the corresponding parking lot 20. Specifically, for example, as shown in the figure, it may be installed on the outer line sensor 50, or although not shown, it may be installed on the inner line sensor 52, or although not shown, it may be installed at a position deviated from any of the line sensors 50 and 52.

[0258] In the illustrated example, when the vehicle 30 enters the parking lot 20 along the access passage 40 of the parking lot 20 and reaches the second position on the downstream side, the camera 300 captures the vehicle 30. As a result, the license plate 31 on the rear end surface of the vehicle 30 is captured.

[0259] Furthermore, in the illustrated example, when the vehicle 30 enters a certain passenger compartment within the parking lot 20, the user gets out of the vehicle 30 and exits the current parking lot 20 alone, and when the user reaches the second position, the camera 300 captures the user. As a result, the entire portrait of the user, specifically, the entire front portrait or the entire back portrait of the user, especially the face image of the user is captured.

[0260] Furthermore, in the illustrated example, when the user enters the current parking lot 20 alone to let the vehicle 30 exit from a certain passenger compartment within the parking lot 20, and when the user reaches the second position, the camera 300 captures the user. As a result, the entire portrait of the user, specifically, the entire back portrait of the user is captured.

[0261] (4) The signal processing unit 100 within the object identification system 10

[0262] Similar to the detailed description of the above-described first and second embodiments, in the example shown in FIG. 21, the signal processing unit 100 drives each of the line sensors 50 and 52 simultaneously or sequentially by outputting a drive signal to each of the line sensors 50 and 52, and further receives sensor signals from each of the line sensors 50 and 52 simultaneously or sequentially.

[0263] Furthermore, the signal processing unit 100 drives the camera 300 by outputting a drive signal to the camera 300, and further receives an image signal from the camera 300.

[0264] (5) Management Server 130 The management server 130 is installed in the management center 130 installed at a remote location of the corresponding parking lot 20. The management server 130 typically performs centralized remote management of a plurality of parking lots 20 that are geographically different from each other.

[0265] (6) Communication Device 200

[0266] The communication device 200 has a function of communicating between the object identification system 10 installed in the parking lot 20 and the management server 130 installed in the management center 130 at a remote location.

[0267] The communication device 200 may be connected to the object identification system 10 wirelessly or by wire, but is typically connected wirelessly to the management server 130.

[0268] The communication device 200 may be individually installed in each of the first and second line sensors 50 and 52, or may be commonly installed in those line sensors 50 and 52, that is, installed in the corresponding parking lot 20.

[0269] (7) Vehicle 30 to be Parked

[0270] As shown in Fig. 21(a), the vehicle 30 has license plates 31 at its front end face and rear end face respectively, and a vehicle number (vehicle registration number) unique to the corresponding vehicle 30 is fixedly displayed on each license plate 31.

[0271] (8) Behavior of the vehicle 30 and the user in the parking lot 20

[0272] Fig. (b) has a table, and in that table, for each of the stage of entering the parking lot 20 and the stage of leaving the parking lot 20, a series of phases observed during the continuation of each stage are defined.

[0273] Furthermore, in that table, for some of the plurality of phases, a drawing showing a flowchart conceptually representing an exemplary program executed during the corresponding phase is described as a reference drawing.

[0274] 7. Software configuration

[0275] <When an object enters the parking lot 20>

[0276] When the object reaches the first position on the upstream side in its entry direction, at that first position, the left - right silhouette of the object is acquired using the first line sensor 50, and it is determined from the silhouette whether the object is a vehicle 30 or a human. If it is determined that the object is a vehicle, it is determined that the user is in the stage of driving the vehicle and entering a certain passenger compartment in the parking lot 20.

[0277] <When it is determined at the first position that the object is a vehicle 30 (the stage where the user drives the vehicle 30 (in a riding state) and enters the parking lot 20>

[0278] When the signal processing unit 100 determines at the first position that the object is the vehicle 30 by using the sensor signal from the outer line sensor 50 (a column of a plurality of individual sensor signals from a plurality of receivers 70 arranged in a row), and thus the silhouette image represented by a plurality of time-series sensor signals as a scan result, it determines the type of the vehicle 30. When it is determined that the vehicle 30 is any type of vehicle, the communication device 200 transmits the determination result to the management server 130 as first vehicle information (for example, that it is a vehicle and the vehicle type which is the type of the vehicle).

[0279] After that, when the vehicle 30 reaches the second position downstream of the entry direction from the first position, the signal processing unit 100 captures the vehicle 30 as a still image or a moving image using the camera 300 at the timing of the arrival, and transmits the capture result to the management server 130 from the communication device 200 as second vehicle information (for example, a vehicle image which is the appearance of the vehicle, a vehicle number recognized from the photographed license plate 31).

[0280] Furthermore, when the same vehicle 30 passes through the first position and the second position in that order, the signal processing unit 100 determines that the vehicle 30 is at the stage of entering the parking lot 20.

[0281] On the other hand, when the communication terminal 90 carried by the user riding in the vehicle 30 receives a signal from the transmitter 60, in response, it transmits the terminal ID (or user ID, user phone number, user's email address, etc.) unique to the communication terminal 90 to the management server 130 as user information.

[0282] As a result, the management server 130 associates the terminal ID of the user's communication terminal 90, the type (vehicle type) of the user's vehicle 30, and the vehicle number of the vehicle 30 with each other in relation to the current user, and registers the result in the vehicle-user management list exemplified in FIG. 25.

[0283] The signal processing described above in outline will be illustrated more specifically by referring to FIGS. 22 to 24 later.

[0284] <When it is determined that the object is a human at the first position (when the user enters the parking lot 20 alone)>

[0285] After determining that the object is a human at the first position, when the human (user) reaches the second position, the signal processing unit 100 uses the camera 300 to capture the user as a still image or a moving image at the timing of the arrival, and transmits the captured result from the communication device 200 to the management server 130 as second human information (portrait).

[0286] Furthermore, when the same human passes through the first position and the second position in that order, the signal processing unit 100 determines that the human has entered the parking lot 20 alone.

[0287] On the other hand, when the communication terminal 90 carried by the walking user receives a signal from the transmitter 60, in response thereto, the communication terminal 90 transmits its unique terminal ID to the management server 130 as user information.

[0288] As a result, the management server 130 associates the portrait of the user with the terminal ID of the communication terminal of the user in relation to the current user.

[0289] The signal processing described above in outline will be illustrated more specifically by referring to FIGS. 22, 28 and 29 later.

[0290] <When the object exits the parking lot 20>

[0291] When the object reaches the second position, at the second position, the left - right silhouette of the object is obtained using the inner line sensor 52, and it is determined whether the object is a human or a vehicle from the silhouette.

[0292] <When it is determined that the object is a human at the second position>

[0293] When it is determined at the second position that the object is a human, the signal processing unit 100 captures the human as a still image or a moving image as a portrait image using the camera 300 at the timing of the determination, and transmits the portrait image as first human information from the communication device 200 to the management server 130.

[0294] Furthermore, when the same human passes through the second position and the first position in that order, the signal processing unit 100 determines that the human is leaving the parking lot 20 alone.

[0295] On the other hand, when the communication terminal 90 carried by the user during walking receives a signal from the transmitter 60, in response thereto, the communication terminal 90 transmits the terminal ID unique to the communication terminal 90 as user information to the management server 130.

[0296] The management server 130 identifies the current user by comparing the newly received user information with the other stored user information, and assigns the portrait image to the user.

[0297] The signal processing schematically described above will be further specifically illustrated by referring to FIGS. 23, 26, and 27 later.

[0298] <When it is determined that the object is the vehicle 30 at the second position>

[0299] When it is determined at the second position that the object is the vehicle 30, the signal processing unit 100 captures the vehicle 30 as a still image or a moving image using the camera 300 at the timing of the determination, and transmits the captured result from the communication device 200 to the management server 130.

[0300] Furthermore, when the same vehicle 30 passes through the second position and the first position in that order, the signal processing unit 100 determines that the vehicle 30 is at the stage of leaving the parking lot 20.

[0301] On the other hand, when the communication terminal 90 carried by the user riding in the vehicle 30 receives a signal from the transmitter 60, in response, it transmits the terminal ID unique to the communication terminal 90 to the management server 130 as user information.

[0302] The management server 130 identifies the current user by comparing the newly received user information with other stored user information, and assigns the portrait to the user.

[0303] The signal processing outlined above will be illustrated more specifically by referring to FIGS. 23 and 30 later.

[0304] Optional multiple features

[0305] (1) Imaging method of the camera 300 for obtaining evidence indicating that the user is riding in the vehicle 30

[0306] At the arrival timing, an image of the interior of the vehicle 30 showing who is riding in the vehicle 30 is captured using the camera 300, and the imaging result is transmitted by the communication device 200 to the management server 130 as boarding state information.

[0307] (2) Case-by-case analysis

[0308] When the dedicated app has already been downloaded to the communication terminal 90 before entry (in the first position, when the management server 130 has received both the silhouette information and the terminal ID) When the dedicated app is downloaded to the communication terminal 90 for the first time after entry (in the first position, when the management server 130 has received the silhouette information but not the terminal ID)

[0309] (3) Installation of multiple cameras 300 with different heights

[0310] A plurality of cameras 300 are installed such that their height positions are different from each other. Among these cameras 300, those corresponding to the vehicle type of vehicle 30 and classified according to the height dimension of the vehicle are selected, and vehicle 30 is photographed using that camera 300. Those cameras 300 include a camera installed at the same height as the license plate 31 of vehicle 30.

[0311] (4) Selection of photographed pictures

[0312] When imaging, the camera 300 takes a plurality of pictures in time series by continuous shooting, selects those pictures in focus for the target to be noted among those plurality of pictures, and uses it to create a database.

[0313] (5) Users of the parking lot 20 are classified in advance into registered members and non - members who are not. When the user is a member, since the personal information has been registered in the management center 124 in advance, the user psychologically receives a deterrent against committing illegal acts in the parking lot 20. On the other hand, when the user is a non - member, such a deterrent does not work on the user.

[0314] Furthermore, when the user is a member, a dedicated app is installed in advance on the user's communication terminal 90. When the communication terminal 90 receives a signal from the transmitter 60 of the parking lot 20, it interprets it and can further transmit it to the management server 130 in response to that reception.

[0315] As a result, on the management server 130, the user ID or the terminal ID of the communication terminal 90 can be associated with parking - related information (for example, the vehicle type of vehicle 30 based on the aforementioned silhouette, etc.) for the same user.

[0316] On the other hand, when the user is a non-member, unlike when the user is a member, the dedicated application described above is not pre-installed on the user's communication terminal 90. Therefore, even if the signal from the transmitter 60 of the parking lot 20 is received, it cannot be interpreted, nor can it be transmitted to the management server 130 in response to it.

[0317] Therefore, on the management server 130, the user ID or the terminal ID of the communication terminal 90 cannot be associated with the parking-related information for the same user.

[0318] Therefore, in the latter case, the license plate 31 of the vehicle is photographed by the camera 300 installed in the parking lot 20, and further, the portrait of the user is photographed by the camera 300 or another camera. Furthermore, at least one of the type of the vehicle 30 based on the silhouette described above and the license plate 31 is associated with the portrait of the user. Thereby, the behavior of the non-member user within the parking lot 20 is monitored, and if there is any illegal act, the license plate 31 and the portrait are used as evidence to prove it.

[0319] Furthermore, a two-dimensional display (for example, an LCD display or an LED display with a lower resolution than that) is installed at a position where the user can easily view it in the parking lot 20. On the screen of the two-dimensional display, the vehicle silhouette image described above (the one-dimensional image by the line sensors 50 and 52 developed into a two-dimensional image) is displayed, and in some cases, the color extracted from the image of the vehicle 30 photographed by the camera 300 is added.

[0320] The two-dimensional display displays the vehicle silhouette image of the user for a user who parks the vehicle 30 in the parking lot 20, gets out of the vehicle 30, walks, and tries to exit the parking lot 20.

[0321] At this time, the two-dimensional display may display the vehicle silhouette image even during a time period when illegal acts statistically increase in the parking lot 20, for example, at night.

[0322] Further, when the two-dimensional display itself or the line sensors 50 and 52 detect a user (when it is determined that the object is a human), in response thereto, a vehicle silhouette image may be timely displayed targeting a specific user. By doing so, it becomes possible to effectively exert on the user the pressure that the user is being individually monitored.

[0323] As a result, the user may notice that the vehicle silhouette image actually displayed on the screen of the two-dimensional display is that of their own vehicle 30. Then, the user may associate that their actions are being individually monitored by the parking lot 20 without their knowledge (in a way different from being overall monitored by a normal surveillance camera).

[0324] This may act on the user as a psychological pressure to deter improper behavior. As a result, it becomes easy to prevent an increase in improper behavior due to the user being a non-member.

[0325] [Third Embodiment]

[0326] Next, an object identification system 10 according to an exemplary third embodiment of the present invention will be described. For elements common to the first embodiment, the same names or reference numerals will be used for citation to omit redundant descriptions, and only different elements will be described in detail.

[0327] FIG. 21(a) is a side view schematically showing a hardware configuration of an object identification system 10 according to this embodiment for identifying an object entering and exiting a parking lot 20 having an access passage 40. Further, FIG. 21(b) is a diagram showing in tabular form a series of phases that a vehicle 30 and a user (human) as objects in the parking lot 20 can take in the warehousing phase and the outwarehousing phase, together with the reference numerals of the reference drawings.

[0328] The object identification system 10 according to this embodiment is designed to individually identify and manage a vehicle 30 physically associated with the same parking lot 20 and its user (particularly, a state where the user is walking without getting into the vehicle 30, that is, a user occupying a position different from the vehicle 30 in terms of spatial coordinates) as different types of objects from each other.

[0329] [First Object Identification and Stage Determination Program Executed by Signal Processing Unit 100]

[0330] FIG. 22 is a flowchart conceptually showing the first object identification and stage determination program executed by the signal processing unit 100 at the time of warehousing.

[0331] This first object identification and stage determination program is repeatedly executed by the signal processing unit 100. At each execution, first, in step S2201, the signal processing unit 100 outputs the drive signal to the outer line sensor 50 in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and inputs the sensor signal from the outer line sensor 50 that reflects the side view, that is, the lateral silhouette of the object shown in FIG. 21(a).

[0332] In this step S2201, the signal processing unit 100 further analyzes the silhouette of the current object based on the sensor signal input from the outer line sensor 50, and based on this, identifies whether the current object is the vehicle 30 or a human.

[0333] Next, in step S2202, the signal processing unit 100 determines whether the current object has been identified as the vehicle 30 or not. If it is not identified as the vehicle 30, the determination is NO, and the current execution of this program ends. On the other hand, if it is identified as the vehicle 30, the determination is YES, and subsequently, step S2203 is executed.

[0334] In this step S2203, similar to the first embodiment, the signal processing unit 100 identifies the vehicle reference silhouette that is the most approximate by collating the silhouette (actual silhouette) with a plurality of pre-stored vehicle reference silhouettes, and based on the result, identifies the type of the current vehicle 30, that is, the vehicle model. For example, which automobile manufacturer manufactured which automobile (and further, when it was manufactured (model year)) is identified.

[0335] Here, steps S2201 - S2203 are processes executed using the outer line sensor 50.

[0336] Subsequently, in step S2204, the signal processing unit 100 wirelessly transmits the information regarding the identified vehicle model as the first vehicle information in association with the parking lot ID unique to the current parking lot 20 to the management server 130 via, for example, a public switched telephone network or a global network.

[0337] Thereafter, in step S2205, similar to the first embodiment, the signal processing unit outputs the drive signal to the inner line sensor 52 this time, and inputs the sensor signal from the inner line sensor 52 that reflects the side view, that is, the lateral silhouette of the object shown in Fig. 21(a).

[0338] In this step S2205, the signal processing unit further analyzes the silhouette of the current object based on the sensor signal input from the inner line sensor 52, and based on this, identifies whether the current object is a vehicle 30 or a human.

[0339] Subsequently, in step S2206, the signal processing unit 100 determines whether the current object is identified as the vehicle 30. Here, it means that the signal processing unit 100 waits for the vehicle 30 passing through the outer line sensor 50 to subsequently pass through the inner line sensor 52. If the signal processing unit 100 does not identify the current object as the vehicle 30, the determination is NO and the process returns to step S2205. If it is identified as the vehicle 30, the determination is YES and subsequently, step S2207 is executed.

[0340] In this step S2207, the signal processing unit 100 determines whether the silhouettes obtained by executing step S2201 and the silhouettes obtained by executing step S2205 are geometrically sufficiently approximated to each other, thereby determining whether the same vehicle 30 has passed through the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52 in that order.

[0341] If the vehicles 30 passing through the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52 are not the same, the determination is NO and the current execution of this program ends. If they are the same, the determination is YES and subsequently, step S2208 is executed.

[0342] In this step S2208, the signal processing unit 100 determines that the current vehicle 30 has entered the parking lot 20.

[0343] Thereafter, in step S2209, the signal processing unit 100 takes a single shot or continuous shots of the current vehicle 30 using the camera 300 at a timing substantially synchronized with the YES determination timing in step S2207 or the determination timing in step S2208 (that is, for example, immediately after the rear end surface of the current vehicle 30 has passed through the inner line sensor 52).

[0344] When the vehicle 30 is photographed by the camera 300, the rear end surface of the vehicle 30 (particularly, the license plate 31) is at a determined position relative to the inner line sensor 52. On the other hand, the inner line sensor 52 is at a determined position relative to the outer line sensor 50, and the camera 300 is at a determined position relative to the outer line sensor 50.

[0345] As a result, the actual distance between the rear end surface of the vehicle 30 (particularly, the license plate 31) when photographed by the camera 300 and the camera 300 is maintained substantially the same as the focal length of the camera 300 regardless of the type of the vehicle 30. Therefore, the camera 300 can sufficiently sharply photograph the license plate 31 of any vehicle 30. The focal length of the camera 300 may be fixed or variable, and may also be an autofocus system.

[0346] However, although the camera 300 is stationary while the vehicle 30 may move relative to the camera 300, there is a possibility that the focus of the photographed image may be out of focus. However, as described above, when the camera 300 continuously photographs the vehicle 30 and a plurality of photos are continuously taken, it is highly likely that there are photos with sufficient focus among those photos.

[0347] Subsequently, in step S2210, the signal processing unit 100 recognizes a number (for example, a four-digit number) representing the vehicle number of the current vehicle 30 from the image of the license plate 31 photographed as described above.

[0348] Here, steps S2205 - 2208 are processes executed using the inner line sensor 52. Also, steps S2209 - 2210 are processes executed using the camera 300.

[0349] Thereafter, in step S2211, the signal processing unit 100 wirelessly transmits the information regarding the recognized vehicle number as the second vehicle information, associated with the parking lot ID unique to the current parking lot 20, to the management server 130 via, for example, a public line network or a global network.

[0350] In this embodiment, the first vehicle information and the second vehicle information are transmitted to the management server 130 at different timings by different steps, respectively. However, doing so is not essential for implementing the present invention. For example, they may be transmitted to the management server 130 together by the same step.

[0351] Thus, the current execution of this program ends.

[0352] [Parking Lot Identification Program Executed by User Terminal 90]

[0353] FIG. 23 is a flowchart conceptually showing a parking lot identification program executed by the user's communication terminal 90 when entering (when the user enters alone, i.e., user-alone entry, and when the user enters in a vehicle, i.e., warehousing) and when exiting (when the user exits alone, i.e., user-alone exit, and when the user exits in a vehicle, i.e., shipping).

[0354] This parking lot identification program is repeatedly executed by the communication terminal 90. At each execution, first, in step S2301, the communication terminal 90 measures its current position. As the positioning method, for example, there are methods such as using the GPS installed in the communication terminal 90, using the geographical coordinates of each of a plurality of base stations located around the communication terminal 90 geographically, and performing short-range communication with the transmitter 60 installed in the parking lot 20 to identify the parking lot ID from the signal.

[0355] Next, in step S2302, the communication terminal 90 determines whether the measured current position matches the position of any of the parking lots 20, thereby determining whether the user is at or near any of the parking lots 20.

[0356] If the user is not geographically associated with any of the parking lots 20, the determination is NO and the process returns to step S2301. However, if the user is geographically associated with any of the parking lots 20, the determination is YES and the process proceeds to step S2303.

[0357] In this step S2303, the communication terminal 90 activates a dedicated application (program) pre-installed in its memory that has a parking lot identification function. As a result, steps S2304 - S2306 are executed.

[0358] In step S2304, the communication terminal 90 determines whether it has received a signal from the transmitter 60 installed in the current parking lot 20. If not received, the determination is NO and the process returns to step S2301. However, if received, the determination is YES and the process proceeds to step S2305.

[0359] In this step S2305, the communication terminal 90 converts the received signal into a parking lot ID. Specifically, the communication terminal 90 obtains the transmitter ID represented by the received signal and, according to a predefined relationship between the transmitter ID and the parking lot ID that has been pre-downloaded into the memory of the communication terminal 90, converts the obtained transmitter ID into the corresponding parking lot ID that is unique to the current parking lot 20 where the user is located.

[0360] Subsequently, in step S2306, the communication terminal 90 associates its terminal ID with the obtained parking lot ID and transmits it to the management server 130.

[0361] Thus, the current execution of this program ends.

[0362] [First Association and Registration Program Executed by Management Server 130]

[0363] Figure 24 is a flowchart conceptually representing the first association and registration program executed by the management server 130 at the time of storage.

[0364] This first association / registration program is repeatedly executed by the management server 130. Each time it is executed, first, in step S2401, the management server 130 determines whether it has received an arbitrary terminal ID associated with an arbitrary parking lot ID. If no signal is received at all, the determination is NO, and the current execution of this program ends.

[0365] On the other hand, if an arbitrary terminal ID associated with an arbitrary parking lot ID is received, the determination is YES, and the process proceeds to step S2402.

[0366]

[0367]

[0368]

[0369]

[0370]

[0371] ​​​​​If the three parking lot IDs do not match each other, the determination is NO and the current execution of this program ends. However, if the three parking lot IDs match each other, the determination is YES and the process proceeds to step S2405. As a result, the terminal ID, parking lot ID, vehicle type information, and license plate number will be comprehensively received by the management server 130 substantially continuously in time or at substantially the same timing.

[0372] In this step S2405, the management server 130 associates the currently received terminal ID, parking lot ID, vehicle type information, and license plate number with each other. Then, in step S2406, the management server 130 registers the associated multiple pieces of information in the vehicle / user management list as illustrated in FIG. 25.

[0373] Thus, the current execution of this program ends.

[0374] [Second Object Identification and Stage Determination Program Executed by Signal Processing Unit 100]

[0375] FIG. 26 is a flowchart conceptually showing the second object identification and stage determination program executed by the signal processing unit 100 when a user exits alone.

[0376] This second object identification and stage determination program is repeatedly executed by the signal processing unit 100. At each execution, first, in step S2601, the signal processing unit 100 outputs the drive signal to the inner line sensor 52 and inputs the sensor signal from the inner line sensor 52 in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0377] In this step S2601, the signal processing unit 100 further analyzes the silhouette of the current object based on the sensor signal input from the inner line sensor 52 and identifies whether the current object is a human based on this analysis.

[0378] Next, in step S2602, the signal processing unit 100 determines whether the current object is identified as a human. If it is not identified as a human, the determination is NO and the current execution of this program ends. On the other hand, if it is identified as a human, the determination is YES and subsequently, step S2603 is executed.

[0379] In this step S2603, the signal processing unit 100 takes a single shot or continuous shots of the current human object using the camera 300 at a timing that is substantially synchronized with the timing when step S2601 started the object identification process (i.e., for example, immediately after the front of the current human passes the inner line sensor 52 towards the outer line sensor 50).

[0380] The front of the human (especially including the face of that human) when photographed by the camera 300 is at a fixed position relative to the inner line sensor 52. On the other hand, the inner line sensor 52 is at a fixed position relative to the outer line sensor 50, and the camera 300 is at a fixed position relative to the outer line sensor 50.

[0381] As a result, regardless of the type of human, the actual distance between the front of the human (a front portrait of the human, especially including the face of that human) when photographed by the camera 300 and the camera 300 is maintained substantially the same as the focal length of the camera 300. Therefore, the camera 300 can sufficiently sharply photograph any human portrait.

[0382] However, although the camera 300 is stationary while the human may be moving relative to the camera 300, there is a possibility that the focus of the photographed image may be blurred. However, as described above, when the camera 300 continuously shoots the same human and a plurality of photos are continuously taken, it is highly likely that there will be a photo with sufficient focus among those photos.

[0383] Subsequently, in step S2604, the signal processing unit 100 extracts a face image representing the current human face from the captured portrait of the person as described above.

[0384] Thereafter, in step S2605, the signal processing unit 100 outputs the drive signal to the outer line sensor 50 and inputs the sensor signal from the outer line sensor 50, in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0385] In this step S2605, the signal processing unit 100 further analyzes the silhouette of the current object based on the sensor signal input from the outer line sensor 50, and based on this, determines whether the current object is a human or not.

[0386] Subsequently, in step S2606, the signal processing unit 100 determines whether the current object has been identified as a human. If it has not been identified as a human, the determination is NO and the process returns to step S2605. If it has been identified as a human, the determination is YES and subsequently, step S2607 is executed.

[0387] In this step S2607, the signal processing unit 100 determines whether the silhouette obtained by executing step S2601 and the silhouette obtained by executing step S2605 are geometrically sufficiently approximated to each other, thereby determining whether the same human has passed through the inner line sensor 52 and the outer line sensor 50 in that order.

[0388] If the humans passing through the inner line sensor 52 and the outer line sensor 50 are not the same, the determination is NO and the current execution of this program ends. If they are the same, the determination is YES and subsequently, step S2608 is executed.

[0389] In this step S2608, the signal processing unit 100 determines that after the vehicle 30 has completed entering the current parking lot 20 this time, the user as the current human has left the current parking lot 20 alone.

[0390] Here, steps S2601 - 2602 are processes executed using the inner line sensor 52. Also, steps S2603 - 2604 are processes executed using the camera 300. Also, steps S2605 - 2607 are processes executed using the outer line sensor 50.

[0391] After that, in step S2609, the signal processing unit 100 wirelessly transmits the information regarding the recognized face image as the first human information, associated with the parking lot ID unique to the current parking lot 20, to the management server 130 via, for example, the public switched telephone network or the global network.

[0392] Thus, the current execution of this program ends.

[0393] [Second Association and Registration Program Executed by Management Server 130]

[0394] FIG. 27 is a flowchart conceptually showing the second association and registration program executed by the management server 130 when a user leaves alone.

[0395] This second association and registration program is repeatedly executed by the management server 130. At each execution, first, in step S2701, the management server 130 determines whether it has received an arbitrary terminal ID associated with an arbitrary parking lot ID from an arbitrary communication terminal 90. If no signal is received, the determination is NO and the current execution of this program ends.

[0396] On the other hand, if an arbitrary terminal ID associated with an arbitrary parking lot ID is received, the determination is YES and the process proceeds to step S2702.

[0397] In this step S2702, the management server 130 determines whether it has received any face image information from an arbitrary signal processing unit 100 and associated it with an arbitrary parking lot ID. If no signal is received, the determination is NO, and the process returns to step S2701.

[0398] On the other hand, if any face image information is received and associated with an arbitrary parking lot ID, the determination is YES, and the process proceeds to step S2703.

[0399] In this step S2703, the management server 130 determines whether the two parking lot IDs received in steps S2701 - 2703 match each other. The success or failure of the comparison between the parking lot IDs is determined.

[0400] If the two parking lot IDs do not match each other, the determination is NO, and the current execution of this program ends. However, if the two parking lot IDs match each other, the determination is YES, and the process proceeds to step S2704. As a result, the terminal ID, parking lot ID, and face image are comprehensively received by the management server 130 substantially continuously in time or at substantially the same timing.

[0401] In this step S2704, the management server 130 associates the currently received terminal ID, parking lot ID, and face image with each other. Then, in step S2705, the management server 130 registers the associated multiple pieces of information in the vehicle / user management list as illustrated in FIG. 25.

[0402] Thus, the current execution of this program ends.

[0403] [Third Object Identification and Stage Determination Program Executed by Signal Processing Unit 100]

[0404] FIG. 28 is a flowchart conceptually showing a third object identification and stage determination program executed by the signal processing unit 130 when a user enters alone.

[0405] This third object identification and stage determination program is repeatedly executed by the signal processing unit 100. At each execution, first, in step S2801, the signal processing unit 100 outputs the drive signal to the outer line sensor 50 and inputs the sensor signal from the outer line sensor 50, in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0406] In this step S2801, the signal processing unit 100 further analyzes the silhouette of the current object based on the sensor signal input from the outer line sensor 50, and based on this, identifies whether the current object is a human.

[0407] Next, in step S2802, the signal processing unit 100 determines whether the current object has been identified as a human. If it has not been identified as a human, the determination is NO and the process returns to step S2801. On the other hand, if it has been identified as a human, the determination is YES, and subsequently, step S2803 is executed.

[0408] In this step S2803, the signal processing unit 100 outputs the drive signal to the inner line sensor 52 and inputs the sensor signal from the inner line sensor 52, in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0409] In this step S2803, the signal processing unit 100 further analyzes the silhouette of the current object based on the sensor signal input from the inner line sensor 52, and based on this, identifies whether the current object is a human.

[0410] Subsequently, in step S2804, the signal processing unit 100 determines whether the current object has been identified as a human. Here, it means that the signal processing unit 100 waits for a human who has passed through the outer line sensor 50 to subsequently pass through the inner line sensor 52. If the signal processing unit 100 has not identified the current object as a human, the determination is NO and the process returns to step S2803. If it has identified the object as a human, the determination is YES and subsequently, step S2805 is executed.

[0411] In this step S2805, the signal processing unit 100 determines whether the silhouette obtained by executing step S2801 and the silhouette obtained by executing step S2803 are geometrically sufficiently approximated to each other, thereby determining whether the same human has passed through the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52 in that order.

[0412] If the humans who have passed through the outer line sensor 50 and the inner line sensor 52 are not the same, the determination is NO and the current execution of this program ends. If they are the same, the determination is YES and subsequently, step S2806 is executed.

[0413] In this step S2806, the signal processing unit 100 determines that the current user as a human has entered the parking lot 20 alone in order to take the vehicle 30 out of the parking lot 20 this time.

[0414] Thereafter, in step S2807, the signal processing unit 100 captures the current human only once or in a series of shots using the camera 300 at a timing substantially synchronized with the timing when the object identification process in step S2803 was started (i.e., for example, immediately after the front of the current human has passed through the inner line sensor 52).

[0415] When a human's back (rear view) is photographed by the camera 300, it is at a fixed position relative to the inner line sensor 52. On the other hand, the inner line sensor 52 is at a fixed position relative to the outer line sensor 50, and the camera 300 is at a fixed position relative to the outer line sensor 50.

[0416] As a result, regardless of the type of human, the actual distance between the human's back when photographed by the camera 300 and the camera 300 is maintained substantially the same as the focal length of the camera 300. Therefore, the camera 300 can sufficiently sharply photograph a portrait of a person as an arbitrary human's back.

[0417] However, although the camera 300 is stationary, a human may be moving relative to the camera 300, so there is a possibility that the focus of the photographed image may be blurred. However, as described above, when the camera 300 continuously shoots the same subject and a plurality of photos are continuously taken, it is highly likely that the photos include a photo with sufficiently focused.

[0418] Subsequently, in step S2808, the signal processing unit 100 recognizes the portrait of the human from the image photographed as described above.

[0419] Thereafter, in step S2809, the signal processing unit 100 wirelessly transmits information regarding the recognized portrait as the second human information in association with the parking lot ID unique to the current parking lot 20 to the management server 130 via, for example, a public line network or a global network.

[0420] Thus, the current execution of this program ends.

[0421] [Third Association and Registration Program Executed by Management Server 130]

[0422] FIG. 29 is a flowchart conceptually showing a third association and registration program executed by the management server 130 when a user enters alone.

[0423] This third linking / registration program is repeatedly executed by the management server 130. At each execution, first, in step S2901, the management server 130 determines whether it has received an arbitrary terminal ID associated with an arbitrary parking lot ID from an arbitrary communication terminal 90. If no signal is received at all, the determination is NO, and the current execution of this program ends.

[0424] On the other hand, if an arbitrary terminal ID associated with an arbitrary parking lot ID is received, the determination is YES, and the process proceeds to step S2902.

[0425] In this step S2902, the management server 130 determines whether it has received arbitrary portrait information associated with an arbitrary parking lot ID from an arbitrary signal processing unit 100. If no signal is received at all, the determination is NO, and the process returns to step S2901.

[0426] On the other hand, if arbitrary portrait information associated with an arbitrary parking lot ID is received, the determination is YES, and the process proceeds to step S2903.

[0427] In this step S2903, the management server 130 determines whether the two parking lot IDs received in steps S2901 - 2902 match each other. The success or failure of the comparison between the parking lot IDs is determined.

[0428] If the two parking lot IDs do not match each other, the determination is NO, and the current execution of this program ends. However, if the two parking lot IDs match each other, the determination is YES, and the process proceeds to step S2904.

[0429] In this step S2904, the management server 130 associates the terminal ID, parking lot ID, and portrait received this time with each other. Then, in step S2905, the management server 130 registers the associated multiple pieces of information in the vehicle / user management list as illustrated in FIG. 25.

[0430] Thus, the current execution of this program ends.

[0431] [Fourth Object Identification and Stage Judgment Program Executed by Signal Processing Unit 100]

[0432] FIG. 30 is a flowchart conceptually showing the fourth object identification and stage judgment program executed by the signal processing unit 130 at the time of shipment.

[0433] This fourth object identification and stage judgment program is repeatedly executed by the signal processing unit 100. At each execution, first, in step S3001, the signal processing unit 100 outputs the drive signal to the inner line sensor 52 and inputs the sensor signal from the inner line sensor 52 in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0434] In this step S3001, the signal processing unit 100 further analyzes the silhouette of the current object based on the sensor signal input from the inner line sensor 52, and based on this, identifies whether the current object is the vehicle 30.

[0435] Next, in step S3002, the signal processing unit 100 determines whether the current object is identified as the vehicle 30. If it is not identified as the vehicle 30, the determination is NO, and the current execution of this program ends. On the other hand, if it is identified as the vehicle 30, the determination is YES, and subsequently, step S3003 is executed.

[0436] In this step S3003, the signal processing unit 100 captures or takes a series of shots of the vehicle 30 as the current object only once using the camera 300 at a timing substantially synchronized with the timing when step S3001 starts the object recognition process (that is, for example, immediately after the front end surface of the current vehicle 30 passes the inner line sensor 52 toward the outer line sensor 50).

[0437] The front end surface of the vehicle 30 (particularly including the license plate 31) when photographed by the camera 300 is at a fixed position relative to the inner line sensor 52. On the other hand, the inner line sensor 52 is at a fixed position relative to the outer line sensor 50, and the camera 300 is at a fixed position relative to the outer line sensor 50.

[0438] As a result, the actual distance between the front end surface of the vehicle 30 (particularly the license plate 31) when photographed by the camera 300 and the camera 300 is maintained substantially the same as the focal length of the camera 300 regardless of the type of the vehicle 30. Therefore, the camera 300 can sufficiently sharply photograph an image of any vehicle 30.

[0439] Subsequently, in step S3004, the signal processing unit 100 extracts the numbers representing the vehicle number of the current vehicle 30 from the image of the license plate 31 photographed as described above.

[0440] Thereafter, in step S3005, the signal processing unit 100 outputs the drive signal to the outer line sensor 50 and inputs the sensor signal from the outer line sensor 50 in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0441] In this step S3005, the signal processing unit 100 further analyzes the silhouette of the current object based on the sensor signal input from the outer line sensor 50 and identifies whether the current object is the vehicle 30 based on this.

[0442] Subsequently, in step S3006, the signal processing unit 100 determines whether the current object is identified as the vehicle 30. If it is not identified as the vehicle 30, the determination is NO, and the process returns to step S3005. If it is identified as the vehicle 30, the determination is YES, and subsequently, step S3007 is executed.

[0443] In this step S3007, the signal processing unit 100 determines whether the silhouette obtained by executing step S3001 and the silhouette obtained by executing step S3005 are geometrically sufficiently approximated to each other, thereby determining whether the same vehicle 30 has passed the inner line sensor 52 and the outer line sensor 50 in that order.

[0444] If the vehicle 30 passing through the inner line sensor 52 and the outer line sensor 50 is not the same, the determination is NO, and the current execution of this program ends. If they are the same, the determination is YES, and subsequently, step S3008 is executed.

[0445] In this step S3008, the signal processing unit 100 determines that the current vehicle 30 has been shipped out of the current parking lot 20.

[0446] Thereafter, in step S3009, the signal processing unit 100 associates the recognized vehicle number with the parking lot ID unique to the current parking lot 20 and wirelessly transmits it to the management server 130 via, for example, a public switched telephone network or a global network.

[0447] Thus, the current execution of this program ends.

[0448] Incidentally, although the present embodiment is implemented to identify an object using the line sensors 50 and 52 according to the first and second embodiments, alternatively, another line sensor that uses an element configuration, an image processing technique, an arithmetic algorithm, or an object identification principle different from those line sensors 50 and 52 may be used to identify the object.

[0449] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, each of the line sensors 50 and 52 is of a transmissive type in which the transmitter post 62 and the receiver post 72 face each other with the object to be identified therebetween. However, instead, a reflective type in which the transmitter post 62 and the receiver post 72 are located on the same side with respect to the object to be identified may be used.

[0450] In the case of this reflective type, one transmitter 60 and one receiver 70 corresponding to each other form one pair, and a plurality of such pairs arranged in a line may be used instead of the combination of the transmitter post 62 and the receiver post 72. In each pair, among the electromagnetic waves emitted from the transmitter 60 belonging to the pair, the portion reflected from the object or the portion reflected from a reflecting surface located on the side opposite to the one post with respect to the object enters the receiver 70 belonging to the same pair.

[0451] As described above, a scenario in which a plurality of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are used for the purpose of simply identifying and classifying the vehicle 30 as a three-dimensional object passing through the access passage 40 as a predetermined passage in the parking lot 20 from only one direction in terms of shape has been described. However, similar embodiments can be used for other purposes.

[0452] As an example of such other purposes, in a logistics center, an article in a sheet shape, a plate shape, or a three-dimensional shape flowing along a predetermined passage (for example, a conveyor) is identified and classified in terms of shape (for example, classification by size (classification by maximum dimension), classification by aspect ratio such as being close to a square, vertically long, or horizontally long, etc.).

[0453] As another example, in commercial facilities (e.g., department stores, restaurants, food courts, bookstores) or public facilities used by the general public (e.g., roads, subways, art museums, schools, city halls, stations, airports, bus stops, buses, libraries), there is an application of identifying and classifying humans (3D objects) flowing along a predetermined passage in terms of shape (e.g., multiple classifications such as a person walking independently, a person walking in a wheelchair, a person accompanied by an assistant or a guide dog, an adult, a child, etc.).

[0454] As described above, a plurality of exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, these are merely examples, and the present invention can be implemented in other forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, starting from the aspects described in the column of [Summary of the Invention].

Claims

1. A system for managing a parking lot, wherein the parking lot includes access roads along which vehicles move in opposite directions when entering and leaving the parking lot respectively, and the system includes: a camera installed in the parking lot, which captures a portion of each vehicle on the access road where a unique number of the vehicle is displayed when the vehicle entering the parking lot and the vehicle leaving the parking lot are located on the access road, and generates an image signal representing the imaging result; an entry / exit discrimination unit that discriminates whether the vehicle is in an entry stage of entering the parking lot on the access road or in an exit stage of leaving the parking lot on the access road; a number recognition unit that, when it is determined that the vehicle is in the entry stage, recognizes the unique number of the vehicle as an entry-time number based on the image signal received from the camera, and when it is determined that the vehicle is in the exit stage, recognizes the unique number of the vehicle as an exit-time number based on the image signal received from the camera; a management server for managing the parking lot; and a number transmission unit installed in the parking lot, which transmits the entry-time number and the exit-time number to the management server in association with parking lot information for identifying the parking lot. A parking lot management system comprising the above components.

2. The access road has a first position and a second position spaced apart from each other such that the vehicle passes through them in sequence when entering the parking lot, and when the vehicle leaves the parking lot, the vehicle passes through the access road in the order of the second position and the first position. The entry / exit discrimination unit discriminates that the vehicle is in the entry stage when it detects that the vehicle is moving from the first position to the second position on the access road, and discriminates that the vehicle is in the exit stage when it detects that the vehicle is moving from the second position to the first position on the access road. The parking lot management system according to Claim 1.

3. The management server is capable of communicating with a communication terminal of a user of the parking lot. The system further includes a transmitter installed in the parking lot, which has a function of transmitting a signal corresponding to the parking lot information by a short-range wireless communication method. The management server according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving unit that, in response to the communication terminal receiving the signal from the transmitter in the parking lot, receives from the communication terminal the parking lot information and user / communication terminal information for identifying the user or the communication terminal in a state where they are associated with each other.

4. The management server according to claim 3, further comprising a registration unit that, when receiving the parking lot information, the in-warehouse number or the out-warehouse number, and the user / communication terminal information from the number transmitting unit and the communication terminal substantially continuously in time or at substantially the same timing, associates and registers the parking lot information, the in-warehouse number or the out-warehouse number, and the user / communication terminal information with each other.

5. A system for managing a parking lot, wherein the parking lot includes access passages through which vehicles move in opposite directions when entering and leaving the parking lot, and the system includes a management server for managing the parking lot, a camera installed in the parking lot that captures a portion of a vehicle entering the parking lot and a vehicle leaving the parking lot where a number unique to the vehicle is displayed when each vehicle is located in the access passage, and generates an image signal representing the imaging result, a signal processing unit installed in the parking lot, having a function of determining whether the vehicle is in an in-warehouse stage of entering the parking lot in the access passage or an out-warehouse stage of leaving the parking lot in the access passage, and when the vehicle is determined to be in the in-warehouse stage, recognizing a number unique to the vehicle as an in-warehouse number based on the image signal received from the camera, while when the vehicle is determined to be in the out-warehouse stage, recognizing a number unique to the vehicle as an out-warehouse number based on the image signal received from the camera, and having a function of transmitting the in-warehouse number and the out-warehouse number in association with parking lot information for identifying the parking lot to the management server. A parking lot management system including the above.

6. A program for causing a computer to function as the in-out determination unit according to claim 1.

7. A program for causing a computer to function as the number recognition unit according to claim 1.

8. A program for causing a computer to function as the management server according to claim 4.

9. A program for causing a computer to function as the signal processing unit according to claim 5.

10. A recording medium having recorded thereon, in a computer-readable manner, the program according to any one of claims 6 to 9.

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