Parking control device

Abstract

To provide a technique for improving parking efficiency in a parking lot.SOLUTION: A parking control device includes an acquisition section, a detection section, a determination section, and a guidance section. The acquisition section acquires vehicle information including a size of an entering vehicle (Ce) of a parking lot (P). The detection section detects parking vehicles (C) parked in a parkable area (P2) in the parking lot (P). The determination section determines whether the entering vehicle (Ce) can park at a vacant space other than a use area in the parkable area (P2) based on the use area in the parkable area (P2) of the detected parking vehicles (C) and also based on the acquired vehicle information. The guidance section displays a parking space (P20) in response to the size of the entering vehicle (Ce) in the vacant space (T22) when it is determined that the entering vehicle (Ce) can park, so as to guide the entering vehicle to the parking space (P20).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a parking control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses a parking lot management system. The parking lot management system detects the type of vehicle entering the entrance of the parking lot by emitting a laser beam and indicates an available parking position for the entering vehicle. The available parking position is determined according to the type of vehicle entering, and the entering vehicle is guided to a parking position according to the size of the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-020895 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The parking lot management system described above is effective in parking lots where parking spaces for standard cars and light vehicles are pre-installed. However, in parking lots where parking spaces are pre-installed, even if there are vacant parking spaces, large vehicles that cannot fit into one parking space may not be able to park. If there are vacant parking spaces but vehicles cannot be parked there, the parking efficiency of the parking lot will decrease.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a technology for improving parking efficiency in parking lots. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A parking control device according to the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit, a detection unit, a determination unit, and a guidance unit. The acquisition unit acquires vehicle information including the size of a vehicle entering a parking lot. The detection unit detects parked vehicles parked in available parking areas in the parking lot. The determination unit determines whether the entering vehicle can park in an empty space other than the available parking area based on the used area in the available parking area of ​​the detected parked vehicle and the acquired vehicle information. If it is determined that the entering vehicle can be parked, the guidance unit displays a parking space corresponding to the size of the entering vehicle in the available space and guides the entering vehicle to the parking space. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, parking efficiency in parking lots can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a parking control device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a parking lot where the parking control device performs parking control. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an operation flow diagram showing the operation of the parking control device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a case where an entering vehicle is guided to a parking space in the first parking area shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a case where an entering vehicle is guided to a parking space in the second parking area shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which an entering vehicle has parked in a parking space in the second parking area. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the state after an entering vehicle has parked in a parking space in the second parking area. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a case where an entering vehicle is parked overflowing the parking space in the second parking area. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example in which a new parking space image is displayed in the second parking area shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, a parking control device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters and description thereof will not be repeated.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a parking control device 1. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a parking lot P in which parking control is performed by the parking control device 1. The configurations of the parking lot P and the parking control device 1 in this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the parking control device 1 includes a camera management device 2, a projector management device 3, a storage unit 4, a gate device 5, a control unit 10, cameras 20 (20a to 20c), and projectors 30 (30a to 30c).

[0012] 2, the gate device 5, the camera 20, and the projector 30 are installed in a parking lot P. The parking lot P includes a first parking area P1 and a second parking area P2 as available parking areas.

[0013] The first parking area P1 is a parking space where parking frames L are set up in advance for, for example, standard cars and light cars, and a vehicle C is parked in the parking frame L. The width of the parking frame L in the first parking area P1 differs between standard cars and light cars.

[0014] The second parking area P2 is a parking space where no parking stall L is installed.

[0015] Camera 20a and projector 30a are provided for the first parking area P1, and camera 20b and projector 30b are provided for the second parking area P2. That is, camera 20a photographs the first parking area P1, and camera 20b photographs the second parking area P2. Projector 30a projects onto the first parking area P1, and projector 30b (an example of a projection unit) projects onto the second parking area P2.

[0016] The camera 20c captures images of vehicles entering the parking lot P. The projector 30c is provided in the passageway leading from the entrance of the parking lot P to the first parking area P1 or the second parking area P2, and projects images onto the passageway.

[0017] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which three cameras 20 and three projectors 30 are installed in the parking lot P, but the number of cameras 20 and projectors 30 is not limited to this. The number of cameras 20 and projectors 30 can be determined arbitrarily depending on the size of the parking lot P.

[0018] The camera management device 2 (FIG. 1) is electrically connected to each camera 20 and controls each camera 20. Specifically, the camera management device 2 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory (ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory)), and a non-volatile storage device such as a hard disk (all not shown). The camera management device 2 controls shooting by each camera 20 by the CPU executing a control program stored in the memory. The camera management device 2 sequentially acquires and stores video data captured by each camera 20 together with camera identification information that identifies the camera 20. The camera management device 2 also sequentially outputs the acquired video data together with the camera identification information to the control unit 10.

[0019] The projector management device 3 is electrically connected to each projector 30 and controls the projection of each projector 30. Specifically, the projector management device 3 includes a CPU, memory (ROM and RAM), and a non-volatile storage device such as a hard disk (all not shown).

[0020] The projector management device 3 stores in advance the position information of the aisles in the parking lot P and the first and second parking areas P1 and P2. The projector management device 3 also stores image data for guiding from the gate device 5 to each parking space in the first parking area P1.

[0021] The projector management device 3 reads or generates an image that provides parking guidance in the real space within the parking lot P and projects it on the projector 30 in response to instructions from the control unit 10 by having the CPU execute a control program stored in memory.

[0022] The storage unit 4 includes a non-volatile storage device such as a hard disk. The storage unit 4 stores various data such as a parking control application program, image data and tables used for parking control. The tables include, for example, a parking space table that specifies the size of a parking space for a vehicle according to the size of the vehicle.

[0023] The gate device 5 is installed at the entrance to the parking lot P. The gate device 5 includes a CPU and memory (ROM and RAM) (not shown), a gate bar G (FIG. 2), and an alarm unit (not shown). The gate device 5 operates the gate bar G and the alarm unit under the control of the control unit 10. The alarm unit is, for example, a display and a speaker. When the control unit 10 instructs the gate device 5 to permit entry, the gate device 5 releases the gate bar G and raises the height of the gate bar G from a predetermined position to allow the vehicle to enter. When the control unit 10 instructs the gate device 5 to deny entry, the gate device 5 maintains the height of the gate bar G at the predetermined position and notifies the alarm unit that the parking lot is full.

[0024] The control unit 10 includes a CPU and memory (ROM and RAM) (not shown). The CPU executes an application program stored in the storage unit 4, whereby the control unit 10 controls each unit connected to the control unit 10 to perform parking control of the parking lot P.

[0025] Specifically, the control unit 10 sequentially acquires images captured by the camera 20 via the camera management device 2. Based on the images captured by the camera 20c, the control unit 10 determines whether or not a vehicle is present in front of the gate bar G, i.e., at the entrance to the parking lot P.

[0026] When the control unit 10 determines that a vehicle is in front of the gate bar G, it acquires vehicle information about the vehicle from the image captured by the camera 20c. The vehicle information includes vehicle size such as vehicle width. The control unit 10 acquires the vehicle information using a predetermined algorithm using the width of the vehicle captured in the captured image.

[0027] The predetermined algorithm may, for example, calculate the vehicle width by inputting the width of the vehicle in the captured image into a predetermined calculation formula. Alternatively, the predetermined algorithm may, for example, obtain the vehicle width using a table that predefines the size and width of the vehicle in the captured image. Alternatively, the predetermined algorithm may obtain the vehicle model and size corresponding to the vehicle in the captured image as vehicle information from a database that predefines the image of the vehicle model and the size including the vehicle width for each vehicle model.

[0028] The control unit 10 determines whether there is an available space in the first parking area P1 that corresponds to the vehicle size in the acquired vehicle information based on the image data from the camera 20b. If there is no available space in the first parking area P1, the control unit 10 determines whether there is an available space in the second parking area P2.

[0029] If it is determined that there is no available space in either the first parking area P1 or the second parking area P2, the control unit 10 instructs the gate device 5 to deny entry.

[0030] If there is an empty space in the first parking area P1, the control unit 10 instructs the gate device 5 to permit entry. The control unit 10 also controls the projectors 30c and 30b via the projector management device 3 to project a guide image for guiding the vehicle from the gate device 5 to the empty space, and guides the vehicle to the empty space in the first parking area P1.

[0031] The determination of whether there is an empty space in the second parking area P2 may be performed as follows: The control unit 10 detects parked vehicles in the second parking area P2 from the video data of the camera 20b and identifies the area in the second parking area P2 used by the parked vehicles. Then, if the area obtained by subtracting the used area from the entire area of ​​the second parking area P2 is larger than the size of the vehicle, the control unit 10 determines that there is an empty space in the second parking area P2 corresponding to the size of the vehicle.

[0032] If there is an empty space in the second parking area P2, the control unit 10 instructs the gate device 5 to permit entry. The control unit 10 also controls the projectors 30c and 30b via the projector management device 3 to project a guide image, which guides the vehicle from the gate device 5 to an empty space in the second parking area P2. The control unit 10 also controls the projector 30b via the projector management device 3 to project a parking space image. The parking space image is, for example, an image that shows the boundary of a parking space according to the size of the vehicle. By projecting the parking space image into an empty space, the available parking space is shown to the driver of the vehicle.

[0033] The control unit 10 determines whether the vehicle has parked in the parking space indicated by the parking space image based on the video data from the camera 20b. If the control unit 10 determines that the vehicle has parked in the parking space, it causes the projector management device 3 to stop projecting the parking space image.

[0034] In this embodiment, the control unit 10 is an example of an acquisition unit, a detection unit, a determination unit, and a guidance unit. The camera 20b is an example of a detection unit, and the projector 30b is an example of a guidance unit.

[0035] (operation) Next, the operation of the parking control device 1 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 7. Figure 3 is an operation flow diagram showing the operation of the parking control device 1.

[0036] In step S11 of FIG. 3, the parking control device 1 photographs the entering vehicle in front of the gate bar G with the camera 20c (step S11).

[0037] Next, the parking control device 1 acquires vehicle information of the entering vehicle based on the captured image taken by the camera 20c (step S12). Specifically, the control unit 10 sequentially acquires the captured images of the camera 20c via the camera management device 2, and acquires vehicle information including the size of the entering vehicle using the size of the entering vehicle shown in the acquired captured image and a predetermined algorithm.

[0038] Then, the parking control device 1 determines whether the entering vehicle can be parked in the first parking area P1 (step S13). Specifically, the control unit 10 sequentially acquires images captured by the camera 20a via the camera management device 2, and determines from the acquired images whether there is an empty space in the first parking area P1 according to the vehicle information. In other words, the control unit 10 determines that there is an empty space when, among the parking stalls L captured in the captured images, no vehicle is parked in any parking stall L according to the size of the entering vehicle included in the vehicle information. For example, if the vehicle size included in the vehicle information of the entering vehicle is the size of a standard car and only parking stalls L for light cars are available, it is determined that there is no empty space.

[0039] If the parking control device 1 determines that the entering vehicle can park in the first parking area P1 (step S13: YES), it releases the gate bar G via the gate device 5 and guides the entering vehicle to a parking space in the first parking area P1 (step S14). Specifically, the control unit 10 instructs the gate device 5 to permit entry, and the gate device 5 raises the gate bar G. The control unit 10 outputs parking space information indicating the location of an empty space in the first parking area P1 to the projector management device 3. The projector management device 3 reads out a guide image from the gate device 5 to the location of the empty space indicated in the parking space information, and causes the projectors 30c and 30a to project it.

[0040] Fig. 4 is a diagram of the parking lot P when guiding an entering vehicle Ce to a parking space in the first parking area P1. As shown in Fig. 4, a guide image T11 guiding the entering vehicle Ce from the gate device 5 to the first parking area P1 is projected into the parking lot P by the projector 30c. In addition, a guide image T12 guiding the entering vehicle Ce to the parking space in the first parking area P1 is projected into the first parking area P1 by the projector 30a.

[0041] In step S13, if the parking control device 1 determines that the entering vehicle cannot be parked in the first parking area P1 (step S13: NO), it determines whether the entering vehicle can be parked in the second parking area P2 (step S15). In other words, if there is no parking space L corresponding to the size of the entering vehicle in the first parking area P1, the control unit 10 acquires an image captured by the camera 20b via the camera management device 2 and determines whether there is an empty space corresponding to the size of the entering vehicle in the second parking area P2.

[0042] Specifically, the control unit 10 determines that there is an available space when, for example, the area other than the used area of ​​the second parking area P2 shown in the captured image is larger than the size of the parking space corresponding to the size of the entering vehicle. The size of the parking space corresponding to the size of the entering vehicle is determined based on a parking space table (not shown) stored in the memory unit 4.

[0043] In step S15, if the parking control device 1 determines that the entering vehicle can park in the second parking area P2 (step S15: YES), it releases the gate bar G via the gate device 5 and guides the entering vehicle to a parking space in the second parking area P2 (step S16).

[0044] Specifically, the control unit 10 instructs the gate device 5 to permit entry, causing the gate device 5 to raise the gate bar G. Then, the control unit 10 outputs parking space information for the second parking area P2 to the projector management device 3. The parking space information for the second parking area P2 includes, for example, the location and range of the parking space in the second parking area P2. Based on the parking space information, the projector management device 3 generates a guidance image from the gate device 5 to the location of the parking space and causes the projector 30c and projector 30b to project it. Furthermore, based on the parking space information, the projector management device 3 causes the projector 30b to project a parking space image corresponding to the size of the entering vehicle.

[0045] 5 is a diagram of the parking lot P when guiding an entering vehicle to a parking space in the second parking area P2. As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 10 causes the gate device 5 to release the gate bar G and causes the projector 30c to project a guide image T21 that guides the driver from the gate device 5 to a parking space P20 in the second parking area P2. The control unit 10 also causes the projector 30b to project a parking space image T22 corresponding to the size of the entering vehicle Ce onto the parking space P20. As a result, the driver of the entering vehicle Ce is guided to the parking space in the second parking area P2 by following the guide image T21, and can visually recognize the parking space for the entering vehicle Ce from the projected parking space image T22.

[0046] Returning to FIG. 3, the parking control device 1 determines whether the entering vehicle has completed parking in the parking space of the second parking area P2 (step S17). Specifically, the control unit 10 acquires an image captured by the camera 20b via the camera management device 2, and determines from the acquired image whether the entering vehicle has parked in the parking space and whether a driver is in the entering vehicle. The presence or absence of a driver in the entering vehicle may be determined by detecting a human face in the driver's seat shown in the captured image. If the control unit 10 can detect a human face in the driver's seat of the entering vehicle parked in the parking space shown in the captured image, it determines that parking is not complete, and if it cannot detect a human face, it determines that parking is complete.

[0047] When the parking control device 1 determines that the entering vehicle has completed parking (step S17: YES), it ends guiding the entering vehicle to the parking space in the second parking area P2 (step S18). Specifically, the control unit 10 instructs the projector management device 3 to end projection, and causes the projector 30c and the projector 30b to end projection of the guidance image and the parking space image via the projector management device 3.

[0048] In step S17, if the parking control device 1 determines that the entering vehicle has not completed parking (step S17: NO), it continues guiding the vehicle to the parking space in the second parking area P2.

[0049] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which an entering vehicle has parked in a parking space in the second parking area P2. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a state after an entering vehicle has parked in a parking space in the second parking area P2.

[0050] 6, the parking space image T22 is projected until the entering vehicle Ce is parked in the parking space P20. The driver of the entering vehicle Ce can see the boundary of the parking space P20 until parking is complete, so that the driver can park the entering vehicle Ce reliably in the designated vacant space.

[0051] Furthermore, if the driver is not in the driver's seat after the entering vehicle has parked in the parking space P20, the parking space image T22 will not be projected, as shown in Fig. 7. If the entering vehicle is parked in the parking space P20 and the driver is not in the seat, there is no need to project the parking space image T22. By ending the projection of the parking space image T22 after parking into the parking space P20 is complete, power consumption can be reduced.

[0052] 3, if the parking control device 1 determines that the entering vehicle cannot park in the second parking area P2 (step S15: NO), it notifies the gate device 5 that the parking area is full (step S19). Specifically, the control unit 10 instructs the gate device 5 not to permit entry, and the gate device 5 notifies the gate device 5 that the parking area is full.

[0053] The parking control device 1 according to the embodiment has been described above. The parking lot P in the above embodiment has a first parking area P1 in which predetermined parking frames are installed, and a second parking area P2 in which no parking frames are installed. In the second parking area P2, no parking frames are installed, and the parking control device 1 projects a parking space according to the size of the entering vehicle. Therefore, even vehicles larger than the predetermined parking frames in the first parking area P1 can be parked. In other words, since the vehicle can be parked in a parking space according to the size of the vehicle, the parking efficiency of the parking lot P can be improved.

[0054] Furthermore, the parking control device 1 projects a guide image for guiding the entering vehicle to an empty space in either the first parking area P1 or the second parking area P2 according to the size of the entering vehicle using the projector 30. This allows the driver to park the vehicle in the parking space to which they are guided without being aware of the size of the vehicle.

[0055] In addition, when parking an entering vehicle in a parking space in the second parking area P, the parking control device 1 projects a parking space image onto the parking space until parking is complete, so that the driver can park the vehicle in the parking space reliably.

[0056] The above describes embodiments of the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The drawings mainly show each component in a schematic manner to facilitate understanding, and the thickness, length, number, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual ones due to the convenience of creating the drawings. Furthermore, the shape, dimensions, etc. of each component shown in the above embodiments are merely examples and are not particularly limited, and various modifications are possible within a scope that does not substantially deviate from the effects of the present disclosure.

[0057] [Variations] (1) In the above embodiment, after an entering vehicle parks in a parking space in the second parking area P2, the parking control device 1 may end the display of the parking space image after a predetermined time has elapsed. In other words, the parking control device 1 may display the parking space image until a predetermined time has elapsed since the entering vehicle parked in the parking space in the second parking area P2. Whether or not the entering vehicle has parked in the parking space may be determined, for example, by determining that the entering vehicle has parked in the parking space when the entering vehicle has been stopped for a certain period of time after entering the parking space shown in the captured image.

[0058] Alternatively, the parking control device 1 may continue to display the parking space image of each parking space while a vehicle is parked in the parking space in the second parking area P2. In other words, after a vehicle parks in a parking space in the second parking area P2, the parking space image may be displayed until the vehicle exits the second parking area P2, and the display of the parking space image may be terminated after the vehicle exits.

[0059] (2) In the above embodiment, the parking control device 1 may acquire the size corresponding to the entering vehicle from an external device with which the parking control device 1 can communicate. For example, the external device stores a database in which images and vehicle sizes for each vehicle type are specified in advance. The parking control device 1 transmits a captured image of the entering vehicle to the external device, and the external device identifies the vehicle type and vehicle size corresponding to the captured image from the database and transmits them to the parking control device 1.

[0060] (3) In FIG. 6 of the above embodiment, the entering vehicle Ce may be parked diagonally within the parking space P20 shown in the parking space image T22, or may be parked protruding from the parking space P20. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a case where the entering vehicle Ce is parked protruding from the parking space P20. In such a case, when displaying a new parking space image in the second parking area P2, the parking control device 1 displays the parking space image in the second parking area P2 based on the position of the vehicle Cv that is closest to the vacant space side of the second parking area P2 among the already parked vehicles and the size of the vehicle to be newly parked. The position of the parked vehicle closest to the vacant space side of the second parking area P2 may be obtained from the image captured by the camera 20b.

[0061] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of displaying a new parking space image in the second parking area P2 shown in Fig. 8. As shown in Fig. 9, the new parking space image T22 is displayed at a certain distance D from the portion M of the parked vehicle Cv that is closest to the vacant space in the second parking area P2. This configuration allows the entering vehicle Ce to be parked in the second parking area P2 to be parked safely.

[0062] (4) In the above embodiment, the parking lot P has been described as having the first parking area P1 and the second parking area P2, but the parking lot P may be composed of only the second parking area P2.

[0063] (5) In the above embodiment, a frame image showing the boundary of the parking space is displayed as the parking space image, but the manner in which the parking space is displayed is not limited to this. For example, the parking space image may be an image of two straight lines showing the width of the parking space, or a rectangular image showing the entire range of the parking space in a color different from the ground. [Industrial Applicability]

[0064] The present invention can be used in parking lots of commercial facilities and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1: Parking control device 2: Camera management device 3: Projector management device 4: Storage section 5: Gate device 10: Control section 20, 20a-20c: Camera 30, 30a-30c: Projector L: Parking space P: Parking lot P1: First parking area P2: Second parking area P20: Parking space T11, T12, T21: Guide images T22: Parking space image

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information including the size of a vehicle entering the parking lot; a detection unit that detects a parked vehicle parked in a parking area in the parking lot; a determination unit that determines whether the entering vehicle can park in an empty space other than the used area in the available parking area based on the used area in the available parking area of ​​the detected parked vehicle and the acquired vehicle information; a guidance unit that, when it is determined that the entering vehicle can be parked, displays a parking space corresponding to the size of the entering vehicle in the vacant space and guides the entering vehicle to the parking space; A parking control device comprising:

2. The available parking area includes a first parking area in which the predetermined parking space is installed and a second parking area in which the predetermined parking space is not installed, 2. The parking control device according to claim 1, wherein the judgment unit determines whether or not there is an available predetermined parking space in the first parking area, and if there is no available predetermined parking space, determines whether or not the entering vehicle can be parked in the available space in the second parking area.

3. 3. The parking control device according to claim 1, wherein the guidance unit displays the parking space in the vacant space until the entering vehicle is parked in the parking space, and ends displaying the parking space after the entering vehicle is parked.

4. 3. The parking control device according to claim 1, wherein the guidance unit continues to display the parking space until the entering vehicle parks in the parking space and a predetermined time has elapsed, and ends displaying the parking space after the predetermined time has elapsed.

5. The parking control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the guidance unit includes a projection unit that projects an image showing the parking space onto the empty space.

6. the acquisition unit acquires an image of the entering vehicle as the vehicle information, and acquires a size of the entering vehicle from the acquired image; The parking control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the determination unit determines whether the entering vehicle can be parked in the empty space based on the size of the empty space and the size of the entering vehicle.

7. The parking control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the determination unit determines whether the entering vehicle can be parked in the vacant space based on the use area, the vehicle information, and the position of the parked vehicle.

Images