Parking lot management system and program

Abstract

To provide a technique for reducing a burden on equipment imposed on a parking lot.SOLUTION: A server 50 of a system for managing a parking lot receives parking lot information (S106) and car information (S110) from an information processor 90 of a user when the user enters the car into the parking lot together with the car, sets the parking lot as a current parking lot, and registers the car information in a memory in association with the parking lot (S207). The server further transmits parking fee data to the information processing terminal 90 when the vehicle information matches any of the vehicle information registered in the memory and a leaving request is received from the information processing terminal 90 when the user leaves the parking lot together with the vehicle. The server is further configured to acquire the entry time and / or determine that the vehicle has entered the parking lot, when the current position of the information processing terminal does not change for a predetermined time or more in the parking lot, or when an amount of change in the current position is equal to or less than a reference value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for managing parking lots, and more particularly to a technique for reducing the equipment burden imposed on parking lots. [Background technology]

[0002] Parking lots with multiple parking spaces (or "car compartments") for vehicles are already widespread. These types of parking lots can be classified into two types based on the method of transporting the vehicle to the target parking space: a system in which the user drives the vehicle to the target parking space, and a mechanical system in which the vehicle is transported to the target parking space mechanically by mechanically moving a pallet or cage.

[0003] In addition, the parking lot may be rented to the user free of charge or for a fee. Paid parking lots can be classified into monthly parking lots and hourly parking lots (including daily parking lots) based on the length of time the parking lot is rented to the user.

[0004] Hourly parking lots can be classified by their management method into manned parking lots, where a person is permanently present on-site to manage and monitor the lot, and unmanned parking lots, where such a person is not permanently present but is dispatched to the lot sporadically.

[0005] In addition, hourly parking lots can be classified according to the payment method for parking fees into prepaid parking lots, where the user pays a parking fee corresponding to the length of the planned parking time when entering the lot, and deferred payment parking lots, where the user pays a parking fee corresponding to the length of the actual parking time when leaving the lot.

[0006] Several prior art documents were found that disclose some of the types of parking lots described above.

[0007] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that makes it possible to completely automate the entry and exit process for a parking lot using a GPS, computer, and communication device installed in a vehicle, without installing dedicated equipment in the parking lot, and without requiring the user to operate their own mobile terminal or any equipment in the lot.

[0008] Specifically, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that measures the current location of a vehicle using a GPS-type positioning function installed in the vehicle in which the user is riding, rather than in the user's communication device, and when the vehicle's location transitions from a state in which it does not match any parking lot location to a state in which it matches one of the parking lot locations, automatically detects the user's entry into the parking lot, while when the vehicle's subsequent location transitions from a state in which it matches the parking lot location to a state in which it does not match, automatically detects the user's exit from the parking lot.

[0009] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a technology that requires the installation of a wireless station within a parking lot, and obtains the user's location information and behavior information using a GPS and acceleration sensor installed in the user's mobile terminal, and uses this information to detect the user's entry and exit from the parking lot where the user is currently staying, thereby enabling the complete automation of the entry and exit process for the parking lot.

[0010] Incidentally, a prepaid hourly parking system is already known as a parking lot management system. In this management system, the user is granted the right to use the parking lot on the condition that, at the entry stage when the user enters the parking lot to park their vehicle, the user specifies the valid parking time in hours, which is the time period during which the user wishes to park the vehicle, and pays in advance the parking fee equivalent to the length of the valid parking time.

[0011] Patent Document 3 describes a conventional example of a prepaid parking lot. This parking lot is equipped with dedicated equipment: a fee settlement device that allows users to prepay parking fees, and an exit gate management device that opens the exit gate and allows users to exit the parking lot on the condition that it is confirmed at the time of exit that the regular parking fee has been paid at the time of entry.

[0012] When entering the parking lot, a user who uses the parking lot predicts the length of time required to continuously park a vehicle in the parking lot as an effective parking time, and pays a parking fee commensurate with the length of the effective parking time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0013] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-202542 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-256380 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-250734 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0014] Theoretically, the technology described in Patent Document 1 makes it possible to completely automate the entry and exit process for a parking lot. However, in order to adopt the technology described in Patent Document 1, the vehicle must be equipped with a positioning device (positioning function) such as a GPS, a computer (signal processing function), and a communication device (communication function) for communicating with an external server, that is, the vehicle must be highly functional (for example, intelligent).

[0015] In contrast to this, the technology described in Patent Document 2 uses a user's mobile terminal equipped with signal processing, communication, positioning, and behavior detection functions instead of installing special equipment in the vehicle. Nowadays, mobile terminals equipped with such functions are widespread, and the technology described in Patent Document 2 makes it possible to fully automate the entry and exit process for a parking lot without requiring the vehicle to have high functionality (for example, intelligence).

[0016] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 only focuses on the relationship between the location information of the mobile terminal and the location information of the parking lot, and attempts to identify the parking lot into which the user entered, which poses a practical problem in that the system is likely to malfunction.

[0017] Furthermore, the technology described in Patent Document 2 attempts to identify the parking lot into which the user entered by focusing on user behavioral information in addition to the location information of the mobile device. However, despite limitations in the positioning accuracy of mobile devices, the user behavioral information being focused on is not specific to the parking lot, and so there remains a practical problem in that the system is highly likely to malfunction.

[0018] Furthermore, when constructing the prepaid parking lot described in Patent Document 3, it is necessary to install a fee settlement device that allows users to prepay parking fees, and an exit gate device that monitors the time when users leave the parking lot and checks whether the valid parking time has expired. Therefore, constructing this parking lot requires a large capital investment.

[0019] Based on the above findings, the present invention relates to a technology for managing parking lots, and in particular, has been made with the objective of providing a technology for reducing the equipment burden imposed on parking lots. [Means for solving the problem]

[0020] In order to solve the problem, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a parking lot management system for managing a plurality of parking lots, comprising: a server capable of communicating with an information processing terminal of a user who uses any of the parking lots; The server is a registration unit that receives from the information processing terminal, when the user enters a parking lot with the vehicle, parking lot information for identifying the parking lot, which is input into the information processing terminal by the user at the parking lot when entering, and vehicle information for identifying the vehicle, which is input into the information processing terminal by the user at the parking lot when entering, and that registers the received vehicle information in memory in association with the current parking lot, specifying the parking lot identified by the received parking lot information as the current parking lot; an entry processing unit that acquires an entry time and / or determines that the vehicle has entered one of the parking lots when the current position of the information processing terminal does not change for a predetermined time or more within one of the parking lots, or when the amount of change is equal to or less than a reference value; a parking fee data transmission unit that, when the user leaves one of the parking lots with the vehicle, receives vehicle information including the license plate number of the vehicle that is input to the information processing terminal by the user at one of the parking lots when the user leaves the parking lot, and transmits parking fee data indicating the amount of the parking fee to the information processing terminal when the received vehicle information matches any of the vehicle information registered in the memory in association with the current parking lot when each vehicle enters the current parking lot and a request for leaving the parking lot is received from the information processing terminal; A parking lot management system including:

[0021] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program executed by a computer of the information processing terminal of a user who uses one of the plurality of parking lots managed by the parking lot management system, comprising: The information processing terminal has a plurality of functions, an information transmission function of transmitting the parking lot information and the vehicle information to the server when the vehicle enters the parking lot; a positioning function for measuring the current position; an entry processing function that, when the measured current position does not change within one of the parking lots for the predetermined time or more, or the amount of change is equal to or less than the reference value, transmits the entry time to the server and / or determines that the vehicle has entered one of the parking lots; a parking fee data receiving function for receiving the parking fee data from the server when the vehicle information transmitted to the server at the time of the vehicle leaving the parking lot matches any of the vehicle information registered in the memory in association with the current parking lot when each vehicle entered the current parking lot and when the leaving request is transmitted to the server; Including, A program is provided that is executed to realize the plurality of functions.

[0022] The present invention provides the following aspects. Each aspect is divided into paragraphs, each numbered, and described by citing the numbers of other paragraphs as necessary. This is to facilitate understanding of some of the technical features and combinations thereof that may be employed by the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the technical features and combinations thereof that may be employed by the present invention to the following aspects. In other words, it should be understood that technical features that are not described in the following aspects but are described in this specification may be appropriately extracted and employed as technical features of the present invention.

[0023] Furthermore, describing each paragraph in a format that refers to the number of other paragraphs does not necessarily mean that the technical features described in each paragraph cannot be separated and made independent from the technical features described in other paragraphs, and it should be interpreted that the technical features described in each paragraph can be made independent as appropriate depending on their nature.

[0024] (1) A method for managing a plurality of prepaid parking lots using an information processing terminal of a user who selects and uses one of the parking lots and a management server that centrally manages the parking lots, comprising: a parking lot display step in which the information processing terminal and / or the management server, at a parking entry stage in which the user enters a parking lot with the vehicle, selects from the plurality of parking lots those parking lots located near the current location based on the current location acquired using the location acquisition unit of the information processing terminal, and displays the candidate parking lots on the screen of the information processing terminal; a parking lot selection process in which, when a user issues a first instruction to the information processing terminal to select one of the parking lots, the information processing terminal and / or the management server selects one of the plurality of candidate parking lots as the parking lot that the user wishes to use; an entry permission step in which the information processing terminal and / or the management server grants the user authority to enter the parking lot when the user instructs the information processing terminal to pay a prepayment parking fee corresponding to the length of the desired parking time at the parking lot and inputs identification information unique to the user and / or the vehicle; an exit confirmation step in which, when the user issues a second instruction to the information processing terminal to confirm that the user has exited the parking lot together with the vehicle, the information processing terminal and / or the management server confirms that the user has exited the parking lot together with the vehicle at an exit stage in which the user's vehicle exits the parking lot; A parking lot management method including:

[0025] (2) The parking lot selection step is performed in a state in which the first instruction is not accepted unless the distance from the current location of the information processing terminal to the parking lot to be used is equal to or less than a tolerance value in the parking lot entry stage. The parking lot management method described in (1) above, wherein the exit confirmation process is carried out in the exit stage in a state where the second instruction is accepted regardless of whether the distance from the current location of the information processing terminal to the parking lot in use is less than the allowable value.

[0026] (3) A parking lot management method as described in paragraph (1), in which at least one of the following is adopted: the parking lot selection process is performed in a state in which the first instruction is not accepted unless the distance from the current location of the information processing terminal to the parking lot in use is within an allowable value at the entry stage; and the exit confirmation process is performed in a state in which the second instruction is accepted regardless of whether the distance from the current location of the information processing terminal to the parking lot in use is within the allowable value.

[0027] (4) The parking lot management method according to any one of (1) to (3) further includes an extension step of extending the desired parking time when the information processing terminal and / or the management server receives a third instruction from the user to extend the desired parking time and an instruction to pay an extension fee corresponding to the extension of the desired parking time from the information processing terminal before the expiration of the desired parking time.

[0028] (5) A parking lot management method as described in (4), in which the extension process is carried out in a state in which the third instruction is accepted regardless of whether the distance from the parking lot to be used is less than or equal to the allowable value.

[0029] (6) A parking lot management method described in any of (1) to (5), wherein the identification information includes at least one of a user ID, an identification number of the user's vehicle, and an identification number of a parking space in which the user's vehicle is parked among multiple parking spaces in the parking lot.

[0030] (7) A parking lot management method described in any of (1) to (6), wherein the identification information includes a combination of multiple types of identification information that each identify multiple different entities that are related to a user.

[0031] The use of a combination of multiple types of identification information in this section improves security when authenticating a user or vehicle compared to using a single type of identification information. Here, "multiple distinct entities related to a user" include, for example, the user himself / herself, the user's vehicle, one of multiple parking spaces in the parking lot that the user uses, the user's information processing terminal, etc.

[0032] (8) A program executed by the computer of an information processing terminal to realize the information processing terminal according to any one of (1) to (7).

[0033] In this application, the term "program" may be interpreted to mean, for example, a combination of instructions executed by a computer to perform its function, and may also be interpreted to include, but is not limited to, not only the combination of instructions but also the files and data processed in accordance with each instruction.

[0034] Furthermore, this program may be executed by a computer alone to achieve its intended purpose, or may be executed by a computer together with other programs to achieve its intended purpose, but is not limited to these. In the latter case, the program according to this paragraph may be, but is not limited to, one that mainly consists of data.

[0035] (9) A program executed by the computer of the management server to realize the management server according to any one of (1) to (7).

[0036] (10) A recording medium on which the program described in (8) or (9) is recorded in a computer-readable manner.

[0037] In this application document, the recording medium represented by the term "recording medium" may take various forms, including, but not limited to, 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. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0038] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of one of a plurality of parking lots centrally managed by a parking lot management system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a part of the passenger compartments shown in FIG. 1 with vehicles stopped in the passenger compartments. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of communication between mobile terminals of users in each parking lot and a management server in a remote management center in the parking lot management system shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing long-distance two-way communication between the user's mobile terminal shown in FIG. 3 and the management server shown in the same figure. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram conceptually showing the mobile terminal shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram conceptually showing the management server shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a time chart conceptually showing an exemplary parking sequence realized by the parking lot management system. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart conceptually illustrating an example of a program executed by the mobile terminal, the management server, and the payment server, respectively, in the parking lot management system to assist a user in performing parking entry processing at a parking lot. [Figure 9]Figure 9 is a flowchart conceptually illustrating an example of a program executed by the mobile terminal, management server, and payment server, respectively, in the parking lot management system to extend the valid parking time in response to an extension request from the user after the user enters a parking lot. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a flowchart conceptually illustrating an example of a program executed by a mobile terminal, a management server, and a payment server in the parking lot management system to assist a user in performing the exit process after entering a parking lot. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram conceptually showing a management list stored in the memory of the management server shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0039] Hereinafter, one of several exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0040] First, referring to Figures 1 and 2, a parking lot management system (hereinafter simply referred to as the "system") 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is a system for managing multiple parking lots 20 (only a representative parking lot 20 among these parking lots 20 is shown in Figure 1), each of which can accommodate multiple vehicles (including automobiles, bicycles, and motorcycles, but in the example shown in Figure 2, automobiles).

[0041] In this system 10, a parking lot management method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is implemented in which a management server 50 located in a remote location centrally manages multiple parking lots 20 through communication with multiple users' mobile terminals (an example of the "information processing terminals") 90.

[0042] In one example, the system 10 allows a user to use the parking lot 20 on the condition that the user uses his / her mobile terminal 90 as a parking ticket and pays a prepaid parking fee that corresponds to the length of the planned parking time (desired parking time, valid parking time).

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a parking lot 20. The parking lot 20 has multiple compartments (examples of parking spaces) 22 that allow multiple vehicles to be parked at the same time. The parking lot 20 has a single entrance / exit 24 (which serves as both an entrance and an exit). FIG. 2 shows some of the multiple compartments 22 with vehicles parked in each compartment 22.

[0044] This parking lot 20 is unmanned, and furthermore, this parking lot 20 is not equipped with a gate device that opens and closes as appropriate to prevent unauthorized vehicles from leaving through the entrance / exit gate 24 of the parking lot 20, a car stopper device that appears and disappears as appropriate to prevent unauthorized vehicles from leaving the parking space 22, a ticket issuing machine for issuing parking tickets to users who are drivers, and a payment machine for users to pay parking fees.

[0045] Regarding the definition of the term "vehicle," the term "vehicle" should be interpreted as including not only automobiles but also all kinds of moving objects such as bicycles and motorcycles.

[0046] As shown in Figure 1, there are two types of parking spaces on the premises of parking lot 20. These are spaces for renting parking spaces 22 to vehicle users on a daily basis (temporary parking spaces or daily rental spaces), and spaces for renting parking spaces 22 to vehicle users on a monthly basis, subject to a prior contract (monthly parking spaces). Hereinafter, when we simply refer to "parking lot 20," we mean only the temporary parking spaces of parking lot 20.

[0047] This system 10 employs the centralized management method described above as its parking lot management method. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, it comprises a mobile terminal 90 of each user in each parking lot 20, and a management server 50 installed in a management center 40 that centrally manages multiple parking lots 20.

[0048] The management center 40 is operated by a parking lot manager (for example, the owner of the land used as parking lot 20 who manages the parking lot 20 himself, or a parking lot management company entrusted by the owner of someone else's land to manage the land as parking lot 20).

[0049] The user's mobile terminal 90 is a device that is carried by the user and has a wireless communication function, such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, or a PDA.

[0050] The portable terminal 90 is an example of the aforementioned "information processing terminal," but is a type of information processing terminal that is not necessarily carried by the user at all times. The portable terminal 90 may be carried by the user outside the vehicle, but may not be carried by the user inside the vehicle.

[0051] As shown in Figure 4, the mobile terminal 90 has, as an essential function, a positioning function that receives GPS (Global Positioning System) signals from multiple artificial satellites in outer space and measures the current position of the mobile terminal 90 on a map (ground position).

[0052] Furthermore, in an optional embodiment, the mobile terminal 90 receives, in addition to GPS signals (an example of an off-site transmitter), signals representing the location coordinates of a base station (another example of an off-site transmitter) and signals from transmitters (also called "on-site transmitters") 30 installed in the parking lot 20 that represent a transmitter ID unique to each transmitter 30.

[0053] In this optional aspect, the mobile terminal 90 converts the transmitter ID represented by the signal received from each transmitter 30 into a corresponding parking lot ID that identifies the parking lot 30 in which the transmitter 30 is supposed to be installed, according to a predefined rule (e.g., a conversion table) that represents the correspondence between the two.

[0054] As a result, the mobile terminal 90 distinguishes the currently detected transmitter 30 from other transmitters 30 and measures the position of the currently detected transmitter 30 (e.g., its position on a map, the position of the parking lot where it is installed, etc.), and / or measures the strength of the signal received from the currently detected transmitter 30, thereby measuring the distance between the transmitter 30 and the mobile terminal 90.

[0055] The transmitter 30 is generally a device known as a beacon device, a radio beacon, or the like that transmits a beacon signal as an identification signal. In one example, the transmitter 30 generates an identification signal representing a corresponding transmitter ID (or parking lot ID) by modulating an original signal, and locally transmits the generated identification signal as an IR signal, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) signal, an NFC (near field communication) signal, or the like.

[0056] As shown in Fig. 4, the mobile terminal 90 performs long-distance two-way wireless communication with the management server 50 of the management center 40. In addition, in a case where the transmitter 30 is installed in the parking lot 20, as shown in Fig. 4, the mobile terminal 90 receives the above-mentioned identification signal from the transmitter 30 installed in the parking lot 20 that the user is currently visiting by a short-distance one-way wireless communication method, in a contact state or a non-contact state with the transmitter 30.

[0057] 2, the user can operate the mobile terminal 90 in the vehicle to receive signals for positioning (such as GPS reception, reception from a base station, or reception from an in-parking transmitter 30) and communicate with the management server 50. According to this embodiment, the user can operate the mobile terminal 90 in the vehicle to enter (including payment for prepaid parking) and leave (including payment for deferred parking), without being bothered by weather such as cold, heat, wind, and rain.

[0058] 3, the user can operate the mobile terminal 90 outside the vehicle to receive signals for positioning and communicate with the management server 50. This mode is useful, for example, when the user needs to approach the in-vehicle transmitter 30 and hold or touch the mobile terminal 90.

[0059] Next, the hardware configuration of mobile terminal 90 will be explained with reference to functional block diagram FIG. 5. Mobile terminal 90 is mainly composed of computer 134 having processor 130 and memory 132 that stores multiple programs (also called "applications") executed by processor 130.

[0060] The mobile terminal 90 further has a display unit (e.g., an LCD display) 136 for displaying information, a receiving unit 138 for receiving signals from the transmitter 30 and the management server 50, and a transmitting unit 140 for generating signals and transmitting the signals to the management server 50.

[0061] The mobile terminal 90 further includes an input unit 150 for the user to input data and commands.

[0062] The input unit 150 has, for example, an operation unit operable by a user to input desired information (e.g., commands, data, etc.) into the mobile terminal 90. The operation unit may be, but is not limited to, a touch screen that displays icons operable by a user (e.g., virtual buttons such as a parking entry button, a parking exit button, and an extension request button, which will be described later), a physical operation unit operable by a user (e.g., a keyboard, keypad, buttons, switches, etc.), a microphone that detects voice, etc.

[0063] The mobile terminal 90 further includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 152. As is well known, the GPS receiver 152 receives multiple GPS signals from multiple GPS satellites and determines the position (latitude, longitude, and altitude) of the GPS receiver 152 on the Earth by triangulation based on the GPS signals.

[0064] Alternatively or additionally, the mobile terminal 90 may determine its position on the Earth (latitude and longitude) by triangulation using the positions of multiple base stations.

[0065] That is, the positioning unit (an example of the "position acquisition unit") of the mobile terminal 90 may be a GPS positioning unit or a base station positioning unit, each of which is an outside-area transmitter, or may be an inside-area transmitter 30.

[0066] The mobile terminal 90 further includes an acceleration sensor 154 that detects its own acceleration (for example, the acceleration when the mobile terminal 90 moves in a translational manner). The acceleration sensor 154 is mounted on the mobile terminal 90, and therefore vibrates integrally with the mobile terminal 90. As a result, the acceleration sensor 154 detects the acceleration acting on the acceleration sensor 154 itself as being equivalent to the acceleration acting on the mobile terminal 90.

[0067] The acceleration sensor 154 may be of a semiconductor piezo-resistance type, a capacitance type, a thermal detection type, etc. In one example, the acceleration sensor 154 can be designed to detect accelerations Gx, Gy, and Gz in three axial directions, namely the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis, respectively, and output one representative acceleration as a composite value Gr of the three detected values ​​Gx, Gy, and Gz.

[0068] When the user is carrying the mobile terminal 90, the acceleration sensor 154 detects an acceleration that is similar to the acceleration acting on the user, and when the user is in a vehicle, the acceleration sensor 154 detects an acceleration that is similar to the acceleration acting on the vehicle (for example, longitudinal acceleration, longitudinal deceleration).

[0069] Theoretically, the acceleration acting on the mobile terminal 90 can be calculated by calculating the velocity by time-differentiating the position measured based on the GPS signal described above, and then further differentiating the velocity by time. However, in terms of accuracy, the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 154 may be superior. In any case, the acceleration sensor 154 is an example of an acceleration acquisition unit that acquires the axial acceleration of the vehicle by detecting or estimating it.

[0070] This mobile terminal 90 may further optionally incorporate, although not shown, a light sensor that detects light (e.g., sunlight) exposed to the mobile terminal 90, a sound sensor that detects sound (e.g., the sound of a vehicle engine) exposed to the mobile terminal 90, a proximity sensor that detects the approach of an object (e.g., a vehicle) to the mobile terminal 90, and the like.

[0071] Next, the hardware configuration of the management server 50 will be explained with reference to the functional block diagram of FIG. 6. The management server 50 is mainly composed of a computer 164 having a processor 160 and a memory 162 that stores multiple applications executed by the processor 160.

[0072] The management server 50 further has a display unit (for example, a liquid crystal display) 166 that displays information, a receiving unit 168 that receives signals from the mobile terminal 90, a transmitting unit 170 that generates signals and transmits the signals to the mobile terminal 90, and a clock 172. The management server 50 does not receive information from the transmitter 30 directly, but in fact receives information via the mobile terminal 90.

[0073] <Parking sequence example>

[0074] 7 is a time chart showing an example of a parking sequence implemented using the system 10. A specific description will be given below.

[0075] In the parking sequence shown in the figure, after a user has parked their vehicle in a certain parking lot 20, before the expiration of the valid parking time, the user performs an exit operation on the mobile terminal 90 (for example, the user taps a virtual "exit button" displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal 90 (or other operation, for example, touching, pressing, selecting, or giving a voice command)), and then the user gets into their vehicle and leaves (exits) the parking lot 20.

[0076] The entry stage begins with the user entering a certain parking lot 20 for the purpose of entry (entering the vehicle into the parking lot), and ends with the user exiting the parking lot 20. When the user inputs a parking request (or an entry request) into the mobile terminal 90, at that time or at a later time, the remaining time out of the valid parking time begins to be subtracted (counted down), and the actual parking time begins to be increased (counted up).

[0077] In contrast, the exit stage begins with the user entering the parking lot 20 where the entry was made for the purpose of exiting (the vehicle leaving the parking lot), and ends with the user exiting the parking lot 20.

[0078] In the parking sequence shown in the figure, the user exits the parking lot 20 before the expiration of the valid parking time, and prior to this exit, the user performs the exit operation. As a result, the actual parking time starts from "entering (occurrence of a parking request, entry operation)" and ends with "exit operation." Therefore, in this parking sequence, the user's exit (together with the vehicle) in the exit stage represents actual exit (actual exit).

[0079] <Warehousing process>

[0080] 8 shows a stocking processing program executed by the mobile terminal 90, a stocking processing program executed by the management server 50, and a payment program executed by the payment server 60. In FIG.

[0081] It is desirable that the entry processing program of the mobile terminal 90 be started manually by the user or automatically when the user enters any of the parking lots 20 to enter the vehicle and places the vehicle in any of the vacant parking spaces 22 within the parking lot 20.

[0082] Here, in order to automatically start the entry processing program, for example, the mobile terminal 90 can determine whether the measured current position of the mobile terminal 90 is in any of the parking lots 20, and after determining that it is in the parking lots 20, if the position of the mobile terminal 90 does not change for a predetermined time or more (or the amount of change is below a reference value), it can determine that the vehicle has entered any of the vehicle compartments 22, and the mobile terminal 90 can automatically start the entry processing program.

[0083] In the same manner, the shipping processing program can be automatically started.

[0084] 8, in step S101, in response to a manual or voice input (login request) from the user, the mobile terminal 90 transmits a request to log in to a website operated by the management server 50 together with the user ID to the management server 50. Upon receiving the login request, the management server 50 establishes communication between the mobile terminal 90 and the management server 50.

[0085] In this embodiment, in order to identify the user and the vehicle, the user is forced to input the user ID and the vehicle number into the mobile terminal 90, but it is also possible to input only the vehicle number. This is because, if there is a one-to-one relationship between a vehicle and a user, identifying the vehicle by the vehicle number will also identify the user.

[0086] Next, in step S201, the management server 50 searches the memory 162 for multiple parking lot data (individual parking lot position data) representing the map positions (longitude and latitude) of multiple parking lots (managed parking lots) 20 that are centrally managed by the management center 40, and transmits the multiple parking lot data thus obtained to the mobile terminal 90.

[0087] Thereafter, in step S102, the mobile terminal 90 measures the current position (longitude and latitude) of the user based on the GPS signal received by the GPS receiver 152 from the outside (or the identification signal received from the in-venue transmitter 30).

[0088] Next, in step S103, the mobile terminal 90 extracts, from the multiple parking lots (managed parking lots) 20 represented by the multiple parking lot data received from the management server 50, those whose distance from the measured current location is less than an allowable value (e.g., 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m, 500m, etc., also referred to as a "set value"), thereby narrowing down the multiple parking lots (managed parking lots) 20 to multiple candidate parking lots 20 that are simply expected to be used by the user based on the geographical information.

[0089] Thereafter, in step S104, the mobile terminal 90 displays on the screen a partial map located near the current position out of the entire map.

[0090] Next, in step S105, the mobile terminal 90 displays on the screen a plurality of markers, e.g., pins, each representing one of the plurality of candidate parking lots 20, associated with the position of the corresponding candidate parking lot 20, so that the markers are overlaid on the partial map.

[0091] Next, in step S106, the mobile terminal 90 allows the user to select one of the multiple candidate parking lots 20 displayed on the screen as the parking lot 20 that the user wishes to use, for example, by tapping the corresponding marker or pin.

[0092] In response to only that selection, or in response to additional input from the user (for example, tapping the "enter" button on the screen), the mobile terminal 90 transmits the parking lot ID as identification information of the selected parking lot 20 to the management server 50 together with the user ID and the entry request. Here, "the user's operation to select any parking lot" or "the user's operation of tapping the enter button" is an example of the "first instruction (selection operation to select a parking lot)."

[0093] The user can only select the parking lot 20 he or she wishes to use from among the multiple candidate parking lots 20 displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal 90. In other words, the user cannot select the parking lot 20 he or she wishes to use from among the multiple parking lots (managed parking lots) 20 that are located far from the user's current location, or more precisely, from the current location of the mobile terminal 90.

[0094] On the other hand, in the entry stage, the user normally enters one of the parking lots (the parking lot that the user wishes to use) 20 while in his / her vehicle with his / her mobile terminal 90.

[0095] Therefore, the fact that the user can only select the parking lot 20 that he or she wants to use from the plurality of candidate parking lots 20 narrowed down as described above means that the user is automatically limited to only being able to perform parking entry processing at the site of one of the parking lots 20 that is likely to be the parking lot where the user is actually parked. Therefore, according to this embodiment, location authentication regarding the parking lot 20 (determination of which parking lot 20 the user is actually currently staying in) is performed, and the user can only use the parking lot 20 that is likely to be the parking lot where the user is actually currently staying.

[0096] On the other hand, for parking lots 20, the determination of whether there are any vacant parking spaces 22 or whether the parking lot 20 is full is omitted. Therefore, the user is required to actually go to the parking lot 20 that he or she wants to use and determine for himself or herself whether it is full or full. Nevertheless, if the user is allowed to reserve a parking lot 20 at an arbitrary location away from the parking lot 20 that he or she wants to use, there is a possibility that the user will reserve a parking lot 20 that is actually full. For this reason, in this embodiment, the user is prohibited from reserving a parking lot 20 at an arbitrary location away from the parking lot 20 that he or she wants to use.

[0097] As a result, even if a user attempts to input a parking entry request into the mobile terminal 90 while in a location far from the desired parking lot 20, the mobile terminal 90 will not accept the parking entry request. Similarly, when the user is in a location far from the desired parking lot 20, the user cannot even select the desired parking lot 20 on the mobile terminal 90.

[0098] In order to accurately measure the latest current location of the mobile terminal 90, i.e., the latest current location of the user, regardless of the amount of movement of the user after execution of step S102, it is desirable that the mobile terminal 90 is designed to, for example, acquire the latest current location using the positioning unit immediately before executing step S106, measure the distance between that current location and the representative point of each of the plurality of candidate parking lots 20, and permit execution of step S106 if all distances are equal to or less than the allowable value. If execution of step S106 is not permitted, the user will not be authorized to use the parking lot 20 he or she wishes to use.

[0099] Alternatively, the mobile terminal 90 is preferably designed to, for example, obtain its latest current location using the positioning unit immediately after executing step S106, measure the distance between that current location and a representative point of one of the plurality of candidate parking lots 20 tentatively selected by the user, and validate the user's tentative selection of the parking lot 20 if the distance is equal to or less than an allowable value, but invalidate the user's tentative selection of the parking lot 20 if the distance is longer than the allowable value. If the tentative selection is invalidated, the user is not authorized to use the parking lot 20 that he or she wishes to use.

[0100] When the parking lot ID is received from the mobile terminal 90, the management server 50 searches the memory 162 for parking lot information corresponding to the parking lot ID in step S202. Here, the "parking lot information" includes the name, address, fee table data, etc. of the corresponding parking lot 20. After the search, the management server 50 transmits the parking lot information obtained by the search to the mobile terminal 90.

[0101] Thereafter, in step S107, the mobile terminal 90 displays on the screen the parking lot information received from the management server 50, excluding the price list data.

[0102] Next, in step S108, the mobile terminal 90 displays on the screen the fee table data from the parking lot information received from the management server 50. The fee table data indicates the relationship between the length of time the vehicle will be parked in the current parking lot 20 (valid parking time, desired parking time) and the parking fee (prepaid fee). As a result, the screen of the mobile terminal 90 displays multiple parking times and multiple fees, each visually associated with one another.

[0103] Thereafter, in step S109, the mobile terminal 90 selects one of the multiple fees in response to an input from the user.

[0104] Next, in step S110, the mobile terminal 90 displays on the screen of the mobile terminal 90 a web page for assisting the user in inputting the vehicle number of the user's vehicle (the vehicle license plate number, for example, a four-digit number) into the mobile terminal 90. The user then inputs the vehicle number of the user's vehicle. Here, the "vehicle number" is an example of the aforementioned "identification information unique to the user and / or vehicle," and another example is image data unique to the vehicle that the user has taken using a digital camera built into the mobile terminal 90.

[0105] Next, in step S111, the mobile terminal 90 calculates the scheduled exit time by counting the current time as the entry time and adding the valid parking time corresponding to the selected fee to the entry time to request final confirmation of the input contents from the user, and displays the scheduled exit time and the entered vehicle number on the screen. When the user inputs into the mobile terminal 90 that they have confirmed the displayed contents, the mobile terminal 90 transmits the necessary parking information, including the entry time, scheduled exit time, vehicle number, and fee (prepaid parking fee), together with confirmation display data indicating this and the user ID, to the management server 50. The entry time, scheduled exit time, vehicle number, and fee are saved in the memory 132 of the mobile terminal 90.

[0106] When the management server 50 receives the parking information from the mobile terminal 90, the management server 50 stores the parking entry time included in the parking information in the memory 162 in association with the user ID in step S203.

[0107] Next, in step S204, the management server 50 stores the planned departure time included in the parking requirement information in the memory 162 in association with the user ID.

[0108] Thereafter, in step S205, the management server 50 stores the vehicle number included in the parking requirement information in the memory 162 in association with the user ID.

[0109] It should be noted that the measurement of the entry time and / or the calculation of the scheduled departure time may be performed in the management server 50 instead of in the mobile terminal 90.

[0110] In addition, the entry time is measured as the occurrence time of a specified event, and may be measured as the time equal to the occurrence time of any of multiple events, such as an event in which the mobile terminal 90 sends an entry request, an event in which the management server 50 receives an entry request, an event in which the user selects one of the parking lots 20, an event in which the user makes the final confirmation, or an event in which the user completes payment.

[0111] After executing step S111, the mobile terminal 90 proceeds to a processing stage for electronic payment in response to an input (payment request) from the user in step S112. Specifically, the mobile terminal 90 transmits a payment request to the payment server 60.

[0112] Then, in step S301, the payment server 60 searches the memory of the payment server 60 for payment screen data representing a payment web page to assist the user in making electronic payments, and transmits the resulting acquired payment screen data to the mobile terminal 90.

[0113] Next, in step S113, the mobile terminal 90 displays a payment web page on the screen based on the payment screen data received from the payment server 60.

[0114] Thereafter, in step S114, when the user inputs information (including the user ID) for electronic payment into the payment web page, the mobile terminal 90 transmits the payment information together with a payment instruction (payment request, electronic payment request) and the user ID to the payment server 60. Here, the "payment instruction" is an example of the "payment instruction."

[0115] Then, in step S302, the payment server 60 performs electronic payment based on the payment information received from the mobile terminal 90, and when the payment is completed, it sends payment completion data indicating this to the mobile terminal 90, and at that time sends the payment completion data together with the user ID to the management server 50.

[0116] In response to this, in step S206, the management server 50 grants the current user the authority to use the current parking lot 20, thereby permitting the user to enter the parking lot.

[0117] Next, in step S207, management server 50 registers the above-mentioned user ID, vehicle number, entry time, scheduled departure time, and whether or not departure confirmation, which will be described later, has been made, in the management list shown in Fig. 11 and stored in memory 162. After this registration, management server 50 transmits entry permission data indicating that entry has been permitted to mobile terminal 90.

[0118] When the entry permission data is received from the management server 50, the mobile terminal 90 outputs a message indicating that entry has been permitted by image or sound in step S115.

[0119] In the example shown in Fig. 8, steps S301 and S302 constitute the aforementioned payment program executed by payment server 60. This payment program is the same regardless of whether it is for warehousing processing, extension request processing, or warehousing processing. However, for the sake of convenience, only step S302 is shown in Figs. 9 and 10.

[0120] <Extension request processing>

[0121] FIG. 9 shows an extension request processing program executed by the mobile terminal 90, an extension request processing program executed by the management server 50, and a payment program executed by the payment server 60.

[0122] As shown in FIG. 9, in step S121, the mobile terminal 90, in response to manual or voice input from the user (for example, tapping the "extension request button" on the screen), transmits an extension request to extend the valid parking time before its expiration together with the vehicle number (or together with the user ID and vehicle number) to the management server 50. Even if an extension request is input by the user after the valid parking time has expired, the mobile terminal 90 does not accept and rejects the request. Here, the "user operation of tapping the extension request button" is an example of the "third instruction (extension request operation to extend the valid parking time)."

[0123] Unlike the parking entry process, the extension request process does not require location authentication for the parking lot 20. This allows the user to request an extension of the valid parking time and pay the extension fee at any location away from the parking lot 20 they are using.

[0124] As a result, if the user inputs an extension request into the mobile terminal 90 at a location away from the parking lot 20 currently being used, the mobile terminal 90 will accept the extension request.

[0125] When the extension request is received, in step S221, management server 50 compares the vehicle number received from mobile terminal 90 with multiple vehicle numbers registered in the management list shown in Fig. 11 and determines whether a vehicle number matching the received vehicle number has already been registered. If it has been registered, it searches memory 162 for fee table data corresponding to the relevant parking lot 20 (the relationship between the length of extension time from the valid parking time that is commensurate with the amount of the fee that has already been paid and the amount of the extension fee), and transmits the fee table data obtained as a result to mobile terminal 90.

[0126] Next, in step S122, the mobile terminal 90 displays the received price list data on the screen.

[0127] Then, in step S123, when the user selects one of the extension times, the mobile terminal 90 calculates an updated scheduled departure time according to the selection result, stores it in memory 132, and then transmits data representing the scheduled departure time to the management server 50 along with an extension request.

[0128] In response to this, the management server 50 stores the received scheduled departure time in the memory 162 in step S222.

[0129] Thereafter, in step S124, the mobile terminal 90 proceeds to a processing stage for electronic payment in response to input (payment request) from the user. Specifically, the mobile terminal 90 transmits the payment request to the payment server 60. Thereafter, the payment server 60 transmits the payment screen data to the mobile terminal 90.

[0130] Next, in step S125, the mobile terminal 90 displays a payment web page on the screen based on the payment screen data received from the payment server 60.

[0131] Thereafter, in step S126, when the user inputs information for electronic payment (including the user ID) into the payment web page, the mobile terminal 90 transmits the payment information to the payment server 60 together with a payment instruction (payment request) and the user ID.

[0132] Then, in step S302, the payment server 60 performs electronic payment based on the payment information received from the mobile terminal 90, and when the payment is completed, it sends payment completion data indicating this to the mobile terminal 90, and at that time sends the payment completion data together with the user ID to the management server 50.

[0133] In response to this, the management server 50 allows the user to extend the valid parking time in step S223.

[0134] Next, in step S224, management server 50 updates the planned departure time in the management list shown in Fig. 11 to reflect the extended planned departure time. After the update, management server 50 transmits extension permission data indicating that the extension of the valid parking time has been permitted to mobile terminal 90.

[0135] When the extension permission data is received from the management server 50, the mobile terminal 90, in step S127, displays on the screen and / or outputs aloud through the speaker the fact that the valid parking time has been extended and the updated scheduled departure time.

[0136] <Shipping process>

[0137] FIG. 10 shows a delivery processing program executed by the mobile terminal 90, a delivery processing program executed by the management server 50, and the settlement program executed by the settlement server 60.

[0138] As shown in Fig. 10, in step S141, the mobile terminal 90 transmits a request for leaving together with the vehicle number (or together with the user ID and vehicle number) to the management server 50 in response to manual or voice input from the user (for example, tapping the "leave button" on the screen). Here, the "user operation of tapping the leave button" is an example of the "second instruction (leave operation to confirm leaving)."

[0139] Unlike the entry process, the exit process does not require location authentication for the parking lot 20. Therefore, the user can perform the exit process at any location away from the parking lot 20 that he or she is using.

[0140] As a result, if the user inputs a request for leaving the parking lot into the mobile terminal 90 at a location away from the parking lot 20 being used, the mobile terminal 90 will accept the request for leaving the parking lot.

[0141] However, such a user's exit operation is equivalent to the user pretending to be the user who actually exited the parking lot 20 and making a false notification to the management server 50, even though the vehicle is actually still parked in the parking lot 20, and therefore constitutes fraudulent activity.

[0142] In response to this, the management center 40 periodically dispatches workers to the parking lot 20, who detect vehicles that are still parked in the parking lot 20 after their scheduled departure time by comparing the vehicle number of the vehicle with the vehicle numbers in the management list that have passed their scheduled departure time. Therefore, it is expected that users will refrain from committing such fraudulent acts due to feelings of guilt and shame at being detected.

[0143] When the leaving request is received, in step S241, the management server 50 compares the vehicle number received from the mobile terminal 90 with the multiple vehicle numbers registered in the management list shown in Fig. 11, and determines whether a vehicle number matching the received vehicle number has already been registered. If the vehicle number has already been registered, in step S242, the management server 50 measures the current time and determines the leaving time to be equal to that time.

[0144] Thereafter, in step S243, the management server 50 refers to the management list to determine whether the corresponding scheduled departure time is earlier than the determined departure time, i.e., whether the actual parking time exceeds the valid parking time.

[0145] Assuming that the actual parking time does not exceed the valid parking time this time, the determination in step S243 will be NO, and the management server 50 will confirm in step S244 that the user has left the current parking lot 20.

[0146] Next, in step S245, the management server 50 updates the management list shown in Figure 11 to indicate that there is an exit confirmation for the corresponding vehicle number, and further sends exit confirmation data to the mobile terminal 90 indicating that the exit confirmation has been completed.

[0147] When the delivery confirmation data is received from the management server 50, the mobile terminal 90 displays on the screen and / or outputs a message from the speaker indicating that delivery has been confirmed in step S145.

[0148] In contrast, if it is assumed that the actual parking time exceeds the valid parking time, the determination in step S243 becomes YES, and the management server 50 calculates the amount of the additional fee to be paid by the user based on the difference between the actual departure time and the scheduled departure time in step S246. In one example, the additional fee is calculated to be higher than the extension fee described above, in order to impose a penalty on the user.

[0149] Thereafter, in step S247, the management server 50 transmits to the mobile terminal 90 additional fee request data indicating that the user is requested to pay the additional fee.

[0150] Upon receiving the additional fee billing data, the mobile terminal 90 proceeds to a processing stage for electronic payment in response to the input (payment request) from the user in step S142. Specifically, the mobile terminal 90 transmits the payment request to the payment server 60. Thereafter, the payment server 60 transmits the payment screen data to the mobile terminal 90.

[0151] Next, in step S143, the mobile terminal 90 displays a payment web page on the screen based on the payment screen data received from the payment server 60.

[0152] Thereafter, in step S144, when the user inputs information for electronic payment (including the user ID) into the payment web page, the mobile terminal 90 transmits the payment information to the payment server 60 together with a payment instruction (payment request) and the user ID.

[0153] Then, in step S302, the payment server 60 performs electronic payment based on the payment information received from the mobile terminal 90, and when the payment is completed, it sends payment completion data indicating this to the mobile terminal 90, and at that time sends the payment completion data together with the user ID to the management server 50.

[0154] In response to this, the management server 50 confirms payment of the additional fee by the user and confirms that the user has removed the item from the warehouse in step S248. Subsequently, the management server 50 proceeds to step S245, and the above-described processing is executed.

[0155] [Some exemplary effects obtained by the above-described embodiments]

[0156] 1. Reduction of costs and labor that parking lot managers must bear regarding the facilities of parking lot 20

[0157] According to this embodiment, instead of using the facilities installed in the parking lot 20, the user can use their mobile terminal 90 to carry out procedures for entering the parking lot, procedures for leaving the parking lot, and procedures for extending parking time.

[0158] Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is easy to reduce the cost and labor required for manufacturing or purchasing, installing, and maintaining and inspecting the equipment installed in the parking lot 20.

[0159] 2. Preventing incorrect selection of parking lot 20 during the parking entry stage

[0160] According to this embodiment, although the selection of one of the parking lots 20 is performed using the positioning function of the mobile terminal 90, the final selection depends on the user's operation, thereby reliably preventing the incorrect selection of a parking lot 20 due to insufficient accuracy of the positioning function.

[0161] 3. Reduces the discomfort felt by users of parking lots 20 where the parking lot occupancy status is not monitored.

[0162] In this embodiment, the vacant / full status of the parking lot 20 is not monitored, so the user is required to actually go to the parking lot 20 that he / she wants to use and visually look for vacant spaces 22. To make this request apparent, the user is prohibited from carrying out procedures for entering the parking lot 20, i.e., making a so-called reservation for the parking lot 22, on the mobile terminal 90 if he / she is located away from the parking lot 20 that he / she wants to use.

[0163] As a result, a situation in which a user reserves a parking lot 20 that is far away from the parking lot 20 that the user wants to use, but when the user actually arrives at the parking lot 20, there are no vacant spaces 22 and the user is unable to park, resulting in discomfort, can be avoided.

[0164] 4. The user has a high degree of freedom in selecting the location where the shipping operation can be performed.

[0165] According to this embodiment, the user can perform a parking-leaving operation at any location using the mobile terminal 90. If the valid parking time has not yet expired, the user can perform a normal parking-leaving operation without paying an additional fee. On the other hand, if the valid parking time has expired, the user can perform a normal parking-leaving operation as long as the additional fee is paid.

[0166] Thus, according to this embodiment, if a user inadvertently neglects to perform the exit operation at the location of the parking lot 20, the user can perform the exit operation on the mobile terminal 90 at a location away from the parking lot 20, which is convenient for the user.

[0167] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are some specific examples of the application of the present invention to a communication environment in which a user's portable terminal 90, which may be carried by the user or may be placed in the vehicle, is used as the "user information processing terminal" of the present invention. Alternatively, the present invention can also be applied to a communication environment in which, for example, a computer installed in the user's vehicle and having a communication function and a vehicle behavior information acquisition function is used as the "user information processing terminal" of the present invention.

[0168] That is, the "user information processing terminal" in the present invention may be an information processing terminal of a type intended to be carried by a user, or an information processing terminal of a type intended to be mounted in a vehicle.

[0169] Additionally, in this embodiment, all or part of the processing that was executed on the mobile terminal 90 may be executed on the management server 50 instead, and conversely, all or part of the processing that was executed on the management server 50 may be executed on the mobile terminal 90 instead. This is because which device executes the processing that should be executed is usually determined by the circumstances at the time, such as the amount and type of data to be handled, the processing speed and storage capacity of each device, etc.

[0170] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, these are merely examples, and the present invention can be embodied in other forms that incorporate various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, including the aspects described in the "Summary of the Invention" section above.

Claims

1. A parking lot management system for managing multiple parking lots, a server capable of communicating with an information processing terminal of a user who uses any of the parking lots; The server is a registration unit that receives from the information processing terminal, when the user enters a parking lot with the vehicle, parking lot information for identifying the parking lot, which is input into the information processing terminal by the user at the parking lot when entering, and vehicle information for identifying the vehicle, which is input into the information processing terminal by the user at the parking lot when entering, and that registers the received vehicle information in memory in association with the current parking lot, specifying the parking lot identified by the received parking lot information as the current parking lot; an entry processing unit that acquires an entry time and / or determines that the vehicle has entered one of the parking lots when the current position of the information processing terminal does not change for a predetermined time or more within one of the parking lots, or when the amount of change is equal to or less than a reference value; a parking fee data transmission unit that, when the user leaves one of the parking lots with the vehicle, receives vehicle information including the license plate number of the vehicle that is input to the information processing terminal by the user at one of the parking lots when the user leaves the parking lot, and transmits parking fee data indicating the amount of the parking fee to the information processing terminal when the received vehicle information matches any of the vehicle information registered in the memory in association with the current parking lot when each vehicle enters the current parking lot and a request for leaving the parking lot is received from the information processing terminal; Parking management system including

2. The server further an electronic payment unit that processes electronic payment for the parking fee; a payment completion data sending unit that sends payment completion data indicating that the electronic payment has been completed to the information processing terminal when the electronic payment has been completed; The parking lot management system according to claim 1 , comprising:

3. 2. The parking lot management system of claim 1, wherein the entry time is measured as a time equal to either the occurrence time of an event in which the information processing terminal sends an entry request to the server, or the occurrence time of an event in which the server receives an entry request from the information processing terminal.

4. the entry processing unit includes an entry time acquisition unit that acquires the entry time when the current position does not change within any of the parking lots for the predetermined time or more, or when the amount of change is equal to or less than the reference value; The parking lot management system according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of the parking fee is acquired based on the entry time.

5. The parking lot management system according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle information includes a number unique to the vehicle.

6. The parking lot management system according to claim 5 , wherein the unique number includes a license plate number of the vehicle.

7. The parking lot management system according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle information includes an image unique to the vehicle.

8. The parking lot management system according to claim 7 , wherein the unique image includes a vehicle image of the vehicle taken by a digital camera built into the information processing terminal.

9. A program executed by a computer of the information processing terminal of the user who uses any one of the plurality of parking lots managed by the parking lot management system according to claim 1, The information processing terminal has a plurality of functions, an information transmission function of transmitting the parking lot information and the vehicle information to the server when the vehicle enters the parking lot; a positioning function for measuring the current position; an entry processing function that, when the measured current position does not change within one of the parking lots for the predetermined time or more, or the amount of change is equal to or less than the reference value, transmits the entry time to the server and / or determines that the vehicle has entered one of the parking lots; a parking fee data receiving function for receiving the parking fee data from the server when the vehicle information transmitted to the server at the time of the vehicle leaving the parking lot matches any of the vehicle information registered in the memory in association with the current parking lot when each vehicle entered the current parking lot and when the leaving request is transmitted to the server; Including, A program executed to realize the functions.

10. A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 9 is recorded.

11. A program for functioning as the server according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

12. A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 11 is recorded.

Images