Parking equipment control system

Abstract

This invention provides a parking equipment control system that can automatically open or close parking lots in response to disaster conditions. [Solution] A parking equipment control system for controlling parking equipment, which is equipment installed in a parking lot for guiding vehicles, comprising: a receiving unit that receives disaster occurrence information indicating the nature of a disaster; a communication unit that transmits control signals to the parking equipment; and a determination unit that identifies the type of disaster based on the source of the disaster occurrence information received by the receiving unit and the content of said disaster occurrence information, and causes the communication unit to transmit control signals based on the identified type of disaster.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a parking lot equipment control system.

Background Art

[0002] When there is a possibility that vehicles may be damaged by waterlogging on the road due to heavy rain or the like, there are cases where the parking lot is opened out of goodwill at the discretion of the operating company, or cases where the parking lot is opened according to an agreement with the local government.

[0003] Also, the following buildings are disclosed as buildings to be opened as evacuation sites during a tsunami (for example, Patent Document 1). The building according to Patent Document 1 has a plurality of floors that can be used as a parking lot during a tsunami, and slopes leading to each floor. An automatic door for restricting the passage of vehicles is installed near the entrance of the slope. This automatic door cannot be opened unless a fee is paid during normal times, but can be switched to be opened and closed without paying a fee during a tsunami.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The above-mentioned parking lots opened out of goodwill are only a very small part and are limited. Also, such parking lots are opened by an attendant manually operating the equipment in response to the judgment of the parking lot operating company or a request from the local government as the agreement partner. Therefore, when the commercial facility of the parking lot itself is closed and the attendant is absent, it becomes difficult to open the parking lot.

[0006] Patent Document 1 only refers to disasters caused by tsunamis and focuses on utilizing newly constructed tsunami evacuation towers as parking lots. Therefore, since it does not utilize existing parking facilities, it will be costly.

[0007] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 does not specifically mention a method for switching automatic doors in the event of a tsunami. Therefore, it is assumed that, even in the building described in Patent Document 1, the doors will be opened manually by an attendant, as in conventional methods.

[0008] This disclosure is made to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a parking equipment control system that can automatically open or close parking lots in accordance with the disaster situation during a disaster. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The parking equipment control system relating to this disclosure is a parking equipment control system that controls parking equipment, which is equipment installed in a parking lot for guiding vehicles, and comprises: a receiving unit that receives disaster occurrence information indicating the nature of a disaster; a communication unit that transmits control signals to the parking equipment; and a determination unit that identifies the type of disaster based on the source of the disaster occurrence information received by the receiving unit and the content of said disaster occurrence information, and causes the communication unit to transmit control signals based on the identified type of disaster. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a parking equipment control system that can automatically open or close parking lots in accordance with the disaster situation during a disaster. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the control unit. [Figure 3]This figure shows examples of specific control measures regarding the opening or closing of parking lots depending on the type of disaster. [Figure 4] This figure shows examples of specific control measures regarding the opening or closing of parking lots, which are implemented depending on the location of the parking lot. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The embodiments of the parking equipment control system described herein will be explained below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] The parking equipment control system of this disclosure receives disaster occurrence information transmitted by the Global Navigation Satellite System, FM broadcasting, etc., and determines whether or not to open the parking lot based on the received disaster occurrence information.

[0014] Furthermore, if the parking equipment control system disclosed herein determines that the parking lot should be opened, it controls the gates installed in the parking lot to open in order to utilize the parking lot as an evacuation shelter, and notifies users that the parking lot is open using video display equipment or the like.

[0015] Furthermore, if a fire occurs in the parking lot, it becomes necessary to restrict entry to the parking lot. Therefore, the parking equipment control system disclosed herein controls the gates installed in the parking lot to close in the event of a fire and notifies users that the parking lot is closed using video display equipment or the like.

[0016] Here, "parking lot" refers to a place where vehicles are parked, and includes not only parking lots that are available to the general public on a daily basis, such as coin-operated parking lots and commercial facilities, but also employee-only parking lots and parking spaces for business trucks at facilities such as factories and logistics centers.

[0017] Embodiment 1. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure.

[0018] In FIG. 1, a parking lot equipment control system 100 includes a control unit 1 and a display unit 2, and controls a parking lot equipment 300 and a parking lot display device 400 based on disaster occurrence information transmitted by a transmission source 200.

[0019] Here, the transmission source 200 is a system, communication medium, etc. that receives information from an administrative organization or an information distributor and transmits disaster occurrence information. Examples of such a system or communication medium include a Global Navigation Satellite System (hereinafter referred to as GNSS), such as "Michibiki" (registered trademark), and FM broadcasting.

[0020] Information regarding natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, heavy rains, etc. is transmitted as disaster occurrence information by GNSS and FM broadcasting as the transmission source 200.

[0021] Also, as the transmission source 200, it is also possible to use a fire detection system installed in the facility.

[0022] The parking lot equipment 300 is equipment specific to a parking lot that restricts the movement of vehicles or guides vehicles. For example, it is an entrance gate that operates when a vehicle enters the parking lot and an exit gate that operates when a vehicle exits the parking lot. Alternatively, the parking lot equipment 300 may be a flap device provided in each passenger compartment instead of these gates, or may be a traffic signal installed at intersections in the parking lot, etc.

[0023] The parking lot display device 400 is a rotating light for prompting attention, an occupancy / vacancy light for indicating whether the parking lot is full or empty, etc. Note that the parking lot display device 400 can also be conceptually included in the parking lot equipment 300.

[0024] The control unit 1 is a computer equipped with a central processing unit, memory, communication device, etc., and includes the functional units of a receiving unit 11, a determination unit 12, and a communication unit 13. In this example, the functional units of the receiving unit 11, the determination unit 12, and the communication unit 13 are housed in a single enclosure to constitute the control unit 1. Alternatively, the receiving unit 11, the determination unit 12, and the communication unit 13 may be prepared as separate devices and connected to constitute the control unit 1.

[0025] The receiving unit 11 receives disaster occurrence information from the transmitting source 200. The receiving method can be wireless or wired.

[0026] The determination unit 12 identifies the type of disaster by identifying the type of source 200 of the disaster occurrence information and by analyzing the disaster occurrence information.

[0027] Furthermore, the determination unit 12 determines whether or not it is necessary to open or close the parking lot based on the disaster occurrence information, and if it determines that it is necessary to open or close it, it issues a control signal transmission instruction to the communication unit 13 based on the type of disaster it has identified.

[0028] The detailed operation of this determination unit 12 will be described later.

[0029] If the determination unit 12 determines that it is necessary to open or close the parking lot, the communication unit 13 transmits a control signal to the parking equipment 300 and the parking display equipment 400 in accordance with the instructions of the determination unit 12.

[0030] Display unit 2 is a device installed within the parking lot or near the entrance / exit of the parking lot, and is a video display device such as an LED vision or an LCD display. Display unit 2 may also be equipped with sound equipment such as a buzzer or speaker.

[0031] If the determination unit 12 determines that it is necessary to open or close the parking lot, the display unit 2 switches the display to indicate that operations are being carried out in response to the disaster, based on the display control signal transmitted from the communication unit 13. Specific examples of the display content in this case will be described later.

[0032] In addition, existing fee signs and directional signage equipment that are normally used as parking facilities may be used as video display equipment for display unit 2, or new equipment dedicated to this system may be introduced.

[0033] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control unit 1 shown in Figure 1. Here, examples of disasters mentioned include fire, earthquake, flood, tsunami, heavy rain, and ballistic missile launch, but it can also be applied to other disasters such as heavy snow, tornado, typhoon, and volcanic eruption.

[0034] In step S101, the receiving unit 11 of the control unit 1 waits until it receives disaster occurrence information from the transmitter 200. When the receiving unit 11 receives disaster occurrence information, the determination unit 12 identifies the type of disaster that has occurred in step S102.

[0035] If the disaster occurrence information is transmitted by the fire detection system, the determination unit 12 determines that a fire has occurred.

[0036] On the other hand, if the disaster occurrence information is transmitted via GNSS or FM broadcasting, the determination unit 12 further analyzes the content of the disaster occurrence information to determine which of the various disasters has occurred, such as an earthquake, flood, tsunami, heavy rain, or ballistic missile launch.

[0037] Alternatively, the determination unit 12 can identify the type of disaster based solely on the content of the disaster occurrence information. In other words, the determination unit 12 can identify the type of disaster based on either the source 200 of the disaster occurrence information, the content of the disaster occurrence information, or both.

[0038] After identifying the type of disaster in this manner, the determination unit 12 determines in step S103 whether or not it is necessary to open or close the parking lot based on the received disaster occurrence information.

[0039] Even if a disaster occurs, if the scale of the disaster is small or the affected area is far away, there is no need to take evacuation action. For this reason, the determination unit 12 determines whether or not it is necessary to open or close the parking lot according to the affected area and scale of the disaster as indicated in the disaster occurrence information.

[0040] For example, disaster occurrence information transmitted from "Michibiki," a type of GNSS, can provide the following information in addition to the disaster type information mentioned above. If the type of disaster is an earthquake, include the time of the earthquake, the name of the epicenter, the magnitude, the affected area (prefecture name, local area name), the seismic intensity in the affected area, etc. If the type of disaster is flooding, please specify the name of the affected river and the alert level for that river (warning, advisory, etc.). If the type of disaster is a tsunami, include the estimated time of tsunami arrival, the affected area (coastline name), the tsunami height in the affected area, the alert level, etc. • If the type of disaster is heavy rain, include the affected area (prefecture name), the alert level in the affected area, etc.

[0041] In addition to this example of "Michibiki," the judgment unit 12 can also acquire information via the internet by cooperating with an API provided by the operator that manages the transmission source 200. Furthermore, in the case of FM broadcasting, the judgment unit 12 can also make a judgment using voice recognition, starting from the emergency warning broadcast sound.

[0042] The determination unit 12 pre-sets or obtains location information of the parking lot where this system is installed from GNSS. The determination unit 12 then compares the location information of this system with the target area and makes a determination on whether or not to open the parking lot based on seismic intensity, alert level, etc.

[0043] For example, the determination unit 12 determines that if the type of disaster is an earthquake, the location of the parking lot falls within the target area, and the seismic intensity is, for example, 6-minus or higher, then the parking lot needs to be opened as an evacuation shelter.

[0044] Furthermore, the determination unit 12 determines that if the type of disaster is flood, tsunami, or heavy rain, and the location of the parking lot falls within the target area, and the alert level is "warning" or higher, then the parking lot needs to be opened as an evacuation shelter.

[0045] Furthermore, the determination unit 12 determines that if the type of disaster is a ballistic missile launch, and the location of the parking lot falls within the area of ​​the missile's flight path, then the parking lot should be opened as an evacuation shelter.

[0046] On the other hand, if a fire occurs in the parking lot, it is necessary to close the parking lot and restrict entry, rather than opening it up. Therefore, if the type of disaster is a fire, the determination unit 12 determines that the parking lot needs to be closed.

[0047] The thresholds for "seismic intensity 6-weak" and "warning" mentioned above correspond to the contents of the "threshold" column in Figure 3, which will be described later, and can be set at the discretion of the system administrator.

[0048] To summarize the processing in steps S102 and S103, the determination unit 12 identifies the type of disaster and determines whether or not to open or close the parking lot, based on the source 200 of the disaster occurrence information received by the receiving unit 11 and the content of the disaster occurrence information.

[0049] Subsequently, if the determination unit 12 determines in step S104 that there is no need to open or close the parking lot, it terminates the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 2.

[0050] On the other hand, if the determination unit 12 determines in step S104 that it is necessary to open or close the parking lot, in step S105 it activates the communication unit 13 and transmits control signals to the parking equipment 300 and the parking display equipment 400. This activates the entrance gate, exit gate, etc., to open or close the parking lot.

[0051] Here, we will specifically explain how the opening and closing of the entrance and exit gates will be controlled according to the type of disaster.

[0052] Figure 3 illustrates the specific control measures taken regarding the opening or closing of parking lots depending on the type of disaster.

[0053] For example, as shown in Figure 3, if the disaster that occurs is an earthquake and the seismic intensity is 6-minus or higher, it is conceivable to open both the entrance gate and the exit gate in preparation for a power outage.

[0054] Furthermore, if the disaster is a flood exceeding the warning level, or a ballistic missile launch, the entrance gates could be opened to allow evacuation vehicles to enter, while the exit gates could be closed to prevent vehicles already inside from leaving unnecessarily. Similar actions could be taken in the case of a tsunami or heavy rain.

[0055] Furthermore, if the disaster is a fire, it would be necessary to close the parking lot to prevent further people from entering. Therefore, one possible course of action would be to close the entrance gate while opening the exit gate to allow evacuation from the parking lot.

[0056] In addition to the above, parking lots can be broadly categorized by their location: underground parking lots, rooftop parking lots (including all floors above the second floor of multi-story parking garages), and surface parking lots. However, depending on the type of disaster, it will be necessary to decide which type of parking lot—underground, rooftop, or surface—should be opened or closed. This point will be explained below.

[0057] For the purposes of this explanation, we will assume a parking facility that includes underground, rooftop, and surface parking areas.

[0058] Figure 4 shows the specific control measures taken regarding the opening or closing of a parking lot, depending on the location of the parking lot.

[0059] In the event of an earthquake, all entrances and exits to all parking lots will be opened, regardless of whether they are underground, on the rooftop, or on the ground level.

[0060] In the event of a flood, as shown in Figure 3, the parking lots should, in principle, be opened. However, it is possible to open only the rooftop parking lot and close the underground and surface parking lots to avoid flood damage. Alternatively, the exits from the underground and surface parking lots may be opened to allow vehicles parked there to evacuate to the rooftop parking lot. The same applies in the event of a tsunami or heavy rain.

[0061] Furthermore, if the disaster is a ballistic missile launch, as shown in Figure 3 above, the parking lots should, in principle, be opened. However, to avoid incoming missiles, it is conceivable to open only the underground parking lot and close the rooftop and surface parking lots. Alternatively, the exits from the rooftop and surface parking lots may be opened to allow vehicles parked there to evacuate to the underground parking lot.

[0062] Furthermore, in the event of a fire, regardless of whether it is underground, on the roof, or on the ground level, the entrances to each parking lot will be closed, but the exits to each parking lot will be kept open to allow evacuation to the outside.

[0063] Furthermore, if the parking lot does not have underground, rooftop, and surface parking facilities, the control method shown in Figure 4 may be followed ultimately rather than the control method shown in Figure 3. For example, in the case of a parking lot with only underground parking, when a flood occurs, the control method shown in Figure 3 will, in principle, open the entrance gate and close the exit gate. On the other hand, the control method shown in Figure 4 will ultimately close the entrance gate and open the exit gate to avoid flood damage.

[0064] Furthermore, if a signal is received from the fire detection system during an earthquake, fire control may be prioritized over earthquake control. In this case, the gate may perform earthquake control while the display performs fire control.

[0065] Returning to the explanation of the flowchart in Figure 2, in step S106, the determination unit 12 activates the communication unit 13 and transmits a display control signal to the display unit 2 so that the display content changes according to the type of disaster.

[0066] If the display unit 2 is a video display device installed near the entrance gate of the parking lot, it is possible to inform people whether the parking lot is open or closed by displaying a message as shown in the "Display" column of Figure 3.

[0067] Furthermore, even if the display unit 2 is a video display device installed inside the parking lot, it may display information as shown in the "Display" column of Figure 3, or it may display the occupancy status of each parking space. Also, if the display unit 2 is a video display device installed inside the parking lot, it will display a message indicating that the exit gate is closed.

[0068] Furthermore, the display unit 2 may switch its display content according to the situation. For example, if it is currently displaying that a flood has occurred and the rooftop parking lot is open, it may switch to displaying that after the rooftop parking lot is full, it is possible to evacuate to the parking lot on the second floor.

[0069] In this way, display unit 2 displays whether the parking lot is open or closed, as well as the details of the disaster and guidance information within the parking lot. In other words, display unit 2 displays that operations are being carried out in response to the disaster.

[0070] After step S106, the process shown in Figure 2 is completed. Note that while manual recovery is assumed for the recovery process after the disaster alarm is lifted and the system returns to its normal state, it may also be automated over time.

[0071] In the example above, if the determination unit 12 determines in step S104 that it is necessary to open or close the parking lot, the process is terminated. Alternatively, instead of terminating the process, the display unit 2 may display information indicating that a disaster has occurred, or the location and scale of the disaster, to raise awareness.

[0072] Furthermore, in the example above, the parking lot is opened and closed by controlling the entrance and exit gates, but a flap-type parking lot can also be controlled based on the same concept.

[0073] Furthermore, instead of completely preventing entry and exit, it may be possible to allow exit as usual, such as by paying a fee. Similarly, entry may be allowed as usual, such as by issuing a parking ticket. In this way, it may be possible to select through settings whether to completely prevent entry and exit, or to allow only exit or only entry to be as usual.

[0074] <Other forms> In the above embodiment 1, it is assumed that the parking equipment 300, such as gates, is opened or closed before a power outage occurs. However, if an emergency power supply is provided, it can also be operated even if a power outage occurs simultaneously with a disaster.

[0075] Furthermore, by connecting the parking equipment control system 100 to a network such as the Internet, the facility's website may clearly indicate whether the parking lot is open or closed. In addition, the system may be linked with other parking lots that have introduced the parking equipment control system 100 described in Embodiment 1, and the evacuation status or congestion status of those other parking lots may be shared.

[0076] Furthermore, in order to effectively inform users that they can evacuate their vehicles, push notifications may be sent to their smartphones, or notifications may be sent via email.

[0077] Furthermore, a known system for registering evacuees may be implemented. It is also possible to integrate disaster response measures for the building by linking not only parking facilities but also building-related equipment such as automatic doors and shutters.

[0078] Furthermore, the determination unit 12 may notify the management center of its decision to open or close the parking lot. Alternatively, the determination unit 12 may open or close the parking lot after obtaining permission from the management center.

[0079] Furthermore, even if this system does not make an open / close decision, the management center can activate the system through its own operation. In this case, a button for initiating disaster response operations could be pre-installed on a tablet device managed by the management center, and the system could be manually activated by a person in charge at the management center pressing this button.

[0080] Furthermore, the display unit 2 may also display a message indicating that operations are being conducted in response to a disaster, along with a two-dimensional code for registering / confirming the safety status of the user.

[0081] The features of this parking equipment control system 100 can be summarized as follows, and it will be able to achieve the following effects.

[0082] The parking equipment control system 100 is a system that controls parking equipment 300, which are devices installed in a parking lot that restrict the movement of vehicles. The parking equipment control system 100 includes a receiving unit 11 that receives disaster occurrence information indicating the nature of the disaster, and a communication unit 13 that transmits control signals to the parking equipment 300.

[0083] Furthermore, the parking equipment control system 100 has a determination unit 12 that identifies the type of disaster and determines whether or not to open or close the parking lot based on the source 200 of the disaster occurrence information received by the receiving unit 11 and the content of the disaster occurrence information. If the determination unit 12 determines that it is necessary to open or close the parking lot, it causes the communication unit 13 to transmit a control signal based on the identified type of disaster.

[0084] This makes it possible to provide a parking equipment control system 100 that can automatically open or close a parking lot in the event of a disaster, based on predetermined criteria according to the disaster situation.

[0085] The parking equipment control system 100 also includes a display unit 2 for displaying information. When the determination unit 12 determines that it is necessary to open or close the parking lot, the communication unit 13 transmits a display control signal to the display unit 2 to switch the display to indicate that operations are being carried out in response to the disaster, based on the instruction transmitted from the determination unit 12.

[0086] Therefore, it is possible to inform the public whether the parking lot is open or closed.

[0087] The determination unit 12 acquires information regarding the affected area and the scale of the disaster as disaster occurrence information, and determines whether or not to open or close the parking lot based on the acquired information.

[0088] This allows for the determination of whether or not evacuation is necessary based on clear criteria. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0089] 1 Control unit, 2 Display unit, 11 Receiving unit, 12 Judgment unit, 13 Communication unit, 100 Parking equipment control system, 200 Transmitter, 300 Parking equipment, 400 Parking display equipment.

Claims

1. A parking equipment control system that controls parking equipment, which is equipment installed in a parking lot for guiding vehicles, A receiving unit that receives disaster occurrence information indicating the nature of the disaster, A communication unit that transmits control signals to the aforementioned parking equipment, A determination unit identifies the type of disaster based on the source of the disaster occurrence information and the content of the disaster occurrence information received by the receiving unit, and causes the communication unit to transmit the control signal based on the identified type of disaster. A parking equipment control system equipped with the following features.

2. The aforementioned parking equipment includes parking display equipment, When the type of disaster is identified by the determination unit, the communication unit transmits the control signal to the parking display device to switch the display to reflect the operation being carried out in response to the disaster, based on the transmission instruction from the determination unit. The parking equipment control system according to claim 1.

3. The communication unit transmits the control signal to the parking display device to switch the display to content corresponding to the congestion status, based on a transmission instruction corresponding to the determination result of the determination unit's determination of the congestion status within the parking lot. The parking equipment control system according to claim 2.

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