Mechanical parking system and its control method

Abstract

This invention provides a mechanical parking system that allows for automatic control of door closing during vehicle exit, making it suitable for cold regions with snowfall. [Solution] The mechanical parking system includes an entry / exit area accessible through an entrance / exit, a storage area, an entrance / exit door for opening and closing the entrance / exit, a transport device for transporting vehicles between the entry / exit area and the storage area, an object detection sensor that defines the area of ​​movement of vehicles and users in the entry / exit area as a monitoring area and detects objects to be detected in the monitoring area, an operation panel, and a control device that operates the entrance / exit door and the transport device. The control device includes a first determination unit that determines whether the monitoring area is unoccupied based on detection information from the object detection sensor, a second determination unit that determines whether the monitoring area is unoccupied based on information input from the operation panel, a switching unit that sets the second determination unit as the main determination unit when snowfall is predicted and the first determination unit as the main determination unit when snowfall is not predicted, and an operation control unit that closes the entrance / exit door based on the determination result of the main determination unit.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present disclosure relates to a mechanical parking equipment and its control method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, mechanical parking equipment for storing a large number of vehicles in a space-saving manner has been known. Patent Document 1 discloses this type of mechanical parking equipment.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a multi-story parking lot as mechanical parking equipment. This multi-story parking lot includes a vertically long parking tower having an entrance and an exit. Inside the parking tower, there are provided a boarding and alighting section arranged on the ground floor, a lifting passage extending upward from the boarding and alighting section, and a storage section composed of a plurality of shelves arranged on the side of the lifting passage. The multi-story parking lot includes an entrance and exit door for opening and closing the entrance and exit, a turning device for turning a pallet on which a vehicle is placed, a lifting device for lifting and lowering the pallet in the lifting passage, a fork device for transferring the pallet to the target shelf, and a manual operation control unit and an automatic operation control unit for controlling these devices. The control mode of the multi-story parking lot can be switched between an automatic mode and a manual mode. In the automatic mode, the operations of the entrance and exit door, the turning device, the lifting device, and the fork device are controlled by the automatic operation control unit, and the storage operation and the retrieval operation of the multi-story parking lot are automatically performed. In the manual mode, the operations of the entrance and exit door, the turning device, the lifting device, and the fork device are controlled by the manual operation control unit. When a command is input by operating a switch provided on the operation panel, the manual operation control unit operates each device according to the command. The control mode is switched by operating a key for interlock arranged on the operation panel.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] <opropylidene>

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The automatic control of mechanical parking systems is supported by numerous sensors that detect conditions. For example, when the closing of the entrance / exit doors is automatically controlled when a vehicle exits a mechanical parking system, the control unit confirms, based on information from the sensors, that the parking tower is unoccupied before initiating the closing operation of the entrance / exit doors. If the control unit cannot confirm that the parking tower is unoccupied due to the detection of foreign objects or a malfunction of the sensors, it switches from automatic control to manual control and closes the entrance / exit doors in response to manual operation by the user.

[0006] In cold regions with snowfall, snow chunks can fall from vehicles as they enter the parking towers of mechanical parking systems. If these snow chunks are detected as foreign objects by sensors, the system will be unable to confirm that the parking tower is unoccupied, and the entrance doors cannot be automatically closed. In such situations, users or administrators must manually disable the automatic control system and then switch back to manual control, which is a cumbersome process.

[0007] This disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a mechanical parking system that can automatically control the closing of the doors when the vehicle is exited and is suitable for installation in cold regions with snowfall. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, a mechanical parking system according to one aspect of this disclosure is provided. A boarding / alighting area through which vehicles and users can enter and exit, A storage unit in which the vehicle is stored, An entrance door for opening and closing the aforementioned entrance, A transport device for transporting the vehicle between the boarding / alighting section and the storage section, The area of ​​movement of the vehicle and users in the boarding / alighting area is defined as a monitoring area, and an object detection sensor is provided to detect objects within the monitoring area. Control panel and The system includes a control device that acquires detection information from the object detection sensor and commands and information input from the control panel, and operates the entrance door and the transport device. The control device includes a first determination unit that determines whether the monitoring area is unoccupied based on detection information from the object detection sensor, a second determination unit that determines whether the monitoring area is unoccupied based on information input from the control panel, a switching unit that sets the second determination unit as the main determination unit when snowfall is predicted and the first determination unit as the main determination unit when snowfall is not predicted, and an operation control unit that closes the entrance door based on the determination result of the main determination unit.

[0009] A control method for a mechanical parking system according to another aspect of this disclosure is: A computer-controlled method for a mechanical parking system comprising: an entrance / exit area through which vehicles and users can enter and exit; a storage area where the vehicles are stored; an entrance / exit door for opening and closing the entrance / exit area; a transport device for transporting the vehicles between the entrance / exit area and the storage area; and an operation panel. The area within the vehicle and user's movement range at the boarding / alighting area is defined as the monitoring area. The determination of whether the monitoring area is unoccupied is performed based on detection information from an object detection sensor that detects objects in the monitoring area if snowfall is not predicted, and based on information input from the control panel if snowfall is predicted. Based on the determination result of the unoccupied determination, the entrance door is closed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a mechanical parking system that can automatically control the closing of the doors when a vehicle is exiting, and is suitable for installation in cold regions with snowfall. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic side view showing the overall configuration of a mechanical parking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a plan view of the boarding / alighting area. [Figure 3]Figure 3 is a front view of the control panel. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the configuration of the control system for a mechanical parking system. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the control device during vehicle departure in automatic door closing mode. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the control device during vehicle exit in manual door closing mode. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Next, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout all the drawings, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0013] 《Outline configuration of mechanical parking system 10》 Figure 1 is a schematic side view showing the overall configuration of a mechanical parking system 10 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The mechanical parking system 10 shown in Figure 1 is an elevator-type parking system and includes a parking tower 12 that has a rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the vertical direction. The parking tower 12 is composed of a structure made up of, for example, columns and beams, and an exterior panel that covers the outer surface of the structure. The parking tower 12 has an entrance / exit 21 through which a vehicle V can pass, and the entrance / exit 21 is opened and closed by an entrance / exit door 22.

[0014] In the parking tower 12, a boarding and alighting section 20, a hoistway 16, and a storage section 50 are provided. The boarding and alighting section 20 communicates with an entrance / exit 21, and the vehicle V can enter and exit the boarding and alighting section 20 through the entrance / exit 21 by self-driving. The boarding and alighting section 20 has a floor for the user to get off the vehicle V when storing or get on the vehicle V when retrieving. The hoistway 16 is a space extending vertically from the boarding and alighting section 20 and is a passage for the vehicle V to move up and down. The lower end portion of the hoistway 16 forms a part of the boarding and alighting section 20. The storage section 50 is provided around the hoistway 16. The storage section 50 has a plurality of storage shelves 51 arranged vertically. In this embodiment, two rows of a plurality of storage shelves 51 arranged vertically are provided with the hoistway 16 interposed therebetween. Each storage shelf 51 has a shelf rail 72 extending parallel to the conveying direction when the vehicle V is conveyed from the hoistway 16 to the storage shelf 51 or vice versa.

[0015] The mechanical parking equipment 10 further includes a conveying device 60 for conveying the vehicle V between the boarding and alighting section 20 and the storage section 50. The conveying device 60 has a pallet 62 for placing the vehicle V, a swivel machine 64 for swiveling the pallet 62, a lift 68 for lifting and lowering the pallet 62, and a transfer machine 74 for transferring the pallet 62 between the lift 68 and the storage shelf 51.

[0016] The swivel machine 64 is arranged in a pit 18 provided under the floor of the boarding and alighting section 20. The swivel machine 64 can lift the pallet 62 and swivel it 90° in the horizontal plane.

[0017] The elevator 68 includes a carrier 66 for placing the pallet 62 thereon, and an elevating device 67 for moving the carrier 66 vertically in the hoistway 16. The configuration of the elevating device 67 is not particularly limited. For example, the elevating device 67 is of a rope type and includes a counterweight 71, a wire rope 70 for suspending the carrier 66 and the counterweight 71, a number of guide sheaves for guiding the wire rope 70, a traction sheave 69 acting on the wire rope 70, and an elevating actuator 65 for driving the traction sheave 69. The elevating actuator 65 is, for example, an electric motor. When the traction sheave 69 rotationally driven by the elevating actuator 65 acts on the wire rope 70, the carrier 66 ascends or descends, and when the traction sheave 69 is braked, the carrier 66 stops.

[0018] The transfer machine 74 transfers the pallet 62 from the carrier 66 to the shelf rail 72 or vice versa. The transfer machine 74 is mounted on the carrier 66.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the boarding and alighting section 20. As shown in FIG. 2, a pallet 62 for mounting the vehicle V is disposed at a substantially central portion of the boarding and alighting section 20. Around the boarding and alighting section 20, there are provided an entrance / exit 21 for the vehicle V to enter and exit the boarding and alighting section 20, and an entrance / exit door 22 for opening and closing the entrance / exit 21.

[0020] An entrance / exit sensor 23 is provided at the entrance / exit 21. The entrance / exit sensor 23 is, for example, an optical sensor and has a projector for projecting a light beam L3 parallel to the entrance / exit door 22, and a receiver for receiving the light beam L3 projected from this projector. The entrance / exit sensor 23 can detect that a detection object including a user has passed through the entrance / exit 21 based on the light receiving state of the light beam L3 by the receiver.

[0021] The user's range of movement within the boarding / alighting area 20 is restricted by interior panels 24, etc. For the sake of explanation, the user's range of movement within the boarding / alighting area 20, and the area in which the vehicle V can enter, will be referred to as "monitoring area A" below. In Figure 2, monitoring area A is the inner part enclosed by the interior panels 24. The mechanical parking equipment 10 is equipped with one or more object detection sensors 3 that non-contactually detect the presence or absence of objects in order to detect objects to be detected in monitoring area A. For example, a range sensor 30 or a photoelectric sensor 32 may be used as the object detection sensor 3. Alternatively, a human presence sensor that receives infrared rays emitted from the surface of the human body and detects a person based on the temperature difference with the background may be used as the object detection sensor 3. However, the type, number, and arrangement of the object detection sensors 3 are not limited to this embodiment.

[0022] The range sensor 30 has a known structure for detecting objects present in the monitoring area A by projecting a light beam L1 from the floor surface inside the boarding / alighting section 20 at a predetermined height and scanning the monitoring area A. As the range sensor 30, for example, a scanning type optical distance meter capable of outputting physical shape data of space may be used. Alternatively, the range sensor 30 may be a single-axis scanning type range sensor configured to project a semiconductor laser in the horizontal direction and obtain two-dimensional data of the distance and angle to the object on the scanning plane.

[0023] The photoelectric sensor 32 includes a light emitter that emits a light ray L2 and a light receiver that receives the light ray L2 emitted from the light emitter. Based on the state of light reception of the light ray L2 by the light receiver, the photoelectric sensor 32 can detect objects present in the monitoring area A.

[0024] An operation panel 80 for inputting operational commands to the mechanical parking equipment 10 is located to the side of the entrance / exit 21. Figure 3 is a front view of the operation panel 80. As shown in Figure 3, the operation panel 80 has a touch panel 82 that integrates a touch sensor and a display, a card reader 90 for reading the user number recorded on an IC card, a "safety confirmation (close door)" button 92, and a keyhole 94 for inserting a key to stop the operation of the mechanical parking equipment 10.

[0025] The touch panel 82 screen is provided with, for example, a message display unit 83 for displaying messages to the user, a user number display unit 84 for displaying the user number, and an image display unit 85 for displaying captured images or videos of the boarding / alighting area 20. The touch panel 82 screen is also provided with, for example, numeric keys 86, a "start" button 87, and a "correct" button 88. However, the configuration of the control panel 80, including the display content of the touch panel 82, is not limited to this embodiment.

[0026] 《Configuration of the control system for the mechanical parking system 10》 Figure 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the mechanical parking system 10. As shown in Figure 4, the mechanical parking system 10 is equipped with a control device 100 that controls operation. The control device 100 may be located inside the parking tower 12. The control device 100 can be implemented as a computer equipped with, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, an auxiliary storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a communication interface for connecting to a communication network or other devices via wired or wireless means, input devices such as a mouse, keyboard, touch sensor or touch panel, and output devices such as a liquid crystal display.

[0027] The control device 100 is connected to various instruments installed in the mechanical parking system 10 via wired or wireless communication. The control device 100 acquires detection signals from these instruments. The instruments include an entrance / exit sensor 23 and an object detection sensor 3. In this embodiment, the object detection sensor 3 includes a range sensor 30 and a photoelectric sensor 32.

[0028] The control unit 100 is connected to the control panel 80 via wired or wireless communication. Users or administrators can input commands and information to the control unit 100 by operating the control panel 80.

[0029] The control device 100 is connected to the entrance / exit door 22 and the transport device 60, which has a slewing mechanism 64, an elevator 68, and a transfer mechanism 74, via wired or wireless communication. The entrance / exit door 22, the slewing mechanism 64, the elevator 68, and the transfer mechanism 74 operate according to the operation commands output by the control device 100.

[0030] The control device 100 includes the following functional units: an operation control unit 108, a switching unit 106, a first determination unit 102, and a second determination unit 104. These functional units are implemented by loading a predetermined program stored in the auxiliary storage device of the control device 100 into memory and executing it with the CPU.

[0031] The first determination unit 102 determines whether monitoring area A is unoccupied based on information obtained from the object detection sensor 3 (or the object detection sensor 3 and the entrance / exit sensor 23). The second determination unit 104 determines whether monitoring area A is unoccupied based on information input by the user via the control panel 80. Determining whether monitoring area A is unoccupied means determining whether there are no objects to be detected in monitoring area A (or whether there are objects to be detected). Objects to be detected include animals, including humans, and their belongings, but do not include the equipment or devices of the mechanical parking system 10. The determination results from the first determination unit 102 and the second determination unit 104 are output to the switching unit 106.

[0032] The switching unit 106 is connected to the first determination unit 102, the second determination unit 104, the operation panel 80, and the operation control unit 108. The switching unit 106 switches the "main determination unit" between the first determination unit 102 and the second determination unit 104. In other words, the switching unit 106 sets one of the first determination unit 102 and the second determination unit 104 as the main determination unit and the other as the sub-determination unit. The determination result of the main determination unit takes precedence over the determination result of the sub-determination unit. Alternatively, the determination result of the main determination unit may be considered valid, and the determination result of the sub-determination unit may be considered invalid. The switching unit 106 outputs the determination result of the main determination unit (of the first determination unit 102 and the second determination unit 104) to the operation control unit 108. Alternatively, the switching unit 106 may prioritize the determination result of the main determination unit and then output the determination results of both the main and sub-determination units to the operation control unit 108.

[0033] The motion control unit 108 controls the operation of the mechanical parking equipment 10. The motion control unit 108 is connected to the switching unit 106 and the control panel 80, and acquires commands or information from the control panel 80 and determination results from the switching unit 106, and outputs operation commands to the entrance / exit door 22 and the transport device 60 (the transport device 60 includes a swivel 64, an elevator 68, and a transfer device 74) to operate the entrance / exit door 22 and the transport device 60.

[0034] Control method for exiting a mechanical parking system 10 Here, the control method for vehicle V exiting the mechanical parking system 10 with the above configuration will be explained. The control device 100 of the mechanical parking system 10 has multiple exit control modes, including an "automatic door closing mode" and a "manual door closing mode". In the automatic door closing mode, the first determination unit 102 is the main determination unit, and based on the determination result of the first determination unit 102, the monitoring area A is confirmed to be unoccupied, and the entrance / exit door 22 is closed automatically. In the manual door closing mode, the second determination unit 104 is the main determination unit, and based on the determination result of the second determination unit 104, the monitoring area A is confirmed to be unoccupied, and the entrance / exit door 22 is closed according to the user's manual operation.

[0035] The switching unit 106 of the control device 100 performs an automatic switching process to automatically switch the main determination unit when snowfall is predicted. The automatic switching process is executed according to a predetermined time schedule. For example, the automatic switching process is executed at a predetermined time at least once a day. For example, the automatic switching process is executed at a predetermined date and time at least once a month.

[0036] The switching unit 106 acquires the standard time, and when the acquired standard time reaches a predetermined start time, it starts the automatic switching process. The start time is pre-set and stored in the control device 100. The control device 100 may acquire the standard time from a time server. A time server provides a service that distributes the standard time (including date and time) to devices via communication means such as the Web (World Wide Web).

[0037] The switching unit 106, which has initiated the automatic switching process, selects one of the first determination unit 102 and the second determination unit 104 based on predetermined snowfall forecast conditions and sets it as the main determination unit. If the first determination unit 102 is set as the main determination unit, the mechanical parking system 10 is controlled in automatic door closing mode. If the second determination unit 104 is set as the main determination unit, the mechanical parking system 10 is controlled in manual door closing mode. The control mode of the mechanical parking system 10 is displayed on the touch panel 82 of the control panel 80. In the above, the switching unit 106 sets the main determination unit based on predetermined snowfall forecast conditions, but instead, the switching unit 106 may be configured to select a control mode based on predetermined snowfall forecast conditions. In this case, the switching unit 106 selects one of the automatic door closing mode and the manual door closing mode based on predetermined snowfall forecast conditions, sets the first determination unit 102 as the main determination unit if the automatic door closing mode is selected, and sets the second determination unit 104 as the main determination unit if the manual door closing mode is selected.

[0038] The switching unit 106 sets the second determination unit 104 as the main determination unit when snowfall is predicted. The switching unit 106 determines that "snowfall is predicted" when predetermined snowfall prediction conditions are met. The switching unit 106 sets the first determination unit 102 as the main determination unit when snowfall is not predicted. The switching unit 106 determines that "snowfall is not predicted" when predetermined snowfall prediction conditions are not met. There are multiple options for the snowfall prediction conditions. From among the multiple options, a snowfall prediction condition suitable for each mechanical parking facility 10 may be provided. The snowfall prediction conditions are set in advance and stored in the control device 100. The following describes the options for the snowfall prediction conditions.

[0039] [Example of snowfall forecast conditions 1] Example 1 of the snowfall forecasting conditions is that the acquired standard time falls within a pre-set "snowfall expected period". The switching unit 106 acquires the standard time for the area where the parking tower 12 is installed, and selects the second determination unit 104 (or manual door closing mode) if the acquired standard time falls within the snowfall expected period, and the first determination unit 102 (or automatic door closing mode) otherwise. The selected unit from the first determination unit 102 and the second determination unit 104 is set as the main determination unit. The snowfall expected period varies depending on the location of the mechanical parking equipment 10 and the surrounding climate. The snowfall expected period is entered by the administrator using the control panel 80 and stored in the control device 100. For example, the touch panel 82 of the control panel 80 displays 12-month toggle buttons, and the administrator can set the snowfall expected period in months in the control device 100 by operating the toggle buttons. Alternatively, the snowfall expected period may be provided from an external information terminal via communication means and stored in the control device 100.

[0040] [Example of snowfall forecast conditions 2] Example 2 of the snowfall forecast conditions is that the acquired standard time corresponds to a pre-set "snowfall forecast day". The switching unit 106 acquires the standard time for the area where the parking tower 12 is installed, and selects the second determination unit 104 (or manual door closing mode) if the acquired standard time corresponds to a snowfall forecast day, and the first determination unit 102 (or automatic door closing mode) otherwise. The selected one of the first determination unit 102 and the second determination unit 104 is set as the main determination unit. Snowfall forecast days vary depending on the location of the mechanical parking equipment 10 and the surrounding climate. Snowfall forecast days are entered by the administrator using the control panel 80 and stored in the control device 100. For example, a monthly calendar is displayed on the touch panel 82 of the control panel 80, and the administrator can set the snowfall forecast day in the control device 100 by operating a toggle button. Alternatively, snowfall forecast days are provided from an external information terminal via communication means and stored in the control device 100.

[0041] [Example 3 of snowfall forecast conditions] Example 3 of the snowfall prediction conditions is that the acquired weather data (or weather forecast) includes a "snow forecast". The switching unit 106 acquires weather data for the area where the parking tower 12 is installed, and selects the second determination unit 104 (or manual door closing mode) if the acquired weather data includes a snow forecast, and the first determination unit 102 (or automatic door closing mode) otherwise. The selected unit from the first determination unit 102 and the second determination unit 104 is set as the main determination unit. Preferably, the snowfall prediction conditions are set specifically, for example, that the acquired weather data includes a snowfall forecast for the next 24 hours, that the snowfall forecast for the next 24 hours is α% or more, or that the snowfall amount forecast for the next 24 hours is β mm or more. In the above, as a non-limiting numerical example, α is an arbitrarily set value between 30 and 100, and β is an arbitrarily set value of 10 or more. The control device 100 may, for example, obtain weather data (or weather forecasts) by using a service that provides weather data to devices via communication means, such as a weather forecast API (Application Programming Interface).

[0042] Through the automatic switching process described above, the control device 100 automatically switches the main determination unit from the first determination unit 102 to the second determination unit 104, or the second determination unit 104 is automatically set as the main determination unit, when snowfall is expected, for example, during a period, season, or other time of year. Conversely, when snowfall is not expected, the main determination unit automatically switches from the second determination unit 104 to the first determination unit 102, or the first determination unit 102 is automatically set as the main determination unit. This allows for the introduction of an automatic door closing mode to the mechanical parking equipment 10 installed in cold regions with snowfall. Furthermore, instead of manually switching the main determination unit or control mode each time snowfall is predicted, the main determination unit and control mode are automatically switched when the preset snowfall prediction conditions are met, eliminating the need for manual switching operations and maintaining stable operation of the mechanical parking equipment 10.

[0043] The switching unit 106 may switch the main determination unit even outside of the automatic switching process. For example, if the object detection sensor 3 malfunctions, the switching unit 106 sets the second determination unit 104 as the main determination unit. In this case, the control device 100 may set the second determination unit 104 as the main determination unit by accepting an operation from the administrator on the control panel 80, or it may set the second determination unit 104 as the main determination unit by detecting a malfunction in the object detection sensor 3.

[0044] The switching unit 106 can also set one of the first determination unit 102 and the second determination unit 104 as the main determination unit based on a command input via the control panel 80. In this case, the administrator operates the control panel 80 to command the control device 100 to select one of the first determination unit 102 and the second determination unit 104 and set it as the main determination unit. Upon receiving this command, the switching unit 106 sets the selected one as the main determination unit. Alternatively, the administrator operates the control panel 80 to command the control device 100 to set one of the control modes, either the automatic door closing mode or the manual door closing mode. Upon receiving this command, the switching unit 106 sets one of the first determination unit 102 and the second determination unit 104 corresponding to the set control mode as the main determination unit.

[0045] Next, the processing flow of the control device 100 when the vehicle is exiting the mechanical parking system 10 will be explained according to the control mode. The explanation will begin with the user having already parked the vehicle V in the mechanical parking system 10, with the vehicle V stored in one of the multiple storage compartments 50 and the entrance / exit door 22 closed. The user has also been assigned a user number and a PIN code linked to this user number. Furthermore, the user possesses an IC card on which the user number is recorded.

[0046] <Processing flow of the control device 100 when the vehicle is released: Automatic door closing mode> Figure 5 is a flowchart of the process of the control device 100 when a vehicle is released in automatic door closing mode. As shown in Figure 5, first, the user touches their IC card to the card reader 90 on the control panel 80, enters their PIN using the numeric keypad 86, and then presses the "Start" button 87. The control device 100 receives the start command input via the control panel 80 and obtains the user number read by the card reader 90 and the entered PIN from the control panel 80 (step S11).

[0047] The control device 100 has a database that stores the user's user number and the PIN associated with this user number in advance. The control device 100 refers to this database to determine whether the acquired PIN is a PIN that is pre-associated with the user number read by the card reader 90. In other words, the control device 100 determines whether the entered PIN is correct or incorrect (step S12).

[0048] If the control device 100 determines that the entered PIN is incorrect (NO in step S12), it displays an error screen on the control panel 80 (step S13), and returns to step S11 to wait for the user to re-enter the PIN.

[0049] On the other hand, if the control device 100 determines that the entered PIN is correct (YES in step S12), it operates the transport device 60 so that the vehicle V is transported from the storage area 50 to the boarding / alighting area 20, and opens the entrance / exit door 22 (step S14).

[0050] When the entrance / exit door 22 opens, the user enters the boarding / alighting area 20 through the entrance / exit 21, boards the vehicle V, drives the vehicle V, and exits the boarding / alighting area 20 through the entrance / exit 21. In other words, the vehicle V exits the parking area. At this point, the control device 100 detects that the user has entered the boarding / alighting area 20 based on the detection information output by the entrance / exit sensor 23, and then detects that the vehicle V and the user driving the vehicle V have exited the boarding / alighting area 20 based on the detection information output by the entrance / exit sensor 23, thereby detecting that the vehicle V has exited the parking area (YES in step S15).

[0051] In automatic door closing mode, the first determination unit 102 is set as the main determination unit. After detecting that vehicle V has left the parking area, the control device 100 determines whether the monitoring area A is unoccupied based on the information acquired from the object detection sensor 3 by the first determination unit 102 (step S16). If the control device 100 determines in step S16 that the monitoring area A is unoccupied (i.e., there are no objects to be detected) (YES in step S16), it determines that the unoccupied status of monitoring area A has been confirmed (step S17) and causes the entrance / exit door 22 to close (step S18). On the other hand, if the control device 100 determines that the monitoring area A is not unoccupied (i.e., there are objects to be detected) (NO in step S16), it displays an error screen on the control panel 80 (step S19) and returns to step S16.

[0052] As described above, in the automatic door closing mode of the mechanical parking system 10, the unmanned confirmation of monitoring area A and the closing operation of the entrance / exit door 22 are performed automatically. Users can skip the troublesome operation of "closing the door" and depart immediately after their vehicle V exits the parking space.

[0053] <Processing flow of the control device 100 when the vehicle is released: Manual door closing mode> Figure 6 is a flowchart of the processing of the control device 100 when exiting in manual door closing mode. Steps S21-S25 in Figure 6 are the same as steps S11-S15 of the control method when exiting in automatic door closing mode, so refer to the explanation of steps S11-S15.

[0054] After step S25, the user disembarks from vehicle V and visually inspects the boarding / alighting area 20 to confirm that there are no objects to be detected in monitoring area A, i.e., that it is unoccupied, and then presses the "Safety Confirmation (Close Doors)" button 92 on the control panel 80. This inputs the safety confirmation information (i.e., unoccupied confirmation information) and the door closing command from the control panel 80 to the control device 100. The control device 100 receives the safety confirmation information and the door closing command from the control panel 80 (YES in step S26).

[0055] Furthermore, the user enters a PIN using the numeric keypad 86 on the control panel 80. The control panel 80 inputs the entered PIN to the control device 100. In manual door closing mode, the second determination unit 104 is set as the main determination unit. The second determination unit 104 of the control device 100 acquires the entered PIN (YES in step S27) and determines whether the acquired PIN matches or does not match the PIN entered in step S21 (step S28).

[0056] If the control device 100 determines in step S28 that it is invalid (NO in step S28), it displays an error screen on the control panel 80 (step S29), and returns to step S27 to wait for the user to re-enter their PIN.

[0057] On the other hand, if the control device 100 determines that there is a match in step S28 (YES in step S28), it determines that the unoccupied state of monitoring area A has been confirmed (step S30) and causes the entrance door 22 to close (step S31).

[0058] As described above, in manual door closing mode, the control device 100 determines, based on the door closing command entered by the user via the control panel 80 and the authentication of the PIN entered by the user via the control panel 80, that the monitoring area A has been confirmed to be unoccupied, and then closes the entrance door 22. In this way, in the mechanical parking system 10 in manual door closing mode, even if chunks of snow that have fallen from the vehicle V remain in the monitoring area A of the boarding / alighting area 20, the entrance door 22 can be closed when the vehicle is exiting. Therefore, the mechanical parking system 10 of this embodiment is suitable as a mechanical parking system to be installed in cold regions with snowfall.

[0059] [Summary] The mechanical parking equipment 10 relating to item 1 of this disclosure is A boarding / alighting area 20 through which the vehicle V and users can enter and exit via the entrance / exit 21, A storage compartment 50 in which the vehicle V is stored, An entrance door 22 that opens and closes the entrance 21, A transport device 60 transports a vehicle V between the boarding / alighting section 20 and the storage section 50 within the parking tower 12, The area of ​​movement of the vehicle V and users in the boarding / alighting section 20 is defined as monitoring area A, and an object detection sensor 3 detects objects in monitoring area A, Control panel 80 and The system includes a control device 100 that acquires detection information from the object detection sensor 3 and commands and information input from the control panel 80, and operates the entrance door 22 and the transport device 60. The control device 100 includes a first determination unit 102 that determines whether the monitoring area A is unoccupied based on detection information from the object detection sensor 3, a second determination unit 104 that determines whether the monitoring area A is unoccupied based on information input from the control panel 80, a switching unit 106 that uses the second determination unit 104 as the main determination unit when snowfall is predicted and the first determination unit 102 as the main determination unit when snowfall is not predicted, and an operation control unit 108 that closes the entrance door 22 based on the determination result of the main determination unit.

[0060] In the mechanical parking system 10 with the above configuration, when snowfall is not expected, the unmanned confirmation of the monitoring area A and the closing operation of the entrance / exit door 22 can be performed by automatic control (automatic door closing mode in the above embodiment). On the other hand, when snowfall is expected, the main determination unit automatically switches to the second determination unit 104, and the exit of the mechanical parking system 10 automatically switches from automatic control to manual control (manual door closing mode in the above embodiment). As a result, even if chunks of snow that have fallen from the vehicle V during snowfall remain in the monitoring area A, the unmanned confirmation of the monitoring area A can be performed by manual control without causing errors or emergency stops, or requiring the complicated process of disabling automatic control and then switching back to manual control. Therefore, according to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a mechanical parking system that allows for automatic control of door closing during exit and is suitable for installation in cold regions with snowfall.

[0061] The mechanical parking equipment 10 relating to the second item of this disclosure is configured such that, in the mechanical parking equipment 10 relating to the first item, the switching unit 106 is configured to determine whether snowfall is predicted when predetermined snowfall prediction conditions are met.

[0062] This allows the main judgment unit to be automatically switched based on pre-defined snowfall forecast conditions, and consequently, the automatic switching between automatic and manual control is performed. As a result, the expected automatic switching between automatic and manual control is performed, and stable operation of the mechanical parking equipment 10 can be maintained.

[0063] The mechanical parking equipment 10 relating to item 3 of this disclosure is the same as the mechanical parking equipment 10 relating to item 2, wherein the switching unit 106 acquires a standard time, and the snowfall forecast condition is set so that the acquired standard time corresponds to a predetermined period when snowfall is expected.

[0064] With the mechanical parking system 10 configured as described above, the second determination unit 104 can be used as the main determination unit to pre-set the period during which manual control is performed when exiting the parking space. For example, it can be set so that manual control is performed when exiting the parking space over a period such as from December to February of the following year.

[0065] The mechanical parking equipment 10 relating to item 4 of this disclosure is the same as the mechanical parking equipment 10 relating to item 2, wherein the switching unit 106 acquires a standard time, and the snowfall forecast condition is that the acquired standard time corresponds to a pre-set snowfall forecast day.

[0066] With the mechanical parking system 10 configured as described above, the second determination unit 104 can be used as the main determination unit to pre-set the days on which manual control is performed when the vehicle is exiting the parking space. For example, it can be set so that manual control is performed when the vehicle is exiting the parking space on one or more specific dates.

[0067] The mechanical parking equipment 10 relating to item 5 of this disclosure is the same as the mechanical parking equipment 10 relating to item 2, wherein the switching unit 106 acquires weather data, and the snowfall forecast condition is that the acquired weather data includes a snow forecast.

[0068] With the mechanical parking system 10 configured as described above, the second judgment unit 104 can be used as the main judgment unit to pinpoint the days on which manual control is performed when a vehicle is taken out of the parking space, in response to snowfall forecasts. Therefore, on days when snowfall is not expected, even in winter, the mechanical parking system 10 can be automatically controlled to take out vehicles, thereby improving convenience for users.

[0069] The control method for the mechanical parking equipment 10 relating to item 6 of this disclosure is as follows: A computer-controlled method for a mechanical parking system 10 comprising: an entry / exit section 20 through which a vehicle V and a user can enter and exit via an entrance / exit 21; a storage section 50 in which the vehicle V is stored; an entrance / exit door 22 for opening and closing the entrance / exit 21; a transport device 60 for transporting the vehicle V between the entry / exit section 20 and the storage section 50; and an operation panel 80. The area of ​​movement of the vehicle V and users in the boarding / alighting area 20 is defined as monitoring area A. The system is characterized by determining whether monitoring area A is unoccupied based on detection information from an object detection sensor 3 that detects objects in monitoring area A if snowfall is not predicted, and based on information input from the control panel 80 if snowfall is predicted, and closing the entrance door 22 based on the result of the unoccupied determination.

[0070] According to the control method for the mechanical parking system 10 described above, when snowfall is not expected, the unoccupied status check of the monitoring area A and the closing operation of the entrance / exit door 22 can be performed automatically (automatic door closing mode in the above embodiment). On the other hand, when snowfall is expected, the unoccupied status of the monitoring area A is determined based on information entered by the user from the control panel 80. In this way, the unoccupied status of the monitoring area A is automatically switched from automatic control to manual control (manual door closing mode in the above embodiment) according to the expected snowfall when the mechanical parking system 10 is released. As a result, even if chunks of snow that have fallen from the vehicle V during snowfall remain in the monitoring area A, the unoccupied status check of the monitoring area A can be performed manually without causing errors or emergency stops, or requiring the complicated process of disabling automatic control and then switching back to manual control. Therefore, the control method for the mechanical parking system 10 according to this disclosure can be suitably applied to mechanical parking systems 10 installed in cold regions with snowfall.

[0071] The embodiments described above are presented for illustrative and explanatory purposes only and are not intended to limit the disclosure to the forms disclosed herein. For example, in the detailed description above, various features of the disclosure are grouped into one embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure, but some of the features may be combined. Also, some of the features included in the disclosure may be combined into alternative embodiments, configurations, or aspects other than those discussed above. For example, the above embodiments illustrate an elevator-type mechanical parking system 10 with a parking tower 12, but the disclosure can also be applied to underground mechanical parking systems having an above-ground access room and an underground storage area. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0072] 3: Object detection sensor 10: Mechanical parking system 12: Parking Tower 20: Boarding / Alighting Area 21: Entrance / exit 22: Entrance / Exit Door 50: Storage Unit 60: Conveying device 80: Control panel 100: Control device 102:First judgment part 104:Second judgment section 106: Switching section 108: Operation Control Unit A: Surveillance area P:User V: Vehicle

Claims

1. A boarding / alighting area through which vehicles and users can enter and exit, A storage unit in which the vehicle is stored, An entrance door for opening and closing the aforementioned entrance, A transport device for transporting the vehicle between the boarding / alighting section and the storage section, The area of ​​movement of the vehicle and users in the boarding / alighting area is defined as a monitoring area, and an object detection sensor is provided to detect objects within the monitoring area. Control panel and The system includes a control device that acquires detection information from the object detection sensor and commands and information input from the control panel, and operates the entrance door and the transport device. The control device includes a first determination unit that determines whether the monitoring area is unoccupied based on detection information from the object detection sensor, a second determination unit that determines whether the monitoring area is unoccupied based on information input from the control panel, a switching unit that sets the second determination unit as the main determination unit when snowfall is predicted and the first determination unit as the main determination unit when snowfall is not predicted, and an operation control unit that closes the entrance door based on the determination result of the main determination unit. Mechanical parking system.

2. The switching unit determines that snowfall is predicted when predetermined snowfall prediction conditions are met. The mechanical parking system according to claim 1.

3. The switching unit acquires the standard time, The snowfall forecast condition is that the acquired standard time falls within a predetermined period when snowfall is expected. The mechanical parking system according to claim 2.

4. The switching unit acquires the standard time, The snowfall forecast condition is that the acquired standard time falls on a pre-set snowfall forecast day. The mechanical parking system according to claim 2.

5. The switching unit acquires weather data, The snowfall forecast condition is that the acquired weather data includes a snow forecast. The mechanical parking system according to claim 2.

6. A computer-controlled method for a mechanical parking system comprising: an entrance / exit area through which vehicles and users can enter and exit; a storage area where the vehicles are stored; an entrance / exit door for opening and closing the entrance / exit area; a transport device for transporting the vehicles between the entrance / exit area and the storage area; and an operation panel. The area within the vehicle and user's movement range at the boarding / alighting area is defined as the monitoring area. The determination of whether the monitoring area is unoccupied is performed based on detection information from an object detection sensor that detects objects in the monitoring area if snowfall is not predicted, and based on information input from the control panel if snowfall is predicted, and the entrance door is closed based on the determination result of the unoccupied determination. A control method for mechanical parking equipment.

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