Parking management system, parking management method

Abstract

Determine whether or not a person has been left behind inside the vehicle. [Solution] The system includes a first acquisition unit that acquires data representing the number of people entering a vehicle from a first sensor that detects the number of people in a vehicle passing through the entrance to a parking lot, a second acquisition unit that acquires data representing the number of people disembarking from a vehicle from a second sensor that detects the number of people disembarking from the vehicle after the vehicle has been parked in the parking lot, a determination unit that determines whether the data representing the number of people entering and the data representing the number of people disembarking match, and an output unit that outputs an alert if the determination results do not match.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a parking lot management system and a parking lot management method.

Background Art

[0002] Facilities such as supermarkets and commercial complexes have parking lots. When coming to the facility by using a vehicle such as a car, the vehicle can be parked in the parking lot and the facility can be used. In recent years, there have been cases where, when parking, people forget to let children or the like get off the vehicle, or when assuming that a parent will return to the vehicle immediately after finishing errands inside the facility, children or the like are left on board. In this case, a person such as a child may be left in the vehicle. Patent Document 1 discloses a system that registers data on whether a person who comes to the facility by using a vehicle is accompanied by a child, determines whether the child has been left at a nursery, and outputs an alert when the child has not been left at the nursery.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, if the time that a child or the like is left in the vehicle is prolonged, it may affect the physical condition of the person remaining in the vehicle. There are underground parking lots and parking lots with roofs, and there are also parking lots installed on the rooftop. In particular, when abandonment occurs in a vehicle parked on the rooftop in summer, the temperature inside the vehicle tends to rise, which may lead to heat stroke, dehydration symptoms, etc. Furthermore, while Patent Document 1 mentioned above outputs an alert based on whether or not a child has been left at a daycare center, it does not apply to cases where a person does not use a daycare center or where a facility does not have a daycare center.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a parking management system and a parking management method that can determine whether or not a person has been left unattended inside a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention is a parking management system comprising: a first acquisition unit that acquires entry-time passenger data representing the detection result from a first sensor that detects the number of people in a vehicle passing through the entrance of a parking lot; a second acquisition unit that acquires disembarking-time passenger data representing the detection result from a second sensor that detects the number of people who disembark from the vehicle after the vehicle has been parked in the parking lot; a determination unit that determines whether the entry-time passenger data and the disembarking-time passenger data match; and an output unit that outputs an alert if the determination results do not match.

[0007] Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is a parking lot management method performed by a computer, comprising: a first sensor that detects the number of people in a vehicle passing through the entrance of a parking lot and acquires data representing the detection result of the number of people entering the vehicle; a second sensor that detects the number of people who get out of the vehicle after it has been parked in the parking lot and acquires data representing the detection result of the number of people getting out of the vehicle; an output unit that determines whether the data representing the number of people entering the vehicle and the data representing the number of people getting out of the vehicle match, and outputs an alert if the determination result does not match. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] As explained above, this invention makes it possible to determine whether or not a person has been left behind inside a vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic plan view showing a parking lot P to which a parking management system S according to one embodiment of this invention is applied, as viewed from above. [Figure 2] This is a schematic plan view showing the entrance PE of parking lot P. [Figure 3] This is a schematic plan view of the parking area Pa. [Figure 4] This is a schematic perspective view showing the first parking area Pa1 as seen from the side, looking down from above. [Figure 5] This is a schematic perspective view showing the store entrance TE as seen from the side. [Figure 6] This is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the parking management system S. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart explaining the operation of the parking management system S. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of log data stored in the storage device 20. [Figure 9] This diagram shows other configurations of the entrance equipment group. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] A parking management system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a parking lot P to which a parking management system S according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied, as seen from above. Parking lot P is provided at the facility. The facility may be any of the following: a supermarket, a shopping complex, an amusement park, a public facility, etc. In the parking lot P, vehicles can enter through entrance PE and park in any parking space within the parking area Pa. After parking, passengers can disembark, enter the store through the store entrance TE, browse the store, and then return to their vehicles through the store entrance TE. After using the facilities, vehicles can be exited from the parking space and exited through exit EX.

[0011] At the entrance PE, an entrance equipment group SUa is provided. The entrance equipment group (entrance equipment unit group) SUa is provided with a ticket vending machine, a gate bar GBa, and a sensor group. When a vehicle reaches the entrance PE, the gate bar GBa is lowered, and the entry of the vehicle V is restricted. When the driver stops the vehicle V and withdraws a parking ticket from the ticket vending machine, the gate bar GBa rises, and the vehicle V can enter the parking area Pa. When the vehicle V passes through the gate bar GBa, the gate bar GBa is lowered.

[0012] The parking area Pa is provided with a plurality of parking spaces where vehicles can be parked, and various sensors are provided. At the exit EX, a cashier machine PM and a gate bar GBb are provided. When a vehicle exiting from the parking space reaches the cashier machine PM, the gate bar GBb is lowered, restricting the exit of the vehicle V. When the driver stops the vehicle V, inserts the parking ticket into the cashier machine, and completes the payment procedure for the required fee, the gate bar GBb rises, and the vehicle V can exit the parking lot P. When the vehicle V passes through the gate bar GBb, the gate bar GBb is lowered.

[0013] The store entrance / exit TE is provided on the path between the parking lot P and the store, and people can pass through when moving from the parking lot P into the store and when moving from the store into the parking lot P. The store entrance / exit TE is provided with a store entrance / exit equipment group SUb.

[0014] Figure 2 is a schematic plan view showing the entrance PE in the parking lot P. In this figure, the gate bar GBa is lowered, indicating a state where the entry of the vehicle V into the parking area Pa is restricted. The entrance equipment group SUa is installed so as to be located on the right side of the vehicle V when the vehicle V stops in front of the gate bar GBa. The entrance equipment group SUa includes a ticket vending machine TM, cameras Ca1, Ca2, Ca3, and sensors SE (SEa1, sensor SEa2, sensor SEa3, SEa4). The ticket vending machine TM issues parking tickets. Camera Ca1 images the front side of vehicle V and outputs image data. Camera Ca1 may be configured to image so as to include at least one of the vehicle number of vehicle V and a person (e.g., a driver, a person sitting in the passenger seat, etc.) sitting in the front seat of vehicle V. Here, camera Ca1 images so as to include the vehicle number of vehicle V and the right front seat and the left front seat of vehicle V. Camera Ca2 images a person sitting in the rear seat from the right side of vehicle V. Camera Ca3 images so as to include at least one of the interior of the vehicle through the rear windshield of vehicle V and the vehicle number.

[0015] Sensor SE (SEa1, SEa2, SEa3, SEa4) irradiates an observation target with radio waves and measures the situation in the observation area by receiving the reflected waves. Sensor SE is, for example, a radar sensor such as a millimeter-wave radar . Also, sensor SE may be configured to measure the situation in the observation area according to the phase change between the irradiation wave of the radar and the observation wave that has received the radio wave reflected by the irradiation wave. The situation in the observation area is whether or not there is a person. For example, whether or not there is a person in the vehicle, whether or not there is a person on the moving path, etc. In addition, sensor SE has a function of performing biometric sensing targeting vital signs such as pulse and respiration from the movement of the body surface of a person existing in the observation area and generating vital data representing the sensing result. Vital data is data in which values representing the situation of vital activities such as pulse and respiration are arranged in chronological order.

[0016] Sensor SE can observe the interior of the vehicle through (transmitting through) glass surfaces such as the front windshield, rear windshield, door glass, and side glass of the vehicle, and when a person is on board the vehicle, it can measure the vital data of the person. Also, even if there is a curtain or the like on the vehicle window, sensor SE can detect whether or not there is a person in the vehicle, and even in a situation where a towel, a blanket, etc. is placed on the person on board and it is difficult to visually recognize from the outside, it is possible to measure the vital data of the person. For example, if a person is inside a vehicle and the vehicle is stationary, the only moving object is the person. Therefore, the sensor SE can detect whether or not a person is present by obtaining measurements corresponding to the person's movement and the movement of the person's body surface due to biological activity. Thus, even in situations where an obstacle prevents the presence of a person from being seen from the outside, the sensor SE can detect whether or not a person is present on the other side of the obstacle (such as glass, a towel, a blanket, or the back of a vehicle seat), as long as the obstacle is an object that can transmit radio waves.

[0017] Sensor SEa1 detects whether or not there is a person in the right front seat of a vehicle that has been stopped and restricted by the gate bar GBa at the entrance PE by observing the right front seat. Sensor SEa2 detects whether or not there is a person in the rear seat (right rear seat) of a vehicle that has been stopped and restricted by the gate bar GBa at the entrance PE by observing the rear seat. Sensor SEa3 detects whether or not there is a person in the left rear seat by observing the rear seat (left rear seat) of a vehicle that has been stopped and restricted by the gate bar GBa at the entrance PE. Sensor SEa4 detects whether or not there is a person in the left front seat of a vehicle that has been stopped and restricted by the gate bar GBa at the entrance PE by observing the left front seat. Here, we will explain the case where four sensors (SEa1, SEa2, SEa3, SEa4) are installed as sensor SE. However, the number of sensor SEs may be increased depending on the maximum number of passengers in vehicles that may use parking lot P and the location of those seats. In this embodiment, the case where one sensor SE detects one person is described, but a type of sensor capable of detecting multiple people with one sensor SE may also be used.

[0018] Figure 3 is a schematic plan view representing the parking area Pa. Parking area Pa includes a first parking area Pa1 and a second parking area Pb2. Each of the first parking area Pa1 and the second parking area Pb2 contains multiple parking spaces. For example, the first parking area Pa1 contains multiple parking spaces PS. Each parking space is sized to accommodate one vehicle. Additionally, there may be people (e.g., person Ja1, person Ja2, etc.) who have exited a parked vehicle or are returning to a vehicle from a store, either within or near a parking space. In the first parking area Pa1, poles Ha1 and Ha2 are installed at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the first parking area Pa1. Pole Ha1 and pole Ha2 are columnar members. Sensor unit SUPa11 is provided above pole Ha1 in the height direction, and sensor unit SUPa21 is provided above pole Ha2 in the height direction. Sensor units SUPa11 and SUPa21 each have a camera and a sensor SE. Sensor unit SUPa11 captures images of the area around pole Ha1 using its camera and detects people using its sensor SE. Sensor unit SUPa21 captures images of the area around pole Ha2 using its camera and detects people using its sensor SE.

[0019] In the second parking area Pb2, poles Hb1 and Hb2 are installed at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the second parking area Pb2. Pole Hb1 and pole Hb2 are columnar members. A sensor unit SUPb11 is provided above pole Hb1 in the height direction, and a sensor unit SUPb21 is provided above pole Hb2 in the height direction. Sensor units SUPb11 and SUPb21 each have a camera and a sensor SE. Sensor unit SUPb11 captures images of the area around pole Hb1 with its camera and detects people with its sensor SE. Sensor unit SUPb21 captures images of the area around pole Hb2 with its camera and detects people with its sensor SE.

[0020] Here, each sensor unit (SUPa11, SUPa21, SUPb11, SUPb21) may be mounted on a single pole, and rotated by a rotation mechanism along the circumferential direction of the pole, thereby imaging and observing the area around the pole. Alternatively, multiple sensor units may be installed along the circumferential direction of a single pole, thereby imaging and observing the area around the pole.

[0021] Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the first parking area Pa1 as seen from the side. Sensor unit SUPa11 monitors the area surrounding pole Ha1 within the first parking area Pa1. For example, the camera of sensor unit SUPa11 captures images of the area surrounding pole Ha1. The sensor of sensor unit SUPa11 detects people in the area surrounding pole Ha1. Furthermore, the sensor unit SUPa21 monitors the area surrounding pole Ha2 within the first parking area Pa1. For example, the camera of the sensor unit SUPa21 captures images of the area surrounding pole Ha2. The sensor of the sensor unit SUPa21 detects people in the area surrounding pole Ha2. Here, the entire area of ​​the first parking area Pa1 can be monitored by the areas that sensor unit SUPa11 can monitor and the areas that sensor unit SUPa21 can monitor.

[0022] Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view showing the store entrance TE as seen from the side. At the store entrance TE, the store entrance equipment group SUb is installed above the passageway and observes people (e.g., person J1, person J2, person J3) passing through the store entrance TE. The store entrance equipment group SUb includes a camera and a sensor. The camera of the store entrance equipment group SUb captures images of people passing through the store entrance TE. For example, the camera of the store entrance equipment group SUb captures images of people moving from the parking lot P into the store. Here, the camera of the store entrance equipment group SUb is capable of capturing images of the face of each person passing through the store entrance TE. Therefore, by comparing the captured facial image data of each person with the facial images of each person obtained by capturing a single vehicle with the camera of the entrance equipment group SUa using the matching device 30, it is possible to determine whether the facial image data of each person captured by the camera of the store entrance equipment group SUb belongs to a group of people who were riding in the same vehicle. The sensors in the store entrance equipment group SUb detect people passing through the store entrance TE. For example, the sensors in the store entrance equipment group SUb observe people moving from the parking lot P into the store.

[0023] Figure 6 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the parking management system S. The parking management system S includes management system 1, entrance equipment group SUa, store entrance equipment group SUb, multiple sensor unit group SUPa1, ...

[0024] The entrance equipment group SUa includes multiple sensor units (SUa1, SUa2, ... SUan (where n is a number corresponding to the number of sensor units)). Each sensor unit includes a camera and a sensor. For example, sensor unit SUa1 includes camera SUa11 and sensor SUa12. Each sensor unit of the entrance equipment group SUa is wirelessly or wiredly connected to the control device 10a of the management system 1 and transmits detection results to the control device 10a. Each sensor unit of the entrance equipment group SUa sequentially transmits image data captured by the camera and detection results observed by the sensor to the control device 10a at regular intervals. For example, camera SUa11 functions as a first identification data extraction unit that extracts first identification data capable of identifying a group of people riding in a vehicle from image data of a vehicle in which the number of people is detected by a first sensor (e.g., sensor SUa12). Camera SUa11 may also have a function to extract feature data as first identification data that represents features capable of identifying a vehicle from an image of the vehicle included in the image data. Feature data may include, for example, the vehicle's license plate number, make, model, color, and size. The vehicle's license plate number can be extracted by identifying the image region corresponding to the license plate in the image of the vehicle included in the captured image and performing character recognition processing on the license plate. The make may be identified based on the external shape of the vehicle included in the captured image, or the name of the vehicle manufacturer and make attached to the rear of the vehicle. The model can be extracted by performing character recognition processing on the external shape of the vehicle included in the captured image or on a plate indicating the vehicle's model attached to the rear of the vehicle. The color can be extracted by recognizing the color of the image of the vehicle included in the captured image. The size can be extracted from the size of the image of the vehicle included in the captured image. In this case, if the license plate can be recognized as feature data, it is not necessary to extract other data. If the license plate cannot be recognized, other data (extracted from vehicle type, grade, color, size, etc.) may be used as feature data. This embodiment will explain the case where the license plate is used as feature data. Furthermore, the camera SUa11 may extract the vehicle's license plate number and also obtain a passenger face image from the image data representing the face of any person inside the vehicle.

[0025] The SUa12 sensor is a radar sensor capable of detecting, for example, the presence of a person inside a vehicle, and it detects whether a person is present in the observation area.

[0026] The store entrance equipment group SUb includes multiple sensor units (SUb1, SUb2, ... SUbn (where n is a number corresponding to the number of sensor units)). Each sensor unit includes a camera and a sensor. For example, among the multiple sensor units, sensor unit SUb1 includes camera SUb11 and sensor SUb12. Camera SUb11 functions as a second identification data extraction unit, extracting second identification data that can identify a group of people riding in a vehicle from image data captured of people getting out of a vehicle parked in parking lot P and moving into a store. Camera SUb11 may also capture the route that can be taken from parking lot P to the store, and extract customer face images representing the faces of people moving along the route as second identification data from the image data obtained as a result of the capture. In this case, there may be one person or multiple people getting out of a vehicle. In the case of multiple people, they often enter the store together after getting out of the vehicle. Therefore, multiple people entering the store together are considered as one group, and the face image of at least one person (e.g., the driver) is extracted from the multiple face images obtained when that group is captured. If only one person gets out of a vehicle, the face image of that one person may be extracted and used as second identification data. To determine whether or not a person is the driver from among multiple individuals, the facial image corresponding to the facial image of the person captured by the camera SUb11 at the store entrance TE may be extracted as the driver's facial image. Each sensor unit of the store entrance equipment group SUb is connected wirelessly or via a wired connection to the control device 10b of the management system 1, and transmits the detection results to the control device 10b. Each sensor unit of the store entrance equipment group SUb sequentially transmits image data captured by the camera and detection results observed by the sensor to the control device 10b at regular intervals.

[0027] The sensor unit group SUPa1 includes multiple sensor units (SUPa11, SUPa12, ... SUPa1n (where n is a number corresponding to the number of sensor units)). Each sensor unit includes a camera and a sensor. For example, among the multiple sensor units, sensor unit SUPa11 includes camera SUPa111 and sensor SUPa112. Camera SUPa111 has the function of a second identification data extraction unit that extracts second identification data capable of identifying a group of people riding in a vehicle from image data of a vehicle parked in a parking lot or image data of a person getting out of a vehicle parked in a parking lot and moving into a store. For example, the camera SUPa111 may extract feature data representing features that allow it to identify the vehicle from the image data it captures of its surroundings, as second identification data. Alternatively, the camera SUPa111 may detect the location of the parking space where vehicle V is parked from the image data, and output the detected parking space location and the vehicle's license plate number, which is an example of the extracted feature data. This makes it possible to use the data to identify the relationship between the license plate number of the parked vehicle V and its parking location. Each sensor unit in the sensor unit group SUPa1 is connected wirelessly or via a wired connection to the control device 10b of the management system 1, and transmits the detection result to the control device 10b. Each sensor unit in the SUPa1 sensor unit group sequentially transmits image data captured by the camera and detection results observed by the sensor to the control device 10b at regular intervals.

[0028] Here, the sensor unit group SUPa1 may include only the sensor unit SUPa11. In this case, as shown in Figure 4, the sensor unit SUPa11 may be attached to pole Ha1 and rotate in the circumferential direction of pole Ha1 to monitor the area around pole Ha1. Alternatively, the sensor unit group SUPa1 may be configured to include multiple sensor units (SUPa11, SUPa12, ...SUPa1n), which may be attached in a line along the circumferential direction of pole Ha1 as shown in Figure 4, and these multiple sensor units may monitor the area around pole Ha1.

[0029] Furthermore, although not shown in Figure 6, each sensor unit or group of sensor units installed on a pole other than pole Ha1, such as sensor unit SUPa21, is connected to the management system 1 in a communication manner and sequentially transmits the detection results to the control device 10b.

[0030] The management system 1 includes a control device 10a, a control device 10b, a storage device 20, a verification device 30, and a notification device 40. The control device 10a is connected to the entrance equipment group SUa and the storage device 20 in a communicative manner, and acquires the detection results transmitted sequentially from each of these devices and stores them in the storage device 20 by writing them. For example, the control device 10a has the function of a first acquisition unit that acquires data representing the number of people entering, which is the detection result, from a first sensor (such as the sensor SUa12 of the entrance equipment group SUa) that detects the number of people in a vehicle passing through the entrance PE of the parking lot P.

[0031] The control device 10b is connected to the store entrance equipment group SUb, the sensor unit group SUPa1, etc., in a communication manner, and is also connected to the verification device 30. The control device 10b acquires the detection results transmitted sequentially from each of these devices and outputs the detection results to the verification device 30. For example, the control device 10b has the function of a second acquisition unit that acquires data representing the number of people who get out of a vehicle after the vehicle has been parked in the parking lot P, from a second sensor (such as the sensor of the store entrance equipment group SUb or the sensor of the sensor unit group SUPa1) that detects the number of people who get out of the vehicle.

[0032] The storage device 20 is connected to the control device 10a and the matching device 30 in a communication manner. Each time the storage device 20 obtains a detection result from the control device 10a, it stores the obtained detection result as a log. The storage device 20 is comprised of a storage medium, such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), flash memory, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Read / Write Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), or any combination of these storage media. This storage device 20 can, for example, use non-volatile memory.

[0033] The matching device 30 has the function of a determination unit that compares the detection results (for example, data on the number of people entering) transmitted from the entrance equipment group SUa and stored in the storage device 20 with the detection results (data on the number of people disembarking) obtained from the control device 10b, and determines whether the number of detected people matches. If the matching device 30 does not find a match in the determination results, it sends an alert signal to the notification device 40. In this case, the matching device 30 determines that a mismatch in the determination results occurs when the number of people who disembarked is less than the number of people who entered. In this case, there is a possibility that someone remained inside the vehicle. If a person who disembarked (such as a driver) moves into the store while someone who remained inside the vehicle (for example, a child in the back seat) is still inside, it is conceivable that a certain amount of time will pass before the disembarked person returns to the vehicle, and it can be estimated that a so-called abandoned person has occurred. Especially in the summer, if the parking lot is outdoors, the temperature inside the car is likely to rise, which could lead to heatstroke or other health problems. In this case, if the matching device 30 detects that the number of people does not match, it sends an alert to the notification device 40, which can inform the parking lot manager that an abandoned person may have occurred.

[0034] The notification device 40 is connected to the verification device 30 in a communication manner. The notification device 40 has the function of an output unit that outputs a notification based on various information such as an alert signal received from the matching device 30 when the matching device 30 determines that there is no match in its judgment result. The notification device 40 may also be equipped with a speaker and output a notification sound, an audio message representing the content of the notification, etc., based on various information received from the matching device 30. In addition, the notification device 40 may be equipped with a display device and display a message representing the content of the notification, data that can identify which parking lot P caused the notification to be issued (name of parking lot P, address, etc.), etc., based on various information received from the matching device 30. The notification device 40 is installed in the management center that manages the parking lot P and outputs the notification content to the administrator. The administrator can take necessary actions based on the content of the notification.

[0035] The control device 10a, the control device 10b, and the verification device 30 may be composed of a processing unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a dedicated electronic circuit. Furthermore, the control device 10a, the control device 10b, and the matching device 30 may each be separate devices or may be configured as a single device. Also, the control device 10a, the control device 10b, and the matching device 30 may each be physical servers or cloud servers provided by a cloud computing service.

[0036] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the parking management system S. When vehicle V reaches the entrance PE of parking lot P and stops in front of the gate bar GBa, the entrance equipment group SUa images vehicle V with a camera and observes it with sensors to detect the number of people inside (step S101). For example, each sensor in the entrance equipment group SUa (e.g., sensor SUa12) detects whether or not a person is present in its observation area. This allows for the detection of whether or not a person is present in the right front seat, left front seat, right rear seat, and left rear seat of vehicle V, and by summing the number of detected people, the total number of occupants can be determined. Furthermore, the camera SUa11 of the entrance equipment group SUa detects the area in which the vehicle's license plate is captured from the image data of the vehicle in which the number of people has been detected by the sensor SUa12, etc., and extracts the license plate by performing character recognition on the detected area. In addition, the camera SUa11 of the entrance equipment group SUa extracts the facial image of the person sitting in the driver's seat (for example, the front right seat) from the image data. The entrance equipment group SUa outputs the extracted number, data indicating whether or not a person was detected, and facial image data, along with the current time, to the control device 10a. The control device 10a stores in the storage device 20 the number obtained from the entrance equipment group SUa, the number of people based on whether or not a person was detected, and facial image data, along with the current time.

[0037] Here, Figure 8 shows an example of log data stored in the storage device 20. The log data is data that associates license plate number, number of people, facial image data, entry time, parking space ID, and whether or not the vehicle was left unattended. When vehicle V enters, the control device 10a writes the license plate number, number of people, facial image data, and current time.

[0038] Once the driver of vehicle V receives the parking ticket and the gate bar GBa rises, vehicle V moves to one of the parking spaces in parking area Pa, and once parked, the passengers disembark. Here, each sensor unit group installed within the parking area Pa (for example, sensor unit group SUPa1, sensor unit group SUPa2, etc.) monitors the parking area Pa, capturing images of the surroundings with cameras and performing person detection processing with sensors. When a vehicle V enters the imaging area of ​​the sensor unit group SUPa1 and is parked in a parking space, the camera SUPa111 detects which parking space the vehicle V is parked in and extracts the license plate number from the image data of the parked vehicle V (step S102). Here, the camera SUPa111 may identify the parking space and obtain a parking space ID by matching the feature data contained in the image data of the parking space where the vehicle is parked with the feature data of the image data of the parking space where the vehicle is parked, which is predetermined for each parking space. The feature data of the image predetermined for each parking space may be a number written on the floor of the parking space with paint or the like. This makes it possible to identify the license plate number and parking location of the parked vehicle V.

[0039] Each sensor unit (SUPa11, sensor unit SUPa12, ...) belonging to the sensor unit group SUPa1 detects a person who has alighted from vehicle V. Here, the number of people alighting from a single vehicle V is determined by detecting the person using one or more sensors (step S103). Alternatively, the camera SUPa111 of sensor unit SUPa11 may recognize a person alighting from a parked vehicle based on image data, and the number of people alighting from vehicle V may be determined based on the number of people recognized. The sensor unit group SUPa1 outputs the extracted number, the parking space ID representing the parking location, and data indicating whether or not a person was detected to the control device 10b.

[0040] When the control device 10b obtains a number extracted from the sensor unit group SUPa1, a parking space ID, and data indicating whether or not a person has been detected, it associates this with the number stored in the storage device 20 and writes the parking space ID to store it. Furthermore, the control device 10b outputs matching request data to the matching device 30, which includes the number obtained from the sensor unit group SUPa1 and the number of people (disembarking passenger data) based on whether or not a person was detected.

[0041] When the matching request data is obtained from the control device 10b, the matching device 30 refers to the log data stored in the storage device 20 based on the number included in the matching request data, compares the number of people who disembarked obtained from the sensor unit group SUPa1 with the number included in the log data, and determines whether the numbers are the same based on the matching result (step S104). For example, the matching device 30 determines whether the number of people entering corresponding to the number obtained from the entrance equipment group SUa matches the number of people who disembarked corresponding to the number obtained from the sensor unit group SUPa1.

[0042] The matching device 30 determines that there are no passengers left behind if the data on the number of people entering and the data on the number of people getting off match (step S104-YES).

[0043] On the other hand, if the data on the number of people entering and the data on the number of people exiting do not match (step S104-NO), the matching device 30 waits for the detection result to be transmitted from the store entrance equipment group SUb. Here, the store entrance equipment group SUb monitors the vicinity of the store entrance TE. Among the store entrance equipment group SUb, camera SUb11 captures images of people passing through the store entrance TE, extracts facial images of the people from the image data, and detects the number of people who passed through (step S105). In this case, if multiple people pass through the store entrance TE, camera SUb11 extracts facial images of each person. Furthermore, among the store entrance equipment group SUb, sensor SUb12 detects whether or not there is a person passing through the store entrance TE. Here, if there are multiple people passing through the store entrance TE, each person is detected by each sensor (SUb12, etc.) in the store entrance equipment group SUb. For example, each sensor in the store entrance equipment group SUb is set to detect different areas in the vicinity of the store entrance TE, specifically the area through which the person passes through the entrance door, and which are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the direction in the horizontal plane from which the person passes. As a person passes through, the number of people who have moved from the parking area Pa into the store can be detected within a certain time period based on the detection results of each sensor.

[0044] The store entrance equipment group SUb outputs detected facial image data and disembarking number data based on the detected number of people to the matching device 30. Here, if facial image data of multiple people is obtained from the store entrance equipment group SUb, each facial image data is output to the matching device 30. The facial image data output from the store entrance equipment group SUb can be used as second identification data, which is the facial image of the person entering the store.

[0045] The matching device 30 acquires face image data output from the store entrance equipment group SUb and disembarking number data based on the detected number of people. It then identifies the face image data corresponding to the face image data acquired from the store entrance equipment group SUb from the face image data included in the log data stored in the storage device 20, and reads out the number of people (entry number data) corresponding to the identified face image data. The matching device 30 then determines whether the disembarking number data acquired from the store entrance equipment group SUb and the entry number data read out from the storage device 20 are the same (step S106). The disembarking number data used for matching here may be the number of people detected by the camera of the store entrance equipment group SUb, or the number of people detected by the sensor of the store entrance equipment group SUb. In this case, depending on the environment surrounding the store entrance equipment group SUb, it may be difficult to detect people from the image at night because the surroundings are dark, or it may be difficult to detect people from the image due to increased noise components in weather conditions such as rain or fog. Each sensor in the SUb system for store entrances and exits is a radar sensor, which is less affected by ambient light and weather conditions than cameras, allowing for accurate detection of the number of people passing through.

[0046] The matching device 30 determines that there were no passengers left behind if the disembarking passenger data obtained from the store entrance equipment group SUb matches the entry passenger data read from the storage device 20 (step S108), and writes data indicating that there were no passengers left behind to the log data of the storage device 20. After this, the process proceeds to step S101 (step S108).

[0047] On the other hand, if the number of people disembarking obtained from the store entrance equipment group SUb is not the same as the number of people entering read from the storage device 20, the matching device 30 sends an alert signal to the notification device 40 (step S109). Here, the matching device 30 may send at least one of the following to the notification device 40 along with the alert signal: the license plate number of the vehicle used in this matching, facial image data, and parking space ID. The facial image data that is sent may be facial image data obtained by the camera of the entrance equipment group SUa, or facial image data obtained by the camera of the sensor unit group SUPa1 or the store entrance equipment group SUb.

[0048] When the matching device 30 outputs facial image data to the notification device 40 along with an alert, the administrator at the management center can use the facial image to find the driver or other person corresponding to the facial image among those present in the store. Furthermore, by linking with images from management cameras installed in the store, it becomes possible to determine the exact location of the driver or other person within the store. Furthermore, if the matching device 30 outputs the number to the notification device 40 along with an alert, the administrator at the management center can use the in-store broadcast system or other means to call the driver using the number. Furthermore, if the matching device 30 outputs the parking space ID to the notification device 40 along with an alert, the administrator at the management center can go to the parking location indicated by the parking space ID and check whether or not there is a person left behind in the vehicle. This reduces the burden of patrolling, as the administrator only needs to respond when an alert is output from the notification device 40, rather than having to visually check each parked vehicle to see if an abandoned person has been found while continuously patrolling the parking area Pa.

[0049] In the embodiment described above, the case in which the entrance equipment group SUa includes a gate bar Ba was explained, but a configuration without a gate bar is also possible. Figure 9 shows another configuration of the entrance equipment group. The entrance equipment group SUz is installed on the left side in the direction of travel of the vehicle V at the entrance to the parking area Pa. The entrance equipment group SUz includes multiple cameras and sensors similar to those of the entrance equipment group SUa described above. As the vehicle V passes through, the entrance equipment group SUz captures images of the vehicle V and its occupants with each camera, and detects the number of people occupying the vehicle with sensors. In this case, the entrance equipment group SUz may be installed at a position where the vehicle V stops before entering the parking area Pa (for example, just before merging with another lane), or near the location where the payment machine is installed. This allows for imaging by the cameras and detection by the sensors when the vehicle V slows down or stops, improving imaging and detection accuracy.

[0050] In the embodiment described above, we have explained the case where, after determining whether the data of the number of people entering matches the data of the number of people exiting obtained from the sensor unit group (e.g., SUPa1) installed in the parking area Pa (step S104), we determine whether the data of the number of people entering matches the data of the number of people exiting obtained from the store entrance equipment group SUb (step S106). However, it is also possible to skip the process in step S106 and execute the process in step S104, and send an alert if it is determined that they do not match. Alternatively, it is also possible to skip the process in step S104 and execute the process in step S106, and send an alert if it is determined that they do not match. Furthermore, if the process in step S106 is executed without executing the process in step S104, the processes in steps S102 and S103 do not necessarily have to be executed. In this case, it is possible to determine whether a vehicle has been left unattended even if there is no sensor to identify the parking space ID in which the vehicle is parked, or a sensor to detect the number of people who have exited the vehicle.

[0051] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, if a vehicle is parked in a parking space and the passengers disembark, and the camera of the store entrance equipment group SUb does not detect the person who disembarked within a certain period of time (for example, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, etc.), it is possible that the person has gone to another facility instead of entering the store. In such a case, the matching device 30 may output an alert to the notification device 40. This makes it possible to identify individuals who are illegally using the parking lot, such as parking a vehicle in a parking space but using another facility instead of the store.

[0052] Furthermore, based on images obtained from each sensor unit group (SUPa1, SUPa2, etc.) installed within the parking area Pa, vehicle V can also monitor whether vehicles other than those designated as priority parking spaces (parking spaces for disabled persons) are parked there.

[0053] Furthermore, based on images obtained from each sensor unit group (SUPa1, SUPa2, etc.) installed within the parking area Pa, the matching device 30 may identify whether a vehicle parked in a parking space is parked outside the parking space boundaries, whether a regular car is parked in a parking space allocated for a light vehicle, etc., and send an alert to the notification device 40. This would allow administrators to warn drivers of vehicles that are using the parking space inappropriately.

[0054] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, by storing facial image data of each person who was in vehicle V in the storage device 20 for each vehicle V, if a child gets lost inside the store, the license plate number of the vehicle V corresponding to the facial image data of the lost child can be read from the storage device 20, and the guardian can be called by the read license plate number.

[0055] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, we explained a case where the possibility of an abandoned vehicle occurring is detected by determining whether the data on the number of people entering and the data on the number of people exiting match. However, a sensor may also be installed at the exit EX of the parking lot P to detect the number of people inside the vehicle when exiting the parking lot P, and the number of people at the time of exit may be compared with the number of people entering. In this case, the matching device 30 may output an alert signal to the notification device 40 if the number of people at the time of exit is greater than the number of people at the time of entry. This allows the administrator to be notified that there is a possibility of a child being abducted. Furthermore, if the vital data detected upon entry does not include any data suggesting the person is a child, but the vital data obtained when detecting the number of people upon exit includes data suggesting the person is a child, and the number of people has increased, it can be inferred that the abduction target is a child.

[0056] Alternatively, images obtained from each sensor unit group (SUPa1, SUPa2, etc.) installed within the parking area Pa may be used to identify available parking spaces and utilize this data to represent their availability.

[0057] Furthermore, while the embodiments described above focused on the detection of a person, the sensor can also detect other living organisms, such as dogs and cats, as long as they are capable of detecting respiration and heart rate based on body surface movement. This makes it possible to detect whether or not a pet, such as a dog or cat, has been left behind in a vehicle.

[0058] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, when the sensors of the entrance equipment group SUa observe a person inside a vehicle at the entrance of the parking lot P, the respiratory rate and heart rate of the person can be measured. Based on this respiratory rate and heart rate, it may be possible to determine whether the person is a child, thereby identifying whether or not a child is in the vehicle. For example, it is generally known that children have higher respiratory rates and heart rates than adults. Therefore, a reference value that can be used to determine whether or not the respiratory rate and heart rate of a child is appropriate can be used to determine whether or not the respiratory rate and pulse rate shown in the vital data detected from the vehicle are appropriate for a child. If it is appropriate, the system may record in the log data that the vehicle has a child inside. After the vehicle with the child inside is parked in the parking lot and the passenger disembarks, the control device 10a may extract the vehicle with the child inside from the log data, read the parking space ID included in the extracted log data, and output it to the notification device 40. This allows the administrator at the management center to check whether or not a child has been left behind by patrolling the parking area Pa targeting vehicles that have a record of having a child inside. This reduces the burden of patrols, as managers only need to check vehicles that may have had children in them, rather than checking every single parked vehicle.

[0059] Furthermore, if the control device 10a notifies the notification device 40 of a vehicle that may have had a child inside, it may also notify a robot patrolling the parking lot of the ID of the target parking space and dispatch the robot. This allows the robot to move to the location where the target vehicle is parked, and a radar sensor mounted on the robot may be used to detect whether or not there is a person inside the vehicle. Furthermore, whether or not there is a possibility of a child being in the vehicle may be determined based on the respiratory rate and heart rate obtained from sensors, or the entrance equipment group SUa may determine whether or not an image representing a child seat has been extracted based on image data of the vehicle interior captured by the camera, and if an image corresponding to a child seat is extracted, it may be determined that there is a possibility of a child being in the vehicle. In this case, it is likely that children are the most likely to be left unattended in a vehicle. Therefore, by logging whether or not a child may have been inside a vehicle using parking lot P, it becomes possible to narrow down the vehicles to be monitored for unattended children.

[0060] The control device 10a, control device 10b, and verification device 30 in the above-described embodiment may be implemented using a computer. In that case, the program for implementing this function may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on this recording medium may be loaded into a computer system and executed. Here, "computer system" includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into a computer system. Moreover, "computer-readable recording medium" may also include those that dynamically hold programs for a short period of time, such as communication lines used when transmitting programs via networks such as the Internet or communication lines such as telephone lines, and those that hold programs for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory inside a computer system that acts as a server or client in such a case. Furthermore, the above-mentioned program may be for implementing a part of the above-mentioned function, or it may be a program that can implement the above-mentioned function in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system, or it may be implemented using a programmable logic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0061] Although embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments and includes designs and the like that do not depart from the spirit of this invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1 Management System 10a Control device 10b Control device 20 Storage device 30 Verification device 40 Notification device Ba Gate Bar Ca1, Ca2, Ca3 cameras EX exit GB, GBa, GBb Gate Bar Ha1, Ha2, Hb1, Hb2 poles J1,J2,J3 People Parking Parking Area Pa1 Parking Area 1 Pb2 Second Parking Area PE inlet PM payment machine S Parking Management System SE, SEa1, SEa2, SEa3, SEa4 sensors SUa,SUz entrance equipment group SUa11, SUb11, SUPa111 Camera SUa12, SUb12, SUPa112 sensors SUb Store Entrance Equipment Group SUb1, SUPa11, SUPa12, SUPa11, SUPa21, SUPb11, SUPb21 Sensor Unit SUPa1, SUPa2 Sensor Unit Group TE Store Entrance / Exit TM Ticket Vending Machine V Vehicle

Claims

1. A first acquisition unit obtains data representing the number of people entering a vehicle from a first sensor that detects the number of people in a vehicle passing through the entrance to a parking lot, A second acquisition unit acquires data representing the number of people who disembark from a vehicle after the vehicle has been parked in the parking lot, from a second sensor that detects the number of people who disembark from the vehicle. A determination unit that determines whether the data on the number of people entering and the data on the number of people disembarking match, An output unit that outputs an alert if the aforementioned judgment result does not match. A parking management system that includes [a specific feature / feature].

2. A first identification data extraction unit extracts first identification data from image data of a vehicle in which the number of people is detected by the first sensor, which is capable of identifying the group riding in the vehicle. A second identification data extraction unit extracts second identification data that can identify a group of people riding in a vehicle from image data of a vehicle parked in the parking lot or image data of a person getting out of a vehicle parked in the parking lot and moving into the store, It has, The determination unit, The system determines whether the data of the number of people entering, which corresponds to the first identification data extracted by the first identification data extraction unit, matches the data of the number of people disembarking, which corresponds to the second identification data extracted by the second identification data extraction unit. The parking management system according to claim 1.

3. The first identification data extraction unit is: From the image representing the vehicle included in the image data, feature data representing features that can identify the vehicle is extracted as the first identification data. The second recovery is, This is a camera that takes images of vehicles located within the aforementioned parking lot. The second identification data extraction unit is: The characteristic data of the vehicle is extracted from the image data obtained by the second sensor as the second identification data. The determination unit, The system determines whether the data of the number of people entering the vehicle, which corresponds to the first identification data of the vehicle extracted by the first identification data extraction unit, matches the data of the number of people disembarking the vehicle, which corresponds to the second identification data of the vehicle extracted by the second identification data extraction unit. The parking management system according to claim 2.

4. The output unit is, The alert is output along with the characteristic data of the aforementioned vehicle. The parking management system according to claim 3.

5. The first identification data extraction unit is: The characteristic data of the vehicle is extracted as first identification data from the image representing the vehicle included in the image data, and a passenger face image representing the face of any person riding in the vehicle is obtained from the image data. The second recovery is, This camera captures images of the route that can be taken from the parking lot into the store. The second identification data extraction unit is: From the image data obtained by the second sensor, a customer face image representing the face of a person moving along the said path is extracted as the second identification data. The determination unit, The data of the number of people disembarking corresponds to the second identification data, which is the facial image of the person entering the store, The passenger face image corresponding to the aforementioned customer face image is identified, and the data of the number of people entering the store obtained when the identified passenger face image was acquired is used. Determine whether they match or not. The parking management system according to claim 2.

6. The output unit is, The alert is output along with the facial image of the person entering the store or the passenger. The parking management system according to claim 5.

7. The first recall was, It is a radar sensor capable of detecting the presence of a person. A parking management system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The second recovery is, Includes a radar sensor capable of detecting the presence of a person. The parking management system according to claim 7.

9. A parking management method performed by computer, From the first sensor, which detects the number of people in vehicles passing through the parking lot entrance, data representing the number of people entering the vehicle is obtained. After the vehicle is parked in the parking lot, a second sensor that detects the number of people who get out of the vehicle obtains data representing the number of people who get out of the vehicle, Determine whether the data on the number of people entering and the data on the number of people disembarking match. An output unit that outputs an alert if the aforementioned judgment result does not match. Parking lot management methods, including the following.

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