Safety confirmation system, mechanical parking device, safety confirmation method, and safety confirmation program

Abstract

To reassure a safety without giving excessive burden for unmanned confirmation for the user.SOLUTION: The mechanical parking device comprises a storage unit 81 for recording the detection information of each sensor, a first input controller 82 for activating an unmanned confirmation input device corresponding to an entrance hall at which a pallet to transport a vehicle to any entrance hall arrives when the pallet arrives and the entrance and exit door is opened fully for entry or exit, a disabling unit 83 for disabling a predetermined sensor for monitoring inside the entrance hall at which the pallet arrives when the entrance and exit door is opened fully, an activating unit 84 for activating the sensor when any one unmanned confirmation input device is disabled, a second input controller 85 for activating the unmanned confirmation input device corresponding to the sensor which detects an object when the sensor which detects the object is present in the activated sensors and an operation permission unit 86 for permitting a closing operation of the entrance and exit door in the state where all activated unmanned confirmation input devices are disabled.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mechanical parking device, and more particularly to a safety confirmation system, a safety confirmation method, and a safety confirmation program applied to a mechanical parking device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in a conventional mechanical parking device equipped with multiple pallets, when a user performs a call operation for a desired pallet from an operation panel, the pallet for which the call operation was performed is moved to a position where the vehicle can enter and leave the parking lot, and when the pallet is moved to a position where the vehicle can enter and leave the parking lot, the entrance door at that position is opened so that the vehicle can enter and leave the parking lot. In such a mechanical parking device, when the entrance door in the open state is closed, unmanned confirmation is performed to ensure the safety of the boarding and disembarking room.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that, after a vehicle has been loaded onto a pallet with an open gate, a first operating mode is set in which the display units of two input operation units provided corresponding to the open entrance / exit doors are turned on to prompt the user to perform unmanned inspection of the area.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 discloses that as a second operating mode, if an object is detected by a sensor installed in the multi-story parking device during the period from when the unoccupied state is determined to when the opening / closing gate is closed, the display unit of the input operation unit associated with the sensor is turned on to prompt the user to check again for unoccupied state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-102343 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the multi-story parking device disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, when a user such as a driver enters or leaves the vehicle, there is a possibility that the user may be detected by the side sensors arranged on both sides of the pallet. In such a case, as the second operation mode, the display unit of the input operation unit associated with the side sensor that detected the object (user such as a driver) is set to a display state. In this way, in the multi-story parking device disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the driver is working in the boarding / de-boarding compartment to enter or exit the parking lot, if an object such as the driver is detected by the side sensor, the second operation mode is activated, and both sides of the opening / closing gate in the open position and the input operation units adjacent to them are displayed. This requires the user to perform input operations for unmanned confirmation from the input operation units that are displayed in the first operation mode and the second operation mode, respectively, which may result in excessive unmanned confirmation being imposed on the user.

[0007] In order to avoid excessive unmanned checks on the user, it is possible to display the input operation unit corresponding to the sensor that detected the object in the second operation mode only when the sensor detects an object after the first operation mode ends. However, in this case, for example, if a person enters the multi-story parking device in the first operation mode and then moves to a position where he or she is not detected by any sensor and remains there, the person may not be detected, and safety may not be sufficiently ensured.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a safety confirmation system, a mechanical parking device, a safety confirmation method, and a safety confirmation program that can ensure safety without placing an excessive burden on users of unmanned confirmation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A first aspect of the present invention is a safety confirmation system applied to a mechanical parking device, comprising: a plurality of boarding / de-boarding compartments in which at least one of entry and exit of a vehicle is performed; a plurality of sensors for detecting an object in the boarding / de-boarding compartments; a plurality of input units associated with each of the sensors and arranged outside the boarding / de-boarding compartments at positions where a person can visually confirm the presence or absence of an object in a monitoring area of ​​each of the sensors; and an entrance / exit door provided at the entrance / exit of the boarding / de-boarding compartments, The system includes a preparation mode and a confirmation mode that are executed when the entrance door is fully open. In the preparation mode, the input units corresponding to the boarding / deboarding compartment where entry / exit is performed are enabled, and the sensors monitoring the interior of the boarding / deboarding compartment are disabled. Thereafter, when an input operation is performed on any one of the enabled input units, the sensor corresponding to the enabled input unit is enabled. When an object is not detected by the enabled sensor, the input unit is disabled and the system transitions to a confirmation mode. In the confirmation mode, the sensors disabled in the preparation mode are enabled, and it is determined whether or not any of the sensors has detected an object. When any of the sensors has detected an object, the system returns to the preparation mode, and at least one of the input units including the input unit corresponding to the sensor that has detected the object is enabled, and the sensors monitoring the interior of the boarding / deboarding compartment where entry / exit is performed are disabled. It is a safety confirmation system. A second aspect of the present invention is a mechanical parking device comprising a plurality of boarding and alighting compartments where vehicles enter and / or exit the parking lot, a plurality of sensors for detecting objects within the boarding and alighting compartments, a plurality of input units associated with each of the sensors and positioned outside the boarding and alighting compartments in positions where a person can visually check the presence or absence of an object within the area monitored by each of the sensors, entrance and exit doors provided at the entrances and exits of the boarding and alighting compartments, and the above-mentioned safety confirmation system. A third aspect of the present invention is a safety confirmation method that is applied to a mechanical parking device including a plurality of boarding / de-boarding compartments where at least one of entry and exit of a vehicle is performed, a plurality of sensors that detect objects in the boarding / de-boarding compartments, a plurality of input units that are associated with each of the sensors and that are arranged outside the boarding / de-boarding compartments at positions where the presence or absence of an object in a monitoring area by each of the sensors can be visually confirmed by a person, and an entrance / exit door provided at an entrance / exit of the boarding / de-boarding compartments and is executed by a computer, the method comprising a preparation mode and a confirmation mode that are executed with the entrance / exit door fully open, and in the preparation mode, enabling the plurality of input units corresponding to the boarding / de-boarding compartments where a transport means for transporting the vehicle has arrived, and This is a safety confirmation method in which a plurality of sensors that monitor the interior of the room are disabled, and then, when an input operation is performed on any one of the enabled input units, the sensor corresponding to that input unit is enabled, and if an object is not detected by the sensor, the method transitions to a confirmation mode, in which the sensors that were disabled in the preparation mode are enabled and it is determined whether any of the sensors have detected an object, and if any of the sensors have detected an object, the method returns to the preparation mode, enables at least one of the input units including the input unit corresponding to the sensor that detected the object, and disables the plurality of sensors that monitor the interior of the boarding and disembarking room where the transport means arrives. A fourth aspect of the present invention is a safety confirmation program for causing a computer to function as the above-mentioned safety confirmation system.

[0010] One embodiment of the present invention as a reference example is a safety confirmation system applied to a mechanical parking device including a plurality of boarding / de-boarding compartments where at least one of the entry and exit of a vehicle is performed, a plurality of sensors for detecting an object in the boarding / de-boarding compartments, a plurality of input units associated with each of the sensors and arranged outside the boarding / de-boarding compartments at positions where a person can visually confirm the presence or absence of an object in a monitoring area by each of the sensors, and an entrance / exit door provided at an entrance / exit of the boarding / de-boarding compartments, the safety confirmation system including a storage unit for recording detection information of each of the sensors, and a first input control for enabling the input unit corresponding to the boarding / de-boarding compartment where the transport means has arrived when a transport means for transporting a vehicle arrives at any of the boarding / de-boarding compartments and the entrance / exit door is fully opened for entry or exit. a detection unit that detects an object based on detection information from the enabled sensor, and, if a sensor that has detected an object is found, enables the input unit associated with the sensor that has detected the object; and an operation permission unit that permits the closing operation of the entrance door when all of the enabled input units are disabled. According to the above safety confirmation system, when the entrance door is fully opened, a disabling unit is provided that disables a predetermined sensor that monitors the interior of the boarding / deboarding compartment where the transport means arrives. Therefore, even if a user enters the boarding / deboarding compartment to enter or leave the compartment and is detected by a sensor installed in the boarding / deboarding compartment, the detection information is not taken into consideration by the second input control unit. In addition, when any one of the input units enabled by the first input control unit is disabled, it can be assumed that the user is outside the boarding / deboarding compartment. Therefore, by enabling the disabled sensor by the enabling unit, the entire interior of the boarding / deboarding compartment can be monitored by the sensor. In this way, according to the safety confirmation system of this aspect, it is possible to ensure safety without placing an excessive burden of unmanned confirmation on the user.

[0011] In the above safety confirmation system, when at least one of the input units is enabled by the second input control unit, the disabling unit disables a specific sensor monitoring the interior of the boarding / disembarking compartment where the transport means arrives, and the enabling unit may enable the disabled sensor when any one of the input units enabled by the second input control unit is disabled.

[0012] When at least one input unit is enabled by the second input control unit, there is a possibility that a user may enter the boarding / deboarding compartment to check whether there is anyone there. According to the above safety confirmation system, when an input unit is enabled by the second input control unit, a predetermined sensor that monitors the interior of the boarding / deboarding compartment where the transport means has arrived is disabled, so that an excessive burden of checking whether there is anyone there is not placed on the user. Furthermore, when any one of the enabled input units is disabled, the disabled sensor is enabled to resume monitoring by all sensors, so that safety can be ensured.

[0013] In the above safety confirmation system, when a sensor detects an object, the second input control unit may enable the input unit associated with the sensor that detected the object and the input unit enabled by the first input control unit.

[0014] According to the above safety confirmation system, when any of the enabled sensors detects an object, not only the input unit associated with the sensor that detected the object but also the input unit enabled by the first input control unit are enabled, which allows unmanned confirmation to be performed more thoroughly.

[0015] The above safety confirmation system may further include an unmanned confirmation list in which information of enabled input units is accumulated, the first input control unit writes information of the input unit corresponding to the boarding / disembarkation compartment where the transport means arrives on the unmanned confirmation list, and the second input control unit adds information of the input unit associated with the sensor that detected the object to the unmanned confirmation list each time an object is detected by the sensor, and the first input control unit and the second input control unit enable the input units based on the information of the input units written on the unmanned confirmation list, and reset the unmanned confirmation list when all of the enabled input units are disabled.

[0016] According to the above safety confirmation system, when an object is detected by an enabled sensor, the input unit corresponding to that sensor is added to the unmanned confirmation list. This makes it possible to increase the number of input units that input the end of unmanned confirmation every time an object is detected by a sensor, and to expand the area in which unmanned confirmation is performed. This allows more thorough unmanned confirmation to be performed, thereby improving safety.

[0017] In the above safety confirmation system, the input unit may be disabled when an input indicating completion of unattended confirmation is received and an object is not detected by the sensor corresponding to the input unit.

[0018] According to the above safety confirmation system, even if a user inputs an end of unmanned confirmation to an enabled input unit, if an object is detected by the sensor corresponding to that input unit, that input unit will not be disabled. This allows the user to notice an abnormality in the boarding / deboarding compartment and to remove any object (e.g., baggage, person, animal, etc.) detected by the sensor in the boarding / deboarding compartment.

[0019] The above safety confirmation system may further include a notification unit for notifying a user of the detection of an object when an object is detected by the sensor corresponding to the input unit to which input for ending unmanned confirmation has been made.

[0020] According to the above-mentioned safety confirmation system, when a user inputs a command to end unmanned confirmation into an enabled input unit, if an object is detected by the sensor corresponding to that input unit, the user is notified that an object has been detected by the sensor, allowing the user to easily notice any abnormality in the boarding / deboarding compartment and quickly eliminate the cause.

[0021] The present invention As a reference exampleThe aspect is a mechanical parking device comprising a plurality of boarding and alighting compartments where at least one of vehicles enters and exits the parking lot, a plurality of sensors that detect objects within the boarding and alighting compartments, a plurality of input units that are associated with each of the sensors and are positioned outside the boarding and alighting compartments in a position where a person can visually confirm the presence or absence of an object within the monitoring area of ​​each of the sensors, an entrance and exit door provided at the entrance and exit of the boarding and alighting compartments, and a safety confirmation system described in any of the above.

[0022] According to the above mechanical parking device, it is possible to ensure safety without placing an excessive burden on users for unmanned checks.

[0023] In the above-mentioned mechanical parking device, the multiple sensors may include a partition sensor for monitoring a monitoring area located at the boundary between adjacent boarding and alighting compartments, and an entrance / exit sensor for monitoring a monitoring area located near the entrance / exit of the boarding and alighting compartment, and the disabling unit may be configured to disable the partition sensor and the entrance / exit sensor located on both sides of the boarding and alighting compartment where the transport means arrives.

[0024] According to the mechanical parking device, the deactivation unit deactivates the compartment sensors and entrance / exit sensors located on both sides of the boarding / de-boarding compartment where the transport means arrives, so it is possible to limit the sensors to be deactivated to those that are likely to detect the user when entering or leaving the parking lot. This makes it possible to minimize the number of sensors to be deactivated, and to achieve both the efficiency of unmanned checks by humans and the safety of the boarding / de-boarding compartment.

[0025] The mechanical parking device may include an operation panel provided near the entrance / exit of the boarding / disembarking compartment, and at least one of the input units may be provided on the operation panel.

[0026] According to the above mechanical parking device, since the input unit function is provided on the operation panel, there is no need to install an additional input unit near the operation panel. This makes it possible to reduce the number of input units installed and simplify the device configuration.

[0027] In the above-mentioned mechanical parking device, the multiple sensors may include a rear sensor for monitoring a monitoring area located at the rear of the conveying means when viewed from the entrance / exit of the boarding / disembarking compartment, and a mirror for visually confirming from the vicinity of the operation panel that there is no occupant in the monitoring area monitored by the rear sensor, and the second input control unit may be configured to activate the input unit provided on the operation panel when an object is detected by the rear sensor.

[0028] According to the above-mentioned mechanical parking device, it is possible to check the monitoring area using a rear sensor via the mirror without an attendant, thereby eliminating the need to go to the side of the mechanical parking facility or into the boarding and disembarking compartment to check the rear area.

[0029] The present invention As a reference example The aspect is a vertical-type mechanical parking device in which a number of boarding and alighting compartments, where at least one of the vehicles enter and exit, are arranged in unit rows along the width direction of the parked vehicle, and the unit rows are arranged adjacent to each other in the direction in which the vehicle enters, the mechanical parking device comprising a number of sensors for detecting objects in the boarding and alighting compartments, a number of input units associated with each of the sensors and positioned so that a person can visually check the presence or absence of an object in the area monitored by each of the sensors, an entrance / exit door provided at the entrance / exit of the boarding and alighting compartments, and a safety confirmation system described in any of the above.

[0030] According to the above-mentioned parallel-type mechanical parking device, it is possible to ensure safety without placing an excessive burden on users for unmanned checks.

[0031] In the above-mentioned mechanical parking device, the multiple sensors include a partition sensor for monitoring a monitoring area provided at the boundary between the boarding and alighting compartments adjacent in the width direction of the parked vehicle, and an entrance / exit sensor for monitoring a monitoring area provided near the entrance / exit of the boarding and alighting compartment located in the front row in the direction of entry of the parked vehicle, and the disabling unit may, when the boarding and alighting compartment where the transport means arrives is located in the front row, disable the partition sensor and the entrance / exit sensor located on both sides of the boarding and alighting compartment where the transport means arrives, and when the boarding and alighting compartment where the transport means arrives is located other than in the front row, disable the partition sensor located on both sides of the boarding and alighting compartment where the vehicle passes when entering or leaving the boarding and alighting compartment.

[0032] According to the mechanical parking device, when the boarding / deboarding room where the transport means arrives is located in the front row, the invalidation unit invalidates the partition sensors and the entrance / exit sensors located on both sides of the boarding / deboarding room where the transport means arrives, and when the boarding / deboarding room where the transport means arrives is located in a place other than the front row, the invalidation unit invalidates the partition sensors located on both sides of the boarding / deboarding room where the transport means arrives, and the partition sensors and the entrance / exit sensors located on both sides of the boarding / deboarding room that are located in the path of the vehicle when entering or leaving the boarding / deboarding room. This makes it possible to limit the sensors that are invalidated to those that are likely to detect the user when entering or leaving the parking lot. As a result, the number of sensors that are invalidated can be minimized, making it possible to achieve both the efficiency of unmanned confirmation by humans and the safety of the boarding / deboarding room.

[0033] The present invention As a reference exampleThe aspect is a safety confirmation method applied to a mechanical parking device including a plurality of boarding / de-boarding compartments where at least one of the vehicles enters and leaves the parking lot, a plurality of sensors for detecting objects within the boarding / de-boarding compartments, a plurality of input units associated with each of the sensors and arranged outside the boarding / de-boarding compartments at positions where a person can visually confirm the presence or absence of an object within a monitoring area of ​​each of the sensors, and an entrance / exit door provided at an entrance / exit of the boarding / de-boarding compartments, the method including a step of recording detection information of each of the sensors, and when a transport means for transporting a vehicle arrives at any of the boarding / de-boarding compartments and the entrance / exit door is fully opened for entering or leaving the parking lot, enabling the input unit corresponding to the boarding / de-boarding compartment where the transport means has arrived. a step of disabling a specific sensor that monitors the interior of the boarding / exit compartment where the transport means arrives when the entrance / exit door is fully open; a step of enabling the disabled sensor when any one of the enabled input units is disabled; a step of determining whether or not any of the sensors has detected an object based on detection information of the enabled sensors, and when any of the sensors has detected an object, a step of enabling the input unit associated with the sensor that has detected the object; and a step of allowing the entrance / exit door to close with all of the enabled input units disabled.

[0034] The present invention As a reference exampleThe aspect is a safety confirmation program applied to a mechanical parking device including a plurality of boarding / de-boarding compartments where at least one of the vehicles enters and leaves the parking lot, a plurality of sensors for detecting objects within the boarding / de-boarding compartments, a plurality of input units associated with each of the sensors and arranged outside the boarding / de-boarding compartments at positions where a person can visually confirm the presence or absence of an object within a monitoring area of ​​each of the sensors, and an entrance / exit door provided at an entrance / exit of the boarding / de-boarding compartments, the program including a step of recording detection information of each of the sensors, a step of enabling the input unit corresponding to the boarding / de-boarding compartment where the transport means has arrived when a transport means for transporting a vehicle arrives at any of the boarding / de-boarding compartments and the entrance / exit door is fully opened for entering or leaving the parking lot, and This is a safety confirmation program that causes a computer to execute the following steps: when the entrance door is fully open, disabling a specific sensor that monitors the interior of the boarding / exiting compartment where the transport means arrives; when any one of the enabled input units is disabled, enabling the disabled sensor; determining whether any of the sensors has detected an object based on the detection information of the enabled sensors, and when any of the sensors has detected an object, enabling the input unit associated with the sensor that detected the object; and allowing the entrance door to close with all of the enabled input units disabled. Effect of the Invention

[0035] According to the present invention, it is possible to ensure safety without placing an excessive burden on users for unmanned confirmation. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0036] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external view of a mechanical parking device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a transparent internal oblique view of an example of a mechanical parking device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a plan view of a mechanical parking device for explaining an example of an arrangement of an unmanned confirmation input device and various sensors according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an unmanned confirmation input device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a control panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram as an example of a control device for a mechanical parking device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a functional block diagram showing the functions of a control device of a mechanical parking device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] 13 is a diagram showing an example of first information assuming a sensor arrangement and an unmanned parking confirmation input device arrangement of the mechanical parking device shown in FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 9] 13 is a diagram showing an example of second information assuming a sensor arrangement and an unmanned parking confirmation input device arrangement of the mechanical parking device shown in FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 10] 13 is a diagram showing an example of third information assuming a sensor arrangement and an unmanned parking confirmation input device arrangement of the mechanical parking device shown in FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 11] 13 is a diagram showing an example of sensor invalidation information assuming the arrangement of sensors and the arrangement of unmanned parking confirmation input devices of the mechanical parking device shown in FIG. 12. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of sensors and unmanned parking confirmation input devices in a mechanical parking device having eight boarding and disembarking compartments. [Figure 13] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for parking entry processing by the mechanical parking device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of a preparation mode executed in a parking entry process by the mechanical parking device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of an unmanned confirmation mode executed in a parking entry process by the mechanical parking device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] 13 is a diagram showing an example of an unmanned parking confirmation list assuming the sensor arrangement and the unmanned parking confirmation input device arrangement of the mechanical parking device shown in FIG. 12. [Figure 17] 13 is a diagram showing an example of an unmanned parking confirmation list assuming the sensor arrangement and the unmanned parking confirmation input device arrangement of the mechanical parking device shown in FIG. 12. [Figure 18] 13 is a plan view of a mechanical parking device for explaining an example of the arrangement of an unmanned confirmation input device and various sensors according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 19] 19 is a diagram showing an example of first information assuming a sensor arrangement and an unmanned parking confirmation input device arrangement of the mechanical parking device shown in FIG. 18. FIG. [Figure 20] 19 is a diagram showing an example of second information assuming a sensor arrangement and an unmanned parking confirmation input device arrangement of the mechanical parking device shown in FIG. 18. FIG. [Figure 21] 19 is a diagram showing an example of third information assuming the arrangement of sensors and the arrangement of unmanned parking confirmation input devices of the mechanical parking device shown in FIG. 18. FIG. [Figure 22] 19 is a diagram showing an example of sensor invalidation information assuming the arrangement of sensors and the arrangement of unmanned parking confirmation input devices of the mechanical parking device shown in FIG. 18. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0037] [First embodiment] Hereinafter, a safety confirmation system, a mechanical parking device, a safety confirmation method, and a safety confirmation program according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a single-row mechanical parking device 1 in which boarding and disembarking compartments C1 to C3 of the mechanical parking device 1 are arranged in a row in the width direction of the parked vehicle will be described as an example.

[0038] Fig. 1 is an external view of an example of a mechanical parking device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a transparent internal perspective view of an example of a mechanical parking device 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the mechanical parking device 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as "parking device 1") is a single-row, two-stage, lift-and-cross type parking device, and includes two boarding and disembarking compartments C1 and C3 on the ground floor and three hangars on the floor above, with the central hangar landing as the boarding and disembarking compartment C2. In Fig. 1, the symbol W1 indicates the vehicle's approach direction.

[0039] Hereinafter, when it is necessary to distinguish between the boarding and alighting rooms C1, C2, and C3 individually, they will be referred to as boarding and alighting rooms C1, C2, and C3, and when it is not necessary to distinguish between them, they will be simply referred to as boarding and alighting room C. The same applies to other configurations.

[0040] The boarding / disembarking room C may be an area where both entrance and exit are possible, or may be an area where only entrance or exit is possible. The boarding and disembarking room C is an area that can function as a boarding and disembarking area and a parking area. That is, the boarding and disembarking room C functions as a boarding and disembarking area when entering and leaving the facility, and functions as a parking area when the pallet on which the vehicle is placed is stored. More specifically, the boarding and disembarking room C functions as a boarding and disembarking area where a vehicle is placed on a carrier such as an empty pallet when entering the facility, and where a vehicle is removed from the pallet on which the vehicle is placed when leaving the facility. Also, when storing the vehicle, it functions as a parking area (storage) where the pallet on which the vehicle is placed is stored.

[0041] In the boarding / deboarding compartments C1 to C3, the boundary between adjacent boarding / deboarding compartments C1 and C2 and the boundary between adjacent boarding / deboarding compartments C2 and C3 are both open spaces, and are virtually divided by partition sensors Se2 and Se3 (see Figures 2 and 3) described below. However, this is not limited to this example, and the spaces may be divided by partition doors such as fences, for example.

[0042] The parking device 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 shows an example in which a hangar is provided on a floor above the boarding floor where the boarding and disembarking room C is located, but these structures are merely examples, and the hangar may also be provided on a floor below the boarding floor.

[0043] The boarding / deboarding rooms C are arranged in a row in the width direction of the parked vehicle. Entrance doors D1 to D3 are provided at the entrance / exit sides of the boarding / deboarding rooms C1 to C3, respectively, but a single door may be provided for a plurality of boarding / deboarding rooms, for example, the boarding / deboarding rooms C1 to C3. The entrance door D is a door for entering and exiting the boarding / deboarding room C, and is opened and closed when the vehicle enters or leaves the parking lot. The opening and closing of the entrance door D is controlled by a control device 60 (see FIG. 6), which will be described later. The entrance doors D1 to D3 are provided for the purpose of preventing people from entering, and are preferably at a height that people cannot easily climb over when closed, for example, about 1.8 m to 2.0 m, but may be about 1.1 m to 1.8 m. In addition, the periphery of the parking device 1 is shielded by a shield such as a fence or a wall, thereby restricting entry of people into the parking device 1.

[0044] The parking device 1 is equipped with a plurality of sensors Se that detect objects in the boarding / disembarking area C, and a plurality of unmanned confirmation input devices (input units) M that are associated with each sensor Se and are arranged in positions where a person can visually confirm the presence or absence of an object in the monitoring area of ​​each sensor Se. The parking device 1 also has an operation panel 50 that allows a user to perform various input operations for entering and leaving the parking lot and to input the end of unmanned confirmation.

[0045] Fig. 3 is a plan view of a mechanical parking device for explaining an example of the arrangement of the unmanned confirmation input device M and various sensors Se. As shown in Fig. 3, the sensor Se includes, for example, a plurality of section sensors Se1 to Se4, entrance / exit sensors Se10 and Se11, a rear sensor Se12, and a climbing sensor Se15 (see Fig. 2). However, the climbing sensor Se15 can be omitted if the entrance / exit door is too high for a person to easily climb over when closed.

[0046] The section sensor Se1 is a pair of sensors for monitoring a monitoring area A1 at the outer end of the boarding / deboarding room C1 located at one end, Se1a being a light-projecting unit and Se1b being a light-receiving unit. The section sensor Se2 is a pair of sensors for monitoring a monitoring area A2 provided at the boundary between two adjacent boarding / deboarding compartments C1 and C2, where Se2a is a light-projecting unit and Se2b is a light-receiving unit. The section sensor Se3 is a pair of sensors for monitoring a monitoring area A3 located at the boundary between two boarding / deboarding compartments C2 and C3 arranged adjacent to each other in a parallel direction, Se3a being a light-emitting element and Se3b being a light-receiving element. The section sensor Se4 is a pair of sensors for monitoring a monitoring area A4 at the outer end of the boarding / de-boarding room C3 located at the other outer end in the parallel direction, Se4a being a light-projecting unit and Se4b being a light-receiving unit. It is not necessary that all of the above-mentioned section sensors Se1 to Se4 are provided, and the number of sensors can be increased or decreased as appropriate depending on the structure of the parking device, etc. For example, when the monitoring area A1 of the section sensor Se1 is visible from the position of the operation panel 50, the section sensor Se1 can be omitted. Similarly, when the monitoring area A4 of the section sensor Se4 is visible from the position of the operation panel 50, the section sensor Se4 can be omitted.

[0047] The entrance / exit sensors Se10 and Se11 are sensors for detecting the intrusion and exit of an object into and from the boarding / deboarding room C, and the entrance / exit sensor Se10 is a pair of sensors for monitoring a monitored area A10 provided around the entrance / exit inside the boarding / deboarding room C, with Se10a being a light-projecting unit and Se10b being a light-receiving unit. The entrance / exit sensor Se11 is a pair of sensors for monitoring a monitored area A11 provided around the entrance / exit outside the boarding / deboarding room C, with Se11a being a light-projecting unit and Se11b being a light-receiving unit.

[0048] When an object is detected in the order of the entrance / exit sensors Se10 and Se11, an exit from the boarding / deboarding room C is detected, and when an object is detected in the order of the entrance / exit sensors Se11 and Se10, an intrusion of an object into the boarding / deboarding room is detected. It is sufficient to provide either the entrance / exit sensors Se10 or Se11, and it is not necessary to provide both. By providing either the entrance / exit sensors Se10 or Se11, the movement of an object with respect to the boarding / deboarding room C can be detected.

[0049] In this embodiment, the entrance / exit sensors Se10 and Se11 are provided in common to all the boarding / deboarding rooms C, but instead, they may be provided individually at the entrances / exits of the boarding / deboarding rooms C. In this way, by providing the entrance / exit sensors Se10 and Se11 for each boarding / deboarding room C, it is possible to identify the boarding / deboarding room C to which the object has moved.

[0050] The rear sensor Se12 is a pair of sensors for monitoring a monitoring area A12 provided on the rear side of the boarding / deboarding room C as seen from the entrance / exit, Se12a being a light-projecting unit and Se12b being a light-receiving unit. As shown in Fig. 2, the climbing sensor Se15 is a pair of sensors for monitoring the climbing over of the entrance door D, Se15a being a light emitting unit and Se15b being a light receiving unit. In Fig. 2, one climbing sensor Se15 is provided in common to all the entrance doors D1 to D3, but instead, a climbing sensor Se15 may be provided for each entrance door. In this way, it is possible to identify the entrance door D that the object has climbed over.

[0051] In this embodiment, the various sensors Se are configured by a pair of sensors consisting of a light projecting unit and a light receiving unit, and a sensor that detects an object when the light emitted from the light projecting unit is not received by the light receiving unit is adopted, but the type of the sensor Se is not limited to this, and it is sufficient that the sensor is configured to be able to detect objects in each of the above-mentioned monitoring sections. For example, the sensor Se may be a human presence sensor, or may be configured to detect objects by image analysis. In addition, the above-mentioned example of the arrangement of the monitoring sections is also an example, and the monitoring sections may be increased or decreased as necessary.

[0052] The unmanned confirmation input device M is disposed at a position where a person can visually confirm the presence or absence of an object in each monitoring area. In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the unmanned confirmation input device M is disposed on each of four support pillars provided at both ends of the entrance door D. In other words, the multiple unmanned confirmation input devices M1 to M4 are disposed near the entrances and exits at the outer ends of the boarding and alighting rooms C1 and C3 located at the boundary and end of the adjacent boarding and alighting rooms C1 and C2 and C2 and C3. Note that the arrangement of the unmanned confirmation input device M shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is an example, and is not limited to this example. For example, the unmanned confirmation input device M may be disposed inside the boarding and alighting room C. Also, the unmanned confirmation input device M may be disposed both inside and outside the boarding and alighting room C. Also, the number of unmanned confirmation input devices M installed is also an example, and may be increased or decreased as appropriate.

[0053] Fig. 4 shows an example of the configuration of the unmanned confirmation input device M. As shown in Fig. 4, the unmanned confirmation input device M is equipped with an indication lamp 31 and a push button 32. For example, when the unmanned confirmation input device M is enabled, the indication lamp 31 flashes. When a user who has performed unmanned confirmation presses the push button 32, the end of unmanned confirmation is input, and if a predetermined disablement condition is met, the unmanned confirmation input device M is disabled and the indication lamp 31 goes out.

[0054] The input of the completion of unattended verification by the user is not limited to the push button 32, and may be constituted by a barcode reader, an IC card (tag) reader, a numeric keypad, or the like. When a barcode reader or an IC card (tag) reader is used, the completion of unattended verification is input by holding a dedicated card key held by the user in advance over the card reader, or in the case of a numeric keypad, by inputting a predetermined PIN number, or the like. In this way, by using a card reader, or the like, the person who performed the unattended verification can be identified, further enhancing safety.

[0055] The enabling and disabling of the unmanned confirmation input device M is controlled by the control device 60, which will be described later. The enabling of the unmanned confirmation input device M refers to a state in which an input operation indicating the completion of unmanned confirmation has not been performed on the unmanned confirmation input device M, and the disabling of the unmanned confirmation input device M refers to a state in which an input operation indicating the completion of unmanned confirmation has been performed on the unmanned confirmation input device M and a predetermined disabling condition is satisfied. In this embodiment, the indication lamp 31 of the unmanned confirmation input device M flashes to notify the user that the unmanned confirmation input device M has been enabled, and the indication lamp 31 of the unmanned confirmation input device M goes out to notify the user that the unmanned confirmation input device M has been disabled.

[0056] The activation of the unmanned confirmation input device M is not limited to the above-mentioned indication lamp 31, and for example, the user may be notified of the unmanned confirmation input device M that requires unmanned confirmation input by voice. Also, the above-mentioned display mode of the indication lamp 31 (flashing when activated, and turning off when deactivated) is one example, and it is sufficient to make the display mode different between activation and deactivation.

[0057] In addition, an operation panel 50 is provided near one of the entrance doors D. In this embodiment, the operation panel 50 is provided on a support pillar located at the outer end of the boarding / disembarking room C3. In this embodiment, the function of the unmanned confirmation input device M4 provided on the same support pillar is provided on the operation panel 50. This makes it possible to simplify the device configuration. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which only the function of the unmanned confirmation input device M4 is provided on the operation panel 50. However, for example, when unmanned confirmation by visual inspection in other monitoring areas is possible from the position of the operation panel 50, the function of the unmanned confirmation input device M corresponding to the monitoring area visible from the position of the operation panel 50 may be provided on the operation panel 50. In this way, it is possible to reduce the number of unmanned confirmation input devices M installed.

[0058] Fig. 5 shows an example of the configuration of the operation panel 50. As shown in Fig. 5, the operation panel 50 is equipped with a power key 51, an emergency stop button 52, and a touch panel 53. By operating the operation panel 50, a user can give instructions to call an empty pallet when entering the warehouse, or to call an outgoing vehicle when leaving the warehouse. The touch panel 53 of the operation panel 50 displays a numeric keypad for inputting a pallet number to call up the desired pallet, a pallet start button for calling up the pallet, a final unmanned confirmation button (input section) for inputting the completion of unmanned confirmation, a door open button for opening the door, and a door close button for closing the door.

[0059] A mirror 40 is installed in each of the boarding / deboarding compartments C1 to C3 so that a user can visually check the monitoring area A12 of the rear sensor Se12 from a position near the operation panel 50 or any of the unmanned confirmation input devices M. In this embodiment, a case where a user can visually check the monitoring area A12 through the mirror 40 from a position near the operation panel 50 is illustrated.

[0060] Next, the control device 60 of the mechanical parking device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7. FIG. 6 is a hardware configuration diagram as an example of the control device 60 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the control device 60 mainly includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 62, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 64, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 66, a HDD 68, a sensor communication unit 72, an operation panel communication unit 74, an input device communication unit 76, and the like. The sensor communication unit 72 is connected to various sensors by wire or wirelessly and transmits and receives information to and from the various sensors, and receives detection information from various sensors Se such as the section sensors Se1 to Se4, the entrance and exit sensors Se10 and Se11, the rear sensor Se12, and the crossing sensor Se15. The operation panel communication unit 74 is a communication unit connected to the operation panel 50 by wire or wirelessly and transmits and receives information to and from the operation panel 50. The input device communication unit 76 is a communication unit that is connected to the unmanned confirmation input device M by wire or wirelessly and transmits and receives information to and from the unmanned confirmation input device M. In addition, each of these units is configured to be able to transmit and receive information to and from each other via a bus 78.

[0061] A series of processing steps for realizing various functions described later are recorded in the ROM 64 in the form of a program (for example, a safety confirmation program), and the CPU 62 reads this program into the RAM 66 and executes information processing and arithmetic processing to realize various functions described later. The program may be installed in a ROM or other storage medium in advance, may be provided in a state stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or may be distributed via wired or wireless communication means. Examples of computer-readable storage media include magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, and semiconductor memories.

[0062] Next, of the functions of the control device 60 of the mechanical parking device according to this embodiment, the safety confirmation function (safety confirmation system) will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a functional block diagram mainly showing the functions related to safety confirmation among the various functions of the control device 60.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 60 mainly comprises a motor control unit 80, a memory unit 81, a first input control unit 82, an invalidation unit 83, an activation unit 84, a second input control unit 85, and an operation permission unit 86.

[0064] The motor control unit 80 controls various motors (not shown) to drive the pallets P1 to P5 and the entrance doors D1 to D3.

[0065] The storage unit 81 stores sensor detection information T1 from the section sensors Se1 to Se4, the entrance / exit sensors Se10 and Se11, the rear sensor Se12, and the crossing sensor Se15. For example, in the sensor detection information T1 in the storage unit 81, whether or not the sensor has detected an object is registered in association with the identification information of each sensor Se. For example, if an object is detected, "1" is registered, and if an object is not detected, "0" is registered. In addition, instead of these pieces of information, the time when the object was detected may be registered. In other words, the sensor detection information may be stored with information that can identify the sensor that detected the object. Furthermore, the storage unit 81 stores first information T2, second information T3, third information T4, an unmanned confirmation list T5, and the like, which are used by the first input control unit 82 and the second input control unit 85.

[0066] The first information T2 is information that is mainly used by the first input control unit 82 and the second input control unit 85, and is information that associates the identification information of each sensor Se with the identification information of the unmanned confirmation input device M to be activated. An example of the first information T2 is shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 8 illustrates the first information T2 created assuming that the mechanical parking device 1 has eight boarding and alighting compartments C1 to C8 arranged in a row in the width direction of the parked vehicle, as shown in Fig. 12. In this example, the operation panel 50 is arranged approximately in the center in the width direction of the eight boarding and alighting compartments, and this operation panel is equipped with the function of an unmanned confirmation input device M5.

[0067] In the first information T2 shown in FIG. 8, unmanned confirmation input devices M1 and M2 are registered in correspondence with section sensor Se1, unmanned confirmation input devices M1, M2 and M3 are registered in correspondence with section sensor Se2, unmanned confirmation input devices M2, M3 and M4 are registered in correspondence with section sensor Se3, unmanned confirmation input devices M3, M4 and M5 are registered in correspondence with section sensor Se4, unmanned confirmation input devices M4, M5 and M6 are registered in correspondence with section sensor Se5, unmanned confirmation input devices M5, M6 and M7 are registered in correspondence with section sensor Se6, unmanned confirmation input devices M6, M7 and M8 are registered in correspondence with section sensor Se7, unmanned confirmation input devices M7, M8 and M9 are registered in correspondence with section sensor Se8, and unmanned confirmation input devices M8 and M9 are registered in correspondence with section sensor Se9.

[0068] In this way, for each of the section sensors Se1 to Se9, Each unmanned confirmation input device M provided at a position corresponding to the area monitored by the section sensor Se3 and the unmanned confirmation input devices M on both sides of the unmanned confirmation input device M are associated with each other. That is, in the case of the section sensor Se3, the unmanned confirmation input device M3 provided at a position corresponding to the monitored area of ​​the section sensor Se3 is associated with the unmanned confirmation input devices M2 and M4 provided on both sides of the unmanned confirmation input device M3. Note that, for the section sensors Se1 and Se9 located at both ends, since there is only one adjacent unmanned confirmation input device M, two unmanned confirmation input devices M1, M2 and M8, M9 are associated with each of them.

[0069] In addition, an unmanned vehicle confirmation input device M5 arranged at the position where the operation panel 50 is provided is registered in association with the rear sensor Se12. This is because the mirror 40 is provided so that the monitoring area A12 of the rear sensor Se12 can be visually confirmed through the mirror 40 from the vicinity of the arrangement position of the operation panel 50. Depending on how the mirror 40 is installed, other unmanned vehicle confirmation input devices M may be associated with the rear sensor Se12.

[0070] Moreover, for example, all of the unmanned person confirmation input devices M1 to M9 are associated with the entrance / exit sensors Se10, Se11 and the crossing sensor Se15. In addition, when entrance / exit sensors Se10, Se11 and crossing sensor Se15 are provided for each entrance / exit door D, unmanned confirmation input devices M arranged at both ends of the entrance / exit door D corresponding to each entrance / exit sensor Se10, Se11 and each crossing sensor Se15 may be associated and registered.

[0071] The second information T3 is information that is mainly used by the first input control unit 82, and is information in which the identification information of each boarding / deboarding cabin C is associated with the identification information of the unmanned confirmation input device M to be activated. An example of the second information T3 is shown in Fig. 9. The second information T3 shown in Fig. 9 was created assuming the mechanical parking device shown in Fig. 12, similar to the above-mentioned first information T2. ​​As shown in Fig. 9, the second information T3 is registered in such a manner that the unmanned confirmation input devices M1, M2, and M5 correspond to the boarding / alighting room C1, the unmanned confirmation input devices M2, M3, and M5 correspond to the boarding / alighting room C2, the unmanned confirmation input devices M3, M4, and M5 correspond to the boarding / alighting room C3, the unmanned confirmation input devices M4 and M5 correspond to the boarding / alighting room C4, the unmanned confirmation input devices M5 and M6 correspond to the boarding / alighting room C5, the unmanned confirmation input devices M5, M6, and M7 correspond to the boarding / alighting room C6, the unmanned confirmation input devices M5, M7, and M8 correspond to the boarding / alighting room C7, and the unmanned confirmation input devices M5, M8, and M9 correspond to the boarding / alighting room C8. In this way, with regard to the second information T3, two unmanned confirmation input devices M provided at positions corresponding to both sides of each boarding / deboarding room C and an unmanned confirmation input device M5 provided on the operation panel 50 are registered.

[0072] The third information T4 is information used by the first input control unit 82 or the second input control unit 85 when a user inputs an end of unmanned confirmation to an enabled unmanned confirmation input device M. Specifically, the third information T4 is information in which each unmanned confirmation input device M is associated with the identification information of the various sensors Se.

[0073] An example of the third information T4 is shown in Fig. 10. The third information T4 shown in Fig. 10 was created assuming the mechanical parking device shown in Fig. 12, similar to the above-mentioned first information T2. As shown in FIG. 10, in the third information T4, entrance / exit sensors Se10, Se11 and crossing sensor Se15 are associated with all of the unmanned confirmation input devices M1 to M9, and further, section sensor Se1 is registered in association with unmanned confirmation input device M1, section sensor Se2 is registered in association with unmanned confirmation input device M2, section sensor Se3 is registered in association with unmanned confirmation input device M3, section sensor Se4 is registered in association with unmanned confirmation input device M4, section sensor Se5 and rear sensor Se12 are registered in association with unmanned confirmation input device M5, section sensor Se6 is registered in association with unmanned confirmation input device M6, section sensor Se7 is registered in association with unmanned confirmation input device M7, section sensor Se8 is registered in association with unmanned confirmation input device M8 and section sensor Se9 is registered in association with unmanned confirmation input device M9.

[0074] Note that the correspondence between the unmanned confirmation input device M and various sensors Se in the third information shown in Figure 10 is just an example, and can be changed as appropriate, taking into account the sensors Se installed in an area visible from the unmanned confirmation input device M.

[0075] The unmanned confirmation list T5 is information that is mainly managed by the first input control unit 82 and the second input control unit 85, and describes identification information of the unmanned confirmation input device M to be activated. Details will be described later.

[0076] When a pallet P called for entering or leaving the warehouse arrives at any one of the boarding / departure rooms C and the entrance door D of the boarding / departure room C is fully opened, the first input control unit 82 identifies the unmanned confirmation input device M associated with the boarding / departure room C where the pallet P has arrived from the second information T3, writes information on the identified unmanned confirmation input device M in the unmanned confirmation list T5 in the storage unit 81, and activates the unmanned confirmation input device M based on the unmanned confirmation list T5. For example, in FIG. 12, when a pallet arrives at boarding / departure room C4, the unmanned confirmation input devices M4 and M5 associated with the boarding / departure room C4 are identified from the second information T3, are written in the unmanned confirmation list T5, and the unmanned confirmation input devices M4 and M5 are activated based on the unmanned confirmation list T5.

[0077] In addition, when a user inputs an end of unmanned confirmation to an activated unmanned confirmation input device M, the first input control unit 82 identifies the sensor Se associated with the unmanned confirmation input device M based on the third information T4, and if no object is detected by the identified sensor Se, disables the unmanned confirmation input device M to which the end of unmanned confirmation was input.

[0078] For example, in Fig. 12, when an unmanned vehicle confirmation end command is input to the unmanned vehicle confirmation input device M2, the first input control unit 82 identifies the sensor Se corresponding to the unmanned vehicle confirmation input device M2 based on the third information T4. As a result, the section sensor Se2, the entrance / exit sensors Se10 and Se11, and the crossing sensor Se15 are identified. Next, the first input control unit 82 determines whether or not an object is currently being detected by these identified sensors Se, and if an object is not being detected, disables the unmanned vehicle confirmation input device M2. As a result, the indicator lamp 31 of the unmanned vehicle confirmation input device M2 is turned off, and the user is notified that the unmanned vehicle confirmation input device M has been disabled.

[0079] When the entrance door D is fully open, the invalidation unit 83 invalidates a predetermined sensor monitoring the boarding / deboarding compartment where the pallet P has arrived. For example, the invalidation unit 83 has sensor invalidation information T6 in which information on each boarding / deboarding compartment is associated with information on the sensor to be invalidated, and invalidates the sensor Se corresponding to the boarding / deboarding compartment C where the pallet P has arrived based on this sensor invalidation information T6. The invalidation unit 83 invalidates, for example, some of the sensors Se that may detect a user, luggage, etc., when the pallet P is loaded onto or unloaded from the pallet P.

[0080] For example, in Fig. 12, when a pallet P that has arrived at the boarding / deboarding room C4 is to be loaded or unloaded, the user will enter the boarding / deboarding room C4, and as a result of this movement, the section sensors Se4, Se5, the entrance / exit sensors Se10, Se11, and the crossing sensor Se15 may detect an object. Therefore, the disabling unit 83 disables the sensors Se that detect an object due to the movement of the user during such loading or unloading.

[0081] FIG. 11 shows an example of the sensor invalidation information T6 used by the invalidation unit 83. The sensor invalidation information T6 shown in FIG. 11 was created assuming the mechanical parking device shown in FIG. 12, similar to the above-mentioned first information T2. ​​As shown in FIG. 11, the sensor invalidation information T6 has the section sensors Se1 and Se2 registered for the boarding / alighting room C1, the section sensors Se2 and Se3 registered for the boarding / alighting room C2, the section sensors Se3 and Se4 registered for the boarding / alighting room C3, the section sensors Se4 and Se5 registered for the boarding / alighting room C4, the section sensors Se5 and Se6 registered for the boarding / alighting room C5, the section sensors Se6 and Se7 registered for the boarding / alighting room C6, the section sensors Se7 and Se8 registered for the boarding / alighting room C7, and the section sensors Se8 and Se9 registered for the boarding / alighting room C8. Furthermore, the entrance / exit sensors Se10 and Se11 and the crossing sensor Se15 are registered for each of the boarding / alighting rooms C1 to C8.

[0082] The above-mentioned sensor Se that is disabled by the invalidation unit 83 is one example. The invalidation unit 83 needs to invalidate at least the section sensors and the entrance / exit sensors arranged on both sides of the pallet P where the pallet P is to be stored or removed, and other sensors can be set appropriately from the viewpoint of ensuring safety.

[0083] Here, "disabling a sensor" means that the object detection of the sensor itself is valid, and the detection result is stored in the sensor detection information T1 in the storage unit 81, but when the sensor detection information T1 is referred to by the second input control unit 85 described later, the detection result of the disabled sensor is not taken into consideration. Specifically, the second input control unit 85 described later excludes the detection information of the sensor disabled by the disabling unit 83, and determines whether or not there is a sensor that has detected an object based on the detection information of only the sensors that are not disabled (in other words, enabled).

[0084] The enabling unit 84 enables all the sensors Se when an input indicating the end of unattended confirmation is made to any one of the unattended confirmation input devices M enabled by the first input control unit 82, thereby disabling the unattended confirmation input device M. As a result, for example, the sensor Se that was disabled by the disabling unit 83 is enabled, and becomes included in the target of determination by the second input control unit 85 described later.

[0085] The second input control unit 85 determines whether or not there is a sensor Se that has detected an object based on the detection information T1 of the enabled sensor, and if there is a sensor Se that has detected an object, identifies the unmanned confirmation input device M associated with the sensor Se that has detected the object based on the first information, and adds the identified unmanned confirmation input device M to the unmanned confirmation list T5 in the storage unit 81. Then, the second input control unit 85 enables the unmanned confirmation input device M based on the unmanned confirmation list T5.

[0086] Furthermore, after the first input control unit 82 has enabled the unmanned confirmation input device M, the second input control unit 85 performs an update process of the unmanned confirmation input device M at a predetermined timing (for example, each time the unmanned confirmation input device M is disabled) based on the detection information T1 of the enabled sensor stored in the storage unit 81. As a result, for example, when an object is detected by a sensor Se different from that previously, the unmanned confirmation input device M corresponding to that sensor Se is added to the unmanned confirmation list T5 in the storage unit 81, and the previously enabled unmanned confirmation input device M and the currently added unmanned confirmation input device M are enabled, thereby expanding the area of ​​unmanned confirmation by the user.

[0087] When the push button 32 of the enabled unmanned confirmation input device M is pressed to input the end of unmanned confirmation, the second input control unit 85 determines whether or not an object is detected by the sensor Se corresponding to that unmanned confirmation input device M, and disables that unmanned confirmation input device M if an object is not detected. The conditions for disabling the unmanned confirmation input device M are the same as those for the first input control unit 82 described above. Unlike object detection by the sensor Se, disabling the unmanned confirmation input device M is determined based on the detection information of the sensor Se at the time when the input to end unmanned confirmation is made to the unmanned confirmation input device M, assuming that all sensors Se are enabled.

[0088] The operation permission unit 86 permits the closing operation of the entrance door D when all enabled unmanned confirmation input devices M are disabled while any of the entrance doors D is fully open.

[0089] Next, an example of the procedure of the entrance process executed by the control device 60 of the mechanical parking device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 13 to 15. Figs. 13 to 15 are flowcharts showing an example of the flow of the entrance process according to this embodiment. In the following series of processes, object detection by the various sensors Se is always performed, that is, the various sensors Se are always in an operating state regardless of whether the power of the operation panel 50 is on or off, and the object detection results by the various sensors Se are stored in the memory unit 81. Also, in the initial state, all sensors Se are activated.

[0090] First, the user turns on the power to the operation panel 50 (SA1 in FIG. 13), and when the desired pallet number is specified and a pallet call operation is performed (SA2), the motor control unit 80 drives the pallet P in the parking device, and the empty pallet specified by the user is called to the specified boarding / deboarding room C. Then, when the specified empty pallet arrives at the specified boarding / deboarding room C (SA3), the motor control unit 80 fully opens the entrance door D corresponding to the boarding / deboarding room C where the empty pallet has arrived (SA4).

[0091] When the entrance door D is fully opened, the first input control unit 82 identifies the unmanned confirmation input device M corresponding to the boarding / deboarding room C where the pallet P has arrived based on the second information T3, and registers the identified unmanned confirmation input device M in the unmanned confirmation list T5 (SA5). As a result, for example, when the pallet P arrives at the boarding / deboarding room C2 in Fig. 12, the unmanned confirmation input devices M2, M3, and M5 are registered in the unmanned confirmation list T5 as shown in Fig. 16.

[0092] Next, the system transitions to preparation mode (SA6). Fig. 14 is a flow chart showing an example of a processing procedure performed in the preparation mode. As shown in Fig. 14, in the preparation mode, first, the first input control unit 82 enables the unmanned confirmation input device M based on the unmanned confirmation list T5 (SB1). As a result, for example, the unmanned confirmation input devices M2, M3, and M5 are enabled (see Fig. 16).

[0093] Next, the sensor Se corresponding to the boarding / deboarding room C where the pallet P has arrived is identified based on the sensor invalidation information T6 by the invalidation unit 83, and the identified sensor Se is invalidated (SB2). As a result, for example, when the pallet P has arrived at the boarding / deboarding room C2 in Fig. 12, the section sensors Se2 and Se3, the entrance / exit sensors Se10 and Se11, and the crossing sensor Se15 are invalidated (see Fig. 11).

[0094] On the other hand, when the entrance door D of the boarding / de-boarding room C where the pallet P has arrived is fully opened, the user gets into the vehicle, parks the vehicle on the empty pallet that has arrived at the boarding / de-boarding room C, and exits from the boarding / de-boarding room C. In this case, the section sensors, entrance / exit sensors, and crossing sensors for the boarding / de-boarding room C where the pallet P has arrived are disabled, so even if the section sensors detect the user performing the work of entering the warehouse, the sensor detection information associated with such user work will not be taken into account in the unmanned confirmation mode described below.

[0095] A user who has finished entering the parking lot and has left the boarding / deboarding room C visually checks for unmanned presence in the parking lot from the vicinity of the enabled unmanned confirmation input device M, and operates the unmanned confirmation input device M when the user confirms that there is no occupant. In this way, when the end of unmanned confirmation is input to any of the unmanned confirmation input devices M (SB3: YES), the first input control unit 82 identifies the sensor Se associated with the unmanned confirmation input device M to which the end of unmanned confirmation has been input based on the third information T4 (see FIG. 10), and determines whether an object is detected by the identified sensor Se (SB4). As a result, when an object is detected by the identified sensor Se (SB4: NO), the object is in the parking lot. Therefore, the first input control unit 82 does not disable the unmanned confirmation input device M, but notifies the user that there is an object in the parking lot C (step SB5: notification unit), and returns to step SB3.

[0096] For example, the indicator lamp 31 of the unmanned confirmation input device M may be lit or blinked in a manner different from activation or deactivation to prompt the user to confirm the presence of an object in the boarding / deboarding compartment C. Also, for example, a display unit (not shown) may be provided in the unmanned confirmation input device M, and a message notifying the user that an object is present in the boarding / deboarding compartment C may be displayed on the display unit. The notification method is not limited to this example, and for example, a message may be played by voice or a buzzer may be sounded to notify the user of the presence of an object.

[0097] Furthermore, the user may also be notified of the monitoring area of ​​the sensor Se that detects the object. For example, in Fig. 12, when a vehicle is stored on the pallet P of the boarding / deboarding room C2 and an object is detected by the section sensor Se2, a message such as "There is an object in the area to the left of the vehicle. Please check" may be displayed or a voice may be used to notify the user.

[0098] On the other hand, in step SB4, if an object is not detected by the identified sensor Se (SB4: YES), the unmanned confirmation input device M for which the input for ending the unmanned confirmation is made is disabled (SB6). In this way, when any one of the enabled unmanned confirmation input devices M is disabled, the preparation mode is ended and the system transitions to the unmanned confirmation mode (step SA7 of the main processing shown in FIG. 13).

[0099] Fig. 15 is a flow chart showing an example of a processing procedure performed in the unmanned confirmation mode. As shown in Fig. 15, in the unmanned confirmation mode, first, the sensor Se that has been disabled by the disabling unit 83 is enabled by the enabling unit 84 (SC1). As a result, all the sensors Se are enabled. That is, at this stage, since the unmanned confirmation input device M is operated by the user, it is assumed that there is no person in the boarding / de-boarding compartment. Therefore, by enabling all the sensors Se, it is possible to improve safety by performing double unmanned confirmation by the sensors and people.

[0100] Next, the second input control unit 85 judges whether or not there is a sensor that has detected an object based on the sensor detection information T1 stored in the memory unit 81. At this time, the sensor detection information T1 during the period when the sensor was disabled by the disabling unit 83 is not taken into consideration. As a result, for example, during the period from when the entrance door D is fully opened until any one of the unmanned confirmation input devices M is disabled, the detection information of the section sensors Se2, Se3, the entrance sensors Se10, Se11, and the crossing sensor Se15 is excluded, and it is judged whether or not there is a sensor that has detected an object based on the detection information of the remaining sensors Se1, Se4 to Se9, and Se12. In this way, sensor activation caused by the user's actions when entering the parking lot is not considered as the detection of a person, so the efficiency of unmanned inspections can be improved without imposing excessive unmanned inspections on users.

[0101] In step SC2, if any of the enabled sensors has detected an object (SC2: YES), the unmanned confirmation input device M corresponding to the sensor that detected the object is identified based on the first information T2 (SC3), and the identified unmanned confirmation input device M is additionally registered in the unmanned confirmation list T5 in the memory unit 81 (SC4).

[0102] For example, in Fig. 12, when the pallet P arrives at the boarding / departure room C2 and an object is detected by the section sensor Se9, the unmanned confirmation input devices M8 and M9 corresponding to the section sensor Se9 are identified based on the first information T2. ​​As a result, the identified unmanned confirmation input devices M8 and M9 are additionally registered in the unmanned confirmation list T5 in the storage unit 81, as shown in Fig. 17. Next, the second input control unit 85 resets the detection information of the sensor in the storage unit 81 (SC5), and transitions to the preparation mode described above, that is, the process returns to step SA6 of the main process.

[0103] As a result, in the preparation mode SA6, in step SB1 of Fig. 14, the unmanned confirmation input device M is enabled based on the unmanned confirmation list T5. As a result, for example, in the above example, in addition to the unmanned confirmation input devices M2, M3, and M5, the unmanned confirmation input devices M8 and M9 are enabled. Then, in the following step SB2, the sensor Se corresponding to the boarding / deboarding room C where the pallet has arrived is disabled. Then, the above-mentioned subsequent processing is performed.

[0104] On the other hand, in the unmanned confirmation mode shown in Fig. 15, if it is determined in step SC2 that no sensor has detected an object, it is determined whether all enabled unmanned confirmation input devices M have been disabled (SC6). As a result, if all unmanned confirmation input devices M have not been disabled, the process returns to step SC2. In this way, if no sensor detects an object and all unmanned confirmation input devices M are disabled (step SC6: YES), the unmanned confirmation mode ends and the process returns to step SA8 of the main process shown in Fig. 13.

[0105] In step SA8, the driving of the entrance door D is permitted, and then a close door command button is displayed on the touch panel of the operation panel 50. As a result, when the user presses the close door command button (SA9), the motor control unit 80 closes the opened entrance door (SA10), and when the entrance door is completely closed, the user turns off the power to the operation panel 50 (SA11). When the user turns off the power to the operation panel 50, the control device 60 ends the warehousing process.

[0106] In the above-mentioned example flow, a case where an object is detected in the unmanned confirmation mode (SA7) is described. However, it is also possible to determine whether an object is detected when permitting the entrance / exit door to be driven (SA8), and to return to the preparation mode (SA6) if an object is detected.

[0107] In the case of unloading processing, the only difference is that the pallet on which the vehicle is loaded is called to a designated boarding / disembarking compartment C, and a user enters the boarding / disembarking compartment C where the pallet has arrived, boards the vehicle loaded on the pallet, and causes the vehicle to unload from the boarding / disembarking compartment C; all other points are almost the same, so explanations will be omitted.

[0108] As described above, the mechanical parking device and its safety confirmation system, safety confirmation method, and safety confirmation program according to the present embodiment include a disabling unit 83 that disables a predetermined sensor monitoring the interior of the boarding / deboarding room where the pallet P has arrived when the entrance / exit door D is fully open. As a result, even if a user enters the boarding / deboarding room to enter or leave the room and is detected by a sensor Se provided in the boarding / deboarding room, the detection information is not taken into consideration by the second input control unit 85. In addition, when any one of the unmanned confirmation input devices M enabled by the first input control unit 82 is disabled, it is possible to assume that the user is outside the boarding / deboarding room C. For this reason, by enabling the disabled sensor Se by the enabling unit 84, it is possible to monitor the entire interior of the boarding / deboarding room by the sensor Se. In this way, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to ensure safety without placing an excessive burden of unmanned confirmation on the user.

[0109] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when at least one unmanned vehicle confirmation input device M is enabled by the second input control unit 85, a predetermined sensor monitoring the interior of the boarding / de-boarding compartment where the pallet P has arrived is disabled again (when an object is detected by any of the sensors Se in the unmanned vehicle confirmation mode, for example, this corresponds to step SB2 in FIG. 14 when the result is "YES" in step SC2 in FIG. 15 and the mode returns to the preparation mode), so that an excessive burden of unmanned vehicle confirmation is not placed on the user. Furthermore, when any one of the enabled unmanned vehicle confirmation input devices M is disabled, the disabled sensor Se is enabled (SC1 in FIG. 15) to resume monitoring by all sensors, thereby ensuring safety.

[0110] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when an object is detected by an enabled sensor Se, the unmanned confirmation input device M corresponding to that sensor Se is added to the unmanned confirmation list T5. This makes it possible to increase the number of unmanned confirmation input devices M that input the end of unmanned confirmation every time an object is detected by the sensor Se, and to expand the area in which unmanned confirmation is performed. This allows more thorough unmanned confirmation to be performed, thereby improving safety.

[0111] Second Embodiment Next, a mechanical parking device according to a second embodiment of the present invention and a safety confirmation system, a safety confirmation method, and a safety confirmation program applied thereto will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 18, the mechanical parking device 1a of this embodiment is a vertical row type mechanical parking device 1a in which multiple unit rows, in which multiple boarding and disembarking rooms C where at least one of the vehicles enter and exit the parking lot are arranged along the width direction of the parked vehicle, are arranged adjacent to each other in the direction in which the vehicle enters. Hereinafter, the same components as those in the first embodiment described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and differences will be mainly described.

[0112] Fig. 18 is a plan view of the mechanical parking device 1a for explaining an example of the arrangement of various sensors equipped in the mechanical parking device 1a according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 18, the mechanical parking device 1a has front boarding and alighting compartments C1-C8 and rear boarding and alighting compartments C11-C18 provided adjacent to the front boarding and alighting compartments C1-C8 on the rear side in the approach direction of the parked vehicle.

[0113] Two boarding and alighting compartments (for example, boarding and alighting compartments C1 and C11) arranged side by side in the vehicle entry direction share an entrance door D. That is, when parking in the rear boarding and alighting compartments C11-C18, a user stops the vehicle on the pallet P of the rear boarding and alighting compartments C11-C18 through the front boarding and alighting compartments C1-C8 arranged side by side.

[0114] In such a vertical-type mechanical parking device 1a, similarly to the above-mentioned front boarding / deboarding compartments C1-C8, the rear boarding / deboarding compartments C11-C18 are provided with section sensors Se22-Se28 at the boundary between two adjacent boarding / deboarding compartments for monitoring the monitoring area set at the boundary. Also, the boarding / deboarding compartments C11 and C18 located at both ends are provided with section sensors Se21 and Se29 for monitoring the monitoring area at the outer end, respectively.

[0115] In addition, a rear front sensor Se30 is provided at the boundary between the front boarding / disembarking compartments C1-C8 and the rear boarding / disembarking compartments C11-C18. The rear front sensor Se30 and the rear sensor Se12 detect the intrusion and exit of an object into the rear boarding / disembarking compartments C11-C18. For example, when an object is detected in the order of the rear front sensor Se30 and the rear sensor Se12, the movement from the rear boarding / disembarking compartment to the front boarding / disembarking compartment is detected, and when an object is detected in the order of the rear sensor Se12 and the rear front sensor Se30, the intrusion from the front boarding / disembarking compartment to the rear boarding / disembarking compartment is detected. Note that it is sufficient to provide either the rear sensor Se12 or the rear front sensor Se30, and it is not necessary to provide both. By providing either one of these, the movement of an object between the front boarding / disembarking compartment and the rear boarding / disembarking compartment can be detected.

[0116] In this embodiment, the rear front sensor Se30 is provided in common to all of the boarding and alighting chambers C11 to C18 arranged in the width direction, but instead, it may be provided individually at each entrance of the rear boarding and alighting chambers C11 to C18. By providing the rear front sensor Se30 for each boarding and alighting chamber C in this way, it is possible to identify the boarding and alighting chamber C to which the object has moved.

[0117] Furthermore, a far rear sensor Se32 is provided behind the far boarding / deboarding compartments C11 to C18 in the vehicle entry direction (far side).

[0118] In this mechanical parking device 1a, safety checks are performed when entering and leaving the parking lot as in the first embodiment described above, but the first information referred to by the first input control unit 82 and the second input control unit 85, the second information referred to by the first input control unit 82, the third information referred to by the first input control unit 82 and the second input control unit 85, and the sensor disabling information referred to by the disabling unit 83 are different from those in the first embodiment described above. In addition, the sensor detection information T1 stored in the memory unit 81 records the detection information of all the sensors Se arranged in the boarding / disembarking room C.

[0119] FIG. 19 shows an example of the first information according to this embodiment, FIG. 20 shows an example of the second information, FIG. 21 shows an example of the third information, and FIG. 22 shows an example of the sensor invalidation information. As shown in FIG. 19, in this embodiment, in addition to the contents of the first information shown in FIG. 8, the first information further includes unattended confirmation input devices M1 and M2 associated with section sensor Se21, unattended confirmation input devices M1, M2, and M3 associated with section sensor Se22, unattended confirmation input devices M2, M3, and M4 associated with section sensor Se23, unattended confirmation input devices M3, M4, and M5 associated with section sensor Se24, unattended confirmation input devices M4, M5, and M6 associated with section sensor Se25, unattended confirmation input devices M5, M6, and M7 associated with section sensor Se26, unattended confirmation input devices M6, M7, and M8 associated with section sensor Se27, unattended confirmation input devices M7, M8, and M9 associated with section sensor Se28, and unattended confirmation input devices M8 and M9 associated with section sensor Se29.

[0120] In addition, an unmanned vehicle confirmation input device M5 arranged at the position where the operation panel 50 is provided is registered in association with the far rear sensor Se32. This is because the mirror 40a is provided so that the monitoring area of ​​the far rear sensor Se32 can be visually confirmed through the mirror 40a from the vicinity of the arrangement position of the operation panel 50. Note that other unmanned vehicle confirmation input devices M may be associated depending on how the mirror 40a is provided.

[0121] Moreover, for example, all of the unmanned vehicle confirmation input devices M1 to M9 are associated with the rear front sensor Se30.

[0122] With regard to the second information, as shown in FIG. 20, unmanned confirmation input devices M1, M2, M5 are associated with boarding / alighting rooms C1, C11, unmanned confirmation input devices M2, M3, M5 are associated with boarding / alighting rooms C2, C12, unmanned confirmation input devices M3, M4, M5 are associated with boarding / alighting rooms C3, C13, unmanned confirmation input devices M4, M5 are associated with boarding / alighting rooms C4, C14, unmanned confirmation input devices M5, M6 are associated with boarding / alighting rooms C5, C15, unmanned confirmation input devices M5, M6, M7 are associated with boarding / alighting rooms C6, C16, unmanned confirmation input devices M5, M7, M8 are associated with boarding / alighting rooms C7, C17, and unmanned confirmation input devices M5, M8, M9 are associated with boarding / alighting rooms C8, C18, and are registered in correspondence with each other.

[0123] With regard to the third information, as shown in FIG. 21, entrance / exit sensors Se10, Se11 and crossing sensor Se15 are associated with all unmanned confirmation input devices M, and further, section sensors Se1, Se21 are associated with unmanned confirmation input device M1, section sensors Se2, Se22 are associated with unmanned confirmation input device M2, section sensors Se3, Se23 are associated with unmanned confirmation input device M3, section sensors Se4, Se24 are associated with unmanned confirmation input device M4, section sensors Se5, Se25, rear sensor Se12, and far rear sensor Se32 are associated with unmanned confirmation input device M5, section sensors Se6, Se26 are associated with unmanned confirmation input device M6, section sensors Se7, Se27 are associated with unmanned confirmation input device M7, section sensors Se8, Se28 are associated with unmanned confirmation input device M8, and section sensors Se9, Se29 are associated with unmanned confirmation input device M9. This association is merely an example, and may be changed as appropriate, taking into consideration the sensors Se installed in an area visible from the unmanned confirmation input device.

[0124] Regarding the sensor disabling information, as shown in FIG. 22, in addition to the contents of the sensor disabling information T6 shown in FIG. 11, section sensors Se1, Se2, Se21, Se22 are registered for boarding / alighting room C11, section sensors Se2, Se3, Se22, Se23 are registered for boarding / alighting room C12, section sensors Se3, Se4, Se23, Se24 are registered for boarding / alighting room C13, section sensors Se4, Se5, Se24, Se25 are registered for boarding / alighting room C14, section sensors Se5, Se6, Se25, Se26 are registered for boarding / alighting room C15, section sensors Se6, Se7, Se26, Se27 are registered for boarding / alighting room C16, section sensors Se7, Se8, Se27, Se28 are registered for boarding / alighting room C17, and section sensors Se8, Se9, Se28, Se29 are registered for boarding / alighting room C18. Furthermore, for each of the landing compartments C11 to C18, entrance / exit sensors Se10, Se11, a rear sensor Se12, a crossing sensor Se15, and a rear front sensor Se30 are registered.

[0125] In this way, in the vertical mechanical parking device 1a, for the rear boarding / deboarding compartments C11-C18 that are not the front row, the following are disabled: the compartment sensors (for example, the compartment sensors Se21 and Se22 for the boarding / deboarding compartment C1) located on both sides of the boarding / deboarding compartment C where the pallet P arrives, the compartment sensors (for example, the compartment sensors Se1 and Se2) located on both sides of the boarding / deboarding compartment C through which the user (vehicle) passes when entering or leaving the boarding / deboarding compartment C, the entrance / exit sensors Se10 and Se11, the rear sensor Se12, the crossing sensor Se15, and the rear front sensor Se30. As a result, even if an object is detected by the sensor due to the movement of the user accompanying entry or exit, the detection information of the object is not taken into consideration by the second input control unit 85, and additional activation of the unmanned confirmation input device M can be avoided.

[0126] As described above, according to the mechanical parking device and its safety confirmation system, safety confirmation method, and safety confirmation program according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in the parallel-type mechanical parking device 1a as well, when the corresponding entrance door D is fully opened as in the first embodiment described above, a predetermined sensor Se associated with the boarding / deboarding room C where the pallet P has arrived is disabled, so that it is possible to avoid additional activation of the unmanned confirmation input device M due to the movement of the user accompanying entry or exit. This makes it possible to reduce the burden of unmanned confirmation on the user while ensuring safety.

[0127] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. Various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the gist of the invention, and the forms in which such modifications or improvements are made are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, the above embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

[0128] Furthermore, the flow of the inventory processing described in the above embodiment is also one example, and unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps may be added, or the processing order may be rearranged within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

[0129] For example, in the above-mentioned warehousing process, a user authentication process may be provided before the first unmanned confirmation input device M is pressed. By providing the user authentication process in this way, for example, it is possible to confirm that the user has certainly exited the boarding / deboarding room C, and it is also possible to prevent a third party other than the user from inputting the end of the unmanned confirmation, making it possible for the user to perform the unmanned confirmation by himself / herself.

[0130] Furthermore, the mechanical parking devices 1, 1a of the present invention are not limited to the above, and can be mechanical parking devices of various types such as a vertical circulation type, a multi-layer circulation type, a horizontal circulation type, an elevator type, a flat surface reciprocating type, a lifting type (pit type), and a lifting and traversing type (pit type). [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 1, 1a: Mechanical parking device 31: Indicator lamp 32: Push button 40, 40a: Mirror 50: Control panel 51: Power key 52: Emergency stop button 53: Touch panel 60: Control device 62 :CPU 64:ROM 66: RAM 68: HDD 72: Sensor communication unit 74: Operation panel communication section 76: Input device communication section 78: Bus 80: Motor control unit 81: Storage section 82: First input control unit 83: Invalidation section 84: Validation section 85: Second input control section 86: Driving Permit Department A(A1~A4, A10~A12): Monitored area C (C1~C8, C11~C18): Boarding and disembarking areas D (D1~D3): Entrance doors M (M1~M9): Unmanned confirmation input device P(P1~P5): Palette T1: Sensor detection information T2: 1st information T3: Second information T4:Third information T5: Unattended Checklist T6: Sensor disable information Se: Sensor Se1~Se9, Se21~Se29: Section sensors Se10, Se11: Entrance / exit sensor Se12: Rear sensor Se15: Crossover sensor Se30: Front sensor at the back Se32: Rear sensor W1: Vehicle entry direction

Claims

1. A safety confirmation system applied to a mechanical parking device, comprising: a plurality of boarding / de-boarding compartments where at least one of vehicles enters and leaves the parking lot; a plurality of sensors that detect objects in the boarding / de-boarding compartments; a plurality of input units that are associated with each of the sensors and that are arranged outside the boarding / de-boarding compartments at positions where a person can visually confirm the presence or absence of an object in a monitoring area monitored by each of the sensors; and an entrance / exit door provided at the entrance / exit of the boarding / de-boarding compartments, A preparation mode and a confirmation mode are provided which are executed when the entrance door is fully open, In the preparation mode, the input units corresponding to the boarding / deboarding compartments where the vehicle enters and leaves the garage are enabled, and the sensors monitoring the interior of the boarding / deboarding compartments are disabled. Thereafter, when an input operation is performed on any one of the enabled input units, the sensor corresponding to the enabled input unit is enabled. When an object is not detected by the enabled sensor, the input unit is disabled and the system transitions to a confirmation mode. In the confirmation mode, the safety confirmation system enables the sensors that were disabled in the preparation mode, determines whether any of the sensors have detected an object, and if any of the sensors have detected an object, returns to the preparation mode, enables at least one of the input units including the input unit corresponding to the sensor that detected the object, and disables the multiple sensors that monitor the interior of the boarding and disembarking compartment where entry and exit occur.

2. A storage unit for storing information regarding the detection result of an object by the enabled sensor, The safety confirmation system according to claim 1, wherein in the confirmation mode, it is determined whether or not an object has been detected based on the information stored in the memory unit, and if an object has been detected, the information in the memory unit is reset.

3. A safety confirmation system as described in claim 1, which, in a confirmation mode, permits the closing operation of the entrance / exit door when it is determined that no object is detected by the enabled sensors and input operations have been performed on all enabled input sections.

4. A plurality of boarding and alighting rooms in which at least one of vehicles enter and leave the vehicle premises; A plurality of sensors for detecting objects in the boarding / deboarding compartment; A plurality of input units each associated with the sensor and disposed outside the boarding / deboarding compartment at a position where a person can visually confirm the presence or absence of an object within a monitoring area by each of the sensors; An entrance door provided at the entrance of the boarding / deboarding room; A safety confirmation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A mechanical parking device comprising:

5. A control panel is provided near the entrance / exit of the boarding / disembarking room, The mechanical parking device according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the input units is provided on an operation panel.

6. A safety confirmation method is applied to a mechanical parking device, the method comprising: a plurality of boarding / de-boarding compartments in which at least one of vehicles enters and leaves the parking device; a plurality of sensors for detecting objects in the boarding / de-boarding compartments; a plurality of input units associated with each of the sensors and arranged outside the boarding / de-boarding compartments at positions where a person can visually check the presence or absence of an object in a monitoring area monitored by each of the sensors; and an entrance / exit door provided at the entrance / exit of the boarding / de-boarding compartments, the method comprising the steps of: A preparation mode and a confirmation mode are provided which are executed when the entrance door is fully open, In the preparation mode, the input units corresponding to the boarding / alighting compartment where the transport means for transporting the vehicle has arrived are enabled, and the sensors monitoring the interior of the boarding / alighting compartment are disabled. Thereafter, when an input operation is performed on any one of the enabled input units, the sensor corresponding to the enabled input unit is enabled. When an object is not detected by the sensor, the mode transitions to a confirmation mode. In the confirmation mode, the sensors that were disabled in the preparation mode are enabled, and it is determined whether any of the sensors have detected an object. If any of the sensors have detected an object, the method returns to the preparation mode, enables at least one of the input units including the input unit corresponding to the sensor that has detected the object, and disables the multiple sensors that monitor the boarding / disembarking compartment where the transport means arrives.

7. A safety confirmation program for causing a computer to function as a safety confirmation system described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

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