Method and device for operating a mechanical parking device

Abstract

To provide an operation method and an operation device for a mechanical parking device that allow users to perform entry / exit operations without touching an operation panel.SOLUTION: An operation device 1 of a mechanical parking device according to the present embodiment is equipped with an operation panel 3 with which a user operates the opening and closing of an entry / exit door 21 of an entry / exit berth 2 allowing the entering or exiting of a vehicle C. The operation panel 3 is equipped with a receiving unit 33 capable of processing all the operations related to the opening and closing of the entry / exit door 21 with a device carried by the user without touching the operation panel 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an operating method and an operating device for a mechanical parking device, and in particular to an operating method and an operating device for a mechanical parking device suitable for operation when a vehicle enters and leaves the parking device. [Background technology]

[0002] As large-scale mechanical parking systems that efficiently utilize multi-level space, various parking systems have already been developed, including horizontal circulation systems, elevator systems, vertical circulation systems, etc. These mechanical parking systems often include a berth (also called a boarding / disembarking room) where vehicles enter and exit the parking system, and an operating panel for opening and closing the entrance / exit doors of the berth.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a mechanical parking device in which a vehicle is placed on a pallet that is transported to a hangar and a boarding / disembarking area is provided where the driver of the vehicle can get on and off the vehicle, the device comprising: a plurality of cameras that capture images inside the boarding / disembarking area; a monitor that is provided on an operation panel provided outside the boarding / disembarking area or in the vicinity of the operation panel and that displays images captured by the cameras; and an input means that is provided on an operation panel provided outside the boarding / disembarking area or in the vicinity of the operation panel and that inputs the status of safety checks performed by a person. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-212516 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As in the invention described in Patent Document 1 above, conventional mechanical parking devices have operation panels with button or touch panel configurations, and occupants must touch the buttons or touch panels to perform desired operations. Since mechanical parking devices are used by many users, there is a risk of causing viral infections, such as the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which is transmitted by contact.

[0006] The present invention was devised in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide an operating method and operating device for a mechanical parking device that allows users to enter and exit the parking lot without touching the operating panel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to the present invention, there is provided a method for operating a mechanical parking device equipped with an operation panel by which a user operates the opening and closing of an entrance door of a berth for entering or leaving a vehicle, in which all operations relating to the opening and closing of the entrance door, including an operation by the user to send a signal to start the entry or exit process, an operation by the user to send a signal to confirm that no one remains in the berth after entering or leaving the berth, and an operation by the user to send a signal to close the entrance door, can be performed by the user by holding a portable device over a specified receiver without touching the operation panel. At the same time, all operations related to opening and closing the entrance door can be handled by the operation buttons arranged on the operation panel. The present invention provides a method for operating a mechanical parking device, comprising:

[0008] The device and the receiving unit may be connected via short-range wireless communication.

[0009] The device used in the method for operating the mechanical parking device may be an IC card. S, It may be a smartphone.

[0010] When the mechanical parking device has a turntable arranged outside the entrance door, all operations related to the turntable can be performed without the user having to touch the operation panel. The same device as the above deviceIt may be possible to process it by

[0011] According to the present invention, there is provided an operating device for a mechanical parking system having an operating panel with which a user operates to open and close an entrance door of a berth for entering or leaving a vehicle, the operating panel having a receiving unit capable of processing all operations related to the opening and closing of the entrance door by the user waving a portable device over the operating panel without touching the operating panel, including an operation by the user to send a signal to start the entry or exit process, an operation by the user to send a signal to confirm that no one remains in the berth after entering or leaving the berth, and an operation by the user to send a signal to close the entrance door. and an operation button capable of processing all operations related to opening and closing the entrance door. The present invention provides an operating device for a mechanical parking device, characterized in that

[0012] The device and the receiving unit may be connected via short-range wireless communication.

[0013] The device used for the operation device of the mechanical parking device may be an IC card. S, It may be a smartphone.

[0014] The mechanical parking device includes a turntable disposed outside the entrance door and a turntable operation panel for the user to operate the turntable, and the turntable operation panel allows the user to perform all operations related to the turntable without touching the turntable operation panel. The same device as the above device The signal processing device may have a receiving section capable of processing the above-mentioned signals. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the above-mentioned operating method and operating device for a mechanical parking system of the present invention, all operations related to opening and closing the entrance and exit doors of the berth can be handled by a portable device without the user having to touch the operation panel, so that the user can perform entry and exit operations without touching the operation panel, thereby reducing the risk of contact infection. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an operating device of a mechanical parking device according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the operation procedure when entering the warehouse. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 shows an operation panel, where (A) shows a user authentication process, and (B) shows a process of giving a signal to start processing. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 shows an operation panel, where (A) shows the unmanned confirmation signal process, and (B) shows the door closing process start signal process. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the operation procedure at the time of leaving the warehouse. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a mechanical parking device having a turntable, where (A) is an exterior view and (B) is a front view of the turntable operating panel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 6(B). Here, Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an operating device of a mechanical parking device according to one embodiment of the present invention. For the sake of convenience, Fig. 1 shows only the configuration near the entrance and exit berths.

[0018] An operating device 1 for a mechanical parking device according to one embodiment of the present invention is arranged in a mechanical parking device equipped with an operating panel 3 that allows a user to open and close the entrance / exit door 21 of an entry / exit berth 2 through which a vehicle C is entered or exited, as shown in Figure 1.

[0019] The mechanical parking device is a large-scale mechanical parking device, for example, of a horizontal circulation type, an elevator type, a vertical circulation type, etc. Such a mechanical parking device is configured to store a vehicle C, for example, in a predetermined shelf (vehicle compartment) with the vehicle C placed on a pallet P.

[0020] The entrance / exit door 21 is disposed in front of the loading / unloading berth 2. The entrance / exit door 21 is opened, for example, by moving it upward, and closed, by moving it downward. Note that the configuration of the entrance / exit door 21 is not limited to the configuration shown in the figure. The entrance / exit door 21 is opened and closed by a user operating the operation panel 3.

[0021] The operation panel 3 is arranged, for example, on a wall surface 22 in front of the loading / unloading berth 2 located next to the entrance / exit door 21. The operation panel 3 may be provided independently at a position away from the wall surface 22. However, it is preferable that the operation panel 3 is arranged within a range where the entrance / exit door 21 can be visually confirmed.

[0022] The operation panel 3 also includes, for example, a touch panel screen 31, operation buttons 32 that can be pressed by the user, and a receiving unit 33 that can process all operations related to opening and closing the entrance door 21 using a device (not shown) that the user carries without touching the operation panel 3. Although not shown, a control device that controls the operation panel 3 and the mechanical parking device in response to user operations is disposed inside or near the operation panel 3.

[0023] Necessary information according to the operation process is displayed on the screen 31. The operation button 32 is not an essential component in this embodiment, but may be provided as an auxiliary operation means in consideration of cases such as when it is necessary to stop the operation of the entrance door 21 in an emergency or when the risk of infection is low.

[0024] The operation buttons 32 include, for example, a confirmation button for confirming processing, a safety confirmation button for confirming safety, a door close button for closing the entrance door 21, a start button for starting the entry processing, a cancel button for canceling the operation, an exit alarm button for sounding an alarm when exiting the warehouse, etc. Note that the operation buttons 32 are not limited to these buttons.

[0025] The receiving unit 33 is a so-called card reader, and is a device that reads information stored in an IC card when the IC card is brought close to the receiving unit 33. That is, in this embodiment, the device carried by the user is an IC card.

[0026] Such an operation panel 3 is operated, for example, according to the operation procedure shown in Fig. 2. Here, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the operation procedure when entering the warehouse. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the operation panel, where (A) shows the user authentication process and (B) shows the process of giving a signal to start processing. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the operation panel, where (A) shows the process of giving a signal to start unmanned confirmation and (B) shows the process of giving a signal to start closing the door.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, the warehousing procedure includes an initial screen display step Step 1 in which an initial screen is displayed on the screen 31 of the operation panel 3, a user authentication step Step 2 in which the user authenticates the user, a process start signal step Step 3 in which the user signals the start of the warehousing process, a pallet transport step Step 4 in which a specified pallet P is transported to the loading / unloading berth 2, a door opening step Step 5 in which the entrance / exit door 21 of the loading / unloading berth 2 is opened, a warehousing process Step 6 in which the user causes the vehicle C to enter the loading / unloading berth 2, an unmanned confirmation step Step 7 in which the user confirms that no one remains in the loading / unloading berth 2, an unmanned confirmation signal step Step 8 in which the user signals that no one remains in the loading / unloading berth 2 after entering the berth, a door closing process start signal step Step 9 in which the user signals to close the entrance / exit door 21, a user authentication step Step 10 in which the user authenticates the user, and a door closing step Step 11 in which the entrance / exit door 21 of the loading / unloading berth 2 is closed.

[0028] The initial screen display step Step 1 is the first screen to be displayed on the screen 31 of the operation panel 3 to a user who is about to park a vehicle C in a mechanical parking device. The initial screen displays information such as the vehicle status, entrance / exit operation, pallet operation, and PIN input.

[0029] The user authentication step Step 2 is a step of authenticating the user by reading the authentication IC card carried by the user with the receiver 33. For example, as shown in Fig. 3(A), a message "Please hold your card over the receiver 33" is displayed on the screen 31. When the user holds the IC card over the receiver 33, the receiver 33 reads the IC card and performs user authentication.

[0030] The process start signal step 3 is a process for making the mechanical parking device recognize that the entrance process may begin. For example, as shown in FIG. 3(B), the screen 31 displays the message "Wave your card or press the start button." When the user holds the IC card over the receiver 33 and the receiver 33 recognizes the IC card, a signal is sent to the mechanical parking device that the entrance process may begin. Note that a signal is also sent to the mechanical parking device when the user presses the start button.

[0031] The pallet transport process Step 4 is a process of transporting the pallet P from a specified vehicle compartment to the loading / unloading berth 2. If a vehicle compartment is assigned to each user in advance, the vehicle compartment is selected by authenticating the user. If a vehicle compartment is not assigned in advance, an available vehicle compartment may be selected at will.

[0032] The door opening process, Step 5, is a process of opening the entrance door 21 after confirming that the pallet P has been transported to the specified position in the storage / return berth 2. After the entrance door 21 is opened, a message is displayed on the screen 31 of the operation panel 3, encouraging the user to enter the warehouse.

[0033] The storage process Step 6 is a process in which the user drives the vehicle C and stops it on the pallet P. Specifically, after the user confirms the message displayed on the screen 31 of the operation panel 3, the user stores the vehicle C in the storage.

[0034] The unmanned confirmation step Step 7 is a step in which a user who has entered and disembarked vehicle C confirms that no one remains in the loading / unloading berth 2 (including vehicle C). The unmanned confirmation may be performed by the user's visual inspection, or, if a surveillance camera is installed in the loading / unloading berth 2, the unmanned status may be confirmed by video footage from the surveillance camera.

[0035] The unmanned parking confirmation signal process, Step 8, is a process for making the mechanical parking device recognize that it has been confirmed that no one remains in the entrance / exit berth 2. For example, as shown in FIG. 4(A), the screen 31 of the operation panel 3 displays the message "Wipe your card or press the safety confirmation button." When the user holds the IC card over the receiving unit 33 and the receiving unit 33 recognizes the IC card, a signal is sent to the mechanical parking device indicating that unmanned parking confirmation has been completed. Note that when the user presses the safety confirmation button, a signal is also sent to the mechanical parking device indicating that unmanned parking confirmation has been completed.

[0036] Door closing process start signal step 9 is a step of making the mechanical parking device recognize that it is OK to close the entrance door 21. For example, as shown in FIG. 4(B), the screen 31 of the operation panel 3 displays the message "Wave your card or press the door close button." When the user waves the IC card over the receiving unit 33 and the receiving unit 33 recognizes the IC card, a signal is sent to the mechanical parking device that it is OK to close the entrance door 21. Note that a signal is also sent to the mechanical parking device that it is OK to close the entrance door 21 when the user presses the door close button.

[0037] The user authentication step (Step 10) is a step for verifying whether the user who is about to finish the parking operation is the same person as the user who started the parking operation. This authentication can prevent erroneous operation of the mechanical parking device. Specifically, the user is authenticated by holding the IC card over the receiver 33.

[0038] The door closing step, Step 11, is a step of closing the entrance door 21 after the user authentication is completed. This step ends the storage operation.

[0039] According to the above-described embodiment, in addition to the buttons (e.g., start button, safety check button, door close button) used for conventional entry processing, the entry processing can be operated with an IC card, so that the user can complete the entry processing with a device carried by the user (in this embodiment, an IC card) without touching the operation panel 3.

[0040] In the above-mentioned embodiment, since the operation button 32 is also provided, when it is necessary to stop the operation of the entrance / exit door 21 in an emergency or when the risk of infection is low, the entry process can be performed using the button as in the conventional case. Note that, when buttons other than the above-mentioned start button, safety confirmation button, and door close button (for example, the confirmation button, cancel button, exit alarm button, etc.) can be processed by an IC card, the operation button 32 may be omitted.

[0041] For example, in a given process, if the IC card is held over the receiving unit 33 again within a certain period of time, the process may be confirmed or stopped. Also, if the IC card is held over the receiving unit 33 for a long period of time (for example, several seconds or more), an alarm may be sounded.

[0042] Next, a procedure for leaving a vehicle C parked in a mechanical parking device will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an operation procedure for leaving the parking device.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 5, the unloading procedure includes an initial screen display step Step 21 in which an initial screen is displayed on the screen 31 of the operation panel 3, a user authentication step Step 22 in which the user authenticates the user, a process start signal step Step 23 in which the user sends a signal to start the unloading process, a pallet transport step Step 24 in which a pallet P carrying a specified vehicle C is transported to the loading / unloading berth 2, a door opening step Step 25 in which the entrance / exit door 21 of the loading / unloading berth 2 is opened, an unloading process Step 26 in which the user causes the vehicle C to exit from the loading / unloading berth 2, an unmanned confirmation step Step 27 in which the user confirms that no one remains in the loading / unloading berth 2, an unmanned confirmation signal step Step 28 in which the user sends a signal to confirm that no one remains in the loading / unloading berth 2 after exiting, a door closing process start signal step Step 29 in which the user sends a signal to close the entrance / exit door 21, a user authentication step Step 30 in which the user authenticates the user, and a door closing step Step 31 in which the entrance / exit door 21 of the loading / unloading berth 2 is closed.

[0044] The above-mentioned initial screen display step 21, user authentication step 22, processing start signal step 23, unmanned confirmation step 27, unmanned confirmation signal step 28, door closing processing start signal step 29, user authentication step 30 and door closing step 31 are essentially the same as the warehousing procedure, so detailed explanation will be omitted here.

[0045] The pallet transport step (Step 24) is a step of transporting the user's vehicle C together with the pallet P from the vehicle compartment in which the vehicle C is stored to the inbound / outbound berth 2.

[0046] The door opening process Step 25 is a process of opening the entrance / exit door 21 after confirming that the pallet P carrying the vehicle C has been transported to the specified position at the entrance / exit berth 2. After the entrance / exit door 21 is opened, a message is displayed on the screen 31 of the operation panel 3, urging the user to exit the berth.

[0047] The unloading process (Step 26) is a process in which the user drives the vehicle C to move the vehicle C outside the loading / unloading berth 2. Specifically, after the user confirms a message displayed on the screen 31 of the operation panel 3, the user causes the vehicle C to leave the premises.

[0048] According to this embodiment, in addition to the buttons used for conventional withdrawal processing (e.g., start button, safety check button, door close button), the withdrawal processing can be operated with an IC card, so that the user can complete the withdrawal processing with a device carried by them (in this embodiment, an IC card) without touching the operation panel 3.

[0049] In the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which the mechanical parking device is equipped with an entry / exit berth 2 that processes entry and exit at the same berth, but the mechanical parking device may also be equipped with a separate entry berth that only processes entry and an exit berth that only processes exit.

[0050] Next, a case where the mechanical parking device has a turntable 4, which is an optional equipment, will be described with reference to Figures 6(A) and 6(B). Here, Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of a case where the mechanical parking device has a turntable, where (A) shows an external view and (B) shows a front view of the turntable operation panel.

[0051] Due to the structure of the building in which the mechanical parking device is installed, there may be insufficient space in front of the entrance / exit berth 2 for the vehicle C to turn around. In such cases, a turntable 4 as shown in Fig. 6(A) is placed in front of the entrance / exit berth 2.

[0052] This mechanical parking device includes a turntable 4 arranged outside the entrance door 21, and a turntable operation panel 5 that allows a user to operate the turntable 4. The turntable operation panel 5 is installed on a structure such as a pillar or a wall arranged in a position close to the turntable 4.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 6(B), the turntable operation panel 5 is equipped with a power button 51 for starting up the turntable 4, a right rotation button 52 for rotating the turntable 4 to the right, and a left rotation button 53 for rotating the turntable 4 to the left.

[0054] Moreover, the turntable operation panel 5 is equipped with a first receiving unit 54 that activates the turntable 4, a second receiving unit 55 that rotates the turntable 4 to the right, and a third receiving unit 56 that rotates the turntable 4 to the left. The first receiving unit 54 to the third receiving unit 56 are, for example, card readers, and are configured to perform the same operations as the power button 51 to the left rotation button 53, respectively, by reading an IC card carried by the user.

[0055] In other words, the turntable operation panel 5 in this embodiment has receiving units (first receiving unit 51 to third receiving unit 53) that enable all operations related to the turntable 4 to be processed by a device (e.g., an IC card) without the user having to touch the turntable operation panel 5.

[0056] If the turntable 4 is not operated for a certain period of time after it is started, the turntable 4 returns to its initial state and is then automatically turned off.

[0057] In the embodiment shown in Figures 6(A) and 6(B), three receiving units are provided corresponding to the power button 51, the right rotation button 52, and the left rotation button 53, but it is also possible to use a single receiving unit and start the turntable 4 when the card is read the first time, rotate the turntable 4 to the right when the card is read the second time, and rotate the turntable 4 to the left when the card is read the third time within a short period of time after the second card reading.

[0058] In the embodiment described in this specification, the device is an IC card, but the device may be a remote control distributed to the user in advance or a smartphone owned by the user. When the device is a remote control, the receiving unit 33 and the first receiving unit 54 to the third receiving unit 56 may be infrared receivers capable of receiving a signal from the remote control. When the device is a smartphone, the smartphone may be connected to the operation panel 3 and the turntable operation panel 5 via short-range wireless communication or the Internet, and the device may be operated by an application installed on the smartphone.

[0059] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1 Operating device 2. Incoming and outgoing berth 3 Control panel 4. Turntable 5 Turntable operation panel 21 Entrance door 22 Wall 31 screens 32 Operation buttons 33 Receiving section 51 Power button 52 Right turn button 53 Left turn button 54 First Receiving Unit 55 Second Receiving Unit 56 Third Receiving Unit Step1,Step21 Initial screen display process Step 2, Step 22 User authentication process Step 3, Step 23 Processing start signal process Step 4, Step 24 Pallet transport process Step5,Step25 Door opening process Step6 Warehousing process Step26 Shipping process Step7,Step27 Unattended confirmation process Step 8, Step 28 Unmanned confirmation signal process Step 9, Step 29 Door closing process start signal process Step 10, Step 30 User authentication process Step11,Step31 Door closing process

Claims

1. A method for operating a mechanical parking device equipped with an operation panel that allows a user to open and close an entrance door of a berth for entering or leaving a vehicle, comprising the steps of: All operations related to opening and closing the entrance door, including an operation by the user to send a signal to start the entry or exit process, an operation by the user to send a signal to confirm that no one remains in the berth after entry or exit, and an operation by the user to send a signal to close the entrance door, can be performed by the user by holding a device he or she carries over a predetermined receiver without touching the operation panel; All operations related to opening and closing the entrance door can be handled by the operation buttons arranged on the operation panel. A method for operating a mechanical parking device.

2. The method for operating a mechanical parking device as described in claim 1, wherein the device and the receiving unit are connected via short-range wireless communication.

3. The method for operating a mechanical parking device as described in claim 1 , wherein the device is an IC card or a smartphone.

4. An operating method for a mechanical parking device as described in claim 1, wherein, when the mechanical parking device has a turntable located outside the entrance / exit door, all operations related to the turntable can be handled by the same device as the device without the user touching the operation panel.

5. An operating device for a mechanical parking device having an operating panel that allows a user to operate the opening and closing of an entrance door of a berth for entering or leaving a vehicle, The operation panel has a receiving unit capable of processing all operations related to opening and closing the entrance door by the user holding up a device carried by the user without touching the operation panel, including an operation by the user to send a signal to start the entry or exit process, an operation by the user to send a signal to confirm that no one remains in the berth after entry or exit, and an operation by the user to send a signal to close the entrance door, and is equipped with operation buttons capable of processing all operations related to opening and closing the entrance door. An operating device for a mechanical parking device.

6. The operating device for a mechanical parking device as described in claim 5, wherein the device and the receiving unit are connected via short-range wireless communication.

7. The operating device for a mechanical parking device as described in claim 5, wherein the device is an IC card or a smartphone.

8. An operation device for a mechanical parking device as described in claim 5, wherein the mechanical parking device comprises a turntable arranged outside the entrance / exit door, and a turntable operation panel by which the user operates the turntable, and the turntable operation panel has a receiving unit that can process all operations related to the turntable using the same device as the device without the user touching the turntable operation panel.

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