Parking management system, parking management method, and parking management program

Abstract

To provide a parking management system, a parking management method, and a parking management program for presenting a parking position to a user without requiring special preparation of the user.SOLUTION: In a parking management system, a traffic line detection unit 11 detects a traffic line of a person getting off a vehicle, and a parking position estimation unit 12 estimates a parking position of the vehicle on the basis of the traffic line. A first biometric information acquisition unit 13 acquires first biometric information of the person getting off the vehicle, to store the parking position estimated by the parking position estimation unit 12 in association with the first biometric information on a storage unit 14. A second biometric information acquisition unit 15 acquires second biometric information of a person returning to a parking lot, to collate the second biometric information with the first biometric information stored in the storge unit 14. A parking position output unit 16 outputs information on the parking position associated with the first biometric information corresponding to the second biometric information, as a parking position of the vehicle that the person returning to the parking lot has got off.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a parking management system, a parking management method, and a parking management program that present parking location information to users. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a related technology that notifies users of the location of their parked vehicles in a parking lot.

[0003] The parking management system according to the related art requires users to make advance preparations to identify the parking location of their vehicle. Specifically, users are required to carry a device that receives notifications of the parking location and to take photos of the pillar numbers of the pillars that serve as landmarks in the parking lot. These advance preparations are burdensome for users. Furthermore, the parking management system according to the related art has the problem that if a user forgets to make these advance preparations, the system is unable to provide the user with parking location information.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses the following parking management system. The parking management system performs a matching process between facial information acquired by photographing the driver of a vehicle entering the parking lot and facial information acquired by photographing the face of the user using the search terminal. The parking management system searches for vehicle location information based on the facial information extracted by the matching process and notifies the user. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-055264 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The parking management system described in Patent Document 1 had to photograph vehicles moving to enter the parking lot and extract information such as the driver's facial information, vehicle license plate number, vehicle color, vehicle model, etc. It also had to track the vehicle with a camera and detect its location.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a parking management system, a parking management method, and a parking management program that can present parking locations to users without requiring the users to make any special preparations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A parking management system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a traffic path detection unit that detects the traffic path of a person who has exited a vehicle; a parking position estimation unit that estimates the parking position of the vehicle based on the traffic path detected by the traffic path detection unit; a first biometric information acquisition unit that acquires first biometric information of the person who has exited the vehicle; a memory unit that stores the parking position estimated by the parking position estimation unit and the first biometric information acquired by the first biometric information acquisition unit in association with each other; a second biometric information acquisition unit that acquires second biometric information of a person returning to a parking lot; and a parking position output unit that compares the first biometric information stored in the memory unit with the second biometric information and outputs the parking position information associated with the first biometric information corresponding to the second biometric information as the parking position of the vehicle from which the person returning to the parking lot exited.

[0009] A parking management method according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of acquiring movement line information of a person who has exited a vehicle, estimating the parking position of the vehicle based on the movement line information, acquiring first biometric information of the person who has exited the vehicle, linking and storing the parking position and the first biometric information, acquiring second biometric information of the person returning to the parking lot, comparing the first biometric information with the second biometric information, and outputting information on the parking position linked to the first biometric information based on the comparison result.

[0010] A parking management program according to one embodiment of the present invention causes a computer to perform the following steps: acquire an estimated parking location of a vehicle based on the movement path of a person who has exited the vehicle; acquire first biometric information of the person who has exited the vehicle; associate and store the parking location and the first biometric information; acquire second biometric information of the person returning to the parking lot; compare the first biometric information with the second biometric information; and, based on the comparison result, determine the parking location associated with the first biometric information as the parking location of the vehicle from which the person returning to the parking lot has exited. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a parking management system, a parking management method, and a parking management program that can present parking locations to users without requiring the users to make any special preparations. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a parking management system according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a parking management system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of application of a parking management system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of processing by the parking management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the parking management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of processing by the parking management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the parking management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a device that executes the processing of a parking management system according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Embodiment 1 Hereinafter, a parking management system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the parking management system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The parking management system 1 is a system that presents a vehicle's parking position to a user. As shown in FIG. 1, the parking management system 1 includes a traffic line detection unit 11, a parking position estimation unit 12, a first biometric information acquisition unit 13, a storage unit 14, a second biometric information acquisition unit 15, and a parking position output unit 16. The flow line detection unit 11 detects the flow line of a person who has exited a vehicle. The parking position estimation unit 12 estimates the parking position of the vehicle based on the flow line detected by the flow line detection unit 11. The first biometric information acquisition unit 13 acquires the first biometric information of the person who has exited the vehicle. The storage unit 14 stores the parking position estimated by the parking position estimation unit and the first biometric information acquired by the first biometric information acquisition unit in association with each other. The second biometric information acquisition unit 15 acquires the second biometric information of the person returning to the parking lot. The parking position output unit 16 compares the first biometric information stored in the memory unit 14 with the second biometric information, and outputs the parking position information linked to the first biometric information corresponding to the second biometric information as the parking position of the vehicle where the person returning to the parking lot got out.

[0014] Here, the parking management system 1 executes processing related to a parking management method including the following steps. First, the flow line detection unit 11 detects the flow line of a person who has exited a vehicle. Next, the parking position estimation unit 12 estimates the parking position of the vehicle based on the flow line detected by the flow line detection unit 11. Next, the first biometric information acquisition unit 13 acquires first biometric information of the person who has exited the vehicle. Next, the memory unit 14 associates the parking position estimated by the parking position estimation unit with the first biometric information acquired by the first biometric information acquisition unit and stores them. Next, the second biometric information acquisition unit 15 acquires second biometric information of the person returning to the parking lot. Next, the parking position output unit 16 compares the first biometric information stored in the memory unit 14 with the second biometric information, and outputs parking position information associated with the first biometric information corresponding to the second biometric information as the parking position of the vehicle from which the person returning to the parking lot exited.

[0015] According to the parking management system 1 according to the first embodiment, it is possible to present a parking location to a user without requiring the user to make any special preparations.

[0016] Embodiment 2 Hereinafter, a parking management system 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 8. First, the configuration of the parking management system 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the parking management system 1 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an application of the parking management system according to the second embodiment. The parking management system 1 is a system that presents the parking position of a vehicle to a user. As shown in Fig. 2, the parking management system 1 includes a traffic line detection unit 11, a parking position estimation unit 12, a first biometric information acquisition unit 13, a storage unit 14, a second biometric information acquisition unit 15, and a parking position output unit 16.

[0017] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 , a parking management device is configured including a camera for capturing images of a person, a parking location management device, and a parking location information terminal, and functions as a parking management system 1. The camera, parking location management device, and parking location information terminal each incorporate a flow path detection unit 11, a parking location estimation unit 12, a first biometric information acquisition unit 13, a memory unit 14, a second biometric information acquisition unit 15, a parking location output unit 16, a control unit 17, a first communication unit 181, a second communication unit 182, and some or all of an operation unit 19 to function as a system that presents a vehicle's parking location to a user. The parking location management device is a device that stores various information used to present a parking location to a user. The parking location management device is linked to the camera and the parking location management terminal and is configured to be able to transmit and receive information to and from the camera and the parking location management terminal. The parking location information terminal is a terminal that a user operates when returning to the parking lot to know their parking location. The parking location information terminal is installed, for example, near the entrance or exit of the parking lot.

[0018] The traffic line detection unit 11 has a first camera 111 and a first image processing unit 112. The first camera 111 captures an image of the entire parking lot. The first camera 111 is installed so as to be able to capture images of people in the parking lot while avoiding obstructions. For example, the first camera 111 is mounted on a pole or the like installed in the parking lot, and is positioned to overlook the entire parking lot. As another example, the first camera 111 is installed on the ceiling of the parking lot, and is positioned to overlook the entire parking lot.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first camera 111 may be, for example, a plurality of parking lot cameras. As a specific example, the first camera 111 may be three parking lot cameras 111a, 111b, and 111c. The number of parking lot cameras is determined appropriately depending on factors such as the camera's coverage area and the size of the parking lot. The parking lot cameras 111a, 111b, and 111c are each installed on a pole or ceiling, and are positioned to overlook a portion of the parking lot. The parking lot cameras 111a, 111b, and 111c each have a coverage area covering a portion of the parking lot, and together with each other's coverage areas, they capture the entire parking lot. For example, as shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 3, the coverage areas of the parking lot cameras 111a, 111b, and 111c each adapt to the shape of the parking lot in one direction and complement each other's coverage areas to adapt to the shape of the parking lot in the other direction. Parking lot camera 111a is positioned so that its imaging range is adjacent to that of parking lot camera 111b, and parking lot camera 111b is positioned so that its imaging range is adjacent to that of parking lot camera 111c. Preferably, the imaging ranges of parking lot camera 111a and parking lot camera 111b partially overlap, and the imaging ranges of parking lot camera 111b and parking lot camera 111c partially overlap.

[0020] The first image processing unit 112 detects the movement path of a person who has exited a vehicle based on images captured by the first camera 111. Here, if there are multiple people who have exited a vehicle, the first image processing unit 112 detects the movement paths of all of the people. The first image processing unit 112 is built into the parking location management device. The first image processing unit 112 is, for example, multiple first image processing units 112a, 112b, and 112c provided to correspond to three parking lot cameras 111a, 111b, and 111c. The first image processing units 112a, 112b, and 112c detect the movement path of the person based on images captured by the parking lot cameras 111a, 111b, and 111c, respectively. Furthermore, if the first biometric information acquisition unit 13 does not acquire the biometric information of a person and the first image processing unit 112 detects that the person has left the range of the first camera 111, the first image processing unit 112 deletes the information on the detected movement path of the person.

[0021] The parking position estimation unit 12 estimates the parking position of the vehicle based on the traffic line detected by the traffic line detection unit 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the parking position estimation unit 12 has, for example, a first image judgment unit 121. The first image judgment unit 121 is built into the parking position management device. The first image judgment unit 121 estimates the parking position of the vehicle based on the traffic line detected by the first image processing unit 112. The first image judgment unit 121 estimates the parking position of the vehicle based on, for example, the traffic line of a person detected by each of the multiple first image processing units 112a, 112b, and 112c.

[0022] The first biometric information acquisition unit 13 acquires first biometric information of a person who has exited a vehicle. Here, the first biometric information is, for example, biometric information acquired by face authentication. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first biometric information acquisition unit 13 has, for example, a second camera 131, a second image processing unit 132, and a second image determination unit 133.

[0023] The second camera 131 is installed at the entrance / exit of the parking lot. The second camera 131 captures, for example, an image of a person who arrives at the entrance / exit of the parking lot via the imaging range of the first camera 111. As shown by the dashed line in FIG. 3, the second camera 131 is preferably installed so that its imaging range at least partially overlaps with the imaging range of the first camera 111. The second image processing unit 132 outputs the image captured by the second camera 131. The second image judgment unit 133 extracts a first facial image of the person from the image output by the second image processing unit 132 and sets it as first biometric information. The second image processing unit 132 and the second image judgment unit 133 are built into the parking location management device.

[0024] The storage unit 14 stores the parking position estimated by the parking position estimation unit 12 and the first biometric information acquired by the first biometric information acquisition unit 13 in association with each other. That is, the storage unit 14 acquires the parking position from the first image judgment unit 121 and the first biometric information from the second image judgment unit 133. The storage unit 14 stores the acquired parking position and first biometric information in association with each other.

[0025] The second biometric information acquisition unit 15 acquires second biometric information of a person returning to the parking lot. Here, the second biometric information is biometric information that can be matched with the first biometric information. That is, in this embodiment, the second biometric information is biometric information acquired by face authentication. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the second biometric information acquisition unit 15 has, for example, a third camera 151, a third image processing unit 152, and a third image determination unit 153.

[0026] The third camera 151 is installed so as to be able to photograph a person returning to a parking lot. The third camera 151 is incorporated into, for example, a parking location information terminal. The third camera 151 photographs, for example, a person who starts operating the parking location information terminal. The third image processing unit 152 outputs the image photographed by the third camera 151. The third image processing unit 152 is built into, for example, the parking location information terminal. The third image judgment unit 153 extracts a second facial image of the person from the image output by the third image processing unit 152 and sets it as second biometric information. The third image judgment unit 153 is built into, for example, a parking location management device.

[0027] The parking position output unit 16 compares the first biometric information stored in the memory unit 14 with the second biometric information, and outputs parking position information linked to the first biometric information corresponding to the second biometric information as the parking position of the vehicle where the person returning to the parking lot got out. The parking position output unit 16 has, for example, a comparison unit 161 and a display unit 162.

[0028] The matching unit 161 is built into, for example, the parking location management device. When the matching unit 161 acquires the second biometric information from the third image determination unit 153, the matching unit 161 matches the second biometric information with the first biometric information stored in the storage unit 14. The matching unit 161 detects the first biometric information corresponding to the second biometric information, and outputs information on the parking location linked to the detected first biometric information.

[0029] The display unit 162 displays the parking location information output by the collating unit 161. The display unit 162 is provided, for example, in a parking location information terminal. The display unit 162 is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The display unit 162 presents the parking location information to the person by, for example, displaying a floor plan of the parking lot and marking the parking location.

[0030] The control unit 17 executes various processes for presenting parking locations to parking lot users. The control unit 17 is built into, for example, a parking location information terminal. The control unit 17 receives input from, for example, the operation unit 19, and executes processes for presenting parking locations to users.

[0031] The first communication unit 181 and the second communication unit 182 are configured to be able to transmit and receive various information to and from each component connected by wire or wirelessly. For example, the first communication unit 181 is built into the parking location management device, and the second communication unit 182 is built into the parking location information terminal. The first communication unit 181 and the second communication unit 182 mutually transmit and receive various information output from the various components built into the parking location management device and the various components built into the parking location information terminal.

[0032] The operation unit 19 is provided in the parking location information terminal and receives various inputs for operating the terminal. The operation unit 19 is used, for example, by a person returning to a parking lot to receive information about a parking location. The operation unit 19 is, for example, an operation panel attached to the parking location information terminal or a touch panel provided on the display unit 162.

[0033] Next, the processing of the parking management system 1 up to the acquisition of parking location information and first biometric information will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing of the parking management system 1 up to the acquisition of parking location information and first biometric information. First, in step S101, a person gets out of a vehicle parked in a parking lot. Next, in step S102, the first camera 111 takes an image of the person. Next, in step S103, as the person moves within the parking lot, as shown in Figure 3, the first image processing unit 112 creates a movement line of the person.

[0034] Here, in step S104, when the person arrives at the entrance / exit of the parking lot, the first image processing unit 112 notifies the first image determination unit 121 of the created flow line. The first image determination unit 121 notifies the second image determination unit 133 of the parking position estimated based on the flow line. The second camera 131 also captures an image of the person, and the second image processing unit 132 outputs the image captured by the second camera 131 to the second image determination unit 133. The second image determination unit 133 extracts a first facial image of the person and acquires it as first biometric information. The second image determination unit 133 then associates the parking position information with the first biometric information, stores them in the storage unit 14, and ends the processing.

[0035] On the other hand, in step S105, if the person leaves the parking lot from a location other than the entrance / exit, the first image processing unit 112 deletes the created flow line and ends the process.

[0036] Next, the processing of the parking management system 1 up to the acquisition of parking location information and first biometric information will be described using Figures 3 and 5. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of the parking management system 1 up to the acquisition of parking location information and first biometric information. First, in step S201, a person gets out of a vehicle parked in a parking lot. Next, in step S202, the person moves within the parking lot. Next, in step S203, the first image processing unit 112 creates a movement line of the person based on images captured by the first camera 111.

[0037] Next, in step S204, it is determined whether the person has reached the entrance / exit of the parking lot. This determination is made, for example, based on whether the second image processing unit 132 has acquired an image using the second camera 131. If the person has reached the entrance / exit of the parking lot (YES in step S204), the process proceeds to step S205. On the other hand, if the person has not reached the entrance / exit of the parking lot (NO in step S204), the process proceeds to step S209.

[0038] In step S205, the first image processing unit 112 finishes creating the traffic line. Next, in step S206, the first image judgment unit 121 estimates the parking position based on the detected traffic line. Next, in step S207, the second image judgment unit 133 acquires the person's first biometric information. Next, in step S208, the second image judgment unit 133 associates the parking position with the first biometric information, stores it in the storage unit 14, and ends the process.

[0039] In step S209, if the person has left the shooting range of first camera 111 (YES in step S209), the process proceeds to step S210, and if the person has not left the shooting range of first camera 111 (NO in step S209), the process returns to step S203. In step S210, first image processing unit 112 deletes the created flow line and ends the process.

[0040] Next, referring to FIG. 6, the processing of the parking management system 1 from when a parking lot user returns to the parking lot and receives information about a parking location will be described. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing of the parking management system from when a parking lot user returns to the parking lot and receives information about a parking location. First, in step S301, the parking lot user enters the shooting range of the third camera 151. Next, in step S302, the third camera 151 starts shooting the user. Next, in step S303, the image captured by the third camera 151 is output by the third image processing unit 152 to the third image determination unit 153. Next, in step S304, the third image determination unit 153 extracts a second face image from the image and acquires it as second biometric information of the user.

[0041] Next, in step S305, the second biometric information is transmitted from the third image determination unit 153 to the matching unit 161. Next, in step S306, the matching unit 161 matches the second biometric information with the first biometric information stored in the memory unit 14, and requests parking location information linked to the corresponding first biometric information. Next, in step S307, the parking location information is output to the display unit 162. Next, in step S308, the parking location information is displayed on the display unit 162, thereby presenting the parking location information to the user, and the process ends.

[0042] Next, the processing of the parking management system 1 from when a parking lot user returns to the parking lot and receives a parking location indication will be described using Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of the parking management system 1 from when a parking lot user returns to the parking lot and receives a parking location indication.

[0043] First, in step S401, it is determined whether the user is within the shooting range of the third camera 151. If it is determined that the user is within the shooting range of the third camera 151 (YES in step S401), the process proceeds to step S402. If it is not determined that the user is within the shooting range of the third camera 151 (NO in step S401), the process of step S401 is repeated. In step S402, the third image determination unit 153 acquires second biometric information based on the image output by the third image processing unit 152. Next, in step S403, the matching unit 161 matches the second biometric information with the first biometric information stored in the storage unit 14, and outputs parking location information linked to the first biometric information corresponding to the second biometric information. Next, in step S404, the display unit 162 displays the parking location information output by the matching unit 161, and the process ends.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 8, the parking management system 1 includes a network interface 1201, a processor 1202, and a memory 1203. The network interface 1201 is used to communicate with other network node devices constituting a communication system. The network interface 1201 may include, for example, a network interface card (NIC) conforming to the IEEE 802.3 series. Alternatively, the network interface 1201 may be used to perform wireless communication. For example, the network interface 1201 may be used to perform wireless LAN communication or mobile communication defined by 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project).

[0045] The processor 1202 reads and executes software (computer programs) from the memory 1203 to perform the processing of the parking management system 1 described using sequence diagrams and flowcharts in the above-mentioned embodiments. The processor 1202 may be, for example, a microprocessor, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 1202 may include multiple processors.

[0046] The memory 1203 is configured by a combination of volatile memory and non-volatile memory. The memory 1203 may include storage located remotely from the processor 1202. In this case, the processor 1202 may access the memory 1203 via an I / O interface (not shown).

[0047] 8, the memory 1203 is used to store software modules. The processor 1202 reads and executes these software modules from the memory 1203, thereby performing the processing of the parking management system 1 described in the above embodiment.

[0048] As explained using Figure 8, each of the processors included in the parking management system 1 executes one or more programs containing instructions for causing a computer to perform the algorithms explained using the drawings.

[0049] In the above examples, the program can be stored and supplied to a computer using various types of non-transitory computer-readable media. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic recording media, magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R / Ws, and semiconductor memories. Magnetic recording media may be, for example, flexible disks, magnetic tapes, and hard disk drives. Semiconductor memories may be, for example, mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs (Random Access Memory). The program may also be supplied to a computer by various types of transitory computer-readable media. Examples of transitory computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The transitory computer-readable media may be supplied to a computer via wired communication paths such as electric wires and optical fibers, or via wireless communication paths.

[0050] According to the parking management system 1 of the second embodiment, it is possible to present a parking location to a user without requiring the user to make any special preparations.

[0051] Furthermore, the parking management system 1 detects the movement line of a person who has exited a vehicle using the first image processing unit 112 based on images captured by the first camera 111 that captures the entire parking lot. Then, the first image determination unit 121 estimates the parking position based on the movement line detected by the first image processing unit 112. According to this parking management system 1, it is possible to detect the movement line of a person who has exited a vehicle and estimate the parking position of the person based on the detected movement line.

[0052] The parking management system 1 also photographs a person using a second camera 131 installed at the entrance / exit of the parking lot, and outputs the image using a second image processing unit 132. The second image determination unit 133 extracts a first facial image of the person from the image output by the second image processing unit 132 and sets the extracted image as first biometric information. This parking management system 1 can acquire first biometric information by facial recognition of a person moving near the entrance / exit of the parking lot. In other words, the parking management system 1 can acquire first biometric information without requiring the user to carry any special device. The parking management system 1 also photographs a person returning to the parking lot using a third camera 151, and outputs the image using a third image processing unit 152. The third image determination unit 153 extracts a second facial image of the person from the image output by the third image processing unit 152 and sets the extracted image as second biometric information. This parking management system 1 can acquire parking location information linked to the first biometric information by performing facial recognition on a user returning to the parking lot and comparing the extracted image with the first biometric information. That is, since the parking management system 1 can present the parking location to the user through facial authentication of the user, the user does not need to make any particular preparations or bring any particular items to receive the parking location information.

[0053] The parking management system 1 also captures the entire parking lot using multiple parking lot cameras 111a, 111b, and 111c. The image capturing ranges of the parking lot cameras 111a and 111b, or the image capturing ranges of the parking lot cameras 111b and 111c, partially overlap with each other. In areas where the image capturing ranges overlap, the parking management system 1 can change the parking lot camera and the associated first image processing unit used to detect a person's movement path, while also inheriting the information on the detected movement path. Furthermore, when a person is in a position that is blocked by an obstruction, the image captured by one parking lot camera can be supplemented by another parking lot camera. This parking management system 1 can improve the accuracy of detecting a person's movement path.

[0054] Furthermore, the parking management system 1 has a part of the imaging range of the second camera 131 overlapped with the imaging range of the first camera 111. Such a parking management system 1 can acquire the first biometric information while detecting the movement line of a person near the entrance and exit of the parking lot. Such a parking management system 1 can improve the accuracy of linking the parking position information with the first biometric information.

[0055] Furthermore, when the parking management system 1 detects that a person who has exited a vehicle has left the shooting range of the first camera 111 without passing through the shooting range of the second camera 131, it deletes the movement path of the detected person. Such a parking management system 1 can exclude movement paths that are unnecessary for linking parking location information with the first biometric information. Such a parking management system 1 can distinguish between users and non-users of the parking lot, and can improve the accuracy of linking parking location information with the first biometric information.

[0056] Furthermore, when there are multiple people who have exited a vehicle, the parking management system 1 detects the movement of all people using the movement line detection unit 11 and acquires the first biometric information of all people using the first biometric information acquisition unit 13. Such parking management system 1 acquires multiple movement lines and multiple pieces of first biometric information of people who have exited the same vehicle, thereby improving the accuracy of estimating the parking location. Furthermore, since the parking management system 1 holds multiple pieces of first biometric information linked to parking location information, when multiple pieces of second biometric information are acquired by the second biometric information acquisition unit 15, the accuracy of matching the first biometric information with the second biometric information can be improved, and parking location information can be more reliably presented to the user.

[0057] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and may be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, although an example in which the first biometric information and the second biometric information are acquired by facial recognition has been described, the present invention is not limited to this. The first biometric information and the second biometric information can be set as appropriate as long as they can distinguish a specific person from other people. For example, various authentication methods such as iris recognition, fingerprint / palm print recognition, fingerprint / vein recognition, voice recognition, and ear acoustic recognition can be used to acquire the first biometric information and the second biometric information. When using these methods, for example, the parking location information terminal may be provided with input means suitable for each authentication method, or the user may be prompted to input information into the input means or to carry the necessary equipment. However, in order to achieve a configuration that does not require special preparations from the user, it is preferable to acquire the first biometric information and the second biometric information by facial recognition.

[0058] The parking management system 1 may also be configured to compare the time at which the parking location is estimated with the time at which the first biometric information is acquired. For example, the parking management system 1 includes a parking location estimation unit 12 that further records the time at which the parking location is estimated, and a first biometric information acquisition unit 13 that further records the time at which the first biometric information is acquired. Taking advantage of the fact that the time at which the parking location is estimated and the time at which the first biometric information is acquired are approximately the same, the parking management system 1 can estimate parking location information corresponding to the first biometric information by comparing the time at which the parking location is estimated with the time at which the first biometric information is acquired. Even if there is a defect in the process of linking the parking location with the first biometric information, the parking management system 1 can acquire second biometric information, estimate parking location information by comparing the times based on the first biometric information corresponding to the second biometric information, and present the parking location information to the user.

[0059] It should be noted that the parking management system 1 does not necessarily need to provide the user with an exact parking location. If the parking management system 1 can provide an approximate parking location, it can guide the user to the vicinity of the parking location. The user can then locate their own parking location on their own. For example, if multiple vehicles accidentally park in nearby parking locations at approximately the same time and many people get out of the vehicles and move around, it is expected that the multiple traffic paths will become intertwined and the parking location will not be accurately linked to the first biometric information. However, even in such a situation, the parking management system 1 can guide the user to at least the nearby parking location, allowing the user to reach their parking location without any problems.

[0060] Although the example in which the display unit 162 displays a screen with a parking location marked has been described, the display method can be set appropriately as long as the parking location can be presented to the user. For example, the display unit 162 may indicate the parking location by displaying the route taken by the user using information on the flow line detected by the flow line detection unit 11. Furthermore, when there are multiple routes to reach the parking location, the display unit 162 may indicate the shortest route to the parking location.

[0061] The means for presenting the parking location to the user is not limited to displaying on the display unit 162. For example, the parking management system 1 may be configured to be able to communicate with a communication terminal carried by the user, and the parking location information may be transmitted to the communication terminal. However, displaying on the display unit 162 is preferable as a configuration that does not require special preparation by the user.

[0062] The parking management system 1 can also be similarly applied to a multi-story parking garage. Specifically, the number of traffic flow detection units 11 and first biometric information acquisition units 13 can be increased according to the number of floors of the parking garage. Here, the parking management system 1, for example, integrates various pieces of information acquired from the additional traffic flow detection units 11 and first biometric information acquisition units 13 using the existing parking position estimation unit 12, memory unit 14, and parking position output unit 16. The second biometric information acquisition unit 15, display unit 162, and operation unit 19 may be installed on each floor of the parking garage so that they are available on each floor. This parking management system 1 can provide a user with the parking location of their vehicle, regardless of which floor the vehicle is parked on, without requiring the user to make any special preparations. Furthermore, for example, when a user enters a parking lot on a different floor from the floor on which they parked, this parking management system 1 can provide the user with the parking location along with floor information. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1. Parking management system 11. Traffic flow detection unit 12 Parking position estimation unit 13 First biometric information acquisition unit 14 Storage section 15 Second biometric information acquisition unit 16 Parking position output unit 17 Control Unit 19 Control section 111 Camera 1 111a Parking Camera 111b Parking Camera 111c Parking Camera 112 First image processing unit 112a first image processing unit 112b First image processing unit 112c First image processing unit 121 First Image Judgment Unit 131 Second Camera 132 Second image processing unit 133 Second Image Judgment Unit 151 Third Camera 152 Third image processing unit 153 Third Image Judgment Department 161 Collation Unit 162 Display section 181 First Communications Department 182 Second Communications Department 1201 Network Interface 1202 processor 1203 memory

Claims

1. a flow line detection unit that detects the flow line of a person who has exited the vehicle; a parking position estimation unit that estimates a parking position of the vehicle based on the traffic line detected by the traffic line detection unit; a first biometric information acquisition unit that acquires first biometric information of the person who has exited the vehicle; a storage unit that stores the parking position estimated by the parking position estimation unit and the first biometric information acquired by the first biometric information acquisition unit in association with each other; a second biometric information acquisition unit that acquires second biometric information of a person returning to the parking lot; a parking position output unit that compares the first biometric information stored in the storage unit with the second biometric information and outputs the parking position information associated with the first biometric information corresponding to the second biometric information as the parking position of a vehicle where a person returning to the parking lot has exited; A parking management system comprising:

2. The flow line detection unit a first camera that captures an image of the entire parking lot; and a first image processing unit that detects the movement line of the person who has exited the vehicle based on the image captured by the first camera, The parking position estimation unit The parking management system according to claim 1 , further comprising a first image determination unit that estimates the parking position based on the traffic line detected by the first image processing unit.

3. The first biological information acquisition unit a second camera installed at an entrance / exit of the parking lot to photograph the person; and a second image processing unit that outputs the image photographed by the second camera. a second image determination unit that extracts a first facial image of the person from the image output by the second image processing unit and sets the first facial image as the first biometric information; The second biological information acquisition unit a third camera for photographing a person returning to the parking lot; a third image processing unit that outputs an image captured by the third camera; a third image determination unit that extracts a second face image of the person from the image output by the third image processing unit and sets the second face image as the second biometric information; The parking position output unit a matching unit that matches the first biometric information with the second biometric information stored in the storage unit; 3. The parking management system according to claim 2, further comprising a display unit that displays the parking location information linked to the first biometric information corresponding to the second biometric information as the parking location of a vehicle where a person returning to the parking lot has exited.

4. the first camera is a plurality of parking lot cameras; each of the plurality of parking lot cameras captures an image of a portion of the parking lot; The parking management system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the imaging range of the parking lot camera partially overlaps with the imaging range of the other parking lot cameras.

5. The parking management system according to claim 3, wherein the first image processing unit deletes information on the movement path of the person who has left when it detects that the person has left the shooting range of the first camera without passing through the shooting range of the second camera.

6. The parking management system according to claim 3 , wherein the imaging range of the second camera at least partially overlaps with the imaging range of the first camera.

7. If there are multiple people who have gotten off the vehicle, the flow line detection unit detects the flow lines of all people who have exited the vehicle; the parking position estimation unit estimates the parking position of the vehicle based on all of the traffic lines detected by the traffic line detection unit; the first biometric information acquisition unit acquires the first biometric information of all persons who have exited the vehicle; the storage unit stores the parking position estimated by the parking position estimation unit and all of the first biometric information acquired by the first biometric information acquisition unit in association with each other; the second biometric information acquisition unit acquires the second biometric information of a part or all of the people returning to the parking lot; 7. A parking management system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the parking position output unit compares the first biometric information stored in the memory unit with some or all of the second biometric information, and outputs the parking position information linked to the first biometric information corresponding to some or all of the second biometric information as the parking position of a vehicle where a person returning to the parking lot has exited.

8. A computer comprising: acquiring information on the movement of a person who has exited the vehicle; estimating a parking position of the vehicle based on the traffic line information; acquiring first biometric information of a person who has exited the vehicle; storing the parking position and the first biometric information in association with each other; acquiring second biometric information of a person returning to the parking lot; matching the first biometric information and the second biometric information; outputting information about the parking position linked to the first biometric information based on the matching result; A parking management method that implements the above.

9. acquiring a parking position of the vehicle estimated based on the movement of the person who got out of the vehicle; acquiring first biometric information of a person who has exited the vehicle; storing the parking position and the first biometric information in association with each other; acquiring second biometric information of a person returning to the parking lot; matching the first biometric information with the second biometric information; determining the parking location associated with the first biometric information based on the matching result as a parking location of a vehicle into which a person returning to the parking lot has exited; A parking management program that causes a computer to execute the above.

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