Mechanical parking devices, mechanical parking systems, programs, and methods for entering and exiting mechanical parking devices.

Abstract

To provide a mechanical parking device improving usability for users of vehicles upon loading / unloading vehicles to a loading / unloading chamber.SOLUTION: A mechanical parking device of the present invention is a mechanical parking device having a loading / unloading chamber 10 where a vehicle C is loaded and unloaded. The mechanical parking device comprises: a carriage 30 on which the vehicle is placed; a rotation device 50 rotating the carriage in the loading / unloading chamber; and a controller 60 controlling rotational motion of the rotation device. The controller includes: a receiving section 61 receiving rotation information used for control of the rotation device; and a control section 62 controlling the rotation motion based on the rotation information received with the receiving section.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a mechanical parking device, a mechanical parking system, a program, and a method for entering and exiting a mechanical parking device.

Background Art

[0002] Mechanical parking devices are used to park multiple vehicles in a limited space. Mechanical parking devices are installed underground in buildings such as condominiums, office buildings, and shopping centers, or are installed adjacent to buildings on the ground.

[0003] As an example of a mechanical parking device installed underground, a horizontal circulation type parking device (hereinafter referred to as "horizontal circulation type parking device") is known.

[0004] The horizontal circulation type parking device includes an entrance / exit room, an entrance / exit door, a lift passage, a storage space, a pallet, a lift, and a turning device (turntable). The entrance / exit room is a space where vehicles are entered and exited. The entrance / exit door opens and closes the entrance / exit of the entrance / exit room. The lift passage is a vertical conveyance path for the pallet that connects the entrance / exit room and the storage space. The storage space is an underground space partitioned into multiple storage floors, and each storage floor is partitioned into multiple storage sections for storing vehicles and pallets. The pallet is a conveyance floor on which a vehicle that has advanced into the entrance / exit room is placed (loaded). The pallet is vertically conveyed in the lift passage by the lifting of the lift and is horizontally conveyed in the underground storage space. The pallet is rectangular in plan view. In the storage space, the pallet is conveyed (longitudinal feed) in the longitudinal direction of the pallet (the front-rear direction of the vehicle placed on the pallet) and is conveyed (lateral feed) in the short side direction of the pallet (the width direction of the vehicle placed on the pallet). The lift raises and lowers the pallet on which a vehicle is placed or an empty pallet (hereinafter referred to as "empty pallet") in the lift passage. The turning device turns the pallet 90 degrees or 180 degrees in the entrance / exit room in order to advance a vehicle into or out of the entrance / exit room or to convey the pallet between the entrance / exit room and the storage space.

[0005] Some horizontal circulating parking systems are designed to improve convenience for vehicle users (e.g., drivers) by allowing vehicles to move forward into the parking area through the entrance / exit door when entering, and to move forward out of the parking area through the entrance / exit door (outside the parking area) when exiting (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This makes it possible to enter the parking area by moving the vehicle forward, thus making it easier for vehicles to enter the parking area. After parking the vehicle on the pallet, the vehicle user disembarks from the vehicle and exits the parking area.

[0006] Furthermore, the swivel device rotates the pallet on which the vehicle is placed 180 degrees to allow the vehicle, which has been transported from the storage space to the loading / unloading room, to move forward out of the loading / unloading room when the vehicle is being loaded out of the loading / unloading room. After the pallet on which the vehicle is placed has rotated, the vehicle user enters the loading / unloading room and boards the vehicle. In this way, when there is a loading / unloading door in the vehicle's forward direction, the vehicle can be easily loaded out of the loading / unloading room. For the safety of the vehicle user, the swivel device rotates the pallet before the vehicle user enters the loading / unloading room. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-52304

[0008] In recent years, there are not only vehicles where passengers board and alight from the left and right doors (hereinafter referred to as "left and right boarding / alighting type"), but also vehicles where passengers board and alight from the front door (hereinafter referred to as "front boarding / alighting type") or the rear door (hereinafter referred to as "rear boarding / alighting type"). In vehicles with front or rear boarding / alighting types, space is required in front of or behind the vehicle to open and close the doors.

[0009] Generally, in parking garages where vehicles enter and exit forward, the space behind the vehicle (towards the entrance / exit door) is wider than the space in front of the vehicle (away from the entrance / exit door). In this case, for example, with a front-entry vehicle, the front of the vehicle is facing the entrance / exit door when exiting. Therefore, vehicle users can easily disembark through the front door as they have ample space. On the other hand, when entering, the front of the vehicle is facing away from the entrance / exit door. Therefore, vehicle users have to disembark in a narrow space, making it difficult to disembark through the front door. This difficulty in entering and exiting through the front door is particularly pronounced for wheelchair users. For this reason, the convenience for vehicle users in front-entry vehicles is low.

[0010] Similarly, in vehicles with rear-entry / exit configurations, for example, the rear of the vehicle is oriented towards the entry / exit doors when entering the depot. Therefore, it is easy for passengers to alight from the rear doors. On the other hand, when leaving the depot, the rear of the vehicle is oriented away from the entry / exit doors. Therefore, passengers have to board in a narrow space, making it difficult to board from the rear doors. This difficulty in boarding and alighting from the rear doors is particularly pronounced for wheelchair users. For this reason, the convenience for passengers of vehicles with rear-entry / exit configurations is low.

[0011] Furthermore, for example, in vehicles with left and right-side entry / exit configurations, wheelchair users will find it easier to board and alight if the left and right doors are oriented towards the entrance / exit doors. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0012] The present invention aims to provide a mechanical parking device, a mechanical parking system, a program, and a method for entering and exiting the mechanical parking device, which can improve the convenience of vehicle users when entering and exiting a parking area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The mechanical parking system according to the present invention is a mechanical parking system having an entry / exit room where vehicles are entered and exited, comprising a carrier on which vehicles are placed, a slewing device for slewing the carrier in the entry / exit room, and a control device for controlling the slewing operation of the slewing device, wherein the control device comprises a receiving unit for receiving slewing information used for controlling the slewing device, and a control unit for controlling the slewing operation based on the slewing information received by the receiving unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the convenience of vehicle users when entering and exiting a vehicle storage area. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of the mechanical parking system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a functional block diagram of the mechanical parking device according to the present invention, which is included in the mechanical parking system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of a part of the configuration of the mechanical parking system. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of the control system included in the mechanical parking system. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of the operating terminals included in the mechanical parking system. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of information displayed on the display unit of the operating terminal in Figure 5 when the program according to the present invention is executed. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart showing the vehicle entry and exit operations for the mechanical parking device according to the present invention, as performed in the mechanical parking system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 8] This is the flowchart for the receiving process, which is included in the flowchart in Figure 7. [Figure 9] This is the flowchart for the outbound processing, which is included in the flowchart in Figure 7. [Figure 10]It is a schematic plan view showing an example of an embodiment of the vehicle storage operation into the mechanical parking device according to the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a schematic plan view showing an example of an embodiment of the vehicle retrieval operation from the mechanical parking device according to the present invention. [Figure 12] It is a schematic plan view showing another example of an embodiment of the vehicle storage operation into the mechanical parking device according to the present invention. [Figure 13] It is a schematic plan view showing another example of an embodiment of the vehicle retrieval operation from the mechanical parking device according to the present invention. [Figure 14] It is a schematic plan view showing still another example of an embodiment of the vehicle storage operation into the mechanical parking device according to the present invention. [Figure 15] It is a schematic plan view showing still another example of an embodiment of the vehicle retrieval operation from the mechanical parking device according to the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the mechanical parking device, the mechanical parking system, the program, and the vehicle storage / retrieval method of the mechanical parking device according to the present invention will be described while referring to the drawings. In each figure, the same members and elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0017] ●Mechanical Parking System● ●Configuration of the Mechanical Parking System FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of a mechanical parking system (hereinafter referred to as "this system") according to the present invention.

[0018] This system S includes a mechanical parking device (hereinafter referred to as "this device") 1 according to the present invention and an operation terminal T. In this system S, an operation signal for instructing the operation (storage operation, retrieval operation) of this device 1 is transmitted (output) from the operation terminal T to this device 1, and this device 1 operates based on the operation signal.

[0019] The "operation signal" is a signal that instructs the operation of this device 1, and includes, for example, turning information and vehicle information, which will be described later. The "vehicle information" is information about vehicle C (see Figure 3) stored in this device 1 (for example, the license plate number of vehicle C).

[0020] This device 1 stores multiple vehicles C. The specific configuration of this device 1 will be described later.

[0021] The operating terminal T transmits (outputs) an operation signal to the device 1. The operating terminal T is, for example, a portable mobile terminal, a non-portable control panel installed in the device 1, or a car navigation system mounted in a vehicle C that can communicate with the mobile terminal via a wireless communication line such as Bluetooth®. The specific configuration of the operating terminal T will be described later.

[0022] ●Mechanical parking system● ●Mechanical parking system configuration Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of this device 1. Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of a part of the configuration of this device 1. For the sake of clarity, Figure 2 shows the operating terminal T with a dashed line. Figure 3 shows the vehicle C placed on the pallet 30, which will be described later, in the loading / unloading room 10, which will be described later. Also, in Figures 2 and 3, other parts of the configuration of this device 1 are omitted for the sake of clarity. In the following description of this device 1, Figure 1 will be referred to as appropriate.

[0023] The device 1 comprises a storage space (not shown), a hoistway (not shown), a lifting device (not shown), an entry / exit room 10, an entry / exit door 20, a pallet 30, an opening 40h, a swivel device 50, a control device 60, a detection sensor 70, and a vehicle sensor 80.

[0024] In the following description, the embodiment of the device 1 will be described using a horizontal circulating parking system that allows a vehicle C to enter and exit the parking space forward as an example. In the following description, when a vehicle C enters the parking space 10 (hereinafter referred to as "entry"), the front of the vehicle C placed on the pallet 30 that is transported from the parking space 10 to the storage area (storage space) will be facing forward. In the following description, when a vehicle C is exited from the parking space 10 (hereinafter referred to as "exit"), the pallet 30 that has been transported from the storage area to the parking space 10 will be rotated 180 degrees so that the front of the vehicle C is facing backward. In the following description, "the state in which the front of the vehicle C placed on the pallet 30 is facing forward" will be referred to as the "initial entry state," and "the state in which the front of the vehicle C placed on the pallet 30 is facing backward" will be referred to as the "initial exit state."

[0025] Here, in this specification, the forward, backward, left, right, up, and down directions refer to the forward, backward, left, right, up, and down directions of a vehicle C entering the pallet 30 in the loading / unloading compartment 10. That is, for example, "forward" is the direction in which vehicle C enters the pallet 30 in the loading / unloading compartment 10 (hereinafter referred to as the "entry direction"), and "rear" is the direction in which vehicle C exits the pallet 30 in the loading / unloading compartment 10 (hereinafter referred to as the "exit direction"). Details of the loading / unloading compartment 10, the pallet 30, and the storage area will be described later.

[0026] The storage space is a space where multiple vehicles C are stored. The storage space is an underground space that is divided into any number of storage floors, with multiple storage units divided into each storage floor. The storage unit is an area where the vehicles C and pallets 30 are stored.

[0027] The elevator shaft is a transport path that connects the loading / unloading room 10 and the storage space, and transports pallets 30 vertically. A lifting device moves up and down within the elevator shaft.

[0028] The lifting device moves the pallet 30 up and down within the elevator shaft, thereby transporting (moving) the pallet 30 between the loading / unloading room 10 and the storage space.

[0029] The loading / unloading room 10 is a space through which vehicles C are loaded and unloaded via loading / unloading doors 20. The loading / unloading room 10 is installed, for example, on the ground above the storage space. That is, for example, the loading / unloading room 10 is on the ground floor. When loading, vehicles C are loaded forward into the loading / unloading room 10 from the outside. When unloading, vehicles C are loaded forward out of the loading / unloading room 10 from the inside to the outside.

[0030] The entrance / exit door 20 is a door that opens and closes the entrance / exit to the entrance / exit room 10. The entrance / exit door 20 also functions as a door for vehicle C and the user of vehicle C (for example, the driver) to enter and exit the entrance / exit room 10. That is, for example, the user of vehicle C enters the interior of the entrance / exit room 10 through the entrance / exit door 20 to board vehicle C which is placed on pallet 30. The user of vehicle C also disembarks from vehicle C which is placed on pallet 30 and exits the entrance / exit door 20 to the outside of the entrance / exit room 10. The entrance / exit door 20 is an example of a door in the present invention.

[0031] Furthermore, vehicle users may enter and exit the storage area through a door other than the entrance / exit door. In this case, the device has a user entrance / exit door used for vehicle users to enter and exit the storage area.

[0032] Pallet 30 is a transport floor on which vehicle C is placed. Pallet 30 is transported vertically between the loading / unloading compartment 10 and the storage space in the elevator shaft, and is also transported horizontally in the storage space and stored in the storage section. In plan view, pallet 30 is a rectangular shape that is long in the front-to-back direction. Pallet 30 is an example of a carrier in the present invention.

[0033] The opening 40h is a rectangular hole that is elongated in the front-to-back direction in a plan view, connecting the loading / unloading compartment 10 and the elevator shaft. The opening 40h is located approximately in the center of the swivel device 50 (turntable 52, described later). The pallet 30 is transported between the loading / unloading compartment 10 and the elevator shaft through the opening 40h. The opening area of ​​the opening 40h is slightly larger than the flat area of ​​the pallet 30. When a vehicle C is ready to be loaded (or unloaded) into the loading / unloading compartment 10, the pallet 30 is placed in the opening 40h.

[0034] The swivel device 50 rotates the pallet 30 in the loading / unloading room 10 to change the orientation of the vehicle C placed on the pallet 30. The swivel device 50 comprises a drive unit 51, a turntable 52, and a pallet support device (not shown). When the pallet 30 is placed in the opening 40h, the upper surface of the turntable 52 (swivel device 50), together with the upper surface of the pallet 30 and the floor of the loading / unloading room 10, forms a substantially flat surface that is barrier-free.

[0035] The drive unit 51 rotates the turntable 52 based on rotation information from the control device 60. The drive unit 51 is a drive motor that rotates the turntable 52. The turntable 52 rotates indirectly by rotating under the drive of the drive unit 51, thereby rotating the pallet 30. In other words, the rotation device 50 rotates the pallet 30. The turntable 52 is roughly disc-shaped and constitutes part of the floor of the loading / unloading room 10. The pallet support device supports the pallet 30 placed in the opening 40h. The drive unit 51 is driven based on rotation information, which will be described later. When the drive unit 51 is driven, the rotation device 50 rotates either the pallet 30 supported by the pallet support device alone, or the pallet 30 on which the vehicle C is placed.

[0036] Figure 4 is a functional block diagram of the control device 60. In the following description of the control device 60, Figures 2 and 3 will be referenced as appropriate.

[0037] The control device 60 controls the operation of the entire device 1 (for example, the opening and closing of the entry / exit door 20, the rotation operation of the swivel device 50, etc.). The control device 60 comprises a receiving unit 61, a control unit 62, and a storage unit 63.

[0038] The receiving unit 61 receives turning information from the operating terminal T, which is operated by the user of the vehicle C, via a wireless communication line.

[0039] The control unit 62 controls the operation of the entire device 1 (for example, the opening and closing of the entry / exit door 20, the rotation operation of the rotation device 50, etc.). The control unit 62 is composed of a processor such as a microcontroller or a CPU (Central Processing Unit). "Rotation operation" refers to, for example, the operation of rotating the pallet 30 (turntable 52) 90 degrees clockwise (right) or counterclockwise (left) or 180 degrees in a plan view. In the following description, "+90 degree rotation" means rotating 90 degrees clockwise, and "+180 degree rotation" means rotating 180 degrees clockwise. Also, "-90 degree rotation" means rotating 90 degrees counterclockwise, and "-180 degree rotation" means rotating 180 degrees counterclockwise. A detailed explanation of the operation of the control unit 62 will be given later.

[0040] The memory unit 63 stores information necessary for the rotation operation of the rotation device 50 (for example, rotation information, entry / exit door position information, and vehicle information). The memory unit 63 is, for example, an information storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive). "Rotation information" is information used to control the rotation device 50, and for example, the door position information of vehicle C and the position information of the driver's seat of vehicle C. "Entry / exit door position information" is information indicating the position where the entry / exit door 20 is located in the entry / exit compartment 10. "Door position information" is the position information of the door used by users of vehicle C when boarding or alighting in the entry / exit compartment 10. In other words, for example, the door position information is "left and right doors (right door, left door)" if the vehicle C is designed so that passengers board and alight from the left and right doors (hereinafter referred to as "left and right boarding / alighting type"), "front door" if the vehicle C is designed so that passengers board and alight from the front door (hereinafter referred to as "front boarding / alighting type"), and "rear door" if the vehicle C is designed so that passengers board and alight from the rear door (hereinafter referred to as "rear boarding / alighting type"). "Left and right doors (right door, left door)", "front door", and "rear door" are examples of "boarding / alighting doors" in vehicle C. "Driver's seat position information" is information indicating the position of the driver's seat in vehicle C (information indicating whether it is right-hand drive or left-hand drive).

[0041] In this invention, the information stored in the memory unit is not limited to turning information, entry / exit position information, and vehicle information. That is, for example, the information stored in the memory unit may be any of the turning information, entry / exit position information, and vehicle information, or other information, or information including these.

[0042] Furthermore, in the present invention, the turning information is not limited to door position information and driver's seat position information. That is, for example, the turning information may be either door position information or driver's seat position information, or other information, or information including these.

[0043] The detection sensor 70 detects foreign objects inside the loading / unloading room 10. "Foreign objects" refer to people, animals, or user luggage, or any person or object other than the vehicle C placed on the pallet 30 inside the loading / unloading room 10. In other words, the detection sensor 70 does not detect people, animals, luggage, etc., that are inside the vehicle C. That is, the detection sensor 70 detects foreign objects that are inside the loading / unloading room 10 and located outside the vehicle C placed on the pallet 30. The detection sensor 70 is, for example, a known three-dimensional range sensor using so-called 3D-LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology, or a millimeter-wave sensor that detects foreign objects by irradiating millimeter waves. The detection sensor 70 is placed, for example, on the floor of the loading / unloading room 10, or on the interior wall (hereinafter referred to as "interior wall").

[0044] In this invention, the detection sensor may be a photoelectric sensor or other sensors such as a camera device consisting of multiple cameras that photograph the inside of the loading / unloading room.

[0045] The vehicle sensor 80 detects whether or not vehicle C is parked in a predetermined position on the pallet 30. The "predetermined position" is a suitable location on the upper surface of the pallet 30 where vehicle C is placed. The vehicle sensor 80 is a known photoelectric sensor, for example, composed of a light emitter (not shown) and a light receiver (not shown). The vehicle sensor 80 is positioned, for example, on the inner wall of the loading / unloading compartment 10.

[0046] In this invention, the vehicle sensor may also be a camera device consisting of multiple cameras that photograph the inside of the entry / exit compartment.

[0047] ●Operating Terminal● ● Configuration of the operating terminal Figure 5 is a functional block diagram of the operating terminal T. For the sake of clarity, the device 1 is shown with a dashed line in the diagram.

[0048] As mentioned above, the operating terminal T may be a portable mobile terminal, a non-portable control panel installed in the device 1, or a car navigation system mounted in a vehicle C that can communicate with the mobile terminal via a wireless communication line. The embodiments of the operating terminal T described below will be explained using the case where the operating terminal T is a mobile terminal as an example.

[0049] The operating terminal T is a mobile terminal with a dedicated application program installed that enables communication with the device 1. The "mobile terminal" is, for example, a smartphone carried by a user of vehicle C. On the operating terminal T, the program according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "this program") runs, and this program cooperates with the operating terminal's hardware to realize the method described later. This program is, for example, an application program dedicated to this system S. A detailed explanation of this program will be given later.

[0050] The operating terminal T comprises an input unit 100, a terminal control unit 110, a transmission unit 120, and a display unit 130.

[0051] The input unit 100 is the part where information is input by the user of the operation terminal T (for example, the driver of vehicle C, i.e., the user). For example, turning information is input to the input unit 100.

[0052] Furthermore, in this invention, the user of the operating terminal is not limited to the driver. That is, for example, the user of the operating terminal may be a passenger riding in the vehicle with the driver.

[0053] The terminal control unit 110 controls the operation of the entire operating terminal T. The terminal control unit 110 is composed of, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and semiconductor memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory). The terminal control unit 110 includes an acquisition unit 111.

[0054] The acquisition unit 111 acquires the turning information entered into the input unit 100 by the user of the operation terminal T.

[0055] The transmitting unit 120 transmits (outputs) an operation signal corresponding to the rotation information acquired by the acquiring unit 111 to the device 1.

[0056] The display unit 130 displays the information necessary for the user of the operating terminal T to input into the input unit 100. The input unit 100 and the display unit 130 are, for example, touch-panel displays on smartphones.

[0057] In this invention, the display unit may be a liquid crystal display without touch panel functionality. In this case, the input unit may be a physical button, such as an operation button.

[0058] ●Application Program● Next, an embodiment of this program will be described. This program is a program that operates on an operating terminal T that can communicate with the device 1. As mentioned above, this program is an application program installed on the operating terminal T. This program causes the operating terminal T to execute various information processing tasks, such as information display processing to display information on the display unit 130, information acquisition processing to acquire rotation information input to the input unit 100, and information transmission processing to send rotation information to the device 1.

[0059] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the information displayed on the display unit 130 when this program is executed. The figure is a schematic diagram showing an example of information displayed on the display unit 130 when the application program of the operating terminal T is executed. The figure also shows that, as an example of the information displayed on the display unit 130, the following are displayed: information related to the mechanical parking device for storing the vehicle C (T1), information related to the selection of entering or exiting the parking space (T2), information for identifying the vehicle C (T3), door position information (T4), driver's seat position information (T5), and information related to the rotation / stopping of the pallet 30 (T6).

[0060] "Information regarding the mechanical parking system (T1)" is, for example, information indicating the name of the mechanical parking system that the user of the operating terminal T can use to enter and exit the vehicle C. That is, the information regarding the mechanical parking system is, for example, information indicating the configuration of the entry / exit compartment 10 of the mechanical parking system (e.g., this device 1) that is compatible with this program. When the name of the mechanical parking system is selected by the user of the operating terminal T, the mechanical parking system (this device 1 in this embodiment) that communicates with the operating terminal T is determined.

[0061] "Information regarding the selection of receiving / receiving goods (T2)" is information indicating the operation to be performed by this device 1. The operations to be performed by this device 1 are, for example, receiving operations and receiving operations.

[0062] "Information regarding the rotation / stopping of pallet 30 (T6)" indicates the execution of rotation of pallet 30 located in the loading / unloading room 10, and the stopping of rotation of the pallet 30. While the user of the operation terminal T has selected to execute rotation of pallet 30 (while the "rotate" display is touched by the user of the operation terminal T), the rotation device 50 of this device 1 rotates pallet 30. While the user of the operation terminal T has not selected to execute rotation of pallet 30 (while the "rotate" display is not touched by the user of the operation terminal T), the rotation device 50 of this device 1 stops the rotation of pallet 30.

[0063] The information for identifying vehicle C (T3), door position information (T4), and driver's seat position information (T5) are information that is pre-registered by the user of the operating terminal T when this program is first launched (hereinafter referred to as "pre-registered information"). Because the pre-registered information is pre-registered, the user of the operating terminal T does not have to input the same information each time this program is launched. The pre-registered information can be changed (updated) due to reasons such as changes in vehicle C. In other words, the pre-registered information is updatable. The changed (updated) pre-registered information is transmitted to this device 1 and stored in the storage unit 63.

[0064] In this invention, the modified (updated) pre-registration information does not necessarily have to be stored in the storage unit (it does not necessarily have to overwrite the original pre-registration information). In other words, the original pre-registration information may remain in the storage unit.

[0065] Furthermore, in this invention, vehicle information, door position information, and driver's seat position information may be entered each time this program is started, without prior registration.

[0066] This program causes the operating terminal T to acquire various information by executing this program, and also transmits the acquired information to the device 1. In other words, this program causes the user of the operating terminal T to function as the acquisition unit 111 and the transmission unit 120 in this invention by executing this program.

[0067] ●Vehicle entry and exit procedures● Next, we will explain the vehicle C's entry and exit operations with respect to the device 1, which are performed by this system S.

[0068] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the vehicle C entering and leaving the device 1, which is performed by this system S.

[0069] First, the user of vehicle C operates the control terminal T, causing the control terminal T to execute this program. As a result, the control terminal T generates an operation signal based on the operation of the user of vehicle C (i.e., the user of the control terminal T) and transmits it to the receiving unit 61 (control device 60) of this device 1. At this time, the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines whether or not the operation signal from the control terminal T has been received by the receiving unit 61 (S1). At this time, information regarding the user of the control terminal T (for example, ID information to identify the user) is also transmitted to this device 1.

[0070] When the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines that an operation signal has been received by the receiving unit 61 ("Y" in S1), the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines whether the operation signal is an incoming signal or an outgoing signal (S2).

[0071] When the operation signal is an incoming signal (S2 "Incoming"), device 1 executes the incoming process (S3). On the other hand, when the operation signal is an outgoing signal (S2 "Outgoing"), device 1 executes the outgoing process (S4).

[0072] On the other hand, when the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines that no operation signal has been received ("N" in S1), the inventory in / out process of this device 1 returns to process S1.

[0073] ● Vehicle entry procedures Figure 8 is a flowchart of the receiving process (S3).

[0074] "Storage process (S3)" is the process of storing vehicle C in the device 1. In the storage process (S3) described below, it is assumed that vehicle C has arrived outside the storage compartment 10 of the device 1, in front of the storage door 20.

[0075] First, the control device 60 (control unit 62) opens the entry / exit door 20 based on the operation signal (entry signal) from the operation terminal T (S301). At this time, to ensure safety, passengers other than the driver of vehicle C disembark from vehicle C before the entry / exit door 20 opens, or before vehicle C enters the entry / exit room 10. In other words, the driver (user) of vehicle C remains on board vehicle C.

[0076] Next, the driver of vehicle C drives vehicle C into the entry / exit compartment 10 by moving it forward. At this time, the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines whether or not vehicle C has stopped at a predetermined position on the pallet 30 based on the detection result of the vehicle sensor 80 (S302).

[0077] If it is determined that vehicle C is not parked in the designated position ("N" in S302), the vehicle entry process (S3) returns to process S302.

[0078] On the other hand, when it is determined that vehicle C is parked in the designated position ("Y" in S302), the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines whether or not there are foreign objects inside the loading / unloading compartment 10 based on the detection result of the detection sensor 70 (S303).

[0079] When it is determined that there are no foreign objects inside the loading / unloading room 10 (when the detection sensor 70 does not detect any foreign objects) ("Y" in S303), the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines, for example, whether or not the user's pre-registered information is stored in the storage unit 63 based on the ID information (S304). On the other hand, when it is determined that there are foreign objects inside the loading / unloading room 10 (when the detection sensor 70 detects foreign objects) ("N" in S303), the loading process (S3) returns to process S303.

[0080] When the user's pre-registration information is stored in the storage unit 63 ("Y" in S304), the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines whether or not to perform a turning operation on the turning device 50 based on the pre-registration information (S305). On the other hand, when the user's pre-registration information is not stored in the storage unit 63 ("N" in S304), the control device 60 (control unit 62) displays a screen on the user's operation terminal T, which is occupied by the user in the vehicle C, prompting the user to input information (turning information) (S306). At this time, the turning information is transmitted to the control device 60. Next, the vehicle entry process (S3) returns to process S305, and the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines whether or not to perform a turning operation on the turning device 50 based on the turning information (S305).

[0081] When the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines that the swivel device 50 should be swiveled ("Y" in S305), it controls the swivel operation of the swivel device 50 based on pre-registered information or swivel information to swivel the pallet 30 (S307). Here, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the swivel operation of the swivel device 50 to swivel the pallet 30 when the user of vehicle C has selected to swivel the pallet 30 (while the "Swivel" display is touched by the user of the operation terminal T). As a result, the passenger doors of vehicle C placed on the pallet 30 are directed in the desired direction (for example, the direction registered in the pre-registered information: in this embodiment, the rear (direction of the entry / exit door 20)) (the orientation of vehicle C changes from the initial entry state).

[0082] Here, when the slewing device 50 is slewing the pallet 30, the control device 60 (control unit 62) stops and restarts the slewing operation of the slewing device 50 based on the detection results of the vehicle sensor 80 or the detection sensor 70. That is, for example, when the detection sensor 70 detects a foreign object, the control device 60 (control unit 62) stops the slewing operation of the slewing device 50 while the detection sensor 70 is detecting the foreign object, and restarts the slewing operation of the slewing device 50 when the detection sensor 70 no longer detects the foreign object.

[0083] On the other hand, when the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines that the swivel device 50 should not be rotated ("N" in S305), it controls the swivel operation of the swivel device 50 to prevent the pallet 30 from rotating. In other words, the orientation of the vehicle C remains the same as the initial state when it enters the storage facility.

[0084] Next, the user (driver) of vehicle C disembarks from vehicle C and exits to the outside of the entrance / exit room 10. At this time, the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines whether there is an abnormality inside the entrance / exit room 10 (displacement of vehicle C, presence or absence of foreign objects) based on the detection results of the detection sensor 70 and the vehicle sensor 80 (S308). If the detection sensor 70 and the vehicle sensor 80 do not detect an abnormality ("Y" in S308), the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines that there is no abnormality inside the entrance / exit room 10 (the inside of the entrance / exit room 10 is safe) and closes the entrance / exit door 20 (S309). On the other hand, when the detection sensor 70 and the vehicle sensor 80 detect an abnormality ("N" in S308), the control device 60 (control unit 62) does not close the entry / exit door 20 until the detection sensor 70 and the vehicle sensor 80 no longer detect an abnormality (i.e., the entry process (S3) returns to process S308).

[0085] Next, the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines whether the orientation of the vehicle C placed on the pallet 30 is the initial storage state (S310). If the orientation of the vehicle C placed on the pallet 30 is not the initial storage state ("N" in S310), the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation operation of the swivel device 50 to rotate the pallet 30 so that the orientation of the vehicle C is the initial storage state (S311). On the other hand, if the orientation of the vehicle C placed on the pallet 30 is the initial storage state ("Y" in S310), the control device 60 (control unit 62) does not rotate the swivel device 50. That is, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation operation of the swivel device 50 and does not rotate the swivel device 50. After that, the pallet 30 on which the vehicle C is placed is stored in the storage space (S312).

[0086] ● Vehicle exit operation Figure 9 is a flowchart of the outbound processing S4.

[0087] "Departure process S4" is the process of releasing vehicle C from this device 1. In the departure process (S4) described below, it is assumed that the user of vehicle C scheduled to be released is outside the entry / exit room 10 of this device 1 and has arrived in front of the entry / exit door 20.

[0088] First, the control device 60 (control unit 62) transports (calls) the pallet 30 on which the vehicle C stored in the storage space is placed to the loading / unloading room 10 based on the operation signal (unloading signal) from the operation terminal T (S401).

[0089] When the pallet 30 on which vehicle C is placed is transported to the loading / unloading room 10, the front of vehicle C is facing forward. In this embodiment, the initial unloading state is when the front of vehicle C on the pallet 30 is facing backward. Therefore, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation of the swivel device 50 to rotate the swivel device 50 (S402). As a result, the orientation of vehicle C on the pallet 30 returns to the initial unloading state.

[0090] Next, the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines, for example, whether the user's pre-registration information is stored in the storage unit 63 based on the ID information (S403). If the user's pre-registration information is stored in the storage unit 63 ("Y" in S403), the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines whether or not to rotate the slewing device 50 based on the pre-registration information (S404). On the other hand, if the user's pre-registration information is not stored in the storage unit 63 ("N" in S403), the control device 60 (control unit 62) displays a screen on the user's operation terminal T for inputting information (slewing information) and prompts the user to input the slewing information (S405). At this time, the slewing information is transmitted from the operation terminal T to the control device 60. Next, the outbound processing (S4) returns to processing S404, and the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines whether or not to rotate the slewing device 50 based on the slewing information (S404).

[0091] When the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines that the swivel device 50 should be swiveled ("Y" in S404), it controls the swivel operation of the swivel device 50 based on pre-registered information or swivel information to swivel the pallet 30 (S406). At this time, the passenger doors of the vehicle C placed on the pallet 30 are directed in the desired direction (for example, the direction registered in the pre-registered information: in this embodiment, the rear (direction of the entry / exit door 20)) (changing from the initial exit state). On the other hand, when the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines that the swivel device 50 should not be swiveled ("N" in S404), it controls the swivel operation of the swivel device 50 to prevent the pallet 30 from swiveling. That is, the orientation of the vehicle C remains the same as the initial exit state.

[0092] Next, while the user of vehicle C is outside the entry / exit room 10, the control device 60 (control unit 62) opens the entry / exit door 20 (S407).

[0093] Here, the user of vehicle C checks the position of the passenger doors of vehicle C placed on the pallet 30 and considers whether a rotation operation of the rotation device 50 is necessary to board vehicle C. If the user of vehicle C determines that a rotation operation of the rotation device 50 is necessary to board vehicle C (for example, if the position of the passenger doors of vehicle C is not in the desired position), they operate the operation terminal T and select "Rotate pallet 30" displayed on the display unit 130 (by touching the "Rotate" display). At this time, the rotation information is transmitted from the operation terminal T to the control device 60. On the other hand, if the user of vehicle C determines that a rotation operation of the rotation device 50 is not necessary to board vehicle C, they do not operate the operation terminal T (by not touching the "Rotate" display).

[0094] Next, the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines whether there is an abnormality inside the loading / unloading compartment 10 based on the detection results from the detection sensor 70 and the vehicle sensor 80 (S408). If it is determined that there is an abnormality ("N" in S408), the unloading process (S4) returns to process S408.

[0095] On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no abnormality inside the loading / unloading room 10 ("Y" in S408), the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines whether or not rotation information from the operation terminal T has been received by the receiving unit 61 (S409). If rotation information has been received by the receiving unit 61 ("Y" in S409), the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation operation of the rotation device 50 based on the rotation information to rotate the pallet 30 (S410). That is, for example, when the user of vehicle C has selected to rotate the pallet 30 (while the "rotate" display is being touched by the user of the operation terminal T), the control device 60 (control unit 62) rotates the pallet 30. On the other hand, when rotation information has not been received by the receiving unit 61 ("N" in S409), the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation operation of the rotation device 50 to prevent the pallet 30 from rotating (S411). As a result, the passenger doors of the vehicle C placed on the pallet 30 are directed in the desired direction (for example, the direction registered in the pre-registration information: in this embodiment, the rear (entry / exit door 20)) (changing from the initial exit state).

[0096] Here, when the slewing device 50 is slewing the pallet 30, the control device 60 (control unit 62) stops and restarts the slewing operation of the slewing device 50 based on the detection results of the vehicle sensor 80 or the detection sensor 70. That is, for example, when the detection sensor 70 detects a foreign object, the control device 60 (control unit 62) stops the slewing operation of the slewing device 50 while the detection sensor 70 is detecting the foreign object, and restarts the slewing operation of the slewing device 50 when the detection sensor 70 no longer detects the foreign object.

[0097] Next, the user (driver) of vehicle C enters the entry / exit room 10 and boards vehicle C.

[0098] Next, the control device 60 (control unit 62) determines whether or not rotation information from the operation terminal T has been received by the receiving unit 61 (S412). When rotation information has been received by the receiving unit 61 ("Y" in S412), the control device (control unit 62) controls the rotation operation of the rotation device 50 based on the rotation information to rotate the pallet 30 (S413). Here, rotation information from the operation terminal T is transmitted from the operation terminal T to the control device 60 when the user operates the operation terminal T to rotate the pallet 30. The user then operates the operation terminal T so that the front of the vehicle C is turned to face backward (towards the entrance / exit door 20) if the front of the vehicle C is not facing backward. That is, for example, when the user of the vehicle C has selected to rotate the pallet 30 (while the "rotate" display is being touched by the user of the operation terminal T), the control device 60 (control unit 62) rotates the pallet 30 (S413).

[0099] Here, when the slewing device 50 is slewing the pallet 30, the control device 60 (control unit 62) stops and restarts the slewing operation of the slewing device 50 based on the detection results of the vehicle sensor 80 or the detection sensor 70. That is, for example, when the detection sensor 70 detects a foreign object, the control device 60 (control unit 62) stops the slewing operation of the slewing device 50 while the detection sensor 70 is detecting the foreign object, and restarts the slewing operation of the slewing device 50 when the detection sensor 70 no longer detects the foreign object.

[0100] On the other hand, when the front of vehicle C is facing backward, the user does not operate the operation terminal T. That is, the turning information is not transmitted to the control device 60 and is not received by the receiving unit 61. When the turning information is not received by the receiving unit 61 ("N" in S412), the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the turning operation of the turning device 50 to prevent the pallet 30 from turning (S414). As a result, the front of vehicle C is turned backward (towards the entry / exit door 20). Subsequently, the user moves vehicle C out of the entry / exit room 10 by moving it forward. Then, the control device 60 (control unit 62) closes the entry / exit door 20 (S415).

[0101] Thus, during the entry and exit operations of vehicle C, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the turning operation (whether or not to turn, the direction of the turn, the amount of the turn (angle), etc.) based on information (turning information, pre-registered information) input by the user using the operation terminal T (S307, S311, S406, S410, S413). In other words, in this device 1, the turning operation of the turning device 50 is controlled by the control device 60 (control unit 62). For this reason, for example, even when the user is outside the entry / exit room 10, or when the user is inside vehicle C placed on the pallet 30, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the turning operation based on the turning information received from the operation terminal T. With this configuration, the user can decide on the turning operation based on the information they themselves have input. Therefore, user convenience is improved.

[0102] Furthermore, during the entry and exit operations of vehicle C, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the turning operation (whether or not to turn, stopping, restarting, etc.) based on the detection results from the detection sensor 70 and the vehicle sensor 80 (S307, S406, S410, S413). That is, for example, if there is an abnormality inside the entry / exit room 10 (such as displacement of vehicle C or entry of a person), the control device 60 (control unit 62) restricts or stops the turning of the turning device 50. As a result, the safety of this device 1 is enhanced.

[0103] Furthermore, during the entry and exit operations of vehicle C, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotational movement so that the pallet 30 on which vehicle C is placed is oriented in a direction determined by the rotational information (S307, S311, S406, S410, S413). In addition, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotational movement of vehicle C placed on the pallet 30 relative to the entry / exit door 20 inside the entry / exit room 10 when vehicle C is entering or leaving the facility (S307, S406, S410, S413). In this way, the device 1 controls the rotational movement of the rotation device 50 and the orientation of the pallet 30 so that the orientation of the front of vehicle C is oriented in a direction determined by the rotational information. As a result, users of vehicle C can determine the rotational movement according to the orientation of the front of vehicle C and the boarding / alighting position based on the information they have entered. Therefore, user convenience is improved.

[0104] Furthermore, during the vehicle C entry operation, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation operation based on rotation information so that the door used by the passenger to disembark approaches the entry / exit door 20 after the vehicle C has entered the entry / exit room 10 and been placed on the pallet 30, and before the passenger of vehicle C disembarks (S305). Also, during the vehicle C exit operation, when the pallet 30 on which vehicle C is placed is transported to the entry / exit room 10, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation operation based on rotation information so that the door used by the passenger of vehicle C to board vehicle C approaches the entry / exit door 20 (S406). In this way, the device 1 controls the rotation operation of the rotation device 50 by the control unit 62 in accordance with the passenger's boarding and alighting. As a result, the passenger of vehicle C can board and alight vehicle C smoothly. Therefore, passenger convenience is improved.

[0105] Furthermore, during the entry and exit operations of vehicle C, the control device 60 (control unit 62) automatically controls the turning operation based on pre-registered information (turning information) so that the vehicle faces the entry / exit door 20 in a direction that is convenient for users to board and alight (S307, S406). In this configuration, the turning information for each user is entered in advance. Therefore, when users board and alight during entry and exit operations, they can board and alight smoothly without having to operate the operation terminal T. Thus, user convenience is further improved.

[0106] Furthermore, the entry and exit operation (entry and exit method) of vehicle C to and from this device 1 includes a receiving step in which this device 1 receives turning information from the operation terminal T, and a turning control step in which this device 1 controls the turning operation of the turning device 50 based on the turning information received from the operation terminal T. Therefore, in the receiving step and the turning control step, this device 1 controls the turning operation of the turning device 50 by the control device 60 (control unit 62). As a result, the user can determine the turning operation according to the direction of the front of vehicle C and the boarding / alighting position based on the information they have entered. Thus, user convenience is improved.

[0107] ●Examples● The following describes embodiments of the device 1 with reference to Figures 10-15. Each of the following embodiments is an example of the operations during entry and exit when the doors used by users of vehicle C to get on and off are the "left and right doors," "front door," and "rear door." Figures 8 and 9 will also be referred to as appropriate in the following description. Furthermore, the following description will focus on the turning operation.

[0108] ●Example (1) "Left and Right Doors" In this embodiment, of the left and right doors, the door used by passengers to board and alight from vehicle C (boarding / alighting door) is the "right door".

[0109] ●Receiving operation (1) Figure 10 is a schematic plan view showing an example of an embodiment illustrating the operation of vehicle C entering the device 1, where (a) shows the orientation of vehicle C when it enters the entry / exit room 10, (b) shows the orientation of vehicle C when the user disembarks from vehicle C, and (c) shows the orientation of vehicle C when it is stored in the storage space.

[0110] As described above, vehicle C is moved forward into the loading / unloading compartment 10 (it is loaded into the loading / unloading compartment 10) (S302). At this time, the orientation of vehicle C, which is placed on the pallet 30, is the initial loading state (the front of vehicle C is facing forward).

[0111] After vehicle C is placed on pallet 30 and before passengers disembark from vehicle C, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation of the rotation device 50 based on rotation information, causing the rotation device 50 to rotate "+90 degrees" (S307). As a result, the passenger door (right door) faces the entry / exit door 20.

[0112] After the passengers of vehicle C have disembarked through the passenger door (right door), and before the pallet 30 on which vehicle C is placed is stored in the storage space, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation of the swivel device 50 to rotate it by "-90 degrees" (S311). As a result, the orientation of vehicle C placed on the pallet 30 returns to its initial storage state.

[0113] ● Departure operation (1) Figure 11 is a schematic plan view showing an example of an embodiment illustrating the vehicle C's exit operation from the device 1, where (a) shows the orientation of vehicle C when it is being transported from the storage space to the entry / exit room 10, (b) shows the orientation of vehicle C when a user boards vehicle C, and (c) shows the orientation of vehicle C when it is being exited from the entry / exit room 10.

[0114] As described above, after the pallet 30 on which vehicle C is placed is called and transported to the loading / unloading room 10, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation of the swivel device 50 to rotate it "+180 degrees (or -180 degrees)" (S402). At this time, the orientation of vehicle C on the pallet 30 is the initial loading / unloading state (the front of vehicle C is facing the rear).

[0115] Before passengers board vehicle C through the passenger door (right door) (before the entry / exit door 20 opens), the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation of the rotation device 50 based on rotation information, causing the rotation device 50 to rotate by "-90 degrees" (S406). As a result, the passenger door (right door) faces the entry / exit door 20.

[0116] After a passenger boards vehicle C through the passenger door (right door), and before vehicle C is moved forward out of the loading / unloading compartment 10 (moves out of the loading / unloading compartment 10), the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation of the swivel device 50 to rotate it "+90 degrees" (S413). As a result, the orientation of vehicle C, which is placed on the pallet 30, returns to its initial position for departure.

[0117] ●Example (2) "Front Door" In this embodiment, among the doors of vehicle C, the door used by passengers to board and alight from vehicle C (boarding / alighting door) is the "front door".

[0118] ●Receiving operation (2) Figure 12 is a schematic plan view showing another example of an embodiment illustrating the operation of vehicle C entering the device 1, where (a) shows the orientation of vehicle C when it enters the entry / exit compartment 10, (b) shows the orientation of vehicle C when the user disembarks from vehicle C, and (c) shows the orientation of vehicle C when it is stored in the storage space.

[0119] As described above, vehicle C is moved forward into the loading / unloading compartment 10 (it is loaded into the loading / unloading compartment 10) (S302). At this time, the orientation of vehicle C, which is placed on pallet 30, is the initial loading / unloading state.

[0120] After vehicle C is placed on pallet 30 and before passengers disembark from vehicle C, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation of the rotation device 50 based on rotation information to rotate the rotation device 50 by "+180 degrees (or -180 degrees)" (S308). As a result, the passenger doors (front doors) are directed toward the entry / exit doors 20.

[0121] After the passengers of vehicle C have disembarked through the front door, and before the pallet 30 on which vehicle C is placed is stored in the storage space, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation of the swivel device 50 to rotate it by "-180 degrees (or +180 degrees)" (S312). As a result, the orientation of vehicle C on the pallet 30 returns to its initial storage state.

[0122] ● Departure operation (2) Figure 13 is a schematic plan view showing another example of an embodiment illustrating the vehicle C's exit operation from the device 1, where (a) shows the orientation of vehicle C when it is being transported from the storage space to the entry / exit room 10, (b) shows the orientation of vehicle C when a user boards vehicle C, and (c) shows the orientation of vehicle C when it is being exited from the entry / exit room 10.

[0123] As described above, after the pallet 30 on which vehicle C is placed is called and transported to the loading / unloading room 10, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation of the swivel device 50 to rotate it "+180 degrees (or -180 degrees)" (S402). At this time, the orientation of vehicle C on the pallet 30 is the initial loading / unloading state.

[0124] Before a passenger boards vehicle C through the front door (before the entry / exit door 20 opens), the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation of the rotation device 50 based on rotation information, preventing the rotation device 50 from rotating ("N" in S404). As a result, the orientation of vehicle C placed on the pallet 30 is the initial exit state, and the front door is facing the entry / exit door 20.

[0125] After a passenger boards vehicle C through the front door, and before vehicle C is moved forward out of the loading / unloading compartment 10 (moves out of the loading / unloading compartment 10), the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation of the swivel device 50 to prevent it from rotating (S414). As a result, the orientation of vehicle C, which is placed on the pallet 30, is the initial loading / unloading state, and the front door is facing the loading / unloading door 20.

[0126] ●Example (3) "Rear Door" In this embodiment, the door on vehicle C used by passengers to board and alight (boarding / alighting door) is the "rear door".

[0127] ●Receiving operation (3) Figure 14 is a schematic plan view showing yet another example of an embodiment illustrating the operation of vehicle C entering the device 1, where (a) shows the orientation of vehicle C when it enters the entry / exit compartment 10, (b) shows the orientation of vehicle C when the user disembarks from vehicle C, and (c) shows the orientation of vehicle C when it is stored in the storage space.

[0128] As described above, vehicle C is moved forward into the loading / unloading compartment 10 (it is loaded into the loading / unloading compartment 10) (S302). At this time, the orientation of vehicle C, which is placed on pallet 30, is the initial loading / unloading state.

[0129] After the vehicle C is placed on the pallet 30, and before the passengers of the vehicle C disembark, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation of the rotation device 50 based on the rotation information, preventing the rotation device 50 from rotating ("N" in S305). As a result, the orientation of the vehicle C placed on the pallet 30 is the initial orientation for entering the depot, and the passenger doors (rear doors) are directed toward the entry / exit doors 20.

[0130] After the passengers of vehicle C have disembarked through the passenger door (rear door) and before the pallet 30 on which vehicle C is placed is stored in the storage space, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation of the swivel device 50 to prevent it from rotating ("Y" in S310). As a result, the orientation of vehicle C on the pallet 30 is the initial orientation for storage, and the passenger door (rear door) is facing the storage entrance / exit door 20.

[0131] ● Departure operation (3) Figure 15 is a schematic plan view showing yet another example of an embodiment illustrating the vehicle C's exit operation from the device 1, where (a) shows the orientation of vehicle C when it is being transported from the storage space to the entry / exit room 10, (b) shows the orientation of vehicle C when a user boards vehicle C, and (c) shows the orientation of vehicle C when it is being exited from the entry / exit room 10.

[0132] As described above, after the pallet 30 on which vehicle C is placed is called and transported to the loading / unloading room 10, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation of the swivel device 50 to rotate it "+180 degrees (or -180 degrees)" (S402). At this time, the orientation of vehicle C on the pallet 30 is the initial loading / unloading state.

[0133] Before passengers board vehicle C (before the entry / exit door 20 opens), the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation of the rotation device 50 based on rotation information, causing the rotation device 50 to rotate "+180 degrees (or -180 degrees)" (S404). As a result, the passenger door (rear door) faces the entry / exit door 20.

[0134] After a passenger boards vehicle C through the rear door, and before vehicle C is moved forward out of the loading / unloading compartment 10 (exits from the loading / unloading compartment 10), the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation of the swivel device 50 to rotate it "+180 degrees (or -180 degrees)" (S413). As a result, the orientation of vehicle C, which is placed on the pallet 30, returns to its initial position for departure.

[0135] ●Summary● According to the embodiment described above, the device 1 comprises a pallet 30, a swivel device 50 for swiveling the pallet 30 in the loading / unloading room 10, and a control device 60 for controlling the swivel operation of the swivel device 50. The control device 60 comprises a receiving unit 61 and a control unit 62. The receiving unit 61 receives swivel information used to control the swivel device 50. The control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the swivel operation (whether or not to swivel, the direction of the swivel, the amount of swivel (angle), etc.) based on the swivel information received by the receiving unit 61 during the loading / unloading operation of the vehicle C. In other words, in the device 1, the swivel operation of the swivel device 50 is controlled by the control unit 62. For this reason, for example, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the swivel operation based on the swivel information received from the operation terminal T, even when the user is outside the loading / unloading room 10 or inside the vehicle C placed on the pallet 30. In this configuration, users can determine the turning motion based on the information they input themselves. Therefore, user convenience is improved.

[0136] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the system S includes the above-mentioned device 1 and an operation terminal T that transmits operation signals to the device 1 to instruct its operation. The control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the turning operation (whether or not to turn, the direction of turning, the amount of turning (angle), etc.) based on information (turning information, pre-registered information) input by the user using the operation terminal T. In other words, in the device 1, the turning operation of the turning device 50 is controlled by the control unit 62. For this reason, for example, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the turning operation based on the turning information received from the operation terminal T, even when the user is outside the loading / unloading room 10 or inside the vehicle C placed on the pallet 30. In this configuration, the user can decide on the turning operation based on the information they themselves have input. Therefore, user convenience is also improved in the system S.

[0137] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the device 1 has a detection sensor 70 that detects foreign objects inside the loading / unloading room 10. The control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the turning operation (whether or not to turn, stopping, restarting, etc.) based on the detection results of the detection sensor 70 and the vehicle sensor 80. The control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the turning operation based on the detection results of the detection sensor 70. That is, for example, when a user of vehicle C is outside the loading / unloading room 10, or when a user is inside vehicle C placed on pallet 30, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the turning operation based on the turning information received from the operation terminal T. In other words, when there is an abnormality inside the loading / unloading room 10 (such as displacement of vehicle C or entry of a person), the control device 60 (control unit 62) restricts or stops the turning of the turning device 50. As a result, the safety of the device 1 is enhanced.

[0138] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotational movement of the pallet 30 on which the vehicle C is placed so that it is oriented in a direction determined by the rotational information during the vehicle C's entry and exit operations. The control device 60 (control unit 62) also controls the rotational movement of the vehicle C placed on the pallet 30 relative to the entry / exit door 20 inside the entry / exit room 10 during the entry and exit of the vehicle C. In this way, the device 1 controls the rotational movement of the rotation device 50 and controls the orientation of the pallet 30 so that the front of the vehicle C is oriented in a direction determined by the rotational information. As a result, users of the vehicle C can determine the rotational movement according to the orientation of the front of the vehicle C and the boarding / alighting position based on the information they have entered. Therefore, user convenience is improved.

[0139] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, in the vehicle C entry operation, after the vehicle C has entered the entry / exit room 10 and is placed on the pallet 30, and before the passengers of the vehicle C disembark, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation operation to bring the passenger doors closer to the entry / exit door 20 based on rotation information. Also, in the vehicle C exit operation, after the pallet 30 on which the vehicle C is placed has been transported to the entry / exit room 10, and before the passengers of the vehicle C board, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the rotation operation to bring the passenger doors closer to the entry / exit door 20 based on rotation information. In this way, the device 1 controls the rotation operation of the rotation device 50 by the control unit 62 in response to passengers boarding and alighting. As a result, passengers of the vehicle C can board and alight smoothly. Therefore, passenger convenience is improved.

[0140] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the program is executed on the operating terminal T, causing the operating terminal T to acquire various information and to transmit the acquired information from the operating terminal T to the device 1. In other words, the program is executed on the operating terminal T, causing the operating terminal T to function as an acquisition unit 111 and a transmission unit 120. As a result, the control device 60 (control unit 62) controls the aforementioned turning operation based on the operation signals from the operating terminal T. Therefore, by using this program, the user can make their own operating terminal T function as an acquisition unit 111 and a transmission unit 120. Thus, the convenience for the user of vehicle C is improved.

[0141] In the embodiments described above, the mechanical parking system was a horizontal circulating type parking system that used a common entrance / exit door to allow vehicles to enter and exit forward. Alternatively, in the present invention, the mechanical parking system may be a mechanical parking system having a configuration in which the doors used for entry and exit are not common. Furthermore, the mechanical parking system is not limited to a horizontal circulating type parking system, but may be various types of mechanical parking systems such as vertical circulating type, box-type circulating type, or elevator type. Also, in the present invention, the carrier is not limited to a pallet, but may be a comb-shaped lift cage.

[0142] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, when a vehicle is brought into storage, the vehicle is stored with its front facing forward (the orientation of the vehicle on the pallet is the initial state of entry) when the pallet on which the vehicle is placed is stored in the storage space. Alternatively, in the present invention, the vehicle may be stored with its front facing backward (towards the entry / exit door) (the orientation of the vehicle on the pallet is the initial state of exiting) before the pallet on which the vehicle is placed is stored in the storage space.

[0143] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the configuration of the loading / unloading compartment (the arrangement of the swivel device, the opening, and the pallet) is not limited to these embodiments. That is, for example, in the present invention, the configuration of the loading / unloading compartment only needs to have a so-called known "built-in swivel device (turntable)" configuration in which the pallet is swiveled inside the loading / unloading compartment.

[0144] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the operating terminal is not limited to a smartphone. That is, for example, in the present invention, the operating terminal may be an information processing device such as a tablet or a PC (Personal Computer), or a remote controller. Also, in the present invention, a non-portable control panel installed in a mechanical parking system may function as the operating terminal. In this case, the program is installed on the control panel. Furthermore, in the present invention, a car navigation system installed in a vehicle that can communicate with a portable terminal (e.g., a smartphone) via a wireless communication line may function as the operating terminal. In this case, the program is installed and operates on the car navigation system.

[0145] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the "rotational movement" is not limited to movements that rotate "+90 degrees," "-90 degrees," "+180 degrees," or "-180 degrees." That is, for example, the rotational movement may involve rotating the pallet to any angle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0146] 1. Mechanical parking system 10. Inbound / Outbound Room 20 Inbound / Outbound Doors 30 pallets (carriers) 40h opening 50 Swivel device 51 Drive unit 52 Turntables 60 Control device 61 Receiving unit 62 Control Unit 63 Storage section 64 Reception determination unit 65 Instruction judgment section 70 detection sensors 80 Vehicle Sensors 100 Input section 110 Terminal Control Unit 111 Acquisition Department 120 Transmitter 130 Display section S Mechanical Parking System T Operation terminal

Claims

1. A mechanical parking system having an entry / exit compartment where vehicles are entered and exited, A carrier on which the aforementioned vehicle is placed, A rotating device for rotating the carrier in the aforementioned loading / unloading room, A control device for controlling the rotational movement of the aforementioned rotational device, It has, The control device is A receiving unit that receives rotation information used for controlling the aforementioned rotation device, Based on the rotation information received by the receiving unit, a control unit controls the rotation operation, Equipped with, The aforementioned rotation information is, In the aforementioned entry / exit room, door position information of the doors used by the vehicle's passengers when boarding or alighting, including, Mechanical parking system.

2. The control unit controls the turning motion so that the carrier on which the vehicle is placed is oriented in a direction determined by the turning information. The mechanical parking device according to claim 1.

3. The receiving unit receives the turning information from an operating terminal operated by the user of the vehicle. The control device is A storage unit that stores the aforementioned turning information, Equipped with, The control unit controls the turning motion based on the turning information. The mechanical parking device according to claim 2.

4. Doors for opening and closing the entrance to the aforementioned storage room, It has, The control unit controls the rotational movement based on the orientation of the vehicle, placed on the carrier, relative to the door inside the front exit compartment, at least when the vehicle is being entered or exited. The mechanical parking device according to claim 1.

5. The control unit controls the turning motion based on the turning information, after the vehicle has entered the loading / unloading room and is placed on the carrier, and before the vehicle's passenger disembarks, so that the door used by the vehicle's passenger to disembark is brought closer to the door. The mechanical parking device according to claim 4.

6. The control unit controls the turning motion based on the turning information when the carrier on which the vehicle is placed is transported to the loading / unloading room, so that the door used by the vehicle's passengers to board the vehicle is brought closer to the door. The mechanical parking device according to claim 4.

7. The control unit controls whether or not the turning operation is performed based on the turning information. The mechanical parking device according to claim 1.

8. A detection sensor for detecting foreign objects inside the aforementioned loading / unloading room, It has, The control unit controls the turning motion based on the detection result of the detection sensor. The mechanical parking device according to claim 7.

9. A mechanical parking system having an entry / exit compartment where vehicles enter and exit, An operating terminal that transmits an operation signal to the mechanical parking device to instruct the operation of the mechanical parking device, It has, The aforementioned mechanical parking device is A carrier on which the aforementioned vehicle is placed, A rotating device for rotating the carrier in the aforementioned loading / unloading room, A control device for controlling the rotational movement of the aforementioned rotational device, Equipped with, The control device is A receiving unit that receives rotation information used for controlling the aforementioned rotation device from the operating terminal, Based on the rotation information received by the receiving unit, a control unit controls the rotation, Equipped with, The aforementioned rotation information is, In the aforementioned entry / exit room, door position information of the doors used by the vehicle's passengers when boarding or alighting, including, Mechanical parking system.

10. The aforementioned operating terminal is a portable terminal, The control unit controls the turning operation based on the turning information received from the operation terminal when the user of the vehicle is outside the entry / exit room, or when the user of the vehicle is inside the vehicle placed on the carrier. The mechanical parking system according to claim 9.

11. The aforementioned operating terminal is an operating panel attached to the mechanical parking system, The control unit controls the turning operation based on the turning information received from the operation terminal when the vehicle user is outside the entry / exit room. The mechanical parking system according to claim 9.

12. A program that operates on an operating terminal capable of communicating with a mechanical parking system having an entry / exit compartment where vehicles are entered and exited, The aforementioned mechanical parking device is A carrier on which the aforementioned vehicle is placed, A rotating device for rotating the carrier, A control device for controlling the rotational movement of the aforementioned rotational device, Equipped with, The aforementioned operating terminal, An acquisition unit that acquires information used to control the turning device, which is input by the user of the vehicle, as turning information, A transmitting unit that transmits the acquired turning information to the mechanical parking device, Make it work, The aforementioned rotation information is, In the aforementioned entry / exit room, door position information of the doors used by the vehicle's passengers when boarding or alighting, including, A program characterized by the following features.

13. The carrier on which the vehicle is placed, A rotating device for rotating the carrier, A control device for controlling the rotational movement of the aforementioned rotational device, The vehicle entry and exit room is where the aforementioned vehicles are brought in and taken out, A method for entering and exiting a mechanical parking system, which is performed by a mechanical parking system equipped with the following: The aforementioned mechanical parking device, A receiving step for receiving rotation information used for controlling the aforementioned rotation device, A step of controlling the turning motion based on the turning information received, It has, The aforementioned rotation information is, In the aforementioned entry / exit room, door position information of the doors used by the vehicle's passengers when boarding or alighting, including, Method for entering and exiting a mechanical parking system.

14. The aforementioned rotation information is, Pre-registration information registered by the user of the vehicle operating the aforementioned operating terminal, including, The mechanical parking device according to claim 3.

15. The aforementioned pre-registration information is Based on the pre-registration information newly registered by the user of the vehicle operating the aforementioned operating terminal, the following can be updated: The mechanical parking device according to claim 14.

16. The aforementioned rotation information is, Based on the turning information newly entered by the user of the vehicle operating the control terminal, the following can be updated: The mechanical parking device according to claim 3.

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