Two-tiered parking system and its unmanned verification method

Abstract

If the entry or exit of a foreign object is detected by a zone sensor (24), a vehicle compartment (12) in which the foreign object is likely to exist is stored as an attention vehicle compartment (13B). After a user performs a vehicle entry or exit operation, only when there is the attention vehicle compartment (13B) other than a utilization vehicle compartment that is utilized by the user, a pair of camera images (29a, 29b) of the attention vehicle compartment (13B) other than the utilization vehicle compartment are switched and displayed in sequence on a monitor. Furthermore, regardless of the presence or absence of the attention vehicle compartment (13B), a pair of camera images (29a, 29b) of the utilization vehicle compartment (13A) are displayed on the monitor. When absence confirmation buttons (31a, 31b) corresponding to all the camera images (29a, 29b) displayed are operated (ON), a completion signal for an absence confirming operation (c) is output.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a two-tier parking device having a plurality of pallets and a method for unmanned confirmation thereof.

Background Art

[0002] Two-tier parking devices can be broadly classified into a ground type in which parking spaces are provided only on the ground and a pit type in which parking spaces are provided on both the ground and underground. In both the ground type and the pit type, the entry and exit of vehicles are performed by directly storing the vehicle on the pallet located at the entry / exit height (FL) or by taking out the vehicle from the pallet at the entry / exit height. Then, the two-tier parking device provides two or more parking spaces in the same installation space by lifting or horizontally moving the pallet to the parking space, and stores the vehicle. Such a two-tier parking device is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1.

[0003] In a two-tier parking device, for example, in a condominium such as an apartment, an authentication number unique to a pre-contracted contractor is given, and the operation of using the pallet associated with the authentication number of the contractor is widely performed. In this case, when calling the pallet, the contractor inputs the authentication number associated with the pallet, whereby the contractor is authenticated and the contractor can operate the device with respect to the associated pallet.

[0004] However, when the user directly enters and exits his / her own vehicle on the pallet located in the passenger compartment at the entry / exit height of the two-tier parking device, the safety confirmation is entrusted to the user. In that case, in a two-tier parking device having a plurality of passenger compartments, when visually checking the safety of a passenger compartment far from the installation position of the operation panel, a blind spot is generated due to vehicles or the like located in other passenger compartments. As a means for solving this problem, for example, Patent Document 2 is disclosed.

[0005] Patent Document 2, "Mechanical Parking System, its Safety Confirmation Method, and Safety Confirmation Program," determines whether any sensors have detected an object since the last time the entrance / exit door was closed, either when entering or exiting the parking space. If an object has been detected by any sensor, the unmanned confirmation button located at the detected position is activated (ON) to allow an unmanned person to perform the confirmation. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-105997 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6560426 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] The system described in Patent Document 2 above allows for the detection of any objects, such as people or animals, that have entered the passenger compartment since the previous closing operation of the entrance / exit door. However, when this system was applied to a two-tiered parking system, the following problems arose.

[0008] (1) Multiple passenger compartments (boarding / alighting compartments) located at the vehicle's entry / exit height are installed adjacent to each other in the width direction of the vehicle. For example, typically, 3 to 8 passenger compartments are provided adjacent to each other in the width direction. In the system described in Patent Document 2, an unmanned confirmation button is installed in a location close to each passenger compartment in order to visually check the inside of the passenger compartment. Therefore, if the unmanned confirmation button is located far away from the passenger compartment, users will have to walk there each time, which lacks convenience and smoothness.

[0009] (2) When entering or exiting a mechanical parking system, in addition to the vehicle entry and exit operation, the user is required to perform tasks such as unmanned verification and gate closing. In this case, under dim lighting conditions such as at night, there was a possibility of overlooking the presence of foreign objects (people or animals) even when visually inspecting the passenger compartment.

[0010] This invention was devised to solve the problems described above. Specifically, the object of this invention is to provide a two-tiered multi-stage parking system and a method for confirming that all parking spaces are unoccupied, even when multiple parking spaces are installed adjacent to each other and in a dark environment, without having to move to a distant parking space, thereby significantly reducing the chance of overlooking foreign objects (people or animals). [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] According to the present invention, a two-tiered multi-stage parking system has a plurality of parking spaces adjacent to each other in the width direction of the vehicle, located at the same height for entry and exit, and accommodating the vehicle inside, and the user directly enters and exits their vehicle onto a pallet located in the parking space, The system comprises: multiple compartment sensors for detecting the entry and exit of foreign objects into the compartments; multiple pairs of cameras for capturing images of the interior of each of the compartments without blind spots; a monitor for displaying images of the interior of each of the compartments without blind spots using a pair of camera images; a control device for controlling the raising, lowering, or traversing of the pallet; and an operation panel for operating the control device. The control panel or monitor has a pair of unattended confirmation buttons, each corresponding to a pair of camera images on the monitor. (A) When the entry or exit of the foreign object is detected by the compartment sensor, the compartment in which the foreign object may be present is stored as a compartment requiring attention. After the user has entered or exited the parking lot, (B) If there is a caution vehicle other than the vehicle used by the user, the monitor will switch and sequentially display a pair of camera images of the caution vehicle other than the vehicle used. (C) Regardless of whether the aforementioned cautionary vehicle is present or not, the monitor displays a pair of camera images of the vehicle used by the user, In (B) and (C) above, a two-tiered multi-stage parking device is provided that outputs a signal indicating completion of the unmanned confirmation operation when the unmanned confirmation button corresponding to all of the displayed camera images is operated.

[0012] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the method for unmanned confirmation of the above-mentioned two-tiered parking system is as follows: (A) When the entry or exit of the foreign object is detected by the compartment sensor, the compartment in which the foreign object may be present is stored as the compartment requiring attention. After the user has entered or exited the parking lot, (B) If there is a caution vehicle other than the vehicle used by the user, the monitor will switch and sequentially display a pair of camera images of the caution vehicle other than the vehicle used. (C) Regardless of whether the aforementioned cautionary vehicle is present or not, the monitor displays a pair of camera images of the vehicle used by the user, In (B) and (C) above, a method for unmanned confirmation of a two-tiered parking system is provided, which outputs a signal indicating completion of the unmanned confirmation operation when the unmanned confirmation button corresponding to all of the displayed camera images is operated. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention described above, if there are no caution booths where foreign objects may be present after the user has entered or exited the parking lot, a pair of camera images of the user's parking booth will be displayed on the monitor. Similarly, if the user's parking booth is the only caution booth, a pair of camera images of the user's parking booth will be displayed on the monitor. In response, the user operates (turns on) a pair of unmanned verification buttons corresponding to the displayed pair of camera images, which outputs a signal indicating the completion of the unmanned verification operation, and the unmanned verification operation ends. Therefore, if there are no caution compartments or if only the occupied compartments are caution compartments, the unmanned confirmation operation can be completed simply by pressing the pair of unmanned confirmation buttons (ON) on the control panel, making it easy and smooth.

[0014] Also, when there is a caution cabin other than the used cabin, only in that case, a pair of camera images of the caution cabin other than the used cabin are switched and sequentially displayed on the monitor. This display is performed, for example, before the display of the camera images of the used cabin used by the user. In this case, the user sequentially operates (turns ON) the unmanned confirmation buttons corresponding to all the displayed camera images. Then, by the user operating (turning ON) again the pair of unmanned confirmation buttons corresponding to the pair of camera images displayed for the used cabin, a completion signal of the unmanned confirmation operation is output and the unmanned confirmation operation ends. Therefore, even when there is a caution cabin at a position distant from the used cabin, the unmanned confirmation operation can be easily and smoothly completed only by repeating the operation (turning ON) of the pair of unmanned confirmation buttons on the operation panel without moving to the distant cabin position.

[0015] Therefore, even when a plurality of cabins (boarding and alighting cabins) are installed adjacent to each other, the user can confirm the absence of people in all the cabins only by operating the operation panel while looking at the monitor without moving to the distant cabin position. Also, even in an environment with dim lighting such as at night, the images on the monitor can be brightly displayed, and foreign objects (people and animals) can be automatically detected and highlighted, so the possibility of overlooking the presence of foreign objects can be significantly reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] It is a front view of the two-stage parking device according to the present invention with the front part omitted. [Figure 2] It is a front view of the front part of the two-stage parking device according to the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a plan view of FIGS. 1 and 2. [Figure 4A] It is an explanatory diagram of the control device. [Figure 4B] It is an explanatory diagram of the monitor and the operation panel. [Figure 5] It shows the relationship between the section sensor that has detected a foreign object and the caution cabin. [Figure 6] It is an overall flowchart showing the control method of the two-stage parking device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Common parts in each figure are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0018] Figure 1 is a front view of the two-tiered multi-stage parking device 100 according to the present invention, with the front portion omitted. In this example, the two-tiered multi-level parking system 100 is a three-tiered, ground-level lifting and traversing type, with storage positions for three levels (1st floor, 2nd floor, 3rd floor) of vehicles 1 provided within the same installation space.

[0019] In this example, the two pallets 2 located on the 1st floor of the three-tiered system can move horizontally, the two pallets 2 located on the 2nd floor can move horizontally and vertically, and the three pallets 2 located on the 3rd floor can only move vertically. Therefore, in this example, the number of vehicles that can be accommodated by vehicle 1 is 3 × 3 - 2 = 7.

[0020] In this example, the triple-tiered, two-level parking system has three entry / exit sections (hereinafter referred to as "parking spaces") A, B, and C. The overall width of the pallets 2 is preferably the same, but may differ. Each of the parking spaces A, B, and C can be positioned adjacent to each other with the necessary gaps (e.g., 40 mm or less) between the three pallets 2.

[0021] The two pallets 2 located on the 1st floor have wheels 6a at both ends in the longitudinal direction and move horizontally along two horizontal rails 8a provided on the 1st floor by a horizontal drive device (not shown), allowing vehicles 1 to be directly moved in and out of one of the vehicle compartments A, B, or C. Hereinafter, "moving in and out" refers to entering and exiting the vehicle.

[0022] The two pallets 2 located on the 2nd floor have wheels 6b at both ends along the length of the rectangular frame 7 that lifts them. The rectangular frame 7 surrounds the pallets 2 parked on the intermediate level between the top and bottom levels, suspending the pallets 2 and allowing them to move laterally. With this configuration, the two pallets 2 located on the 2nd floor move horizontally along two horizontal rails 8b provided on the 2nd floor by a horizontal drive device (not shown), allowing the vehicle 1 to be directly loaded into or unloaded from any of the vehicle compartments A, B, or C.

[0023] In this example, the two-tiered parking system 100 has a pallet 2 that can move up and down with the vehicle 1 on it between the entry / exit height (FL) where the vehicle 1 enters and exits, and a storage position above this entry / exit height. These movable pallets 2 include the two pallets 2 located on the 2nd floor and the three pallets 2 located on the 3rd floor, as mentioned above.

[0024] In this example, the two-tiered parking system 100 is further equipped with a lifting drive device 5 to raise and lower the pallet 2. The lifting drive device 5 raises or lowers the lower end of a flexible cord member 4 (chain or wire) that extends vertically at a position that does not interfere with the vehicle 1.

[0025] The lifting drive device 5 for the second floor is fixed to the rectangular frame 7 and moves horizontally along with the rectangular frame 7. The lifting drive device 5 for the 3rd floor is fixed to the main frame 9 and is designed to independently raise and lower each of the three pallets 2 from the main frame 9.

[0026] In this example, the lower ends of the four string members 4 are fixed to a total of four locations on the front and rear of the pallet 2, taking into consideration the load balance, and the lifting drive device 5 is used to raise and lower the pallet 2 while keeping it horizontal.

[0027] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the two-tiered parking device 100 described above, and may be any other two-tiered parking device as long as it has multiple pallets 2. For example, the storage location may be set below the loading / unloading height.

[0028] In this invention, the two-tiered parking system 100 is, in principle, only used by contract holders, and each contract holder is linked to one of the pallets 2 on a one-to-one basis. Hereinafter, "contract holder" refers to the holder of IC card X, who is authorized by contract to use the two-tiered parking system 100.

[0029] In the aforementioned two-tiered parking system 100, the user (in principle, the contract holder) performs the following operations in order: calling operation a, entering / exiting operation b, unmanned confirmation operation c, and gate closing operation d.

[0030] The two-tiered parking system 100 moves the pallet 2 from its storage position to the parking space 12 in response to a user's call operation a, and directly parks the vehicle 1 on the pallet located in the parking space 12 in an entry / exit operation b. Furthermore, an unoccupied vehicle confirmation operation c confirms that the parking space is unoccupied after entry / exit, and a gate closing operation d completely closes the gate 16 (described later). Therefore, in the two-tiered parking system 100, the pallet 2 is not transported (moved) after the gate is closed.

[0031] Figure 2 is a front view of the front section of the two-tiered parking device 100 according to the present invention, and Figure 3 is a plan view of Figures 1 and 2. In Figures 2 and 3, the two-tiered multi-stage parking system 100 comprises multiple parking spaces 12, multiple support columns 14, multiple gates 16, gate sensors 17, and a control device 18 (not shown; see Figure 4A).

[0032] Multiple (three in this example) parking compartments 12 are located adjacent to each other in the width direction of the vehicle 1, at the entry / exit height FL. Each parking compartment 12 is designed to accommodate the vehicle 1 inside. Multiple support columns (four in this example) are located on both sides of the front of each passenger compartment 12. Multiple gates (three in this example) 16 are installed between adjacent support columns 14 and are configured to open and close the front of each vehicle compartment 12.

[0033] In Figure 2, the gates 16 for parking spaces A, B, and C are designated as gates 16a, 16b, and 16c from left to right. Each gate 16 is independently opened and closed by the control device 18 of the two-tiered parking system 100. When each gate 16 is open, vehicles 1 can enter and exit the parking space, and when it is closed, neither vehicles 1 nor people can enter or exit the parking space. Furthermore, compartments A, B, and C are designed to prevent foreign objects from entering from anywhere other than the gate. "Foreign object" refers to a person or an animal.

[0034] The gate sensor 17 detects foreign objects in front of the gate. In this example, the gate sensor 17 is a photoelectric sensor consisting of a light-emitting part 17a and a light-receiving part 17b located on the outside in the width direction of the four support pillars 14. The light-emitting part 17a emits laser light horizontally, and the light-receiving part 17b receives the laser light, thereby detecting foreign objects that obstruct the laser light. The laser beam is positioned close to and outside of gates 16a, 16b, and 16c. Furthermore, the height of the laser beam is set to reliably detect foreign objects.

[0035] In this example, only one set of gate sensors 17 is installed to simultaneously detect the entire front portion of gate 16. Furthermore, the gate sensors 17 are not limited to one set; they may be provided at each gate 16a, 16b, and 16c, or multiple sensors may be provided at different heights. Also, the gate sensors 17 are not limited to the photoelectric sensors described above; other types of sensors may be used as long as they can detect foreign objects in front of the gate.

[0036] In Figure 2, the two-tiered parking system 100 is further equipped with an emergency stop button 21 and a contactless reader 22.

[0037] The emergency stop button 21 has the function of stopping the operation of the two-tiered parking system 100 when activated (ON). The emergency stop button 21 is preferably a non-contact button, but it may also be a contact type, such as a mechanical switch. In this example, the emergency stop button 21 and the contactless reader 22 are mounted on the central right support column 14. However, their installation locations may be elsewhere, as long as they are easily and quickly accessible to users.

[0038] The contactless medium X is preferably a touchless key with an embedded IC chip having a unique number N. The touchless key may also be an electronic money card such as FeliCa®, Suica®, Rakuten Edy®, nanaco®, or WAON®. The unique number N is a unique number stored on the contactless IC card. The unique number N is, for example, a 16-digit number consisting of numbers and letters. Hereafter, contactless media X will simply be referred to as "IC card X".

[0039] The contactless reader 22 is a device that reads the IC card X without contact. Preferably, the contactless reader 22 is a card reader that receives the unique number N of the IC card X.

[0040] Figure 4A is an explanatory diagram of the control device 18. The control device 18 controls the raising and lowering or traversing of the pallet 2 and the opening and closing of the gate 16. The control device 18 may be installed inside, outside, or in a remote location within the structure of the two-tiered parking system 100.

[0041] The control device 18 is linked to the IC card X and has a database 19 that stores the user's authentication number and the passenger compartment 12 (hereinafter referred to as "passenger compartment 13A") used by the user. In Figure 2, the control device 18 is, for example, a computer (PC) and has a storage device 18a, an input device 18b, an output device 18c, and an arithmetic unit 18d. The database 19 is stored in the storage device 18a.

[0042] The storage device 18a is a main memory, a magnetic disk drive, an optical disk drive, or other memory. The storage device 18a stores the subscriber's IC card X, linking it to one of the multiple pallets 2 of the two-tiered parking system 100. Here, "linking and storing" means that the subscriber, the unique number N of the IC card X, the authentication number, the contracted pallet 2, and the parking space 13A each have a one-to-one correspondence.

[0043] The input device 18b is either a keyboard or a liquid crystal display. The output device 18c is a printer or a liquid crystal display. The input device 18b and the output device 18c may be integrated or separate. For example, the input device 18b and the output device 18c may be configured as a single touch-enabled liquid crystal display.

[0044] In Figures 2 and 3, the two-tiered parking system 100 further includes multiple parking space sensors 24, multiple pairs of cameras 26, a monitor 28, and an operation panel 30.

[0045] Multiple compartment sensors 24 detect the entry and exit of foreign objects into and from vehicle compartments A, B, and C. In Figure 3, the four compartment sensors 24 (hereinafter referred to as 24a, 24b, 24c, and 24d) are multiple photoelectric sensors that horizontally irradiate laser light in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1. Of these, two compartment sensors 24a and 24d are located on the outside of the entire passenger compartment, which is located on the outside in the width direction, while two compartment sensors 24b and 24c are located along the boundaries of multiple adjacent passenger compartments A, B, and C. The configuration of the partition sensor 24 is the same as that of the gate sensor 17.

[0046] In Figure 3, the rear of passenger compartments A, B, and C is configured to prevent people or animals from entering from the outside. A sensor similar to the gate sensor 17 may also be provided on this rear.

[0047] Multiple pairs of cameras 26 capture the interiors of multiple vehicle compartments A, B, and C without any blind spots. The cameras 26 are preferably surveillance cameras, with one pair provided in each of the vehicle compartments A, B, and C, and positioned opposite each other with the pallets 2 located in multiple vehicle compartments A, B, and C in between. Furthermore, it is preferable that the camera 26 has a function to automatically detect and highlight people or animals. For example, the camera 26 is a digital camera or digital video camera and has a function to automatically detect the eyes or head of a person or animal, and a function to automatically adjust the brightness. With this configuration, even when vehicle 1 is positioned on the pallet, the inside of compartments A, B, and C (front, rear, and sides of vehicle 1) can be filmed without blind spots using a pair of cameras 26.

[0048] In Figure 2, the control panel 30 is positioned so that users can easily access the emergency stop button 21 and the contactless reader 22, and so that the user is not detected as a foreign object by the gate sensor 17 when using them. Furthermore, the monitor 28 is positioned in a location easily visible to users operating the control panel 30, for example, above the control panel 30.

[0049] Figure 4B is an explanatory diagram of the monitor 28 and the control panel 30. The monitor 28 displays the interiors of multiple vehicle compartments A, B, and C without any blind spots using a pair of camera images 29a and 29b, respectively. The control panel 30 operates the control device 18 and also guides the user through the operation.

[0050] In this figure, the control panel 30 has a pair of unattended confirmation buttons 31a and 31b, which correspond to a pair of (left and right) camera images 29a and 29b on the monitor, respectively. The unattended confirmation buttons 31a and 31b may also be provided on the monitor 28. Furthermore, the unattended confirmation buttons 31a and 31b are not limited to mechanical push buttons, but may also be virtual push buttons displayed on the display device 33 or the monitor 28.

[0051] The control panel 30 also includes a safety confirmation button 32, a display device 33 that displays text or images, and a speaker (not shown) that outputs sound. The safety confirmation button 32 is used when safety is confirmed during call operation a or gate closing operation d. The display device 33 or speaker outputs operation messages corresponding to the standby state and the operating state, respectively. The standby state is the standby state for call operation a, inventory entry / exit operation b, unmanned confirmation operation c, and gate closing operation d.

[0052] When the control device 18 detects the entry or exit of a foreign object using the compartment sensor 24, it stores the compartment 12 that may contain a foreign object as a caution compartment 13B. A cautionary vehicle compartment 13B is a vehicle compartment in which the laser beam of one or both of the pair of photoelectric sensors located on both sides in the width direction is interrupted at least once, during times other than when pallet 2 is moving in vehicle compartments A, B, and C, and when a user is operating their own vehicle in or out of the compartment.

[0053] Figure 5 shows the relationship between the compartment sensor 24 that detected the foreign object and the attention compartment 13B. If no compartment sensor 24 detects a foreign object, it is determined that there is no caution compartment 13B. If only the two compartment sensors 24a and 24d, located on the outside of the entire passenger compartment and positioned on the widthward side, detect a foreign object, then it is possible that the foreign object is present only in passenger compartment A or passenger compartment C, and therefore passenger compartment A or C becomes the attention passenger compartment 13B. If two compartment sensors 24b and 24c along the boundary of multiple adjacent compartments A, B, and C detect a foreign object, then compartments A and B or B and C become designated as attention compartments 13B, because foreign objects may be present on both sides.

[0054] Furthermore, if multiple compartment sensors 24 detect foreign objects, all of the corresponding compartments 12 become attention compartments 13B.

[0055] Furthermore, if the entry or exit of a foreign object is detected, only the passenger compartments 12, excluding passenger compartment 13A, will be recorded as passenger compartments 13B. In other words, passenger compartment 13A is excluded from the list of passenger compartments 13B. This is because, as will be explained later, passenger compartment 13A is always subject to unoccupied checks.

[0056] The control device 18 switches and displays a pair of camera images 29a and 29b of the attention compartment 13B on the monitor only when there is a attention compartment 13B. Furthermore, the control device 18 displays a pair of camera images 29a and 29b of the occupied vehicle 13A on the monitor, regardless of whether or not there is a vehicle requiring attention 13B. Furthermore, the control device 18 outputs a completion signal for the unmanned verification operation c when the unmanned verification buttons 31a and 31b corresponding to all the displayed camera images 29a and 29b are operated.

[0057] Figure 6 is an overall flowchart showing the control method for a two-tiered parking system. In this diagram, the user performs the following operations in order: call operation a, entry / exit operation b, unmanned confirmation operation c, and gate closing operation d. Furthermore, the control device 18 sequentially performs authentication, calling operation and gate opening, unattended confirmation, authentication, and gate closing in response to user operations.

[0058] The control method for a two-tiered parking system will be explained below based on Figure 6.

[0059] Call operation a consists of steps Sa1 to Sa4. In step Sa1, the user touches the IC card to the contactless reader 22. This operation authenticates the user and turns on the power. Furthermore, an operation message prompting the user to confirm safety is output via the display device 33 or speaker.

[0060] In step Sa2, the user confirms the safety of the vehicle interior and surrounding area and presses the "Safety Confirmation Button". The display device 33 also displays the available pallet number. This display allows the user to confirm the pallet 2 they have contracted. In step Sa3, the user confirms the displayed palette number and touches "Call" displayed on the display device 33. In step Sa4, the "call operation" is initiated.

[0061] During the execution of step Sa4, the display device 33 or speaker outputs an operation message corresponding to the call operation. These operation messages may include, for example, "Operating," "Do not leave the control panel," or "Check surrounding area for safety."

[0062] The inventory entry / exit operation b consists of steps Sb1 to Sb3. In step Sb1, after pallet 2 stops, the display device 33 switches to the call completion screen. The user confirms that there are no people near the front gate and touches "Open". In step Sb2, gate 16 is opened ("gate open"). In step Sb3, the user confirms that gate 16 is fully open and then enters or exits the parking lot with their vehicle. Next, the display device 33 or speaker outputs an operation message corresponding to the following unattended verification operation c.

[0063] The unmanned verification operation c consists of steps Sc1 and Sc2. Steps Sc1 and Sc2 correspond to the unmanned verification method according to the present invention.

[0064] In step Sc1, if there is a vehicle requiring attention 13B, the monitor switches and displays the pair of camera images 29a and 29b (left and right) of the vehicle requiring attention 13B in sequence. The user operates (turns ON) the unoccupied confirmation buttons 31a and 31b corresponding to all the displayed camera images 29a and 29b. Step Sc1 is performed only if there is a vehicle requiring attention 13B; if there is no vehicle requiring attention 13B, it is omitted.

[0065] In step Sc2, regardless of whether there is a cautionary vehicle 13B or not, a pair of camera images 29a and 29b (left and right) of the vehicle being used 13A are displayed on the monitor. The user operates (turns ON) the unoccupied confirmation buttons 31a and 31b corresponding to all the displayed camera images 29a and 29b. In steps Sc1 and Sc2, if the unmanned confirmation buttons 31a and 31b corresponding to all displayed camera images 29a and 29b are operated in sequence, a completion signal for the unmanned confirmation operation c is output ("unmanned confirmation").

[0066] Note that the order of steps Sc1 and Sc2 may be reversed. Furthermore, the detection of foreign objects entering or leaving the parking space by the compartment sensor 24 should be performed during times other than when the pallet 2 is moving horizontally in the parking space 12 (step Sa4) and when the user is operating their own vehicle in or out of the parking space (step Sb3).

[0067] The gate closing operation d consists of steps Sd1 to Sd5. In step Sd1, the user confirms the safety of the device and its surroundings and presses the "Safety Confirmation Button". In step Sd2, the user touches "Close Gate" on the display device 33. In step Sd3, the IC card is touched to the contactless reader 22 again ("authentication"). In step Sd4, gate 16 closes ("gate closed"). In step Sd5, each device returns to its designated position.

[0068] The gate sensor 17 stops detecting foreign objects from the start of step Sa4 of call operation a until step Sc1 of unmanned verification operation c. During the entry / exit operation b, gate 16 is open, and a person or vehicle 1 passes through gate 16. This is to avoid detecting the person or vehicle 1 entering or exiting as a foreign object.

[0069] According to the embodiment of the present invention described above, if there are no caution compartments 13B where foreign objects may be present after the user has entered or exited the parking area, a pair of camera images 29a and 29b of the user's parking compartment 13A will be displayed on the monitor. Similarly, if the user's parking compartment 13A is the only caution compartment 13B, a pair of camera images 29a and 29b of the user's parking compartment 13A will be displayed on the monitor. In response, when the user operates (turns ON) the pair of unmanned verification buttons 31a and 31b corresponding to the pair of displayed camera images 29a and 29b, a completion signal for unmanned verification operation c is output, and unmanned verification operation c ends. Therefore, if there is no caution compartment 13B, or if only the occupied compartment 13A is a caution compartment 13B, the unmanned confirmation operation c can be completed simply by operating (ON) the pair of unmanned confirmation buttons 31a and 31b on the control panel, making it easy and smooth.

[0070] Furthermore, if there is a cautionary carriage 13B other than the carriage being used, only in that case will a pair of camera images 29a and 29b of the cautionary carriage 13B other than the carriage being used be displayed sequentially on the monitor in a switching manner. This display is performed, for example, before the display of the camera images 29a and 29b of the carriage being used by the passenger, 13A. In this case, the user sequentially operates (turns ON) the unmanned confirmation buttons 31a and 31b corresponding to all the displayed camera images 29a and 29b. Then, the user operates (turns ON) the pair of unmanned confirmation buttons 31a and 31b corresponding to the pair of camera images 29a and 29b displayed for the passenger compartment 13A, thereby outputting a completion signal for unmanned confirmation operation c, and ending unmanned confirmation operation c. Therefore, even if the attention compartment 13B is located far from the passenger compartment 13A, the unmanned confirmation operation c can be completed simply by repeatedly operating (ON) the pair of unmanned confirmation buttons 31a and 31b on the control panel 30, without having to move to the distant compartment. This makes the process easy and smooth.

[0071] Therefore, even if multiple passenger compartments 12 (boarding / alighting compartments) are installed adjacent to each other, users can check that all passenger compartments are unoccupied simply by operating the control panel 30 while looking at the monitor 28, without having to move to a distant passenger compartment. Furthermore, even in dimly lit environments such as at night, the monitor can display images brightly and automatically detect and highlight foreign objects (people or animals), significantly reducing the possibility of overlooking their presence.

[0072] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0073] A, B, C Inbound / Outbound Section, a Call operation, b Inbound / Outbound operation, c Unattended verification operation, d Gate closing operation, X Contactless medium (IC card), N Unique number, 1 vehicle, 2 pallets, 4 strapping components (chain or wire), 5 Lifting drive mechanism, 6a, 6b Wheels, 7 Rectangular frame, 8a, 8b Horizontal rails, 9 Main frame, 12 Car compartment, 13A Usage compartment, 13B Caution compartment, 14 pillars, 16, 16a, 16b, 16c gates, 17 gate sensor, 17a Light-emitting unit, 17b Light-receiving unit, 18 Control device, 18a Storage device, 18b Input device, 18c Output device, 18d Arithmetic unit, 19 Database, 21 Emergency stop button, 22 Contactless reader (card reader), 24, 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d Area sensors, 26, 26a, 26b, 26c Camera, 28 Monitor, 29a, 29b Camera images, 30 Control panel, 31a, 31b Unattended confirmation buttons, 32 Safety confirmation button, 33 Display device, 100 Double multi-level parking device

Claims

1. A two-tiered multi-level parking system having multiple parking spaces adjacent to each other in the width direction of the vehicle, located at the same height for entry and exit, and having a plurality of parking spaces inside which the vehicle is accommodated, wherein the user directly enters and exits their vehicle on a pallet located in the parking space, The system comprises: multiple compartment sensors for detecting the entry and exit of foreign objects into the compartments; multiple pairs of cameras for capturing images of the interior of each of the compartments without blind spots; a monitor for displaying images of the interior of each of the compartments without blind spots using a pair of camera images; a control device for controlling the raising, lowering, or traversing of the pallet; and an operation panel for operating the control device. The control panel or monitor has a pair of unattended confirmation buttons, each corresponding to a pair of camera images on the monitor. (A) When the entry or exit of the foreign object is detected by the compartment sensor, the compartment in which the foreign object may be present is stored as a compartment requiring attention. After the user has entered or exited the parking lot, (B) If there is a caution vehicle other than the vehicle used by the user, the monitor will switch and sequentially display a pair of camera images of the caution vehicle other than the vehicle used. (C) Regardless of whether the aforementioned cautionary vehicle is present or not, the monitor displays a pair of camera images of the vehicle used by the user. A two-tiered multi-stage parking system that, in (B) and (C) above, outputs a signal indicating completion of the unmanned confirmation operation when the unmanned confirmation button corresponding to all of the displayed camera images is operated.

2. The two-tiered parking device according to claim 1, wherein the compartment sensors are a plurality of photoelectric sensors that irradiate laser light horizontally in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle along the outside of the entire vehicle compartment located on the outside in the width direction and along the boundaries of a plurality of adjacent vehicle compartments.

3. The two-tiered parking system according to claim 2, wherein the attention-requiring parking space is the parking space in which the laser beam of one or both of the pair of photoelectric sensors located on both sides in the width direction is blocked one or more times during times other than when the pallet is moving in the parking space and when the user is operating their own vehicle in or out of the parking space.

4. A plurality of storage positions located above or below the vehicle compartment for storing the vehicle, The front of the vehicle compartment is equipped with a gate that can be opened and closed, The two-tiered multi-stage parking device according to claim 1, wherein the pallet is moved from the storage position to the user's vehicle compartment upon the user's call operation, and the gate is fully closed upon the user's gate closing operation after the completion signal for the unmanned confirmation operation is output.

5. The camera is a plurality of surveillance cameras positioned opposite each other with the pallets located in the plurality of vehicle compartments in between, and automatically detects and highlights people or animals, as described in claim 1.

6. The control panel further includes a safety confirmation button, a display device that displays text or images, and a speaker that outputs sound. The two-tiered parking device according to claim 1, wherein the display device or the speaker outputs an operation message corresponding to each standby state.

7. An unmanned confirmation method for a two-tiered multi-stage parking system according to claim 1, (A) When the entry or exit of the foreign object is detected by the compartment sensor, the compartment in which the foreign object may be present is stored as the compartment requiring attention. After the user has entered or exited the parking lot, (B) If there is a caution vehicle other than the vehicle used by the user, the monitor will switch and sequentially display a pair of camera images of the caution vehicle other than the vehicle used. (C) Regardless of whether the aforementioned cautionary vehicle is present or not, the monitor displays a pair of camera images of the vehicle used by the user. An unmanned confirmation method for a two-tiered multi-stage parking system, wherein, in (B) and (C) above, when the unmanned confirmation button corresponding to all of the displayed camera images is operated, a signal indicating completion of the unmanned confirmation operation is output.

8. The method for unmanned confirmation of a two-tiered parking system according to claim 7, wherein the detection of the entry and exit of foreign objects is performed during times other than when the pallet is moving in the parking space and when the user is operating their own vehicle in or out of the parking space.

Images