Parking system

Abstract

To provide a parking system allowing a user of a manually operated vehicle to enter a parking lot without making a user wait for a long time in a mechanical parking facility capable of parking an automatically operated vehicle and the manually operated vehicle.SOLUTION: A parking system provided with a mechanical parking device for parking an automatically operated vehicle and a manually operated vehicle comprises identification means for identifying whether or not an incoming vehicle is the automatically operated vehicle, and a control unit for making the automatically operated vehicle stand by until entry from a loading / unloading gate of the mechanical parking device is started. The control unit has a function of instructing the automatically operated vehicle to stand by and instructing the manually operated vehicle to enter the parking place with priority, when there are one or more vehicles of the automatically operated vehicle and the manually operated vehicle for which the acceptance of entry into the mechanical parking device has been completed and the entry has not been completed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a parking system in a mechanical parking facility that allows parking of both autonomous driving vehicles and manual driving vehicles.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as mechanical parking apparatuses for parking a plurality of vehicles, there are various parking apparatuses such as elevator type, plane reciprocating type, vertical and horizontal puzzle moving type, and multi-stage type, and these are used according to installation conditions and the like.

[0003] In recent years, development of autonomous driving vehicles has been progressing, and documents related to mechanical parking apparatuses that enable parking of autonomous driving vehicles capable of autonomous driving in mechanical parking apparatuses capable of parking manually driven vehicles driven by humans have been published. As prior art documents of this type, for example, there is an apparatus provided with a manual driving vehicle entrance for allowing manual driving vehicles to enter and exit and an autonomous driving vehicle entrance for allowing autonomous driving vehicles to enter and exit, and guiding the manual driving vehicles and the autonomous driving vehicles separately at each entrance (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Further, as another prior art document, there is a parking system provided with an automatic transport device that transports manually driven vehicles, an elevating transport device that transports autonomous driving vehicles and manually driven vehicles transported by the automatic transport device up and down between a plurality of floors, and a control device that transmits and receives signals related to entry and exit of the parking lot among the autonomous driving vehicle, the automatic transport device, and the elevating transport device (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, the mechanical parking system described in Patent Document 1 requires separate entrances for manually driven vehicles and automated vehicles, resulting in a large external dimension of the parking system and poor space efficiency. Furthermore, it is difficult to alleviate congestion when the same vehicle, whether manually driven or automated, enters the parking space consecutively.

[0007] Furthermore, while the parking system described in Patent Document 2 above can accommodate both autonomous and manually driven vehicles, it does not provide any information on how to alleviate congestion when both autonomous and manually driven vehicles are parked in succession.

[0008] Therefore, the purpose of this application is to provide a parking system that can alleviate congestion when autonomous vehicles and manually driven vehicles enter the parking lot in succession. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A parking system according to one aspect of this application is a parking system comprising a mechanical parking device for parking an autonomous vehicle and a manually driven vehicle, comprising: identification means for identifying whether an incoming vehicle is an autonomous vehicle; and a control device for causing the autonomous vehicle to wait until entry into the mechanical parking device begins, wherein the control device has a function to instruct the autonomous vehicle to wait if there is one or more autonomous vehicles and one or more manually driven vehicles that have completed the entry reception into the mechanical parking device but have not yet entered, and to instruct the manually driven vehicles to enter the device as a priority. In this specification and claims, "instruct to wait" includes instructions by wireless communication, instructions by a display device readable by the autonomous vehicle, instructions by variable road markings or signs, instructions by one-way communication such as beacons, etc. Also, in this specification and claims, "waiting" includes stopping at a predetermined location and driving along a predetermined route.

[0010] This configuration allows the system to instruct autonomous vehicles to wait if there is at least one autonomous vehicle and at least one manually driven vehicle that have completed the entry process into the mechanical parking system but have not yet entered. This allows for priority entry of manually driven vehicles. Therefore, even if autonomous and manually driven vehicles enter the parking system in succession, driver waiting times are reduced, and congestion is alleviated.

[0011] Furthermore, the control device may be configured to determine that the parking acceptance has been completed upon detection of a parking operation from the control panel or terminal device of the mechanical parking system, or upon detection of a parking operation via a signal transmitted from the autonomous vehicle. "Detection of parking operation" refers to the timing when the control device detects a parking operation based on an operation by the driver or other person from the control panel or a terminal connected to the network such as a mobile terminal, intercom, or PC, or a signal transmitted from the autonomous vehicle. "Parking operation" is synonymous with "parking call".

[0012] With this configuration, the system can determine that parking acceptance is complete based on the detection of parking entry operations from the control panel or terminal and the detection of parking entry operations from signals received by the autonomous vehicle, and can then process parking acceptance for both manually driven vehicles and autonomous vehicles in the appropriate order.

[0013] Furthermore, the identification means may include an imaging device, and the control device may use the imaging device to read visible information that identifies the vehicle as an autonomous vehicle, which is displayed in a position that can be imaged from at least outside the autonomous vehicle, in order to determine whether or not it is an autonomous vehicle. The visible information includes lights, characters, pictograms, two-dimensional codes, etc.

[0014] With this configuration, the visible information displayed on the autonomous vehicle can be read by the imaging device to identify the autonomous vehicle. Therefore, autonomous vehicles can be identified without using means such as communication.

[0015] Furthermore, the facility may include a waiting area for the autonomous vehicle, and the waiting area may be a temporary parking space located in a position that does not obstruct the manual vehicle's entry into the parking area.

[0016] With this configuration, autonomous vehicles that have already completed the parking registration process can be placed in a temporary parking area, and after manually driven vehicles have entered the parking lot first, the autonomous vehicles can enter from the temporary parking area.

[0017] Furthermore, the facility may be provided with a waiting area for the autonomous vehicle, the waiting area being a patrol route located in a position that does not obstruct the entry and exit of the manually driven vehicle, and the patrol route may be configured to branch off from the entry route, which allows the driver to reach the entry and exit gate from a drop-off area where the occupants of the autonomous vehicle are dropped off before entering the facility, and to return to the entry route by only forward driving.

[0018] With this configuration, the autonomous vehicle can be driven along a patrol route that serves as a waiting area and, once waiting is complete, can return to the entry route that allows it to reach the entry / exit gate by only forward driving and enter the parking area. Furthermore, space can be secured to accommodate multiple autonomous vehicles waiting, and entry can begin quickly when it becomes possible to enter the parking area. In this specification, the disembarking area also includes a place for both boarding and disembarking of the occupants of the autonomous vehicle.

[0019] Furthermore, when the control device instructs the automated vehicle to wait on the patrol route, it may estimate the time when the manually driven vehicle has completed entering the parking area and transmit an instruction signal to the automated vehicle specifying at least one of the number of patrols and the driving speed on the patrol route.

[0020] With this configuration, after the manually driven vehicles that have been instructed to enter the parking lot as a priority have completed their entry, the autonomous vehicles that are waiting on the patrol route can be efficiently entered the parking lot.

[0021] Further, the control device may be configured to transmit a no-overtaking signal to the automated driving vehicles when a plurality of the automated driving vehicles are traveling in a loop on the loop travel path.

[0022] With this configuration, when there are a plurality of automated driving vehicles that are caused to travel on the loop travel path and stand by, the vehicles can be made to travel in a loop in the order in which they were made to stand by. Therefore, management for guiding vehicles to enter the parking area in the order they were made to stand by can be easily performed.

[0023] Further, a plurality of the mechanical parking devices are provided, and upon receiving a parking entry application, the control device determines the time until the start of parking entry for each of the mechanical parking devices, guides the automated driving vehicle to one of the mechanical parking devices with a longer time until the start of parking entry to stand by, and may be configured to guide the driver of the manually driven vehicle to one of the mechanical parking devices with a shorter time until the start of parking entry by any of text information, audio information, wireless signals, and guidance displays on the parking entry path. The term "upon receiving a parking entry application" includes the period from "input of a parking entry request" to "completion of parking entry application reception".

[0024] With this configuration, in a facility equipped with a plurality of mechanical parking devices, when receiving parking entry applications for automated driving vehicles and manually driven vehicles, the automated driving vehicle is guided to one mechanical parking device with a longer time until the start of parking entry, and the driver of the manually driven vehicle is guided to one mechanical parking device with a shorter time until the start of parking entry, so that the waiting time of the driver can be reduced.

Advantageous Effects of the Invention

[0025] According to the present application, when parking entries of automated driving vehicles and manually driven vehicles continue, parking entry with reduced congestion becomes possible.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] [Figure 1] Figures 1(A) to 1(C) are front views of a vehicle showing an example of identification means for identifying an automated driving vehicle in the parking system according to the present application. [Figure 2]Figure 2 is a plan view showing the state in which an automated vehicle and a manually driven vehicle have been accepted for entry into the first parking system according to the first embodiment of this application. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a plan view showing the parking state following the parking state in the first parking system shown in Figure 2. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a plan view showing the parking state following the parking state in the first parking system shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a plan view showing the parking state following the parking state in the first parking system shown in Figure 5. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a plan view showing the parking state following the parking state in the first parking system shown in Figure 6. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a plan view showing the parking state following the parking state in the first parking system shown in Figure 7. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the entry procedures for autonomous vehicles and manually driven vehicles, as shown in Figures 2 to 8. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a plan view showing the state in which an autonomous vehicle and a manually driven vehicle are parked in the second parking system according to the second embodiment of this application. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a plan view showing the state in which an autonomous vehicle and a manually driven vehicle are parked in the third parking system according to the third embodiment of this application. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] Hereinafter, an embodiment of parking systems 1, 2, and 3 of this application will be described based on the drawings. The mechanical parking device 10 will be described with only the entry / exit section 11 shown. The mechanical parking device 10 is a parking device capable of parking both an autonomous vehicle V1 and a manually driven vehicle V2. The autonomous vehicle V1 is shown with the vehicle and radio waves, and the manually driven vehicle V2 is shown with only the vehicle shown. In this specification and the claims, the concepts of front, rear, left, and right directions are to be understood as the left-right direction when viewed from outside the entry / exit section 11 toward the entry / exit gate 12, and the front-rear direction when viewed from outside the entry / exit gate 12 toward the entry / exit section 11, as shown in Figure 2.

[0028] <Examples of methods for identifying autonomous vehicles> Figures 1(A) to 1(C) are front views of a vehicle showing an example of an identification means for identifying an autonomous vehicle V1 in parking systems 1, 2, and 3. The identification means in this embodiment includes a control device 50 of the mechanical parking device 10 and a camera 20 which is an imaging device. The identification means is not limited to this example and may include, for example, a wireless signal emitted by the autonomous vehicle V1 at a predetermined timing, a wireless signal emitted by the autonomous vehicle V1 in response to a wireless signal emitted by the mechanical parking device 10, or a determination based on information entered at the time of parking acceptance.

[0029] Figure 1(A) shows an example of identification of an autonomous vehicle V1 by providing a "two-dimensional code" as "visible information" on the front of the autonomous vehicle V1. When an incoming vehicle approaches the mechanical parking device 10, the incoming vehicle is imaged by the camera 20, which is an imaging device. In this embodiment, "visible information 40" indicating that the autonomous vehicle V1 is an autonomous vehicle V1 is provided in a position visible through the front windshield of the autonomous vehicle V1, and this visible information 40 is imaged by the camera 20. The "visible information 40" may be located in any other position on the front of the autonomous vehicle V1. Examples of "visible information 40" for the autonomous vehicle V1 include "two-dimensional codes," "text," "pictograms," etc. "Text," "pictograms," "two-dimensional codes," etc., include not only visible information indicating that the autonomous vehicle V1 is an autonomous vehicle V1, but also information that distinguishes the autonomous vehicle V1 from the manually driven vehicle V2. Then, the control device 50 identifies whether or not the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle V1 based on the visible information 40 of the autonomous vehicle V1 captured by the camera 20.

[0030] Figure 1(B) shows an example of identifying an autonomous vehicle V1 by "lights 41" which are "visible information" indicating that the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle V1. The lights 41 include existing lights such as turn signals, or lamps installed on the front of the vehicle to indicate that it is an autonomous vehicle V1. In this case, the autonomous vehicle V1 is captured by a camera 20, which is an imaging device, or light is received by a light receiver that detects light of a predetermined wavelength, and the control device 50 identifies whether or not it is an autonomous vehicle V1 based on the flashing pattern, color and wavelength of the lights 41, shape and position, etc.

[0031] Figure 1(C) shows an example of checking whether a person 42 is in the driver's seat of a vehicle, and identifying it as a manually driven vehicle V2 if a person 42 is in the driver's seat, and as an automated vehicle V1 if a person 42 is not in the driver's seat. In this case, the vehicle is photographed by a camera 20, which is an imaging device, and the control device 50 determines whether a person 42 is in the driver's seat of the photographed vehicle to determine whether it is an automated vehicle V1 or not. Face recognition technology using image processing can be used for this identification. In this figure, a person 42 is present, so it can be identified as a manually driven vehicle V2. Alternatively, by using this in combination with the other methods described above, it may be identified as an automated vehicle V1 that is not unmanned, and then treated the same as a manually driven vehicle V2.

[0032] <Configuration of the first parking system> Figure 2 is a plan view showing the state in which an autonomous vehicle V1 and a manually driven vehicle V2 have been accepted for entry into the first parking system 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 50 shown in Figure 2. Based on Figure 2, the overall configuration of the first parking system 1 will be described. In this example, the first parking system 1 has an entry / exit section 11 of a mechanical parking device 10 and an entry vehicle identification position 21 provided in front of it. The entry / exit section 11 is equipped with a control device 50.

[0033] The loading / unloading section 11 has a loading / unloading entrance 12 at its front, and an entrance / exit door 13 is provided at the loading / unloading entrance 12. An operation panel 14 is provided on the side of the loading / unloading entrance 12. Pallets 15 for transporting vehicles are also arranged in the loading / unloading section 11. Meanwhile, the loading / unloading vehicle identification position 21 is where loading / unloading vehicles are imaged by a camera 20, which is an imaging device. As a means of knowing when a loading / unloading vehicle is located at the loading / unloading vehicle identification position 21, known sensors used for vehicle presence detection, such as optical or radio wave sensors, can be used.

[0034] Furthermore, a temporary parking space 22, which serves as a waiting area for the autonomous vehicle V1, is provided between the entry / exit section 11 and the vehicle entry identification position 21. In this embodiment, the temporary parking space 22 is located at a position where the autonomous vehicle V1 has advanced a predetermined distance from the vehicle entry identification position 21 toward the entry / exit gate 12. The temporary parking space 22, which serves as a waiting area, is located in a position that does not obstruct the entry / exit section 11 when a manually driven vehicle V2 is entering the parking area. In addition, in this embodiment, a temporary stopping area 23 is provided in front of the entry / exit section 11. The temporary stopping area 23 is shown with only a stop line, and as shown, it is a place where a vehicle V3 is temporarily stopping and waiting when it is exiting the parking area.

[0035] The state shown in Figure 2 is one in which vehicle V3 is about to exit the loading / unloading section 11, with an autonomous vehicle V1 positioned at the loading vehicle identification position 21, and a manually driven vehicle V2 positioned next to the autonomous vehicle V1, about to enter the loading area. In other words, there is one or more autonomous vehicles V1 and one or more manually driven vehicles V2 whose loading reception has been completed but whose loading has not yet been completed.

[0036] The control device 50 described above includes a processor, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, and an I / O interface. As shown in Figure 3, the control device 50 of this embodiment has a vehicle identification unit 51 that determines whether an autonomous vehicle V1 or a manually driven vehicle V2 is based on the order of vehicle entry and the image captured by the camera 20. The image captured by the camera 20 is visible information that can be captured and identified from outside the autonomous vehicle V1, as shown in Figure 1, and the control device 50 uses the vehicle identification unit 51 to determine whether or not it is an autonomous vehicle V1 based on the visible information read by the camera 20. The control device 50 realizes each process by having the processor perform calculations in the arithmetic unit 52 using volatile memory based on a program stored in the non-volatile memory. The control device 50 is connected to the camera 20, the drive units of the mechanical parking device 10, the opening and closing drive units of the entrance and exit doors 13, etc., and also manages vehicle entry guidance.

[0037] Furthermore, the control device 50 communicates with the autonomous vehicle V1 via the network 70. The control device 50 manages parking entry requests from the control panel 14 and parking entry requests entered via the network 70 from the autonomous vehicle V1 or mobile terminal 60, etc. The control device 50 has a parking completion time estimation unit 53 and a parking start time estimation unit 54, and guides the autonomous vehicle V1 to enter the parking lot based on the times estimated by these units.

[0038] Parking acceptance can be determined by the control device 50 upon detection of a parking operation from the control panel 14 or terminal device of the mechanical parking system 10, or by detection of parking based on a signal transmitted from the autonomous vehicle V1. Parking acceptance occurs when a parking call is input to the parking system 1 via human operation (control panel 14 or a terminal connected to the network 70 such as a mobile terminal 60, intercom, or PC) or a signal transmitted from the autonomous vehicle V1. Parking acceptance may be performed in advance, or it may be performed by the driver or other person getting out of the vehicle upon arrival at the parking vehicle identification position 21 and inputting from the control panel 14 on foot, or by operating a remote controller or a parking acceptance panel (not shown) located adjacent to the parking vehicle identification position 21. "Parking call" is synonymous with "parking operation".

[0039] As shown in Figure 2, camera 20 captures images of the autonomous vehicle V1 and the manually driven vehicle V2 at the vehicle entry identification position 21. The control device 50 identifies whether a vehicle is an autonomous vehicle V1 or a manually driven vehicle V2 based on the images of the vehicles captured by camera 20. For example, as shown in Figure 1(A), the vehicle is given visible information 40 that indicates it is an autonomous vehicle V1, which is captured by camera 20 and identified by the vehicle identification unit 51 of the control device 50. Also, as shown in Figure 1(B), the vehicle's lights 41, which are visible information, are captured by camera 20 and identified by the vehicle identification unit 51 of the control device 50. In addition, the person 42 in the driver's seat is captured by camera 20 and identified by the vehicle identification unit 51 of the control device 50. Furthermore, in the illustrated example, the control device 50 determines from the vehicles captured by camera 20 that the earlier entry was for an autonomous vehicle V1 and the later entry was for a manually driven vehicle V2. Note that the order in which vehicles are lined up in the temporary parking space 22 may not be the order in which they are entered.

[0040] Figures 4 to 8 show examples of parking a manually driven vehicle V2 and an autonomous vehicle V1 from the state shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a plan view showing the parking state in the first parking system 1 following the parking state (the state until the vehicle enters the mechanical parking device 10) shown in Figure 2. Figure 5 is a plan view showing the parking state in the first parking system 1 following the parking state shown in Figure 4. Figure 6 is a plan view showing the parking state in the first parking system 1 following the parking state shown in Figure 5. Figure 7 is a plan view showing the parking state in the first parking system 1 following the parking state shown in Figure 6. Figure 8 is a plan view showing the parking state in the first parking system 1 following the parking state shown in Figure 7.

[0041] As shown in Figure 4, in this embodiment, there is an example where there is one or more vehicles each for the autonomous vehicle V1 and the manually driven vehicle V2 that have completed the entry reception process for the mechanical parking system 10 but have not yet entered the parking space. Since the first entry was by the autonomous vehicle V1 and the second entry was by the manually driven vehicle V2, the control device 50 instructs the autonomous vehicle V1 to wait in the temporary parking space 22, which is the waiting area. The instruction to wait for the autonomous vehicle V1 may be given via wireless communication or a communication line, or by a display that can be read by the autonomous vehicle V1, a variable road marking or sign, or one-way communication such as a beacon.

[0042] Then, the manually driven vehicle V2 is instructed to enter the parking area with priority over the autonomous vehicle V1. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, since vehicle V3 is exiting the parking area 11, the manually driven vehicle V2 is guided to a temporary stopping area 23 near the entrance / exit door 13 of the parking area 11 and made to wait. That is, the autonomous vehicle V1 is made to wait in the temporary parking space 22, and the manually driven vehicle V2 overtakes the autonomous vehicle V1 and stops in front of the parking area 11.

[0043] As shown in Figure 6, when vehicle V3 exits the entry / exit section 11, a manually driven vehicle V2 is guided to enter the entry / exit section 11. Then, as shown in Figure 7, the manually driven vehicle V2 is stopped at a predetermined position on the pallet 15, and after the driver exits, the pallet 15 carrying the manually driven vehicle V2 is transported to a predetermined storage area by a carrier (not shown) and stored. Then, as shown in Figure 8, an empty pallet 15, which has been transported from another storage area, is placed in the entry / exit section 11, and the entrance / exit door 13 of the entry / exit gate 12 is opened. If no new manually driven vehicle V2 that has completed the entry registration has arrived, an entry start permission signal is sent to the automated vehicle V1 waiting in the temporary parking area 22 to guide it into the parking area. The guidance for the automated vehicle V1 to enter the parking area can be provided using text information, voice information, wireless signals, or guidance displays along the entry route. The automated vehicle V1 enters the entry / exit section 11 automatically based on this guidance. Conversely, if the automated vehicle V1 arrives at the vehicle entry identification position 21 after the manually driven vehicle V2 and the vehicles line up in that order, the automated vehicle V1 may remain at the vehicle entry identification position 21 and wait until the manually driven vehicle V2 proceeds to the temporary stopping position 23, or it may move to the temporary parking space 22 and wait in preparation for the arrival of the new manually driven vehicle V2.

[0044] The parking guidance for the drivers of either the autonomous vehicle V1 or the manually driven vehicle V2 by the first parking system 1 is controlled by the control device 50. The control device 50 provides parking guidance via text display, voice, or both, wireless communication, etc. When certain conditions are met, the parking guidance control prioritizes the manually driven vehicle V2 for parking, delaying the autonomous vehicle V1.

[0045] According to this first parking system 1, it is determined whether the vehicle entering the parking space is an autonomous vehicle V1 or a manually driven vehicle V2. If the autonomous vehicle V1 enters first and the manually driven vehicle V2 enters later, the autonomous vehicle V1 is made to wait. Then, priority is given to the manually driven vehicle V2 entering the parking space. This allows for smooth entry of the manually driven vehicle V2, reduces driver waiting times, and enables parking control that alleviates congestion.

[0046] <Flowchart> Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the entry process for the autonomous vehicle V1 and the manually driven vehicle V2, as shown in Figures 2 to 8. This flowchart illustrates the main decisions made when the autonomous vehicle V1 and the manually driven vehicle V2 enter the parking lot. First, it is determined whether there are multiple vehicles waiting to enter the parking lot (S1). If there is only one vehicle, it is determined whether it is the autonomous vehicle V1 or the manually driven vehicle V2 (S2). If it is the autonomous vehicle V1, the vehicle is guided to enter the parking lot as the autonomous vehicle V1; if it is the manually driven vehicle V2, the driver of the manually driven vehicle V2 is guided to enter the parking lot (S3).

[0047] On the other hand, if there are multiple vehicles entering the parking lot, it is determined whether there is at least one autonomous vehicle V1 and at least one manually driven vehicle V2 that have not yet entered the parking lot (S4). Based on this determination, if there is only autonomous vehicle V1, the autonomous vehicle V1 is guided into the parking lot in the order of entry, and if there is only manually driven vehicle V2, the manually driven vehicle V2 is guided into the parking lot in the order of entry (S5). Then, once the previous vehicle has entered the parking lot, it is determined whether all vehicles have entered the parking lot (S6), and if not, the process of guiding the remaining vehicles into the parking lot (S5) is repeated. Also, if the determination in S4 shows that there is at least one autonomous vehicle V1 and at least one manually driven vehicle V2 that have not yet entered the parking lot, it is determined whether the previous vehicle that entered the parking lot was an autonomous vehicle V1 (S7). If the previous vehicle that entered the parking lot was a manually driven vehicle V2, the process of guiding the manually driven vehicle V2 into the parking lot is performed (S8). Then, if it is determined that the previous vehicle has entered the parking lot (S9), the process of guiding the remaining vehicles into the parking lot (S10) is repeated. Then, if the first vehicle to enter the parking lot is the autonomous vehicle V1, a waiting instruction is given to the autonomous vehicle V1 (S11), and guidance is given to the manually driven vehicle V2 which will enter the parking lot later (S12). In other words, the manually driven vehicle V2 overtakes the autonomous vehicle V1 and enters the parking lot. After that, it is determined whether or not the manually driven vehicle V2 has completed entering the parking lot (S13), and once the manually driven vehicle V2 has completed entering the parking lot, guidance is given to the waiting autonomous vehicle V1 to enter the parking lot (S14).

[0048] <Second Parking System> Figure 10 is a plan view showing the state in which an autonomous vehicle V1 and a manually driven vehicle V2 are entering the parking system 2 according to the second embodiment. The second parking system 2 includes a patrol road 30 provided as a waiting area for the autonomous vehicle V1, located in a position that does not obstruct the entry of the manually driven vehicle V2. The patrol road 30 in this embodiment is provided to circulate around the entry / exit section 11. The patrol road 30 branches off from the entry route 31, which allows access from the drop-off area 32 where the occupants of the autonomous vehicle V1 are dropped off before entering the parking space to the entry / exit gate 12, and can return to the entry route 31 by only forward driving.

[0049] As shown in Figure 10, vehicle V3 is exiting the mechanical parking system 10, so the first autonomous vehicle V1 is instructed to detour to the patrol route 30. This instruction can be given using text information, voice information, wireless signals, or guidance displays along the entry route.

[0050] Then, the driver of the second manually operated vehicle, V2, is guided to the temporary stop area 23 in front of the mechanical parking device 10. This guidance is given because there are no other vehicles waiting to enter the parking space. Parking guidance can be provided using text information, voice information, radio signals, or guidance displays along the parking route. In this example, the third vehicle to arrive is the automated vehicle V4, which is instructed to detour onto the patrol route 30.

[0051] In this example, once vehicle V3 has exited the mechanical parking system 10, the driver of the manually operated vehicle V2 uses the control panel 14 to park. Alternatively, if parking acceptance is complete, as soon as an empty pallet 15 is placed in the parking area 11, the entrance door 13 is opened to allow the manually operated vehicle V2 to park. Once the manually operated vehicle V2 is parked in its designated location and the parking area 11 is in a waiting state for a certain period of time, or when the parking area 11 is in a waiting state for parking, the first automated vehicle V1, which is being diverted on the patrol route 30, is instructed to move in front of the mechanical parking system 10 and simultaneously performs a parking preparation operation (pallet retrieval). After the pallet arrives, a parking start permission signal is sent to the automated vehicle to guide it into parking. Parking guidance for the automated vehicle V1 can be provided using text information, voice information, wireless signals, or guidance displays along the parking route.

[0052] Furthermore, the control device 50 may, after having the automated vehicle V1 stand by, estimate the time when the manually driven vehicle V2 will be parked using the parking completion time estimation unit 53, and then transmit an instruction signal to the automated vehicle V1 indicating at least one of the number of patrols and the driving speed on the patrol route 30. In this way, after the manually driven vehicle V2 has completed parking, the automated vehicle V1, which has been driving on the patrol route 30 and waiting, can be efficiently parked.

[0053] Furthermore, the control device 50 may also transmit a signal to the autonomous vehicles V1 indicating that overtaking is prohibited when multiple autonomous vehicles V1 are patrolling the patrol route 30. In this way, when there are multiple autonomous vehicles V1 waiting on the patrol route 30, they can be made to patrol in the order in which they were placed. Therefore, it becomes easy to manage the process of guiding them to enter the parking lot in the order in which they were placed.

[0054] With this second parking system 2, when the number of vehicles entering the mechanical parking device 10 increases and congestion occurs, the autonomous vehicle V1 is temporarily diverted to the patrol road 30 and made to wait. Then, by prioritizing the entry of the manually driven vehicle V2, congestion in front of the mechanical parking device 10 can be alleviated. Furthermore, with the second parking system 2, even if the mechanical parking device 10 has only one entrance / exit gate 12, it is possible to provide a mechanical parking device 10 that can efficiently accommodate both the autonomous vehicle V1 and the manually driven vehicle V2. Note that the arrangement and length of the patrol road 30 are not limited to this example and can be set appropriately according to the conditions of the location where the mechanical parking device 10 is installed, regardless of its position relative to the entrance / exit section 11.

[0055] <Third Parking System> Figure 11 is a plan view showing the state in which an autonomous vehicle V1 and a manually driven vehicle V2 are entering a parking space in the third parking system 3 according to the third embodiment. The third parking system 3 is an example in which two (or more) mechanical parking devices 10 are provided. The same reference numerals are used for components identical to those in the first parking system 1 described above, and their descriptions are omitted. In Figure 11, the left mechanical parking device 10 is in a state where vehicle V3 is exiting, and the right mechanical parking device 10 is in a state where a pallet 15 is placed in the entry / exit section 11 and waiting to be entered. In this example as well, the entry of an autonomous vehicle V1 and a manually driven vehicle V2 has been accepted, and the autonomous vehicle V1 is about to enter first.

[0056] The control device 50 determines the time until each mechanical parking device 10 becomes available for parking when a vehicle is entering a parking space. This determination is made from the estimated time by the parking start time estimation unit 54 of the control device 50. In this example, the left mechanical parking device 10 is currently exiting, so the time until it becomes available for parking is long, while the right mechanical parking device 10 is waiting to be parked, so it is determined that it will be available for parking immediately. In such a case, the control device 50 guides the autonomous vehicle V1 to the left mechanical parking device 10, which has a longer waiting time until it becomes available for parking, and has it wait there. Then, it guides the manually driven vehicle V2 to park in the right mechanical parking device 10, which has a shorter waiting time until it becomes available for parking. This parking guidance can be provided to the driver of the manually driven vehicle V2 using text information, voice information, wireless signals, or guidance displays along the parking route. Similarly, parking guidance for the autonomous vehicle V1 can be provided using text information, voice information, wireless signals, or guidance displays along the parking route that the autonomous vehicle V1 can recognize.

[0057] Furthermore, the third parking system 3 is also equipped with a patrol road 30 that circles around the entrance / exit section 11 as a waiting area for the autonomous vehicle V1. The patrol road 30 is located in a position that does not obstruct the entry of the manually driven vehicle V2, and is the same as in the second parking system 2. The waiting of the autonomous vehicle V1 on the patrol road 30 is the same as in the second parking system 2, so the explanation is omitted. According to the third parking system 3, if multiple autonomous vehicles V1s are attempting to enter the parking lot at the same time, the autonomous vehicle V1s can be made to wait, just as in the second parking system 2.

[0058] According to this third parking system 3, the manually driven vehicle V2 is guided to the mechanical parking device 10 that has the shortest waiting time for entry among multiple mechanical parking devices 10, allowing it to enter the parking space faster than the autonomous vehicle V1. Therefore, it is possible to park the vehicle in a way that alleviates congestion without making the driver of the manually driven vehicle V2 wait for a long time.

[0059] <Other variations> The mechanical parking system 10 is not limited to the embodiments described above. The mechanical parking system 10 may be, for example, a box-type circulating system, a horizontal circulating system, a planar reciprocating system, a vertical and horizontal moving puzzle system, or other types. Combinations of the configurations in the embodiments described above are also possible.

[0060] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment described an example in which one mechanical parking device 10 and two mechanical parking devices 10 are provided, a parking system may also be provided with more mechanical parking devices 10.

[0061] Furthermore, the embodiments described above are merely examples, and various modifications are possible without impairing the essence of this application. This application is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0062] <Summary> As described above, according to the parking systems 1, 2, and 3, an autonomous vehicle V1 and a manually driven vehicle V2 that have registered to enter the mechanical parking device 10 are identified before they reach the device. If there is at least one autonomous vehicle V1 and at least one manually driven vehicle V2, and the autonomous vehicle V1 is to enter first, the autonomous vehicle V1 is made to wait while the manually driven vehicle V2 enters first. Therefore, even if the entry of an autonomous vehicle V1 and a manually driven vehicle V2 overlaps, it is possible to achieve entry and exit control with less waiting time for the drivers and less congestion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1. Parking System 1 2. Second Parking System 3. Third Parking System 10 Mechanical parking systems 11. Inbound / Outbound Section 12 Inlet / Outlet Gates 13 Entrance / Exit Doors 14 Control panel 15 Palettes 20. Camera (imaging device) 21 Vehicle Identification Location 22 Temporary parking area (waiting area) 23 Stopping Point 30 Patrol routes (waiting areas) 31. Entry Route 32 Drop-off locations 40 Visible Information 41 Lights (visible information) 42 people 50 Control device 60 Mobile devices 70 Networks V1 autonomous vehicle V2 Manually driven vehicle V3 Vehicle

Claims

1. A parking system equipped with a mechanical parking device for parking autonomous vehicles and manually driven vehicles, The system includes an identification means for identifying whether an incoming vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, and a control device for causing the autonomous vehicle to wait until entry into the mechanical parking system begins. A parking system in which, when there is one or more vehicles each of the automated vehicle and the manual vehicle that have completed the entry reception process for the mechanical parking system but have not yet entered the parking space, the control device has the function of instructing the automated vehicle to wait and to prioritize the entry of the manual vehicle.

2. The parking system according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to determine that the parking acceptance has been completed by detecting a parking operation from the control panel or terminal device of the mechanical parking system, or by detecting a parking operation from a signal transmitted from the autonomous vehicle.

3. The identification means includes an imaging device, The parking system according to claim 1, wherein the control device reads visible information that identifies the autonomous vehicle, which is displayed in a position that can be imaged from at least outside the autonomous vehicle, using the imaging device to determine whether or not it is the autonomous vehicle.

4. The vehicle includes a waiting area for the aforementioned autonomous vehicle to wait. The parking system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the waiting area is a temporary parking space located in a position that does not obstruct the entry and exit of the manually operated vehicle.

5. The vehicle includes a waiting area for the aforementioned autonomous vehicle to wait. The aforementioned waiting area is a patrol road located in a position that does not obstruct the entry and exit of the manually operated vehicle. The parking system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the patrol route branches off from the entry route that allows access from the drop-off point where the occupants of the autonomous vehicle are dropped off before entering the parking area to the entry / exit gate, and is configured to allow return to the entry route by forward driving only.

6. The parking system according to claim 5, wherein when the control device instructs the autonomous vehicle to wait on the patrol route, it estimates the time when the manually driven vehicle has completed entering the parking lot and transmits to the autonomous vehicle an instruction signal for at least one of the number of patrols and the driving speed on the patrol route.

7. The parking system according to claim 5, wherein the control device transmits a signal to the autonomous vehicles indicating that overtaking is prohibited when multiple autonomous vehicles are patrolling the patrol route.

8. The aforementioned mechanical parking system is provided in multiple locations. The parking system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control device, upon receiving the vehicle entry request, determines the time until entry begins for each of the mechanical parking devices, guides the autonomous vehicle to the mechanical parking device with the longest time until entry begins and has it wait there, and guides the driver of the manually driven vehicle to the mechanical parking device with the shortest time until entry begins using either text information, voice information, wireless signals, or guidance displays on the entry route.

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