Waiting time guidance system, waiting time guidance method, and program

Abstract

The present invention provides more accurate waiting-time guidance by taking into consideration the congestion status of a parking lot.　This waiting-time guidance system comprises: a first acquisition means that can acquire data indicating the status of congestion of a road that connects to a parking lot; a second acquisition means that can acquire data indicating the status of congestion within the parking lot; a calculation means that, using the data acquired by the first acquisition means and the second acquisition means, calculates a waiting time that is a rough indicator of time until parking in a parking space in the parking lot; and a transmission means that transmits the waiting time to a prescribed device. Furthermore, if it is anticipated that there will be no vacancies of parking spaces in the parking lot, the calculation means of the waiting-time guidance system calculates the waiting time by adding a prescribed in-lot waiting time, in addition to a first anticipated required time until entry into the parking lot and a second anticipated required time from entry into the parking lot until parking in a parking space.

Description

Waiting time guidance system, waiting time guidance method, and recording medium

[0001] The present invention relates to a waiting time guidance system, a waiting time guidance method, and a recording medium.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an information processing device that can notify a required time taking into consideration parking time at a destination. More specifically, the information processing device described in this document adds the travel time from the departure point to the parking lot and the parking time from entering the parking lot until parking, and calculates this as the required time (total required time) from the departure point to the parking lot (parking position).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-129465

[0004] Although various guidance systems are currently available in parking lots, when a parking lot becomes crowded, vehicles will search for an available space or will wait inside the lot, which reduces the accuracy of the guidance system. In this regard, the information processing device in Patent Document 1 only accesses an external parking lot database and acquires the parking time for each parking lot from the database, and like the above-mentioned existing guidance systems, there is a possibility that it will not be able to provide accurate waiting time guidance.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a waiting time guidance system, a waiting time guidance method, and a recording medium that can provide more accurate waiting time guidance by taking into account the congestion status of a parking lot.

[0006] According to a first aspect, a waiting time guidance system is provided that includes a first acquisition means capable of acquiring data indicating the congestion status of roads connecting to a parking lot, a second acquisition means capable of acquiring data indicating the congestion status within the parking lot, a calculation means that uses the data acquired by the first and second acquisition means to calculate an estimated waiting time until parking in a parking space in the parking lot, and a transmission means that transmits the waiting time to a specified device, wherein the calculation means, when it is expected that there will be no available parking spaces in the parking lot, calculates the waiting time by adding a specified waiting time within the parking lot to a first expected time required to enter the parking lot and a second expected time required from entering the parking lot to parking in a parking space.

[0007] According to a second aspect, there is provided a waiting time guidance method that uses first data indicating the congestion status of roads connecting to a parking lot and second data indicating the congestion status within the parking lot to calculate an estimated waiting time until parking in a parking space in the parking lot and transmits the waiting time to a specified device, and when it is expected that there will be no available parking spaces in the parking lot, the waiting time guidance method calculates the waiting time by adding a specified waiting time within the parking lot to a first expected time required to enter the parking lot and a second expected time required from entering the parking lot to parking in a parking space.

[0008] According to a third aspect, there is provided a recording medium having recorded thereon a program that causes a computer to execute the following processes: a process of calculating an estimated waiting time until parking in a parking space in a parking lot using first data indicating the congestion status of roads connecting to the parking lot and second data indicating the congestion status within the parking lot; a process of transmitting the waiting time to a specified device; and a process of calculating the waiting time, when it is expected that all parking spaces in the parking lot will be full, by adding a specified waiting time within the parking lot to a first estimated time required to enter the parking lot and a second estimated time required from entering the parking lot to parking in a parking space.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a waiting time guidance system, a waiting time guidance method, and a recording medium that can provide more accurate waiting time guidance by taking into account the congestion status of a parking lot.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing one configuration of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing one configuration of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for creating hierarchical waiting time data. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a display of waiting times according to the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is another diagram showing an example of a display of waiting times according to the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another configuration of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of a computer constituting a waiting time guidance system of the present disclosure.

[0011] First, an overview of one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this disclosure, the drawings relate to one or more embodiments. The reference numerals in the drawings attached to this overview are attached to each element for convenience as an example to facilitate understanding, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure to the illustrated form. Furthermore, connecting lines between blocks in the drawings and the like referred to in the following description include both bidirectional and unidirectional lines. Unidirectional arrows are used to schematically indicate the flow of main signals (data) and do not exclude bidirectionality. A program is executed via a computer device, which includes, for example, a processor, a storage device, an input device, a communication interface, and, if necessary, a display device. Furthermore, this computer device is configured to be able to communicate with internal or external devices (including computers) via the communication interface, whether wired or wireless. Although ports or interfaces are present at the input / output connection points of each block in the drawings, they are not shown.

[0012] In one embodiment, the present disclosure can be realized by a waiting time guidance system 10 including a first acquisition means 11, a second acquisition means 12, a calculation means 13, and a transmission means 14, as shown in Fig. 1. More specifically, the first acquisition means is capable of acquiring data indicating the congestion status of roads connecting to a parking lot P1. The data indicating the congestion status of roads connecting to a parking lot P1 can be road congestion data, the number of vehicles obtained from images of a camera installed near the entrance to the parking lot, or the like.

[0013] The second acquisition means 12 is capable of acquiring data indicating the congestion status within the parking lot P1. The data indicating the congestion status within the parking lot P1 can be data indicating the presence or absence of vehicles in each parking space shown in Figure 1 or data stored in a parking lot management server that manages vehicle entry and exit, parking time, etc.

[0014] A calculation means 13 calculates a waiting time as an estimate until parking in a parking space in the parking lot P1, using the data acquired by the first acquisition means 11 and the second acquisition means 12. A transmission means 14 transmits the waiting time to a predetermined device.

[0015] In calculating the waiting time, the calculation means 13 performs the following calculation if it is expected that parking spaces in the parking lot P1 will be full. Specifically, the calculation means 13 calculates the waiting time by adding a first expected time required to enter the parking lot P1, a second expected time required from entering the parking lot P1 to parking in a parking space, and a predetermined waiting time within the parking lot. Whether parking spaces in the parking lot P1 are expected to be full can be determined directly based on the number of available parking spaces in the parking lot. For example, if the number of available parking spaces is very small, it may be determined that parking spaces in the parking lot P1 are expected to be full. To more accurately determine whether parking spaces in the parking lot P1 are expected to be full, the congestion status of roads connecting to the parking lot P1 may be referenced. For example, if there are two available parking spaces in the parking lot, and two or more vehicles are lined up on the road connecting to the parking lot P1, it means that there are essentially no available parking spaces in the parking lot P1.

[0016] The predetermined waiting time in the parking lot can be the average waiting time until a parking space becomes available in the parking lot P1 when the parking lot P1 is full. This average waiting time in the parking lot can be obtained by analyzing video footage of the parking lot.

[0017] The waiting time guidance system 10 configured as above operates as follows: First, the waiting time guidance system 10 acquires first data indicating the congestion status of roads connecting to a parking lot (step S01 in FIG. 2).

[0018] Next, the waiting time guidance system 10 acquires second data indicating the congestion status of the parking lot (step S02 in FIG. 2). Note that the order of acquiring the first data and the second data may be reversed, or both may be acquired in parallel.

[0019] Next, based on the first and second data, the waiting time guidance system 10 determines whether there are any available parking spaces in the parking lot P, i.e., whether the parking lot P is substantially full (step S03). In making this determination, the waiting time guidance system 10 first determines the number of available spaces in the parking lot from the second data. Next, the waiting time guidance system 10 determines the number of vehicles that are about to enter from the first data. For example, if there are N available spaces in the parking lot but there are N or more vehicles that are about to enter, it can be determined that the parking lot is substantially full.

[0020] If it is determined that there is a parking space available in the parking lot P, i.e., the parking lot P is not full (No in step S03), the process proceeds to step S04. The waiting time guidance system 10 calculates the waiting time by adding the first estimated time required to enter the parking lot P and the second estimated time required from entering the parking lot P to parking in the parking space (step S04).

[0021] On the other hand, if it is determined that the parking lot is substantially full (Yes in step S03), the waiting time guidance system 10 calculates the waiting time by adding the first estimated required time, the second estimated required time, and the waiting time within the parking lot (step S05).

[0022] The predetermined device to which the waiting time is transmitted may be, for example, an electronic bulletin board EB installed on a road near the parking lot. FIG. 3 shows an example of a display on the electronic bulletin board EB when there is a vacant parking space. The example in FIG. 3 shows a display example in which the first estimated time required to enter the parking lot is 8 minutes, and the second estimated time required from entering the parking lot to parking in a parking space is 2 minutes. In this case, the waiting time obtained by adding the first estimated time and the second estimated time is 10 minutes. In a more preferred embodiment, the waiting time guidance system 10 displays either the first estimated time or the second estimated time. In the example in FIG. 3, the second estimated time is displayed as "including 2 minutes of travel within the parking lot."

[0023] Figure 4 is an example of a display on the electronic bulletin board EB when the parking lot is substantially full. The example in Figure 4 is an example of a display when the first estimated time required to enter the parking lot is 10 minutes, the second estimated time required from entering the parking lot to parking in a parking space is 2 minutes, and the waiting time within the parking lot is 8 minutes. In this case, the waiting time obtained by adding the first estimated time required, the second estimated time required, and the 8-minute waiting time within the parking lot is 20 minutes. In a more preferred embodiment, the waiting time guidance system 10 displays one or more of the first estimated time required, the second estimated time required, and the waiting time within the parking lot. In the example in Figure 4, the second estimated time required and the waiting time within the parking lot are displayed as "including 2 minutes of traveling within the parking lot + 8 minutes of waiting within the parking lot."

[0024] In this way, by changing the method of calculating the waiting time depending on whether the parking lot is substantially full or not, it is possible to communicate a more accurate waiting time to drivers who are about to use the parking lot.

[0025] In particular, by clearly indicating the waiting time within the parking lot, as shown in Figure 4, drivers and others can decide whether or not to use the parking lot after entering it, assuming that they will drop off passengers there.

[0026] [First embodiment] Next, a first embodiment in which the present disclosure is applied to a guidance service in a multi-story parking garage will be described. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing one configuration of the present disclosure. Fig. 5 shows a waiting time guidance system 100 that provides guidance on waiting times in a (multi-story) parking garage P1.

[0027] The waiting time guidance system 100 includes a first acquisition unit 101 , a second acquisition unit 102 , a calculation unit 103 , and a transmission unit 104 .

[0028] The first acquisition unit 101 is connected to a sensor S1 arranged on the approach road to the (multi-story) parking lot P1, and is capable of detecting the number of vehicles lined up at the entrance to the (multi-story) parking lot P1. The first acquisition unit 101 sends the number of vehicles detected by the sensor S1 to the calculation unit 103.

[0029] The second acquisition unit 102 is connected to a sensor S2 arranged in a parking space inside the (multi-story) parking lot P1, and is capable of detecting the availability of parking spaces in the (multi-story) parking lot P1. The second acquisition unit 102 sends the availability of parking spaces detected by the sensor S2 to the calculation unit 103.

[0030] As the sensors S1 and S2, various sensors capable of detecting vehicles using near-infrared light, visible light, or ultraviolet light, or cameras capable of photographing vehicles using visible light or infrared light, can be used.

[0031] The calculation unit 103 calculates the waiting time (first expected required time) until entering the (multi-story) parking lot P1 when lining up at the end of the queue, based on the number of vehicles lined up at the entrance to the (multi-story) parking lot P1. This waiting time (first expected required time) can be calculated based on the waiting time per vehicle surveyed in advance, etc.

[0032] Furthermore, the calculation unit 103 calculates the waiting time for each floor based on the availability of parking spaces on each floor of the (multi-story) parking lot P1. This waiting time (second expected required time) can be calculated based on the time required to travel from the entrance to each floor, which has been surveyed in advance. Furthermore, if there are no available parking spaces on a specific floor of the (multi-story) parking lot P1, the calculation unit 103 calculates the time (waiting time) required to wait until a parking space becomes available on that floor. This waiting time can be determined, for example, from the average interval between available parking spaces on each floor. Furthermore, in a more preferred embodiment, it is preferable to survey the average interval between available parking spaces by day of the week and time period, and use data subdivided by day of the week and time period.

[0033] The transmitting unit 104 transmits the waiting time data calculated by the calculating unit 103 in response to a request from the mobile terminal 400 or the in-vehicle terminal 500 of the parking lot user.

[0034] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 6 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the present disclosure. Referring to Fig. 6, first, a device such as a mobile terminal 400 or an in-vehicle terminal 500 requests waiting time data for a (multi-story) parking lot P1 from the waiting time guidance system 100 (step S001). When requesting this waiting time data, the device may also transmit information specifying the (multi-story) parking lot P1 for which the waiting time is being requested.

[0035] Upon receiving the request, the waiting time information system 100 checks the number of vehicles lined up at the entrance to the (multi-story) parking lot P1 (step S002).

[0036] Next, the waiting time guidance system 100 calculates the waiting time (first expected required time) until entry if one is at the end of the queue, based on the number of vehicles lined up at the entrance to the (multi-story) parking lot P1.

[0037] Next, the waiting time guidance system 100 checks the availability (congestion) of parking spaces in the (multi-story) parking lot P1 (step S004).

[0038] Next, the waiting time guidance system 100 calculates the waiting time (second expected required time) for each floor after entry based on the confirmed availability (congestion) of parking spaces in the (multi-story) parking lot P1 (step S005). The method for calculating the waiting time for each floor after entry will be described later with reference to FIG. 7.

[0039] Here, an example of a method for calculating the waiting time for each floor after entry in step S005 will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for creating waiting time data by floor. First, the waiting time guidance system 100 calculates the travel time from the entrance to each floor (step S101). At this time, the waiting time guidance system 100 may calculate the travel time to each floor taking into account the location of available parking spaces on each floor. Note that if the location of available parking spaces is not taken into account, a travel time calculated in advance may be used as the travel time from the entrance to each floor (for example, adding 3 minutes for each floor).

[0040] Next, the waiting time guidance system 100 acquires the average waiting time for floors with no available space (step S102).

[0041] Next, the waiting time guidance system 100 adds the average waiting time acquired in step S102 to the travel time to the floor where there is no available space (step S103).

[0042] Next, the waiting time guidance system 100 aggregates the waiting times for each floor to create waiting time data for each floor (step S104). This waiting time data for each floor becomes the waiting time for each floor after entry (second expected required time).

[0043] The operation of the present disclosure will be described again with reference to Fig. 6. The waiting time guidance system 100 transmits detailed waiting time data to the requesting device, including the waiting time until entry if the user is at the end of the queue (first expected required time) and the waiting time for each floor after entry (second expected required time) (step S006).

[0044] The device that receives the calculation result displays the waiting time for the (multi-story) parking lot P1 to the user. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a waiting time display when the device is a mobile terminal 400 such as a smartphone. The example in FIG. 8 shows the waiting time for entry into the (multi-story) parking lot P1 and the time required to reach each floor after entry. By referring to this display, the user can determine whether to use the (multi-story) parking lot P1 and, if so, which floor to go to in order to reduce the waiting time. For example, if a user is considering going to a movie theater directly connected to the second floor, it is possible that if they enter and head to the second floor, they will miss the start of the movie. By using the waiting time guidance system 100 of the present disclosure, the user can determine whether to head to a parking space on another floor or to another parking lot.

[0045] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a waiting time displayed on the screen 501 when the device is an in-vehicle terminal 500 such as a car navigation system. The example of Fig. 9 shows an example of a waiting time displayed when a (multi-story) parking lot P1 is set as the destination. The example of Fig. 8 shows not only the time required to reach the (multi-story) parking lot P1, but also the waiting time for entering the (multi-story) parking lot P1 and the time required for each floor after entering. By referring to such a display, the user can confirm whether or not to use the (multi-story) parking lot P1 and which floor to head to in order to enter a parking space more quickly.

[0046] As described above, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide users with more accurate waiting time information that takes into account the congestion status of the parking lot.

[0047] In the above description, the congestion status of the (multi-story) parking lot P1 is detected using the sensor S2 capable of detecting the availability of parking spaces. However, additional sensors or cameras may be used to grasp the congestion status in the parking lot in more detail. For example, the congestion status in the parking lot can be grasped in more detail by installing cameras or sensors capable of tracking the movement of vehicles entering the parking lot. Furthermore, by providing this data to the calculation unit 103, the calculation unit 103 can more accurately calculate the waiting time for each floor and the average waiting time in the parking lot until a parking space becomes available in the parking lot when it is full.

[0048] [Second embodiment] In the first embodiment described above, an example was given in which sensors S1 and S2 are directly connected to the waiting time guidance system 100, but this can be modified to obtain the number of vehicles lined up at the entrance and the availability of parking spaces via a server or the like.

[0049] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing another configuration of the present disclosure. The differences from the first embodiment shown in Fig. 5 are that the waiting time guidance system 100a is capable of acquiring data from the road information providing server 200 and the parking lot management server 300, and that the operations of the first acquisition unit 101a, the second acquisition unit 102a, and the calculation unit 103a are different. The other configurations are the same as those in Fig. 5, so the following description will focus on the differences.

[0050] The road information providing server 200 is a server that provides road information for the area where the (multi-story) parking lot P1 is located. In response to a request from the first acquisition unit 101a of the waiting time guidance system 100a, the road information providing server 200 provides information on the congestion status of roads that serve as entrance roads to the (multi-story) parking lot P1.

[0051] The parking lot management server 300 is a server for managing parking spaces in the (multi-story) parking lot P1 and charging users. The road information providing server 200 provides information on the availability of parking spaces in the (multi-story) parking lot P1 in response to a request from the second acquisition unit 102a of the waiting time guidance system 100a.

[0052] The first acquisition unit 101a acquires the congestion status of the roads serving as the entrance roads to the (multi-story) parking lot P1 from the road information providing server 200, and sends it to the calculation unit 103a.

[0053] The second acquisition unit 102a acquires the availability of parking spaces in the (multi-story) parking lot P1 from the parking lot management server 300 and sends it to the calculation unit 103a.

[0054] The calculation unit 103a calculates the waiting time (first expected required time) until entering the (multi-story) parking lot P1 when lining up at the end of the queue, based on the congestion status of the road serving as the entrance road to the (multi-story) parking lot P1.

[0055] The calculation unit 103a also calculates the waiting time for each floor based on the availability of parking spaces on each floor of the (multi-story) parking garage P1. The calculation of the waiting time for each floor is the same as in the first embodiment. The operation of the transmission unit 104 and the display on each device are the same as in the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0056] As explained above, in the configuration of the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to provide the user with a more accurate waiting time that takes into account the congestion status of the parking lot.

[0057] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and further modifications, substitutions, and adjustments can be made without departing from the basic technical concept of the present disclosure. For example, the network configurations, element configurations, and data representation formats shown in the drawings are examples intended to aid in understanding the present disclosure, and are not limited to the configurations shown in these drawings.

[0058] For example, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the waiting time guidance system 100, 100a calculates the waiting time using both information obtained from the sensors S1, S2 and information obtained from the server by combining the configurations of the first and second embodiments described above. Of course, it is also possible to have the waiting time guidance system 100, 100a display information on an electronic bulletin board EB as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0059] (Hardware Configuration) In each embodiment of the present disclosure, each component of each device represents a functional unit block. Some or all of the components of each device are realized by an arbitrary combination of an information processing device 900 and a program, for example, as shown in FIG. 11 . FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 900 that realizes each component of each device. The information processing device 900 includes, as an example, the following configuration: - CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901 - ROM (Read Only Memory) 902 - RAM (Random Access Memory) 903 - Program 904 loaded into RAM 903 - Storage device 905 that stores the program 904 - Drive device 907 that reads and writes to a recording medium 906 - Communication interface 908 that connects to a communication network 909 - Input / output interface 910 that inputs and outputs data - Bus 911 that connects each component

[0060] Each component of each device in each embodiment is realized by the CPU 901 acquiring and executing a program 904 that realizes the function. That is, the CPU 901 in FIG. 11 executes a data acquisition program and a waiting time calculation program, and performs an update process for each calculation parameter stored in the RAM 903, the storage device 905, etc. The program 904 that realizes the function of each component of each device is stored in the storage device 905 or the ROM 902 in advance, for example, and is read by the CPU 901 as needed. The program 904 may be supplied to the CPU 901 via the communication network 909, or may be stored in advance on the recording medium 906, and the drive device 907 may read the program and supply it to the CPU 901.

[0061] There are various variations in the method of realizing each device. For example, each device may be realized by any combination of a separate information processing device 900 and a program for each component. Furthermore, multiple components provided in each device may be realized by any combination of a single information processing device 900 and a program. In other words, each unit (processing means, function) of the waiting time guidance system shown in the first and second embodiments can be realized by a computer program that causes a processor installed in the device to execute each of the above-mentioned processes using its hardware.

[0062] In addition, some or all of the components of each device may be realized by other general-purpose or dedicated circuits, processors, etc., or a combination of these. These may be configured by a single chip, or by multiple chips connected via a bus.

[0063] Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the above-mentioned circuits and programs.

[0064] When some or all of the components of each device are realized by multiple information processing devices, circuits, etc., the multiple information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be centrally or decentralized. For example, the information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be realized as a client-server system, a cloud computing system, or the like, in a form in which each device is connected via a communication network.

[0065] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to only the above-described embodiments. In other words, those skilled in the art can modify or substitute the above-described embodiments to construct various modified forms without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0066] A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0067] [Supplementary Note 1] A waiting time guidance system comprising: a first acquisition means capable of acquiring data indicating the congestion status of roads connecting to a parking lot; a second acquisition means capable of acquiring data indicating the congestion status within the parking lot; a calculation means using the data acquired by the first and second acquisition means to calculate an estimated waiting time until parking in a parking space in the parking lot; and a transmission means for transmitting the waiting time to a predetermined device, wherein the calculation means, when it is expected that all parking spaces in the parking lot will be full, calculates the waiting time by adding a predetermined in-park waiting time to a first expected time required to enter the parking lot and a second expected time required from entering the parking lot to parking in a parking space. [Supplementary Note 2] The calculation means of the above-mentioned waiting time guidance system can be configured to add, as the predetermined time, an average in-park waiting time until a parking space becomes available in the parking lot when it is full. [Supplementary Note 3] The calculation means of the above-mentioned waiting time guidance system can be configured to determine whether there are any available parking spaces in the parking lot based on the congestion status within the parking lot and the congestion status of roads connecting to the parking lot. [Supplementary Note 4] The calculation means of the above-mentioned waiting time guidance system can be configured to calculate a first expected time required to enter the parking lot and a second expected time required from entering the parking lot to parking in a parking space, and the transmission means can be configured to transmit the first and second expected times as the waiting time. [Supplementary Note 5] In the above-mentioned waiting time guidance system, the parking lot can be a multi-story parking garage, and the calculation means can be configured to calculate the waiting time including the expected time required from entering the parking lot to parking on each story of the parking lot. [Supplementary Note 6] The second acquisition means of the above-mentioned waiting time guidance system can be configured to acquire data indicating the congestion status within the parking lot by tracking the movement of vehicles entering the parking lot.[Supplementary Note 7] A waiting time guidance method that uses first data indicating the congestion status of roads connecting to a parking lot and second data indicating the congestion status within the parking lot to calculate an estimated waiting time until parking in a parking space in the parking lot, and transmits the waiting time to a specified device, wherein, when it is expected that all parking spaces in the parking lot will be full, the waiting time guidance method calculates the waiting time by adding a specified waiting time within the parking lot to a first estimated time required to enter the parking lot and a second estimated time required from entering the parking lot to parking in a parking space. [Supplementary Note 8] A recording medium storing a program causing a computer to execute the following steps: Calculating an estimated waiting time for parking in a parking space in a parking lot using first data indicating the congestion status of roads connecting to the parking lot and second data indicating the congestion status within the parking lot; Transmitting the waiting time to a predetermined device; When it is expected that parking spaces in the parking lot will be full, Calculating the waiting time by adding a predetermined waiting time within the parking lot to a first estimated time required to enter the parking lot and a second estimated time required from entering the parking lot to parking in a parking space. Note that the embodiments described in each of the above supplementary notes can be combined with each other after making necessary modifications. For example, a configuration that combines the contents of Supplementary Note 2 and Supplementary Note 3, determining whether parking spaces in the parking lot will be full based on the congestion status of roads connecting to the parking lot, and adding the average waiting time within the parking lot until a parking space becomes available to the waiting time, is also within the scope of the disclosure of this specification. The embodiments of Supplementary Notes 7 and 8 can be expanded to the embodiments of Supplementary Notes 2 to 6, similarly to Supplementary Note 1.

[0068] The disclosures of the above-cited patent documents are incorporated herein by reference and may be used as the basis or part of this disclosure, as necessary. Modifications and adjustments of the embodiments and examples are possible within the scope of this disclosure (including the claims), and further based on its basic technical concept. Furthermore, various combinations and selections (including partial deletions) of various disclosed elements (including elements of each claim, each element of each embodiment or example, each element of each drawing, etc.) are possible within the scope of this disclosure. In other words, this disclosure naturally includes various modifications and alterations that would be possible by a person skilled in the art in accordance with the entire disclosure, including the claims, and the technical concept. In particular, with regard to the numerical ranges described herein, any numerical value or subrange within that range should be construed as specifically described, even if not otherwise specified. Furthermore, the disclosures of the above-cited documents, when used in part or in whole in combination with the disclosures herein as part of this disclosure, in accordance with the spirit of this disclosure, are also deemed to be included in the disclosures of this application.

[0069] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Waiting time guidance system 11 First acquisition means 12 Second acquisition means 13 Calculation means 14 Transmission means 100, 100a Waiting time guidance system 101, 101a First acquisition unit 102, 102a Second acquisition unit 103 Calculation unit 104 Transmission unit 200 Road condition providing server 300 Parking lot management server 400 Portable terminal 500 In-vehicle terminal 501 Screen 900 Information processing device 901 CPU (Central Processing Unit) 902 ROM (Read Only Memory) 903 RAM (Random Access Memory) 904 Program 905 Storage device 906 Recording medium 907 Drive device 908 Communication interface 909 Communication network 910 Input / output interface 911 Bus EB Electronic bulletin board P1 Parking lot S1, S2 Sensors

Claims

1. A first acquisition means capable of acquiring data showing the congestion status of roads connecting to the parking lot, A second acquisition means capable of acquiring data indicating the congestion status within the aforementioned parking lot, A calculation means that uses the data acquired by the first and second acquisition means to calculate an estimated waiting time until parking in a parking space in the parking lot, The system includes a transmission means for transmitting the aforementioned waiting time to a predetermined device, The calculation means is a waiting time guidance system that, when it is expected that there will be no available parking spaces in the parking lot, calculates the waiting time by adding a predetermined waiting time within the parking lot to a first estimated time until entering the parking lot and a second estimated time from entering the parking lot until parking in a parking space.

2. The waiting time guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the calculation means adds the average waiting time within the parking lot until a parking space becomes available in the full parking lot as the predetermined time.

3. The waiting time guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the calculation means determines whether or not there will be no available parking spaces in the parking lot based on the congestion status within the parking lot and the congestion status of the roads connected to the parking lot.

4. The calculation means calculates a first estimated time required until entering the parking lot and a second estimated time required from entering the parking lot until parking in a parking space, respectively. The transmission means transmits the first and second estimated required times as the waiting time. A waiting time guidance system according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned parking lot is a multi-story parking garage consisting of multiple levels. The calculation means calculates the waiting time, including the estimated time required from entering the parking lot until parking on each level of the multi-story parking garage. A waiting time guidance system according to claim 1.

6. The second acquisition means acquires data indicating the congestion level within the parking lot by tracking the movement of vehicles that have entered the parking lot. A waiting time guidance system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. Using first data showing the congestion status of the roads leading to the parking lot and second data showing the congestion status within the parking lot, the estimated waiting time until parking in a parking space in the parking lot is calculated. A waiting time guidance method for transmitting the aforementioned waiting time to a predetermined device, A waiting time guidance method for calculating the waiting time when it is anticipated that there will be no available parking spaces in the aforementioned parking lot, by adding a predetermined waiting time within the parking lot to a first estimated time required to enter the aforementioned parking lot and a second estimated time required to park in a parking space after entering the aforementioned parking lot.

8. A process for calculating an estimated waiting time to park in a parking space in the parking lot, using first data showing the congestion status of the roads leading to the parking lot and second data showing the congestion status within the parking lot itself. The process of transmitting the aforementioned waiting time to a predetermined device, If it is anticipated that there will be no available parking spaces in the aforementioned parking lot, the waiting time is calculated by adding a predetermined waiting time within the parking lot to a first estimated time until entering the parking lot and a second estimated time from entering the parking lot until parking in a parking space. A program that causes a computer to execute something.