Parking Facility Managing System for Autonomous Vehicle Segregation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing parking facility management systems fail to ensure high operational safety and efficient operation when both autonomous and non-autonomous vehicles are simultaneously present, as they lack effective segregation and management of waiting spaces.

Innovation Solution

A parking facility managing system that classifies waiting spaces into autonomous and non-autonomous zones, using a waiting space managing unit to monitor and adjust space usage, restricts non-autonomous vehicle access, and employs movable fences to partition areas based on vehicle type, ensuring safe and efficient operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If autonomous and non-autonomous vehicles are simultaneously operated in a common parking facility, then the parking facility can serve diverse vehicle types, but operational safety cannot be ensured when drivers disregard rules

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveability to serve diverse vehicle typesVSAvoidoperational safety
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The parking facility is divided into separate waiting spaces: a first waiting space for autonomous vehicles and a second waiting space for non-autonomous vehicles. This spatial segmentation prevents interaction between the two vehicle types, eliminating safety risks associated with mixed operation while maintaining the ability to serve both vehicle types.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A gate portion acts as an intermediary control mechanism between the two waiting spaces. The gate restricts access to the first waiting space based on vehicle type, allowing only autonomous vehicles to enter while preventing non-autonomous vehicles from accessing that area, thereby ensuring safety through controlled access.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If separate waiting spaces are created for autonomous and non-autonomous vehicles, then operational safety is improved, but the complexity of space management increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational safetyVSAvoidspace management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The gate portion serves multiple functions: it acts as a physical barrier, an access control point, and a signaling device. By consolidating these functions into a single component, the system manages the complexity of having separate waiting spaces without requiring multiple independent control mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically determines vehicle type and controls gate operation based on pre-established rules. The management system autonomously decides whether to open or close the gate portion based on the vehicle's characteristics, reducing the need for manual intervention and simplifying space management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If fixed waiting space allocation is used, then space management is simple, but efficiency is reduced when vehicle demand fluctuates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparking facility efficiencyVSAvoidspace allocation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The area allocation between the first and second waiting spaces is made dynamic rather than fixed. The management system can adjust the usable area of each waiting space based on real-time vehicle demand, ensuring that more space is allocated to the vehicle type with higher demand while maintaining simple management through automated control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3545475B1Managing system and program
Publication Date: 2021.07.28 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP3545475B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3545475B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3545475B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A managing system includes a waiting space managing unit that manages a plurality of waiting spaces for keeping a movable body waiting, classifying them into a first waiting space for first movable body having an automatic operation function and a second waiting space for a second movable body not having an automatic operation function. The waiting space managing unit may: manage a usage status of the first waiting space and a usage status of the second waiting space; and determine to change an area of at least one of the first waiting space and the second waiting space according to at least one of the usage status of the first waiting space and the usage status of the second waiting space.