JP2001222799A - Intra-parking lot guidance system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an intra-parking lot guidance system which can smoothly guide a vehicle entering a parking lot to an idle parking block without imposing any burden on the vehicle driver. SOLUTION: Plural idle parking blocks are detected within a parking lot 1 and then an idle parking block K among these detected blocks is selected to guide a vehicle there. At the same time, a road map of the parking lot 1 and the path P leading the vehicle to the block K are shown on a path guide panel 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a guidance system in a parking lot which can guide a vehicle to an empty parking section or an empty parking block in a parking lot (including a flat parking lot and a multi-story parking lot).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A vehicle detector is installed in each parking section (a parking section is a parking space allocated to one vehicle; the same applies hereinafter) in a parking lot, and a sign is provided at a predetermined place in the parking lot. There is known a vehicle parking status indicating device that teaches a vehicle whether or not there is a parked vehicle in each parking section (Japanese Patent Application No. 4-165600). According to the vehicle parking status indicating device, the driver of the vehicle can know the presence or absence of a parked vehicle for each parking section.

[0003]

However, in a large parking lot, the information is too complicated for the driver of the vehicle even if the presence or absence of a parked vehicle in each of the parking lots is indicated by the above-mentioned known device. You may be wondering if you should select. In addition, when a plurality of vehicles travel toward the same parking section, only one vehicle can enter the parking section. Therefore, there is an inconvenience that the vehicle not entering the parking section must go to see the sign again.

On the other hand, in a large parking lot, a group of parking sections is collected to form a parking block, and the parking blocks are provided in a number of places. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to realize a guidance system in a parking lot that can smoothly guide a vehicle entering a parking lot to a vacant parking section or a vacant parking block without imposing a burden on a driver of the vehicle. And

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a parking lot guidance system for detecting a vacant parking section or vacant parking block in a parking lot, and selecting a vacant parking section or vacant parking block for guiding the vehicle. The vehicle includes a selection unit and a transmission unit that transmits a route to the selected empty parking section or empty parking block to a driver of the vehicle.

[0006] According to the above configuration, the parking lot guidance system selects an empty parking section or an empty parking block for each vehicle and guides the vehicle to the selected empty parking section or the empty parking block. Can be transmitted to the driver of the vehicle. When there are a plurality of vacant parking sections or vacant parking blocks in the parking lot, the selection means can select a part (plural) of the vacant parking sections or a part (plural) of the vacant parking blocks (claims). 2). This is because if the route to all the empty parking sections or empty parking blocks is shown to the driver, the number is too large and the driver may have trouble determining. In addition, the reason why a plurality of vehicles are selected is that the driver can go to another parking space or empty parking block even if the driver cannot enter one empty parking space or empty parking block.

When guiding to an empty parking block, the selection means may preferentially select an empty parking block having a large number of parkable vehicles or an empty parking block having a low parking rate. In this case, the fullness rate of each parking block can be averaged. In addition, it is also possible to preferentially select a parking block near the entrance or preferentially select a parking block near the exit. Further, an empty parking section or an empty parking block close to the facility where the parking lot is used, or an empty parking section or an empty parking block suitable for the type of vehicle may be selected.

It is preferable that the selecting means changes a set of empty parking sections or empty parking blocks to be guided for each vehicle or every time (claim 5). This is to avoid traffic congestion in the parking lot. When there are a plurality of empty parking sections or empty parking blocks in the parking lot, the selecting means can also select one of the empty parking sections or empty parking blocks (claim 6).
When guiding to an empty parking block, it is preferable that the selecting means selects an empty parking block having the largest number of parkable vehicles (claim 7). In this case, the fullness rate of each parking block can be averaged. In addition, it is also possible to preferentially select a parking block near the entrance or preferentially select a parking block near the exit. A vacant parking section or vacant parking block close to the parking facility or a vacant parking section or vacant parking block suitable for the type of vehicle may be selected.

It is preferable that the selecting means changes the vacant parking section or vacant parking block to be guided for each vehicle or every time in order to avoid traffic congestion in the parking lot. . The empty parking section or empty parking block to be changed may be the empty parking section or empty parking block farthest from the previously selected empty parking section or empty parking block (claim 10), or the previously selected empty parking section or empty parking block. It is more preferable that the travel route and the travel route do not coincide as much as possible (claim 11) in order to avoid traffic congestion in the parking lot.

When it is detected that the vehicle has deviated from the route, it is preferable to inform the driver of the vehicle of the route from the deviated position to the empty parking section or empty parking block. The transmission means for transmitting the route to the selected vacant parking section or vacant parking block to the driver of the vehicle may be a route guidance plate for displaying a guidance route on a road map of the parking lot (claim 13). It may be an in-vehicle device that displays a guidance route on the screen of the vehicle (claim 14) or an in-vehicle device that provides voice guidance of the guidance route (claim 15).

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiment, a system that detects an empty parking block in the parking lot and guides the vehicle to the empty parking block is assumed, but detects an empty parking section in the parking lot and guides the vehicle to the empty parking section. It is refused in advance that the present invention can be implemented even in a system that performs the operation.

FIG. 1 is a sketch of a parking lot in which a parking lot guidance system is installed. The parking lot 1 is divided into a plurality of blocks A, B, and 、, and a plurality of parking sections 11, 12, 13, and ‥‥ are provided in each block. Also,
Various use facilities around the parking lot 1 such as a shopping center are also illustrated. In the parking lot 1, vehicle detectors 21 and 22 are installed at the entrance and the exit. Each block A, B, ‥‥ in the parking lot 1 photographs a part or all of the parking sections in the block. Measurement cameras 31, 32, 33, ‥‥
Is installed. The vehicle detection signals of the vehicle detectors 21 and 22 and the image signals of the measurement cameras 31, 32, 33, and ‥‥ are collected in the parking lot management center 2.

The parking lot management center 2 has a vehicle detector 2
The number of vehicles in the parking lot can be estimated by measuring the number of vehicles entering the parking lot and the number of vehicles exiting the parking lot based on the vehicle detection signals 1 and 22. In addition, the parking sections 11, 12, of the blocks A, B, ‥‥ taken by the measuring cameras 31, 32, 33, ‥‥,
The number of parked vehicles in the block (for example, block A) is estimated from the image signals of 13, ‥‥. In this case, if only a part of the parking section of the block A can be photographed by the measurement camera 31, the vehicle detection signals of the vehicle detectors 21 and 22 are transmitted in order to improve the estimation accuracy of the number of parked vehicles in the block A. Consider the change in the number of vehicles in the parking lot based on this.

A roadside beacon for providing information to the vehicle and a medium wave broadcasting antenna (both not shown) are provided on the road of the parking lot. The vehicle detector 2
Roadside beacons 1 and 22 that can sense the vehicle can be substituted. As a roadside beacon that can detect vehicles, DSRC (Dedicated Short-range Communication)
There is a two-way beacon (for example, an optical beacon) that performs two-way communication with a vehicle and is used for short-range communication.

The vehicle detectors 21 and 22, the roadside beacon, and the medium wave broadcasting antenna are connected to the parking lot management center 2 through a wired or wireless communication network. Also,
The parking lot management center 2 has established a web on the Internet for providing information to a vehicle or the like equipped with an in-vehicle device. Furthermore, a route guide plate 3 for guiding a vehicle to an empty parking block in the parking lot is provided near the entrance of the parking lot.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining a procedure for guiding a vehicle to an empty parking block in a parking lot. The parking lot management center 2 has measurement cameras 31 and 3
Blocks A, B, ‥ using the image signals of 2, 33, ‥‥
Estimate the number of vehicles parked per vehicle. From this estimation result, one or more vacant blocks are detected (step S
1). FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of detecting an empty block. According to this example, an empty parking block is indicated by “full”, and an empty block is “empty” or “mixed”.
Indicated by. “Empty” indicates a parking block with many empty spaces, and “Mixed” indicates a parking block with few empty spaces.

Next, using the road map in the parking lot, the shortest path tree from the entrance of the parking lot to each block (the concept of the path tree is known, for example, JP-A-6-33846, JP-A-7-59448). Is searched for using the Dijkstra method or the like (step S2). At this time,
It is natural to consider driving restrictions such as one-way traffic in parking lots. In addition, the shortest path tree from the normal parking lot entrance to each block is fixed once it is obtained,
The information may be stored in the storage device of the parking lot management center 2. However, when there is a travel restriction or the travel road is changed, it is better to calculate each time.

Next, when a vehicle entering the parking lot 1 is detected by the vehicle detector 21 (step S3), an empty parking block to be provided to the vehicle is selected (step S4). Then, a route to the selected empty parking block is extracted from the route tree (step S5), and information on the extracted route is transmitted to the route guide board (step S5).
6). When selecting empty parking blocks, if there are multiple empty parking blocks, (a) all empty parking blocks may be selected, or (b) some empty parking blocks may be selected. (c) One empty parking block may be selected.

In the case of (a) or (b), a plurality of empty parking blocks are indicated to the driver, so that the number of options is increased, and even if the driver goes too far, the driver can be guided to the next empty parking block. In the case of (b) or (c), it is necessary to determine which vacant parking block is selected.For example, vacant parking blocks near the entrance that give priority to vacant vacant parking blocks with a large number of parkable vehicles There may be criteria such as giving priority to a vacant parking block near the exit and a vacant block closest to the facility. Also, priority may be given to empty blocks according to the type of vehicle such as a physically handicapped person, an elderly person's vehicle, and a large vehicle. Further, it is preferable to change the set of empty parking blocks to be selected for each time period or for each display.

In the case of (c), it is preferable that a plurality of vehicles do not run in a row by avoiding an empty parking block shown in the preceding vehicle. In this case, it is preferable to select a parking block that is as far as possible from the previously selected empty parking block or an empty parking block that does not match the traveling route as much as possible. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a display example of the route guide plate 3 when one block K is selected from four “empty” empty parking blocks. According to this display, the route P from the entrance of the parking lot to the selected empty parking block K is displayed.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example of the route guide plate 3 when a block H different from the block K is instructed to the next incoming vehicle. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display example of the route guide plate 3 when the next incoming vehicle is instructed on a block B as far away from the block K as possible. According to the guidance system in a parking lot described above, a vehicle entering the parking lot can be guided to an empty parking block while showing a map in the parking lot.

The guidance system in the parking lot described so far,
The route guidance board was used to guide the vehicle to the empty parking block in the parking lot, but instead of displaying the route guidance board,
Alternatively, by transmitting the information of the road map of the parking lot and the information of the empty parking block to the in-vehicle device together with the display of the route guidance board, the guidance route is displayed on the screen in the vehicle, or the guidance route is sounded. You may make it guide.
Examples of the in-vehicle device capable of displaying such a route include an in-vehicle navigation device, an in-vehicle personal computer, a portable terminal device, a television multiplex broadcast, an FM or medium-wave radio broadcast, and the like.

When using the on-vehicle navigation device, the on-vehicle navigation device can transmit the type and destination of the vehicle to the parking lot management center 2. The parking lot management center 2 selects one or a plurality of blocks optimal for the vehicle based on the information, and transmits image data or audio data of a road map of the parking lot and a guidance route. FIG. 7, for a vehicle equipped with an in-vehicle navigation device,
It is a flowchart which shows the procedure for selection of an empty parking block.

Referring to FIG. 7, the procedure is the same as that of steps S1 to S3 in FIG. 2 until the vehicle is detected. If the vehicle is sensed, the parking lot management center 2 acquires the type and destination of the vehicle from the on-vehicle navigation device (step T1). Priority vacant parking blocks are selected if the vehicle is disabled or elderly
(Step T4). If the vehicle is a large vehicle, an empty parking block of the large vehicle is selected (step T7). If there is destination information, an empty block near the destination is selected (step T9). If the destination information has not been acquired, an empty block is selected from the entire parking lot (step T11). In the above procedure, one may be selected or a plurality may be selected.

In FIG. 8, with reference to the shortest path tree
(Step U1), one shortest block is selected, and a path is extracted (Step U2). As a method of selecting the shortest block, a criterion such as giving priority to a vacant parking block near the exit, a vacant block closest to the used facility, or the like in addition to a vacant parking block near the entrance may be adopted. Next, it is determined whether or not the extracted route overlaps the route of another vehicle described above (step U3). This is to prevent a plurality of vehicles from running in a row.

Further, it is checked whether or not many vehicles having a high possibility of leaving are parked in the parking block in the middle of the extracted route (step U4). The possibility of leaving the parking lot is determined by giving an ID for identifying the parked vehicle to the entering vehicle and determining whether or not the elapsed time from the entrance time of the parking vehicle exceeds the average parking time. This is because if the vehicle passes through a block in which many vehicles having a high possibility of leaving the vehicle are parked in the middle of the route, the probability of the vehicles meeting each other increases, which causes traffic congestion.

The block that has cleared steps U3 and U4 is selected as a block for guiding the vehicle.
(Step U5), transmitted to the vehicle-mounted navigation device
(Step U6). If steps U3 and U4 cannot be cleared, the next closest block is selected and the path is extracted.
(Step S7). Then, the determinations in steps U3 and U4 described above are performed.

As a result of the above determination, if no block clears steps U3 and U4, it is inevitable that
Among the blocks selected, one or more blocks are selected from blocks with a large number of parkable vehicles or blocks with a low parking rate, and transmit them to the in-vehicle navigation device (step U).
9). The reason why the number of vehicles that can be parked is large or that the parking ratio is low is selected in order to reduce the congestion in the parking lot by dispersing the vehicles as much as possible.

According to the above-described procedure, it is possible to select an optimal empty parking block and to guide the vehicle along the route while performing bidirectional communication with the on-vehicle navigation device. FIG. 9 shows a display example of an on-vehicle navigation device of a vehicle destined for a shopping center (see FIG. 1). The empty block K closest to the shopping center is selected. Since the position C of the vehicle can be displayed on the screen 4 together with the road map M and the guidance route P of the parking lot, there is an advantage that the vehicle can be guided smoothly to the empty block K.

It should be noted that the route may deviate from the route displayed on the in-vehicle navigation device. At this time, if the in-vehicle navigation device transmits the departure to the parking lot management center 2 and the current position information,
Can use the shortest path tree to find the shortest path from the deviated position to the original block or another block and send it to the in-vehicle navigation device.
FIG. 10 shows a case where the vehicle deviates from the guidance route P from the position of the vehicle after the departure to the initial route K to the initial block K without violating the running regulations such as one-way traffic.
FIG.

FIG. 11 shows that, when the vehicle deviates from the guidance route P, the vacant block H which is the next closest to the destination from the position of the vehicle after the departure without violating the running regulations such as one-way traffic. FIG. 7 is a display diagram showing a route P2 leading to the route. In addition to in-vehicle navigation devices, vehicles using in-vehicle personal computers and mobile terminal devices include a parking lot management center 2
May transmit image or audio data of the guidance route via the Internet or a personal computer communication network. Images or audio data of a guidance route may be transmitted to a vehicle using television multiplex broadcasting through a television line. Multiplex audio data for guiding a vehicle to an empty parking block in a parking lot may be transmitted to a vehicle using a radio broadcast through a radio line.

In the above embodiment of the present invention, a system is assumed in which a vacant parking block in a parking lot is detected and a vehicle is guided to the vacant parking block. However, the present invention is also applicable to a system that detects a vacant parking section in a parking lot and guides the vehicle to the vacant section. In this case, it is necessary to determine the presence or absence of parking for each section. For this purpose, the vehicle detectors are installed in all the parking sections, but it is preferable to install a measuring camera for photographing all the parking sections in the parking lot.

[0033]

As described above, according to the guidance system in the parking lot of the present invention, the driver can reach the selected empty parking section or empty parking block only by traveling along the indicated route. Therefore, the vehicle can be guided smoothly without burdening the driver.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sketch of a parking lot where a parking lot guidance system according to the present invention is installed.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for guiding a vehicle to an empty parking block in a parking lot.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of detecting a vacant block;

FIG. 4 shows one of four “empty” empty parking blocks.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a display example of a route guide plate 3 when one block K is selected.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example of a route guide plate 3 when another block H is selected.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display example of a route guide plate 3 when another block B is selected.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a procedure for selecting an empty parking block for a vehicle equipped with an on-vehicle navigation device.

8 is a flowchart showing a procedure for selecting an empty parking block for a vehicle equipped with an on-vehicle navigation device (continuation of FIG. 7).

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of the vehicle-mounted navigation device.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of the vehicle-mounted navigation device.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of the vehicle-mounted navigation device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Parking lot 3 Route guidance board 4 Display screen 11,12,13 Parking section 21,22 Vehicle detector 31,32,33 Measurement camera A, B, C Parking block K Parking block P which guides a vehicle Path

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Kenji Amame 1-3-1 Shimaya, Konohana-ku, Osaka-shi F-term (reference) in Osaka Works, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. 5H180 AA01 BB05 CC12 FF07 FF13 FF22 FF25 FF32 FF37 KK01 KK08 KK10

Claims (15)

[Claims] 1. A parking lot guidance system for guiding an individual vehicle to a vacant parking section or vacant parking block in a parking lot, comprising: detecting means for detecting a vacant parking section or vacant parking block in a parking lot; A selection means for selecting an empty parking section or an empty parking block to guide the vehicle from among the empty parking sections or the empty parking blocks, and a route to the selected empty parking section or the empty parking block to the driver of the vehicle. And a transmission means. 2. When there are a plurality of vacant parking sections or vacant parking blocks in a parking lot, the selecting means selects a part (plural) of the vacant parking sections or a part (plural) of the vacant parking blocks. The guidance system in a parking lot according to claim 1, characterized in that: 3. The parking lot guidance system according to claim 2, wherein said selecting means preferentially selects an empty parking block having a large number of parkable vehicles or an empty parking block having a low parking rate. 4. The parking system according to claim 2, wherein said selecting means selects an empty parking section or an empty parking block close to the facility used, or an empty parking section or an empty parking block suitable for the type of vehicle. Ground guidance system. 5. The guidance system in a parking lot according to claim 2, wherein said selection means changes a set of empty parking sections or empty parking blocks to be guided for each vehicle or every time. 6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said selecting means selects one of the empty parking sections or empty parking blocks when there are a plurality of empty parking sections or empty parking blocks in the parking lot. Guidance system in the parking lot. 7. The guidance system in a parking lot according to claim 6, wherein said selecting means selects an empty parking block having the largest number of parkable vehicles or a block having a low parking ratio. 8. The parking system according to claim 6, wherein said selecting means selects an empty parking section or an empty parking block close to the facility used, or an empty parking section or an empty parking block suitable for the type of vehicle. Ground guidance system. 9. The parking lot guidance system according to claim 6, wherein the selection means changes the vacant parking section or vacant parking block to be guided for each vehicle or every time. 10. The parking system according to claim 9, wherein the vacant parking section or vacant parking block to be changed is a vacant parking section or vacant parking block farthest from the previously selected vacant parking section or vacant parking block. Ground guidance system. 11. The guidance system in a parking lot according to claim 9, wherein the vacant parking section or vacant parking block to be changed has a traveling route that does not coincide as much as possible with the previously selected vacant parking section or vacant parking block. . 12. When the vehicle detects that the vehicle has deviated from the route, the transmission means transmits a route from the deviated position to an empty parking section or an empty parking block to a driver of the vehicle. Item 4. The guidance system in a parking lot according to Item 1. 13. The system according to claim 1, wherein said transmission means is a route guidance plate for displaying a guidance route on a road map of the parking lot. 14. The guidance system in a parking lot according to claim 1, wherein said transmission means is an in-vehicle device for displaying a guidance route on a screen in a vehicle. 15. The guidance system in a parking lot according to claim 1, wherein said transmission means is an in-vehicle device for guiding the guidance route by voice.