JP2014203340A - Parking room detection device, and computer program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique facilitating or dispensing with maintenance and simplifying installation work, and also capable of accurately knowing whether or not a parking room is used even in a gate type parking lot.SOLUTION: A parking room detection device includes: a millimeter wave transmitter (11) that transmits millimeter waves toward parking rooms (41, 42, and 43); a millimeter wave receiver (12) that receives reflected waves of the millimeter waves transmitted by the millimeter wave transmitter (11); a parking data storage device (23) that prestores parking lot data such as sizes related to a parking lot (40) and the parking rooms (41, 42, and 43); a reception wave analyzer (21) that analyzes the parking lot data stored in the parking lot data storage device (23) and the reception waves received by the millimeter wave receiver (12) and determines whether or not a vehicle is parked in the parking room (41); and an analysis result output device (22) that outputs the analysis result determined by the reception wave analyzer (22) to a server (30).

Description

  The present invention relates to a device for detecting whether a vehicle is poured into a parking space and a computer program for operating the device.

  Moving by car involves securing a parking space. Failure to secure a parking space could lead to left and right travel around the destination. In recent years, it has become possible to acquire vacant information of a parking space before reaching the destination by using information communication technology, or to reserve a parking space.

As a premise for acquiring the parking space availability information before reaching the destination, it is necessary to know how many spaces are available in the parking space.
In parking lots where a locking device such as a flap is installed in each parking compartment (hereinafter abbreviated as “locking parking lot”), if the locking device is used or not, the passenger compartment is fully occupied. It is not difficult technically.

On the other hand, in a parking lot (hereinafter abbreviated as “gate type parking lot”) in which an open / close bar is installed at the entrance / exit (gate) of a space provided with a large number of parking compartments, for example, disclosed in Patent Document 1 There is such a technology.
That is, a parking space recognition device is disclosed. This document discloses a candidate space that can be parked based on information measured by the sensor, and the candidate parking space has the authority to park the vehicle. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for recognizing an appropriate parking space in consideration of whether or not it has a judgment material.

In recent years, in order to prevent a rear-end collision with a car traveling in front of the vehicle, a technology capable of recognizing and grasping an object existing in the front has been realized by using ultrasonic waves or image analysis using a camera.
Patent Document 2 discloses a millimeter-wave radar as a technique for preventing a situation in which a traffic jam is caused on the opposite lane due to a stop at a small intersection without a stop line or a road near the entrance of a store parking lot. A technique using the above is disclosed.

JP 2009-205191 A JP 2007-310745 A

In the gate-type parking lot described above, it has been difficult to accurately grasp whether or not a parking compartment is being used. The reason will be explained together with technologies that can be cited as candidates for employment. There are the following three types of technologies for grasping the parking space fullness.
First, there is a technique (hereinafter referred to as “reflected wave detection type”) that irradiates infrared rays or ultrasonic waves toward the parking compartment and grasps the fullness of the parking compartment by its reflection. There is an advantage that it can be realized relatively inexpensively.
Second, there is a technique (hereinafter referred to as “camera image processing type”) in which the parking compartment is photographed by a camera and the captured image is processed to grasp the fullness of the parking compartment.
Third, there is a technology (hereinafter referred to as a “loop coil detection type”) in which a sensor using a loop coil is installed on the upper surface of the parking compartment and the fullness of the parking compartment is grasped by the loop coil. . There is an advantage that it can be introduced without distinguishing whether the parking lot is outdoor or indoor.

However, the above three types all have problems in realization.
As for the reflected wave detection type, both the transmitter that transmits infrared rays and ultrasonic waves and the receiver that receives reflected waves are vulnerable to dirt. An outdoor parking lot is easily affected by weather such as snow and rain. Therefore, if the reflected wave detection type is adopted, maintenance is frequently required.
The camera image processing type also requires frequent maintenance because the camera is vulnerable to dirt.
As for the loop coil detection type, although there is a low need for maintenance against dirt or the like, installation work is large for a parking lot, and installation in an existing parking lot is difficult or expensive.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is that maintenance is easy or unnecessary, installation work is simple, and it is possible to accurately grasp whether a parking cab is used even in a gated parking lot. It is to provide possible technology. More specifically, it is to provide a technique for performing full space management of a parking compartment in a parking lot using a millimeter-wave radar that is resistant to dirt and weather of equipment.

(First invention)
1st invention concerns on the parking detection apparatus for detecting whether the vehicle is parked in the parking compartment (41,42,43) of a parking lot (40).
The parking detector includes a millimeter-wave transmitter (11) that transmits millimeter waves toward the parking compartment (41), 42, 43), and a millimeter-wave transmitter that the millimeter-wave transmitter (11) transmits. A millimeter-wave receiver (12) that receives reflected waves, and a parking lot data storage device that stores in advance parking data such as sizes relating to the parking lot (40) and the parking compartment (41, 42, 43). (23), and the parking lot data stored in the parking lot data storage device (23) and the received wave received by the millimeter wave receiving device (12) are analyzed to park the vehicle in the parking compartment (41). A received wave analyzer (21) that determines whether or not the received wave is analyzed, and an analysis result output device (22) that outputs the analysis result determined by the received wave analyzer (21) to the server (30).

(Glossary)
A radar system that can detect a situation in the range of about 100 meters using millimeter-wave band radio waves is called a “millimeter-wave radar”. It has come to be used as an in-vehicle radar for the purpose of collision mitigation. A device in which a millimeter wave transmitter and a millimeter wave receiver are integrated is common.
The millimeter wave radar has a transmitting device and a receiving device that are resistant to dirt and weather, maintenance is easy or unnecessary, and installation work is relatively simple.

(Function)
Parking data such as sizes relating to the parking lot (40) and the parking compartment (41, 42, 43) is stored in advance in the parking lot data storage device (23) by using a predetermined input means.
The millimeter wave transmission device (11) transmits millimeter waves toward the parking compartment (41). The transmitted millimeter wave cannot be transmitted through the metal obstacle and is reflected. If the car (51) is parked in the parking compartment (41), the car (51) reflects millimeter waves. If the car (51) is not parked in the parking compartment (41), the millimeter wave is applied to the grounding surface of the parking compartment (41) and reflected or reflected after reaching the point where it can be reflected. To reach far away.
The reflected millimeter wave is received by the millimeter wave receiving device (12). Then, the received wave analysis device (21) analyzes the received wave using the parking lot data of the parking lot data storage device (23). Then, based on the analysis, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is parked in the parking compartment (41). The analysis result output device (22) outputs the result determined by the received wave analysis device (22) to the server (30).

By executing millimeter wave transmission / reception at predetermined intervals, the full / vacant information can be updated and kept up to date.
Maintenance of the millimeter wave transmitter and receiver is easy or unnecessary, and installation work is also simple.
In addition, although this invention is suitable for the gate type parking lot which does not provide the flap for every parking compartment, it does not prevent adoption to a lock type parking lot.

(Variation 1 of the first invention)
The server (30) in the parking detection device according to the first invention includes an analysis result receiving device (31) for receiving the analysis result output from the analysis result output device (22), and an analysis result receiving device (31 And a full / vacant information output device (32) for transmitting the analysis result received via the communication line.

(Function)
Since the full availability information as the analysis result is full availability information for each parking compartment, it is useful information for the parking lot user. Further, it is information that the owner (or manager) of the parking lot wants to send to the parking lot user. Therefore, sending out the availability information for each parking compartment, which is the analysis result, from the availability information output device (32) provided in the server (30) via the communication line promotes the use of the parking lot. Contribute.

(Variation 2 of the first invention)
The millimeter wave transmission device (11) in the first invention transmits millimeter waves to a plurality of parking vehicle compartments (41, 42, 43), and the millimeter wave reception device (12) includes the parking vehicle compartment (41 , 42, 43) may be received as reflected millimeter waves.
In the simplest form, a set of millimeter wave transmission device (11) and millimeter wave reception device (12) is responsible for managing a plurality of parking compartments (41, 42, 43). Not only that, but also preparing a plurality of millimeter wave transmitters (11) and millimeter wave receivers (12) respectively, and combining them so as to cover the management of all the parking rooms in a predetermined parking lot. It is the purpose.

  It is not intended to prevent the millimeter waves from being transmitted from a plurality of millimeter wave transmission devices (11) to a single parking compartment and the reflected waves being received by the millimeter wave reception device (12). Although the algorithm for determining whether or not a vehicle is parked in the passenger compartment is complicated based on the received signal, the accuracy of the determination may be improved.

(Second invention)
The second invention relates to a computer program for parking detection for detecting whether or not a vehicle is parked in the parking compartment (41, 42, 43) of the parking lot (40).
The computer program, for the computer that stores in advance parking data such as the size of the parking lot (40) and the parking compartment (41, 42, 43) in the parking lot data storage device (23), The following procedure is executed.
That is, the millimeter-wave transmitter (11) that transmits millimeter waves toward the parking compartment (41), 42, 43), and the millimeter-wave reflected waves transmitted by the millimeter-wave transmitter (11) are received. A reflected wave data input procedure for inputting data about the reflected wave received from the millimeter wave radar (10) provided with the millimeter wave receiver (12), the data input by the reflected wave data input procedure, and the parking lot A received wave analysis procedure for determining whether or not the vehicle is parked in the parking compartment (41) using the data, an analysis result output procedure for outputting the analysis result determined in the received wave analysis procedure to the server, It is a computer program that is supposed to execute.

  “Computers that store parking data such as sizes related to the parking lot (40) and the parking compartment (41, 42, 43) in the parking lot data storage device (23) in advance” are, for example, close to a millimeter wave radar And an input device for inputting sizes related to the parking lot (40) and the parking compartment (41, 42, 43), a display for outputting data during and after input, and the like.

(Variation of the second invention)
The second invention may execute a full / vacant information output procedure for transmitting the analysis result output in the analysis result output procedure via a communication line.

The computer program according to the second invention can be provided by being stored in a recording medium.
Here, the “recording medium” is a medium that can carry a program that cannot occupy space by itself. For example, a flexible disk, hard disk, CD-R, CD-RW, MO (magneto-optical disk), DVD ± R, DVD-RW, flash memory, and the like.
It is also possible to transmit from a computer storing the program according to the present invention to another terminal device through a communication line.

According to the first invention, maintenance is easy or unnecessary, installation work is simple, and it is possible to accurately grasp whether or not a parking cab is used even in a gated parking lot. Was able to provide a simple parking detection device.
According to the second invention, maintenance is easy or unnecessary, installation work is simple, and it is possible to accurately grasp whether or not a parking cab is being used even in a gated parking lot. Was able to provide a simple parking detection program.

It is a hardware block diagram which shows the outline | summary of embodiment of this invention. It is a top view for showing the principal part and required size in the embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view for showing the principal part and required size in an embodiment of the present invention, (A) is a conceptual diagram and (B) is a hardware block diagram. It is a list regarding the size and millimeter wave radar control shown in FIGS.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 2 shows a part of a certain parking lot 40. That is, three vehicle compartments are arranged in three vertical rows. However, this example is only an example, and there are many cases where two to three passenger compartments are arranged in three horizontal rows according to the shape of the parking lot and the arrangement of the passenger compartments.
From the left of the passenger compartment, the first passenger compartment 41, the second passenger compartment 42, and the third passenger compartment 43 are designated. The management of the full space information regarding the three passenger compartments will be described as having the parking detector using the millimeter wave radar 10 bear. The millimeter wave radar 10 is installed on the side of a vehicle stop 49 provided in each passenger compartment.

The following dimensions and intervals are measured as “parking lot data” by appropriate means and recorded in a predetermined parking lot data storage device.
The width dimension of the first casing 41 is “G”, the width dimension of the second casing 42 is “H”, and the width dimension of the third casing 43 is “I”.
The interval between the first compartment 41 and the second compartment 42 is “J”, and the interval between the second compartment 42 and the third compartment 43 is “k”.
For a vehicle parked in each passenger compartment, the minimum width dimension that can be detected is “L”. The shortest distance from the millimeter wave radar 10 to one of the passenger compartments is assumed to be “M”.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the millimeter wave radar 10 is installed at the upper end of a tower-type terminal 20 that performs various types of data processing in order to ensure the height. It is set at a predetermined height “Z” and a predetermined downward angle “XY”. The terminal 20 includes a received wave analysis device (not shown in FIG. 3) for analyzing the reflected wave received by the millimeter wave radar 10, an analysis result of the received wave analysis device, and input of the parking lot data described above. An analysis result output device (display 22) used for updating and the like and a parking lot data storage device (not shown in FIG. 3) for storing the parking lot data are provided.

As shown in FIG. 1, the parking detection device according to the present embodiment is a device for detecting whether or not a vehicle is parked in a parking compartment (not shown in FIG. 1) of a parking lot 40.
The parking detector includes a millimeter wave transmitter 11 that transmits a millimeter wave toward the parking compartment, a millimeter wave receiver 12 that receives a reflected millimeter wave transmitted by the millimeter wave transmitter 11, and As shown in FIG. 3, the millimeter wave radar 10 equipped with is installed.

Although the millimeter wave transmission device 11 has been described as transmitting millimeter waves toward the parking compartment, when the cars A and B are parked in the parking compartment, the millimeter waves are transmitted to the parked vehicles 51 and 52. On the other hand, millimeter waves are transmitted. In this case, the millimeter wave receiving device 12 receives the millimeter wave reflected from the parked cars 51 and 52.
By analyzing the received millimeter wave, it is possible to grasp what object exists in front of the millimeter wave radar 10, and as a result of the analysis, grasp whether a vehicle is present in the passenger compartment. It will be possible.

  As described with reference to FIG. 3, the parking lot data storage device 23 stores in advance parking lot data such as the size of the parking lot 40 and the parking compartment in the terminal 20 below the millimeter wave radar 10. A received wave for analyzing the parking lot data stored in the parking lot data storage device 23 and the received wave received by the millimeter wave receiving device 12 to determine whether or not the vehicle is parked in the parking compartment. An analysis device 21 and an analysis result output device 22 that outputs the analysis result determined by the received wave analysis device 21 to the server 30 are provided.

The server 30 includes an analysis result receiving device 31 that receives the analysis result output from the analysis result output device 22, and a full information output device that aggregates the received analysis results and outputs the result as the full information of the parking lot. 32.
When the parking lot 40 has a parking compartment other than the first compartment 41, the second compartment 42, and the third compartment 43 shown in FIG. 2, a parking compartment other than that shown in FIG. An analysis result is also received from an analysis result output device related to another terminal that will perform the full space management. And a some analysis result is totaled and it will output as the vacancy information for every parking compartment in the said parking lot.

The full information output device 32 can be viewed on the user terminal 60 via a communication line. This is because it is convenient for the user of the parking lot if it is possible to know in advance the availability information for each parking compartment in the parking lot.
Since the parking space manager (owner) is also aware of the availability information for each parking compartment, the illustration is omitted, but the availability information is also transmitted to the terminal associated with the parking lot owner.
By performing millimeter wave transmission / reception at predetermined intervals, the full / vacant information can be updated and kept up-to-date, and the latest information can be distributed to parking lot users.

The parking lot data shown in FIG. 3, its contents, a control procedure, etc. will be described with reference to FIG.
The millimeter wave radar 10 can generally detect a range of around 170 degrees. As shown in FIG. 2, “M (distance CD)” is set so that the availability information (detection) in the three passenger compartments can be acquired. If M cannot secure a distance that can detect three passenger compartments due to the space in the parking lot 40, the number of passenger compartments to be detected is reduced to two or one.

The millimeter wave radar 10 is installed at a half (center) of the total width of the passenger compartment that can be detected.
When the millimeter wave radar 10 detects from the first compartment 41 to the third compartment 43, the above-mentioned “total compartment width” is the distance EF in FIG.

Each vehicle compartment width (G, H, and I in FIG. 2) may vary depending on the vehicle model that is supposed to be parked. Wide for large vehicles and narrow for small vehicles and light vehicles.
A reference point for setting a range for detecting one vehicle compartment is set for each vehicle compartment. And based on the reference point, the terminal 20 calculates the detection range coordinates of each passenger compartment. That is, a calculation formula for calculation is incorporated in the terminal 20 in advance.

  Enter the distance between the compartments (J, K in Fig. 2) together with the aforementioned "total compartment width" and "each compartment width" so that there is no contradiction. To calculate.

  The maximum number of vehicle compartments that can be detected varies depending on the height z from the ground plane (the ground of the parking lot 40) shown in FIG. 3 to the millimeter wave transmission device 11 in the millimeter wave radar 10. That is, if z can be increased, the number of passenger compartments that can be detected increases, and if it is small, it decreases.

  The millimeter wave departure angle (xy) from the millimeter wave radar 10 when the line parallel to the ground plane is used as a reference, the angle adjustment mechanism is a fixed structure between the terminal 20 and the millimeter wave radar 10 in order to maintain detection accuracy. It is desirable to prepare for.

  The width of the vehicle parked in the passenger compartment varies depending on the vehicle type. In particular, in the case of a passenger compartment that is close to the millimeter wave radar 10 (receives millimeter waves in front), the minimum vehicle width dimension “L” is necessary data. In the case of Japan, L is a value smaller than the vehicle width (1.48 meters) of a mini vehicle.

  The present invention relates to a parking lot operation that uses time lending and monthly parking lots as a management resource, a parking lot operation as a service attached to a store, etc., a manufacturing industry of facilities installed in the parking lot, and a parking lot fullness. It has applicability in the information service industry that collects and distributes empty information.

10; millimeter wave radar 11; millimeter wave transmitter 12; millimeter wave receiver 20; terminal 21; received wave analyzer 22; analysis result output device (display)
23; parking lot data storage device 30; server 31; analysis result receiving device 32; fullness information output device 40; parking lot 41; first compartment 42; second compartment 43; third compartment 49; 52; parked car 60; user terminal

Claims (5)

A parking detection device for detecting whether or not a car is parked in a parking lot of a parking lot,
A millimeter wave transmitter for transmitting millimeter waves toward the parking compartment;
A millimeter wave receiver that receives the reflected millimeter wave transmitted by the millimeter wave transmitter;
A parking lot data storage device that stores in advance parking lot data such as the size related to the parking lot and the parking compartment;
A reception wave analysis device that analyzes the parking lot data stored in the parking lot data storage device and the reception wave received by the millimeter wave reception device to determine whether a vehicle is parked in the parking compartment; and
An analysis result output device that outputs the analysis result determined by the received wave analysis device to the server;
A parking detection device.   The server includes an analysis result receiving device that receives the analysis result output by the analysis result output device, and a full / vacancy information output device that transmits the analysis result received by the analysis result receiving device via a communication line. The parking detection device according to claim 1. The millimeter wave transmission device transmits millimeter waves to a plurality of parking compartments,
The parking detection device according to claim 1, wherein the millimeter wave reception device receives a millimeter wave reflected wave from the parking compartment. A computer program for parking detection for detecting whether a car is parked in a parking garage of a parking lot,
For a computer that stores in advance parking data such as the size related to the parking lot and the parking compartment in the parking data storage device,
Reflection received from a millimeter wave radar including a millimeter wave transmission device that transmits millimeter waves toward the parking compartment, and a millimeter wave reception device that receives a reflected wave of millimeter waves transmitted by the millimeter wave transmission device. Reflected wave data input procedure for inputting data about the wave,
A received wave analysis procedure for determining whether or not a vehicle is parked in the parking compartment using the data input by the reflected wave data input procedure and the parking lot data;
An analysis result output procedure for outputting the analysis result determined in the received wave analysis procedure to the server;
A computer program that is supposed to be executed.   The computer program according to claim 4, wherein a full / vacant information output procedure for transmitting the analysis result output in the analysis result output procedure via a communication line is executed.

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