DE102014210082A1 - Method and system for providing an occupancy probability of vehicle parking spaces - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method in which occupancy data for at least one vehicle parking space are collected for at least one survey time, the occupancy data at least time information on the weekday and time of the survey time, occupancy information for occupancy of at least one vehicle parking space at the time of elevation by a vehicle, location information on the location of at least a vehicle parking space and category information to include properties of at least one vehicle parking space. The recorded occupancy data are stored and are available as stored occupancy data for further processing. An occupancy request for vehicle parking spaces of at least one desired category, in at least one desired location and at least one desired time or parking period is received and based on the stored occupancy data is a probability of occupancy of at least one vehicle parking space of at least one desired category, in the at least one desired location and The information representing the at least one desired parking time or parking period is determined and output.

Description

The invention relates to a method and a system for providing an occupancy probability of vehicle parking spaces.

In particular, in the inner cities of larger cities are usually difficult to find free parking for trucks (trucks). But also truck parking spaces, for example, on rest areas or parking lots on highways, are often occupied on certain days of the week or times. In both cases, searching for a parking space can be difficult and time-consuming for the driver. For truck drivers looking for a parking space there is the additional problem that legal requirements for maximum driving times must be complied with and the distances between the parking areas along the route of the truck are often large.

Smartphone applications are known in which the users of the application can see the current utilization of a desired parking area. Such an application is for example the application "TruckYa" from VDO. If a user of the application drives a parking area (eg a rest stop), he can transmit to the system a current occupancy status of the parking area (eg parking spaces available or parking spaces occupied). This occupancy status can then be entered in a map in which a plurality of parking areas is entered, which is made available to all users of the application. Truck drivers can, for example, specifically approach parking areas on which parking spaces are currently available. However, the status messages of the users expire after a certain period of time, as vacant parking spaces may have become occupied in the meantime or vacant parking spaces may have become vacant and the status messages therefore usually no longer reflect the current status after a certain time. If there are no current messages from other users in the system for certain parking areas at any given time, the application can not display a current occupancy status. The application is thus always dependent on the participation of users.

Other occupancy information providing methods therefore store the received status messages for particular parking areas and then use the stored data to provide occupancy prediction. Such a method is for example from the DE 10 2012 201 472 A1 known. The forecast is generated based on the information stored for a parking area for a particular time or period in the past. However, if no data has been collected for a parking area in the past at a certain time or in a specific period (eg Fridays between 18:00 and 20:00), no forecast can be made for the parking area for this period become. For many parking areas, this results in time periods in which neither current status reports are available nor a forecast based on historical data is possible.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a method which determines the occupancy state of parking spaces as completely as possible.

This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1, a computer program according to claim 11 and by a system according to claim 12. Embodiments and developments of the invention are the subject of dependent claims.

In a method according to the invention, occupancy data for at least one vehicle parking space is collected for at least one collection time, the occupancy data being at least time information on the weekday and time of the collection time, occupancy information for occupying the at least one vehicle parking space at the time of collection by a vehicle, location information on the location of the at least one vehicle parking space, and category information to include properties of at least one vehicle parking space. The recorded occupancy data are stored and are available as stored occupancy data for further processing. An occupancy request for vehicle parking spaces of at least one desired category, in at least one desired location and at least one desired time or parking period is received and based on the stored occupancy data is a probability of occupancy of at least one vehicle parking space of at least one desired category, in the at least one desired location and The information representing the at least one desired parking time or parking period is determined and output.

Category information on characteristics of the at least one vehicle parking space includes data representing the presence of sanitary facilities, restaurants or a gas station. Thus, different vehicle parking spaces with similar properties can be assigned to the same categories, since vehicle parking spaces with similar properties usually have a similar occupancy probability.

Occupancy data are considered historical occupancy data within a specifiable period of time after their collection and after the predeterminable period after their collection as historical occupation data Occupancy data stored. The information representing the occupancy probability can be determined on the basis of current occupancy data if current occupancy data for a requested vehicle parking space is available. Current occupancy data reflects a current occupancy status better than a occupancy probability determined on the basis of historical occupancy data. However, an occupancy probability based on historical data can be output if no current occupancy data is available.

The occupancy data can be collected by means of manual inputs by users or operators of the vehicle parking spaces or by means of suitable sensor devices or both. If the occupancy data is collected via different channels, this can increase the number of data for individual vehicle parking spaces, which increases the accuracy of the calculated occupancy probability.

To determine the occupancy probability, an average value of the stored occupancy data can be formed. This represents a simple and unmanageable possibility for determining the occupancy probability.

The occupancy data can be weighted differently when determining the occupancy probability. If the occupancy data still contain time information on the date of the collection time, an age of the occupancy data can be determined, for example, based on the date and time of the collection time. Occupancy data can then be weighted less in the determination of the occupancy probability, the older they are. In this way, changes in the occupancy of parking spaces over time are reflected in the determined occupancy probability.

A computer program according to the invention is designed to carry out the method according to the invention.

An inventive system for determining the occupancy probability of vehicle parking spaces comprises a communication device, a central processing unit and a memory unit. The central processing unit is configured to receive occupancy data for at least one vehicle parking space at at least one collection time, the occupancy data being at least time information about the weekday and time of the collection time, occupancy information for occupying the at least one vehicle parking space at the time of collection by a vehicle, location information for the location of the at least one Vehicle parking space and category information to include properties of at least one vehicle parking space. The memory unit is designed to store the recorded occupancy data and to provide it as stored occupancy data for further processing. The communication device is configured to send an allocation request for vehicle parking spaces of at least one desired category, in at least one desired location and at least one desired time or parking period to the central processing unit. The memory unit is further configured to use the stored occupancy data to determine and make available the occupancy probability of the at least one vehicle parking space of the at least one desired category, in the at least one desired location and at least one desired parking time or parking period the central processing unit receives an occupancy request. The central processing unit is furthermore configured to evaluate the occupancy information provided by the storage unit and to transmit it to the communication appliance, and the communication appliance is further configured to output the transmitted occupancy information.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the figures of the drawings, wherein like elements are provided with the same reference numerals. It shows:

1 by way of example, an illustration of occupancy data to be stored and stored;

2 an example of an expiry of the provision of information about the occupancy probability of parking spaces;

3 exemplified a block diagram of a system for providing occupancy probabilities of shelves; and

4 an example of a flowchart of a method for providing information about the occupancy probability of parking spaces.

In particular, for truck drivers, it is often difficult to timely find a parking space along the route traveled in order not to exceed legally prescribed maximum driving times. But even for car drivers looking for a parking space, for example, in inner cities of larger cities, often difficult because at certain times, most available parking spaces are occupied.

By means of applications for smartphones, hereinafter referred to as app, users, such as truck drivers, the occupancy status of various parking areas retrieve. Parking areas may be, for example, rest areas on highways, parking bays on federal highways or the like, each parking area having at least one vehicle parking space. The app has many different parking areas and provides information about them. In addition to information on the occupancy status of the parking spaces, the app can also provide information about the number of parking spaces and the location of the parking areas, for example.

If a first user of the app drives a parking space, this is registered with the current apps via the location system of the user's smartphone by the app. The app then sends a request to the user. This can enter the current occupancy status of the parking spaces into the system upon request. However, the user can enter a current occupancy status at any time without a previous request of the app in the system. The parking spaces of a parking area, for example, all occupied, the parking area thus be full. The parking spaces of a parking area, however, can also be partially or completely free, for example, the parking area, for example, half-full or empty. A second user of the app can then see this occupancy status entered by the first user via his smartphone. In this way, a user can obtain information about the occupancy status of various parking spaces near his current location or at the destination and specifically approach a parking area with free parking spaces. However, if there is no current information from another user in such an app at any given time, an occupancy status can not be displayed.

An occupancy jam is usually only up-to-date for a certain period of time, since a parking space initially reported as empty can be occupied a relatively short time later. For example, an occupancy status may be current for a period of half an hour after the occupancy status is entered by the first user. This is just one example. The occupancy status can also be current for a shorter or longer period of time.

For this reason, the information entered by the users, initially current, can be stored by the app and used as historical data for an occupancy forecast. The stored data, in addition to occupancy information for occupancy of the parking spaces of a parking area information about the location of the parking spaces and time information include. The time information may, for example, contain information on which day of the week and at what time the occupancy status was determined. If there is no current occupancy information on a specific day of the week (eg Saturday) at a specific time (eg 19:00) or in a certain time period (eg 18:45 to 19:15), then see Using the stored data for the same day of the week and the same time an occupancy probability can be determined. The time information may also include information about the date of the survey. For example, the date and time can be used to determine how old an occupancy status is and whether it is still considered current or historical.

This will be clarified below with reference to a first example. Example 1: A first user of the app reports for the parking area 1 on Monday at 20:00 clock the occupancy status "half full". There is thus a certain number of parking spaces available. A second user also reports occupancy status "half full" on the following Monday at 19:45. The occupancy status transmitted by the first user is already obsolete at this time and is replaced by the message of the second user. A third user sees the occupancy status reported by the second user via the app as long as it is current and can approach the parking area 1 in a targeted manner. A fourth user asks a month later on Monday at 19:50 clock on the App the occupancy state for the parking spaces of the parking area 1. The occupancy status transmitted by the second user is no longer up to date one month later. A new message for the parking area 1 is not available, so that the fourth user no current occupancy status can be displayed. However, the messages of the first and second user were stored in the system as historical occupancy data. On the basis of the stored data, an occupancy probability for the parking spaces of the parking area 1 can thus be calculated. Since parking spaces 1 were already free on Mondays in the period from 19:45 to 20:00, it is forecast that parking spaces will be available on Mondays in the requested period. This occupancy probability is then displayed to the fourth user. The more stored data for a parking area for a specific time or a period, the more accurate the occupancy probability can be determined.

If neither up-to-date information nor stored data is available for a specific parking space for a specific time, neither a current occupancy status nor an occupancy probability can be displayed. This is the case, for example, when a fifth user requests the occupancy status of the parking spaces 2 on a Monday at 20:00. For the parking area 2, however, neither current occupancy information is available nor has it been for this time stored in the past data of the parking area 2 as historical data, which could be used to calculate an occupancy probability.

Therefore, according to the invention, in addition to the display of current utilization states and the determination of a parking space-specific occupancy probability (determination of the occupancy probability based on data stored for a specific parking area), a determination of the occupancy probability on the basis of parking space categories is provided. For this purpose, parking areas can first be divided into different parking categories based on various criteria. Criteria for the division into parking categories can be, for example, location, size (number of parking spaces) or equipment of the parking areas. For example, parking areas may be located directly on motorways (eg motorway rest areas or motorway parking lots) or further away from motorways (eg car stalls). However, parking areas can also be located directly on federal highways (eg parking bays). Parking areas can be small (eg parking bays on federal highways with few parking spaces) or large (eg large motorway rest areas with many parking spaces) and, for example, no equipment or z. As toilets, restaurants and a gas station. The parking areas can also be on heavily used or poorly traveled routes. However, these are only examples of the criteria by which a classification into parking space categories can be made. The classification can also be based on other or additional features. A parking space or a parking area can be classified according to the criteria mentioned in one or more different parking space categories.

Based on 1 In the following, the simplified principle is to be represented, according to which a determined occupancy status can be stored at a specific point in time. In the example in 1 are for a parking space 1 of the parking area A, which is assigned to the parking lot category X (eg motorway parking lot with few parking spaces and toilet on a little-traveled highway), received three messages. The messages have been transmitted on the same day of the week at about the same time. The assignment data are stored on the one hand as historical data for the parking area 1 and on the other as historical data for the parking space category X. For the parking space 2 of the parking area B, which is also assigned to the parking space category X, is for the same day at a similar time a message received. This occupancy data is stored as historical data for the parking area 2 and as historical data for the parking space category X. For the parking space category X, a total of four messages are available for the time or period. For a parking space 3 of the parking area C, which is also assigned to the parking space category X, for example, there are still no data. For the parking space 3 of the parking area C thus no occupancy probability can be determined based on the parking area C stored data. However, based on the data stored for the parking space category X, an occupancy probability can also be determined for the parking spaces of the parking area C.

Based on 2 Now a sequence of steps in the provision of information on the occupancy probability of parking spaces will be explained. A user can first make an occupancy request. The allocation request, he can, for example, by means of a corresponding input in his smartphone. For this purpose, he can call up an app installed on the smartphone and make the appropriate input. However, using a smartphone to make an occupancy request is just one example. Instead of a smartphone, the user can enter the allocation request via any communication device that has installed a corresponding program. The communication device may be, for example, a laptop or a tablet PC. The communication device can forward the occupancy request of the user to a central processing unit. This can for example be a central server of the operator of the app. The calculation of the occupancy probability is then started in the central processing unit.

In a memory unit of the central processing unit, historical occupancy data for the various parking spaces known in the system can be stored. The memory unit can then use this stored data to calculate the occupancy probability and transmit it to the central processing unit. This can in turn transmit the determined occupancy probability to the communication device, which indicates this to the user.

Such a system is exemplary in 3 shown. The communication device 10 is adapted to an input IN of a user towards an allocation request BA to the central processing unit 20 to send. The central processing unit 20 receives the allocation request BA, whereupon the storage unit 30 the desired occupancy probability is calculated. In the storage unit 30 are historical occupancy data BD stored previously collected. The occupancy data BD may, for example, have been input by users of the system. Occupancy data can also be determined in various other ways. For example, operators of parking areas can make appropriate inputs to the system. Furthermore, you can individual parking spaces z. B. parking sensors are mounted, which detect whether a floor space is free or occupied and transmit this data to the system. The from the storage unit 30 The determined occupancy probability is then determined by the central processing unit 20 as occupancy information BI to the communication device 10 transmit, which can display the information.

The occupancy probability for a time or period can be determined in various ways. For example, an average of all data stored for that time or period for the corresponding parking space category may be formed. The stored data could also be weighted differently for this purpose, for example. So, the older they are, the less weighted data can be. Similarly, very old data could no longer be included in the calculation or deleted. In this way, changes that occur over time could be taken into account. However, an occupancy probability can also be determined with the aid of other known algorithms. The determination of the mean value, however, represents a comparatively simple and less computationally expensive method.

As in 4 can be determined based on certain criteria, which data are used to determine the occupancy probability. If an allocation request for a parking space of the parking area A, which is assigned to the parking space category X, is provided, it can first be checked whether there is current occupancy data for the parking area A. Occupancy data is current if no more than a certain period of time has elapsed between the time the occupancy data was collected and the time of the occupancy request. For example, occupancy data may be considered obsolete or historical data after 30 minutes or one hour. However, the period can be shorter or longer. If there are current occupancy data, these are preferably displayed to the requesting user, since they represent a current, real occupancy status.

In this case, for example, only one last determined current occupancy status can be displayed. For example, the period during which an occupancy status is current may be set to 30 minutes. If a first occupancy status is determined (eg by entering a user), then this occupancy status is current for 30 minutes. However, if a second occupancy status is determined for the same parking area after less than 30 minutes (eg by another user input), then only the second occupancy status can still be considered current and displayed on an occupancy request, even though the period is of 30 minutes after entering the first occupancy status has not yet passed.

If no current occupancy data is available, it can be checked whether there is historical data for parking area A. If historical data for the parking area A is already available for the requested time or period, an occupancy probability can be determined and displayed on the basis of this data.

However, if there is no historical data for the requested parking area A, it is still possible to check whether historical data are available for other parking areas of category X. If this is the case, the occupancy probability can be determined from this data. This is based on the assumption that parking spaces on parking areas of a similar size, location or infrastructure are similarly frequently occupied at the same or similar times.

Only if there is no historical data for other parking areas of the same parking lot category is it not possible to display the occupancy probability.

The determination of an occupancy probability on the basis of historical data not only makes it possible to determine an occupancy probability for a current request time, if there is no current data or historical data for the requested parking space. It is also possible to determine a future occupancy probability. In particular, with truck drivers often not interested in a current occupancy of possible parking spaces near the current position or at the destination. Rather, an estimated occupancy of the parking spaces at the destination at the (prospective) time of arrival is often interesting here. So drivers can inform themselves in advance about possible parking spaces at the destination.

However, the method is not limited to determining a probability of occupancy of truck parking spaces. In the same way, an occupancy probability of, for example, car or motorcycle parking spaces can be determined.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102012201472 A1 [0004]

Claims (12)

 Method in which occupancy data for at least one vehicle parking space are collected for at least one survey time, wherein the occupancy data contain at least time information on the weekday and time of the collection time, occupancy information on occupancy of the at least one vehicle parking space at the time of collection by a vehicle, location information on the location of the at least one vehicle parking space and category information on properties of the at least one vehicle parking space; the collected occupancy data is stored and available as stored occupancy data for further processing; an occupancy request for vehicle parking spaces of at least one desired category, in at least one desired location and at least one desired time or parking period is received; and on the basis of the stored occupancy data, a probability of occupancy of the at least one vehicle parking space of the at least one desired category in which at least one desired location and information representing at least one desired parking time or parking period is determined and output. The method of claim 1, wherein the category information on characteristics of the at least one vehicle location includes data representing the presence of sanitary facilities, restaurants or a gas station. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein occupancy data are stored within a predeterminable period of time after their collection as current occupancy data and after the expiry of the predeterminable period after their collection as historical occupancy data. The method of claim 3, wherein the occupancy probability representing information is determined based on current occupancy data. The method of claim 3 or 4, wherein the occupancy probability representing information is determined based on historical occupancy data, if no current occupancy data are available. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the occupancy data are collected by means of manual inputs by users or operators of the vehicle parking spaces or by means of suitable sensor devices or both. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein an average value of the stored occupancy data is formed for determining the occupancy probability. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the occupancy data are weighted differently in the determination of the occupancy probability. The method of claim 8, wherein the occupancy data further includes time information about the date of the collection time. The method of claim 9, wherein based on the date and time of the collection time an age of the occupancy data is determined and wherein occupancy data are less weighted in determining the occupancy probability, the older they are. Computer program adapted to carry out the method according to one of claims 1 to 10. System for determining the occupancy probability of vehicle parking spaces with a communication device ( 10 ), a central processing unit ( 20 ) and a storage unit ( 30 ), the central processing unit ( 20 ) is adapted to receive occupancy data (BD) for at least one vehicle parking space at least one survey time, the occupancy data (BD) at least time information on weekday and time of the survey time, occupancy information for occupancy of at least one vehicle parking space at the time of collection by a vehicle, location information for Location of at least one vehicle parking space and include category information on properties of at least one vehicle parking space; the storage unit ( 30 ) is adapted to store the recorded occupancy data (BD) and to provide it as stored occupancy data for further processing; the communication device ( 10 ) is adapted to issue an allocation request (BA) for vehicle parking spaces of at least one desired category, in at least one desired location and at least one desired time or parking period to the central processing unit ( 20 ) to send; the storage unit ( 30 ) is further adapted, on the basis of the stored occupancy data (BD), to determine the occupancy probability of the at least one vehicle parking space of the at least one desired category, in the at least one desired location and at least one desired parking time or parking period information (BI) and When the central processing unit ( 20 ) receives an occupancy request (BA); the central processing unit ( 20 ) is further adapted to receive from the memory unit ( 30 ) allocation information (BI) and to the communication device ( 10 ) to transmit; and the communication device ( 10 ) is further adapted to output the transmitted occupancy information.

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