GB2541497A

GB2541497A - Management of a car park

Info

Publication number: GB2541497A
Application number: GB1610358.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nordbruch Stefan; Auracher Juergen; Maier Manuel
Original assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Current assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Priority date: 2015-06-17
Filing date: 2016-06-14
Publication date: 2017-02-22
Anticipated expiration: 2036-06-14
Also published as: GB2541497B; GB201610358D0

Abstract

A method for managing a car park 100 comprises the steps of determining an area P of the car park 100 that can be occupied by vehicles 110, determining an area K of the car park 100 that is currently occupied by vehicles 110, and determine a number Z of vehicles 110 that can be additionally parked in the car park 100, on the basis of the relationship Z=(1 K/P)*M, wherein M is the maximum number of vehicles 110 that can be parked in the car park 100. The car park may be a non-ordered car park without markings, and M may be verified at regular intervals based on a count of the vehicles 110 parked in the fully occupied car park, on the basis of a mean value of a plurality of counts. P may also be re-determined at regular intervals. The method may also involve the area of traffic routes 135 in the car park 100 that are not available for parking being excluded in the determination of P. The determined number Z may be published in real time, and its reliability determined also. A scanning device such as an imaging sensor may be used to determine K.

Description

Title

Management of a car park

The invention relates to the management of a car park that is designed for the parking of motor vehicles.

Prior art A car park is designed to accommodate a number of motor vehicles, which can be parked in the car park. In this case, the manner or the order in which the motor vehicles are to be parked in the car park it is not specifically prescribed. An arrangement of motor vehicles in the car park can therefore change.

Unlike an organized car park, in which there are identified parking places that can each be occupied by a motor vehicle, management of a non-organized car park is difficult. In particular, it can be difficult to determine a number of motor vehicles that can still be parked in the car park at a given point in time.

The invention is based on the object of providing a technique for managing a car park that is designed for the parking of motor vehicles. The invention achieves this object by means of the disclosures of the independent claims. Dependent claims disclose preferred embodiments.

Disclosure of the invention A car park is designed for the parking of motor vehicles. A method for managing the car park comprises steps of determining an area P of the car park that can be occupied by parked motor vehicles, determining an area K of the car park that is currently occupied by parked motor vehicles, and determining a number Z of motor vehicles that can additionally be parked in the car park, on the basis of the relationship Z=(1-K/P)*M, wherein M comprises a maximum number of motor vehicles that can be parked in the car park.

The extent of the remaining capacity of the car park can thus be determined in a simple and robust manner. The determined value can be displayed, for example, on a display panel outside the car park.

In particular, it is preferred that the car park be designed for the non-ordered parking of motor vehicles. Usually in this case, no parking-place limitations are provided for individual motor vehicles. Drivers can park their motor vehicles in virtually any manner in the car park, it being assumed, preferably, that the drivers themselves take care that no other motor vehicle is impeded as a result.

Preferably, M is verified at regular intervals on the basis of a count of the motor vehicles parked in the fully occupied car park. In particular, the count may be performed manually. It is not necessary in this case for a person to go through the car park in order to count the motor vehicles; rather, the person can perform the count on the basis of a scanning result that exists as an image.

The method can thus be verified, or calibrated, in a simple and inexpensive manner.

In this case, M may be determined on the basis of a mean value of a plurality of counts separated by intervals of time. The robustness or precision of the method can thus be increased.

In one embodiment, P is re-determined at regular intervals. It is thereby possible to take account of influences that render a part of the car park unusable, for example a construction site or an area cordoned-off because of weather conditions.

The area of traffic routes in the car park that are not available for the parking of motor vehicles may be excluded in the determination of P. In this case, the traffic routes may be recorded, or assumed, on the basis of a scanning result that exists as an image. Although the organisational structure of motor vehicles in the car park is difficult to predict, it can thus nevertheless be taken into account.

The determined number Z of additionally parkable vehicles may be published in real time. In particular, the number Z may be made accessible in a cloud or a web service. In one embodiment, an occupancy map of the car park may also be published. The occupancy map may be determined on the basis of the scanning result, or correspond to the latter.

Moreover, a reliability of the determination of the number of additionally parkable motor vehicles may be determined. The determined reliability may be published together with the determined number Z, for example in order to offer an improved basis of decision for a driver searching for a free parking place for their motor vehicle. A computer program product comprises program code means for executing the method described above, when the computer program product is executed on a processing device or stored on a computer-readable data carrier. A facility for managing the car park described above comprises a scanning device for determining an area K of the car park that is currently occupied by parked motor vehicles, and a processing device, which is designed to determine a number Z of motor vehicles that can additionally be parked in the car park, on the basis of the relationship Z=(1-K/P)*M. In this case, P comprises the area P of the car park that can be occupied by parked motor vehicles, and M comprises a maximum number of motor vehicles that can be parked in the car park.

Preferably, the scanning device comprises an imaging sensor .

This enables the scanning result to be easily recorded or evaluated, both by machine and by a person. For machine processing, algorithms for image recognition are known. In a further embodiment, other sensors may also be used, for example radar or lidar, which may be either imaging or nonimaging. It is also possible to use one or more imaging sensors in combination with one or more non-imaging sensors .

Brief description of the figure

The invention is now described in greater detail with reference to the appended figure, which shows a car park having a management facility.

Detailed description of exemplary embodiments

Figure 1 shows a car park 100 having a management facility 105. The car park 100 is designed for non-ordered parking, i.e., for individual motor vehicles 110 that can be parked in the car park 100, it is not prescribed, or not precisely prescribed, how the motor vehicles 110 are to be arranged. In particular, the width or length of a parking gap that may accommodate a motor vehicle 110 may be undefined. A pattern, according to which rows or other arrangements of motor vehicles 110 may be formed in the car park 100, may also be freely selectable. In this case, each driver of a motor vehicle 110 can be instrumental in forming an organisational structure.

The car park 100 may comprise an entrance 115 and an exit 120. In the present representation, the two are physically coincident; however, they may also be provided separately from each other. Moreover, a plurality of entrances 115 or a plurality of exits 120 may be provided.

The management facility 105 is designed to determine a number of motor vehicles that can still additionally be parked in the car park 100 at a given point in time. For this purpose, the management facility 105 comprises a processing device 125, which is connected to a scanning device 130. The scanning device 130 may operate, for example, by means of radar, lidar, ultrasound, or visible or invisible light. Preferably, the scanning device 130 is an imaging device, i.e. designed to provide a two-dimensional or three-dimensional representation of the car park 100. The representation in this case comprises a multiplicity of image elements, the values of which represent parts of the car park 100 or of a motor vehicle 110. For this purpose, it is preferred that the scanning device 130 be mounted at a height above the car park 100, in order to effect scanning from a bird's-eye perspective. For example, the scanning device 130 may be mounted on an elevated part of a building, on a post or on a column.

This is easily achieved, in particular, in the case of an open-air car park 100, although the technique described may also be applied, in principle, to a car park 100 that is covered and, for example, part of a parking garage or an underground car park. In one embodiment, a plurality of scanning devices 130 may also be provided, the data of which may be combined with each other by the processing device 125, in order to provide a complete image of the car park 100 with the motor vehicles 110 parked therein.

An area K of the car park currently occupied by motor vehicles 110 can be determined on the basis of the image, or representation, of the car park 100 with the parked motor vehicles 110 that is provided by the processing device 125. With knowledge of the total area P of the car park 100, the degree of occupancy of the car park 100 can be determined as Q = K/P. If this quotient Q is multiplied by the maximum number M of motor vehicles 110 that can be parked in the car park 100, the number Z of currently still parkable motor vehicles 110 is obtained. As a formula, this may be represented thus: Z = (1-Q) * M = (1-K/P) * M.

The area P of the car park 100 that can be occupied by parked motor vehicles 110 preferably does not include traffic routes 135 that are not available for the parking of motor vehicles 110. The traffic routes 135 are generally necessary to enable each parked motor vehicle 110 to reach the exit 120. Preferably, sufficient traffic routes 135 are provided to enable a free area of the car park 100, that can be used as a parking place for a motor vehicle 110, to be reached from the entrance 120 by means of a motor vehicle 110.

The position of a traffic route 135 in the car park 100 may alter over time, for example if the principle of organization of the motor vehicles 110 changes. In Figure 1, exemplarily, the motor vehicles 110 are arranged in columns; at a different point in time, however, an arrangement in rows might be obtained. Then, unlike the representation, the traffic routes 135 would have to be oriented horizontally, instead of vertically.

The area P of the car park that can be used for parking motor vehicles 110 may change over time, for example if a part of the car park 100 cannot be reached by a motor vehicle 110 from the entrance 115, if in winter, for instance, a part of the car park 100 is covered by a snow heap, or if a part of the car park 100 cannot be used because of standing water during heavy rainfall. It is preferred that the area P be determined by the processing device 125 on the basis of the representation provided by the scanning device 130. In this case, the frequency of determination may be equal to or less than the frequency of determination of the number Z of motor vehicles 110 that can additionally be parked in the car park 100.

Preferably, for each determination of Z, at least one scanning operation is performed by means of the scanning device 130. Z may be determined periodically, for example monthly or quarter-hourly. The determination may also be event-controlled, for instance when a request is received from a driver searching for a parking place for their vehicle 110. The request may be sent, for example, from a smartphone or a computer fitted in the motor vehicle 110, a wireless transmission of data being preferred.

The determined number Z of motor vehicles 110 that can additionally be parked in the car park 100 may be represented graphically or numerically, for example by means of a display panel 140. Alternatively or additionally, the determined number Z may also be published, for example, digitally, for instance as a web service or in a cloud.

The degree to which the determined number of motor vehicles 110 that can additionally be parked in the car park 100 matches the motor vehicles 110 that can still actually be parked in the car park 100 usually depends on a degree of occupancy of the car park 100. This degree of occupancy corresponds to the quotient Q mentioned above. In the exemplary representation of Figure 1, it was determined that two additional motor vehicles 110 can find space in the car park 100. In the row of parked motor vehicles 110 in the left region of the car park 100 of Figure 1 there is a corresponding gap, which could be occupied by a further motor vehicle 110. On the right side, on the other hand, there is no gap, since adjacent motor vehicles 110 of this row are spaced too far apart from each other. The determined number Z therefore deviates by 1 from the actual number of motor vehicles 110 that can still be accommodated in the car park. This corresponds to an absolute error of only 1, but to a relative error of 50%.

The lower the degree of occupancy Q of the car park 100, the more probable it is that there is a sufficiently small motor vehicle 110 that can make use of a remaining parking place that is smaller than the average area required by a motor vehicle 110. If the degree of occupancy of the car park 100 approaches 100%, however, the possibilities for dense parking are almost exhausted.

It is possible to determine a reliability, or confidence, with which the determined number of motor vehicles 110 that can still be parked in the car park 100 is correct. In a further embodiment, a probability of correctness of the determined number can be determined. This value can be provided together with the determined number of additionally parkable motor vehicles 110. In the representation of Figure 1, a traffic-light structure, which indicates the degree of reliability of the determined displayed value, is shown in the right-hand region on the display panel 140. A graphical representation may also be used, as an alternative to the symbolic representation.

Claims

1. Method for managing a car park (100) that is designed for the parking of motor vehicles (110), the method comprising the following steps: - determining an area P of the car park (100) that can be occupied by parked motor vehicles (110), - determining an area K of the car park (100) that is currently occupied by parked motor vehicles (110); and - determining a number Z of motor vehicles (110) that can additionally be parked in the car park (100), on the basis of the relationship Z=(1-K/P)*M, - wherein M comprises a maximum number of motor vehicles (110) that can be parked in the car park (100) .

2. Method according to Claim 1, the car park (100) being designed for the non-ordered parking of motor vehicles (110) .

3. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, M being verified at regular intervals on the basis of a count of the motor vehicles (110) parked in the fully occupied car park (100) .

4. Method according to Claim 3, M being determined on the basis of a mean value of a plurality of counts separated by intervals of time.

5. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, P being re-determined at regular intervals.

6. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, the area of traffic routes (135) in the car park (100) that are not available for the parking of motor vehicles (110) being excluded in the determination of P.

7. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, the determined number Z of additionally parkable vehicles (110) being published in real time.

8. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, a reliability of the determination of the number Z of additionally parkable motor vehicles (110) being determined.

9. Computer program product having program code means for executing the method according to any one of the preceding claims, when the computer program product is executed on a processing device (125) or stored on a computer-readable data carrier.

10. Facility for managing a car park (100) that is designed for the parking of motor vehicles (110), the facility comprising the following elements: - a scanning device (130) for determining an area K of the car park (100) that is currently occupied by parked motor vehicles (110); and - a processing device (125), which is designed to determine a number Z of motor vehicles (110) that can additionally be parked in the car park (100), on the basis of the relationship Z=(1-K/P)*M; - P comprising the area P of the car park (100) that can be occupied by parked motor vehicles (110), - and M comprising a maximum number of motor vehicles (110) that can be parked in the car park (100) .

11. Facility according to Claim 10, the scanning device (130) comprising an imaging sensor.

12. A method for managing a car park, substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings .

13. A computer program product, substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings .

14. A Facility for managing a car park, substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings .