JP2005346413A - Parking lot system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an efficient parking lot system for displaying information concerned with facilities such as parking lots and related stores on information display means in respective parking lots or on-vehicle display devices by a high-speed radio communication means. <P>SOLUTION: The parking lot system is constituted of: an information processing/distributing device 120 connected to access points 121, 122 having a plurality of vehicle sensors 101 to 103 in parking lots belonging to facilities such as stores; a parking lot inside direction board 111, an information display board 112 and an on-vehicle display device 110 which are information display means; a high-speed radio communication terminal 113 which is a high-speed radio communication means; the Internet 130 connected to the information processing/distributing device 120; and so on. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a parking lot system, and in particular, with a layout map in a parking lot or facility, information required in the place is combined with image data, and wireless LAN (Local Area Network) and DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication). By sending to high-speed wireless communication terminals such as in-vehicle display devices such as car navigation systems, parking guides and information display boards by high-speed wireless communication means such as The present invention relates to a parking lot system that provides information such as guidance in real time.

  Although a car is a convenient means of transportation, securing a parking place when not in use, that is, securing a parking lot is a major issue that impairs the convenience of the car. In particular, it is no exaggeration to say that parking lots in urban areas are a headache for car users. Various techniques for solving and reducing this problem have been proposed.

  A mobile object management system and the like suitable for charging a vehicle entering and leaving a parking lot or the like using DSRC has been disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Parking system, information center, content company and financial institution are connected to the Internet, providing parking information to users, and a parking lot management system for efficient parking operation is disclosed to the parking lot manager (For example, refer to Patent Document 2). In addition, a parking lot management system is disclosed that utilizes the advantages of an ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) system to efficiently manage the full / empty parking lot and provide information to users (for example, patents). Reference 3). Furthermore, when entering a parking lot, a parking lot management device is disclosed that guides the vacant state of each parking space in a state close to real time, improves service, prevents accidents in the venue, and improves use efficiency (for example, (See Patent Document 4).

Japanese Patent No. 3428567 (page 6, FIG. 1) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-279082 (page 3, FIG. 1) JP 2003-58925 A (Page 3, FIG. 1) JP 11-195199 A (page 3, FIG. 1)

FIG. 7 described above
1 shows a system configuration diagram of a conventional mobile management system disclosed in FIG. The mobile body management system 200 includes a communication control unit (RSU) 221 and an entrance control device controller 222 connected to a management control device 220 provided in a parking lot / facility. And the some vehicle equipment 211-214 which is a vehicle which users, such as a parking lot drive, is comprised so that radio communication with RSU221 and entrance control device controller 222 is possible.

  In this mobile management system 200, when each of the vehicle-mounted devices 211 to 214 passes through the entrance of the parking lot, a logical address is added from the antenna of the entrance control device controller 222. And based on this address, RSU221 detects the vehicle which exists in an own area, and RSU221 performs the vacancy management of a parking lot. The vehicle receives the guidance information distributed from the RSU 221 by the in-vehicle devices 211 to 214 and is guided to an empty parking space. At this time, the store service or the like can also be distributed from the RSU 221 to the in-vehicle devices 211 to 214.

  In the conventional parking system or related system as described above, the parking space availability, rough guidance to the empty parking space, toll collection, store service information related to the parking lot is provided. In-vehicle devices are indispensable, and service use in vehicles that are not equipped with in-vehicle devices is impossible or limited. Furthermore, there was a problem that information provided outside the parking lot facility could not be received.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the prior art, and provides detailed information such as image data to a vehicle equipped with a vehicle-mounted device and also provides certain information to a vehicle not equipped with the vehicle-mounted device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a parking lot system and an in-facility information providing system that enable and overcome or reduce the above-described problems of the prior art.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the parking system according to the present invention employs the following characteristic configuration.

(1) In a parking lot system that allows a user going out using a vehicle to efficiently use a parking lot attached to a store or the like,
An access point having one or more vehicle detectors, an information processing / distribution device that is connected to the access point and processes vacant information of the parking lot and distributes the information, and a high-speed radio provided in the parking lot A parking lot system comprising information display means for displaying information to the user by communication means.

  (2) The parking lot system according to (1), wherein the information to the information display means is distributed from the information processing / distribution device by the high-speed wireless communication means via the access point.

  (3) The information display means includes a parking lot guide plate installed at a plurality of locations in the parking lot and an information display plate arranged at an entrance of the parking lot or the like (1) or (2). Parking system.

  (4) The parking lot system according to (1), (2) or (3), wherein the information display means includes an in-vehicle display device mounted on the vehicle.

  (5) The parking system according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the information processing / distribution device is connected to the Internet and is accessible from a PC or a mobile phone.

  (6) The parking system according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the information processing / distribution device distributes guide information on a store or the like together with the parking lot information to the information display unit.

  (7) The information processing / distribution apparatus provides the information corresponding to the user detected by the user ID, which is detected when the user is registered in advance by a user ID and enters the parking lot. The parking lot system according to any one of (1) to (6).

  (8) The parking lot system according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the information display means provides and displays the arrangement and vacancy information of the parking lot as image data.

  (9) The parking lot system according to (1), wherein the access point totals information detected by the vehicle sensor and broadcasts the information to the information display means.

  (10) The parking lot system according to (4), wherein a plurality of access points are provided in the parking lot, and wireless communication is performed between the plurality of access points and the in-vehicle display device to detect position information of the vehicle.

  According to the parking lot system and the in-facility information providing system of the present invention, there are various remarkable effects in practical use as follows. That is, since the high-speed wireless communication means provides the user with the arrangement of the parking lot and related facilities as image data to the user, the user terminal side such as the in-vehicle display device holds the map / arrangement map in the facility and updates the latest contents. No update work is required. Since the information by the high-speed wireless communication means is provided, the cost and time of the user can be saved. By connecting to a network such as the Internet, the user can acquire the arrangement of parking lots and related facilities and the congestion status in real time without going out to the site. In addition, the user identification based on the user ID can efficiently and finely provide information for a specific user to increase customer satisfaction. Furthermore, it is possible to efficiently guide a user who is not equipped with an on-vehicle display device by displaying empty information or the like on a parking lot guide plate and an information display plate arranged at appropriate positions in the parking lot. . Furthermore, it is possible to easily detect the vehicle position by communicating between a plurality of access points provided in the parking lot and the in-vehicle display device.

  Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of an embodiment of a parking lot system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing the overall configuration of a preferred embodiment of a parking lot system according to the present invention. This parking lot system 100 includes a plurality of vehicle detectors 101 to 103 provided at a plurality of access points 121 and 122 in a parking lot / facility, an in-vehicle display device 110, a parking lot guide plate 111, an information display plate 112, a high speed It has a wireless terminal 113 and an information processing / distribution device 120. Further, outside the parking lot / facility, the Internet 130, the gateway 131, the PC (personal computer) 132, and the mobile phone 133 are connected to the information processing / distribution apparatus 120 described above.

  Here, the vehicle detectors 101 to 103 are sensors that detect vehicles entering and leaving the parking lot, and the number of vehicles is not particularly limited. The in-vehicle display device 110 is, for example, a car navigation system mounted on a vehicle. The access points 121 and 122 interconnect the in-vehicle display device 110, the parking space guide plate 111, the information guide plate 112, the high-speed wireless communication terminal 113, and the information processing / distribution device 120 to enable communication. In addition, the gateway 131 and the PC 132 are connected via an external network such as the Internet 130, and the mobile phone 133 is wirelessly connected to the gateway 131 so that information can be provided from the information processing / distribution device 120. Has been.

  Vehicle detectors 101 to 103 are installed in a parking lot, detect and determine the presence or absence of a parked vehicle in each parking space, and notify the information to access points 121 and 122. Moreover, the vehicle detectors 101-103 may be provided for every parking space (that is, one for each parking space), and a plurality of parking spaces may be monitored by one vehicle detector. Furthermore, the vehicle detectors 101 to 103 may be connected to the access points 121 and 122 either by wire or wirelessly.

  The information processing / distribution apparatus 120 is an information processing apparatus including a single or a plurality of workstations or servers. Then, the parking space vacancy state transmitted by each of the vehicle detectors 101 to 103 is received and processed, and the parking space is stored in advance in an internal memory (not shown) of the information processing / distribution device 120. A function of distributing image data added with availability information and data totaling availability to the vehicle-mounted display device 110, the parking guide 112, and the high-speed wireless communication terminal 113 via the access points 121 and 122 by high-speed wireless communication means. It has. In addition, it has a function of releasing similar information to the Internet 130 and a function of providing information to the outside. Furthermore, a user identification function based on a user ID is provided, and information according to the user can be provided.

  On the other hand, the in-vehicle display device 110, the parking lot guide plate 112, and the high-speed wireless communication terminal 113 show the layout in the parking lot distributed by the high-speed wireless communication means from the information processing / distribution device 120 via the access points 121 and 122. It has a function to receive and display image data. Also, it has a function of receiving and displaying in-facility guidance, service information, and the like by the same means. A function of acquiring necessary information from the information processing / distributing device 120 by operating the in-vehicle display device 110 or the high-speed wireless communication terminal 113 is also provided. In addition, by registering a user ID in advance, it has a function of transmitting / receiving data dedicated to each user.

  The parking lot guide plate 111 is installed in one or more appropriate locations in the parking lot, and the parking waiting vehicle is vacated based on the information distributed from the information processing / distribution device 120 via the access point 121 by the high-speed wireless communication means. It has a function to display information for guiding to the parking space in real time. The information display board 112 is installed near the entrance of the facility, etc., and receives information on the facility, such as congestion status, advertisements, and time services, from the information processing / distribution device 120 via the access point 122 by high-speed wireless communication means. It has the function of receiving and displaying information and providing information to users in real time.

  The access points 121 and 122 have a function as a base station of high-speed wireless communication means, and have a function of transmitting / receiving information to / from each device, terminal, and guide plates 110 to 112 described above. The access points 121 and 122 and the information processing / distribution apparatus 120 may be connected by wired or wireless connection. The gateway 131 is a relay device for enabling communication between the mobile phone 133 and the Internet 130, and is installed by a carrier that provides a mobile phone service.

  The mobile phone 133 is connected to the gateway 131 by wireless communication means and has a function of transmitting / receiving information to / from the information processing / distribution device 120 via the Internet 130. And it has the function to display the congestion condition of a parking lot, empty parking space information, and in-facility information. Similarly, the PC 132 has a function of transmitting / receiving information to / from the information processing / distribution device 120 via the Internet 130, and also has a function of displaying a parking lot congestion state, empty parking space information, and in-facility information.

  Next, operation | movement of the parking lot system 100 shown in FIG. 1 is demonstrated concretely with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation example of the parking lot system 100. FIG. 3 is an example of image data indicating a parking space congestion situation. FIG. 4 is a display example of an empty parking space. FIG. 5 is a display example of an information display board or the like. FIG. 6 is a specific example of store guidance.

  First, the vehicle detectors 101 to 103 installed in the parking lot detect parking or vacant conditions (or parking information) of the parking space in the parking lot (step A1).

  Next, the parking information detected by each of the vehicle detectors 101 to 103 is transmitted to the information processing / distributing device 120 via the access points 121 and 122 (step A2). The information processing / distribution device 120 combines the layout map in the parking lot and the surrounding map, which are registered in the device 120 in advance, and the vehicle presence / absence information received from the vehicle detectors 101-103. Image data indicating where the parking lot is vacant is generated (step A3). At the same time, data aggregation such as “how many parking spaces are in which range” is performed, and the congestion status of the entire parking lot is determined based on the result (step A4).

  Next, the image data generated in steps A3 and A4 and the availability data are transferred from the access points 121 and 122 by high-speed wireless communication means to the in-vehicle display device 110, the parking lot guide plate 111, and the high-speed wireless communication terminal 113. And so on periodically (step A5). The in-vehicle display device 110 and the high-speed wireless communication terminal 113 combine the received image data and availability data and display as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 (step A6). In addition, the information processing / distribution device 120 transmits similar data to the parking lot guide plate 111 to display as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 (step A7). Thereby, the guidance information to an empty parking space is provided also to the vehicle which does not mount the vehicle-mounted display apparatus 110 and the high-speed wireless communication terminal 113. The in-vehicle display device 110 determines the traveling direction of the host vehicle by means such as an azimuth meter and a gyro, and based on the determination result, rotates the received image data to match the traveling direction, thereby providing information that is easy for the user to understand. It is also possible to provide.

  Here, FIG. 3 is a graphic (graphic) display of the parking space of the parking lot and its availability. For example, the blacked out portion shows a state where another vehicle is already parked and occupied, An empty parking space is indicated by a frame. On the other hand, FIG. 4 is an example of a display that guides the vehicle by indicating the empty parking space status with numerals based on the traveling direction of the vehicle. The specific example shown in FIG. 4 indicates that there are two vacant spaces on the left front side, one on the back left side, one on the right front side, and two on the right back side (one for small vehicles). Based on the display shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, the user (driver) can quickly grasp an empty parking space and park the vehicle.

  Further, the information processing / distribution apparatus 120 identifies the user by the user ID registered in advance (step A8). Then, information tailored to the identified user (for example, provision of a special parking space for excellent customers, special preferential information, information from a store that matches the user's preference extracted from the Internet usage history, etc.) is provided (step) A9). For example, when the user identification function of the information processing / distribution device 120 detects the arrival of a user in a parking lot / facility, the email address of the mobile phone 133 or the high-speed wireless communication terminal 113 registered in advance is directed to the user. Send your own information. FIG. 5 shows a specific example of information provided for such a specific user. In this specific example, special discount (discount) information and present information from a specific store are displayed for a specific customer.

  Further, in the parking lot system 100 of the present invention, the user can operate the mobile phone 133 or the high-speed wireless communication terminal 113 to send and receive information. The user can charge a parking fee and other fees by using not only the user ID but also a password and having an authentication function (step A10).

  In addition, information such as facility congestion, advertisements, and time services are distributed and displayed in real time from the access points 121 and 122 to the information display board 112 and the high-speed wireless communication terminal 113 installed near the facility entrance. It is also possible (step A11). FIG. 6 is a display example on the information display board 112 or the high-speed wireless communication terminal 113. In this display example, the congestion status of the rooftop amusement park (waiting time when using the facility), event information such as movie screening, and special sale information are displayed. By connecting the information processing / distributing device 120 to the Internet 130, it is possible to provide the same information to the PC 132 and the mobile phone 133 outside the parking lot as well as in the parking lot (step A12). Thereby, since the information of a parking lot and related facilities can be obtained in advance via the Internet 130 before the user actually goes out, it is possible to provide a further enhanced customer service.

  Next, a second embodiment of the parking lot system according to the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, the basic system configuration is the same as that shown in FIG. In the second embodiment, the information from the vehicle detectors 101 to 103 is totaled at each of the access points 121 and 122 without passing through the information processing / distribution device 120, and is combined with the layout diagram. The local data in the range covered by the access points 121 and 122 is broadcast. Therefore, the access points 121 and 122 distribute different information, and the information processing / distribution apparatus 120 does not need to perform all the above-described processes, so that the load on the information processing / distribution apparatus 120 can be reduced. This is different from the first embodiment.

  Next, the operation of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, it is detected which parking space is vacant by the vehicle detectors 101 to 103 installed in the parking lot. Next, information detected by each of the vehicle detectors 101 to 103 is transmitted to the access points 121 and 122. Each of the access points 121 and 122 combines the layout within the range covered by its own access point and the information detected by each of the vehicle detectors 101 to 103, and determines which parking within that range. Image data indicating whether a space is available is generated, and data summarization such as “where and how many spaces are in the range” is performed. This data total result is transmitted to the information processing / distribution apparatus 120. The information processing / distribution device 120 determines the congestion status of the entire parking lot based on the empty status aggregation results received from the access points 121 and 122.

  Next, the image and the availability data generated as described above are periodically broadcast from the access points 121 and 122 to the in-vehicle display device 110, the high-speed wireless communication terminal 113, and the like by high-speed wireless communication means. The in-vehicle display device 110 and the high-speed wireless communication terminal 113 receive data broadcast from an access point with stronger received radio wave intensity, and display as shown in FIG. The subsequent operation is the same as that of the first embodiment described above. As described above, according to the second embodiment, it is not necessary for the information processing / distribution apparatus 120 to perform all the processing, so the load can be reduced.

  Next, a third embodiment of the parking lock system according to the present invention will be described. This third embodiment also has a system configuration similar to that shown in FIG. However, in the third embodiment, the in-vehicle display device 110 communicates with a plurality of access points 121 and 122 to provide a function of detecting the position of the vehicle by the in-vehicle display device 110 or the information processing / distribution device 120. This is different from the first and second embodiments described above in that it can provide information equivalent to a GPS (Global Positioning System) car navigation system.

  When the information processing / distribution device 120 has a vehicle position detection function, the in-vehicle display device 110 transmits the same data to the plurality of access points 121 and 122 simultaneously. The access points 121 and 122 that have received the information transmit information such as a reception electric field and a reception time of the data received from the in-vehicle display device 110 to the information processing / distribution device 120. The information processing / distribution device 120 detects the position of the vehicle from the received electric field strength difference and / or the reception time difference between the access points 121 and 122.

  As described above, according to the present invention, data such as a detailed map and a parking lot layout map that could not be provided by a map data distribution means of a conventional car navigation system such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM can be transmitted at high speed. It is provided as “image data” by means. Considering the compatibility of map data, it is better to provide high-speed communication as general-purpose image data than to provide data such as vector data that can be reduced in size but may have different formats. It is clear that it is advantageous. By selecting a general-purpose image as map data and a popular means such as wireless LAN as a high-speed communication means, it will be released in the future without having to purchase a dedicated car navigation device. Information can also be used on mobile phones equipped with wireless LAN. In addition, if the position can be detected by high-speed communication means, the user will not need to prepare map data in advance, or even in a place where GPS radio waves do not enter, and without purchasing a dedicated device. The same function as the car navigation system can be realized.

  The configuration and operation of the preferred embodiment of the parking lot system according to the present invention have been described above in detail. However, it should be noted that such examples are merely illustrative of the invention and do not limit the invention in any way. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that various modifications and changes can be made according to a specific application without departing from the gist of the present invention.

1 is a system configuration diagram showing an overall configuration of a parking lot system according to the present invention. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of the parking lot system shown in FIG. It is a specific example of the display image of the parking lot availability information displayed on the information display means of the parking lot system shown in FIG. It is another example of a parking lot availability information displayed on the information display means of the parking lot system shown in FIG. It is a specific example of the display information displayed on an information display means with respect to the identified specific user. It is a specific example of related display information when a user accesses via the Internet. It is a system block diagram of the conventional parking lot system.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Parking lot system 101-103 Vehicle detector 110 Car-mounted display apparatus 111 Information guide board 112 Information display board 113 High-speed wireless communication terminal 120 Information processing / distribution apparatus 121, 122 Access point 130 Internet 132 PC
133 Mobile phone

Claims (10)

In a parking lot system that allows a user going out using a vehicle to efficiently use a parking lot attached to a store or the like,
An access point having one or more vehicle detectors, an information processing / distribution device that is connected to the access point and processes vacant information of the parking lot and distributes the information, and a high-speed radio provided in the parking lot A parking lot system comprising: information display means for displaying information to the user by communication means.   2. The parking lot system according to claim 1, wherein information to the information display means is distributed from the information processing / distribution device by the high-speed wireless communication means via the access point.   The said information display means contains the information display board arrange | positioned in the parking board guide board installed in the some place in the said parking lot, the entrance of the said parking lot, etc., The Claim 1 or 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. Parking lot system.   The parking system according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the information display means includes an in-vehicle display device mounted on the vehicle.   The parking system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the information processing / distributing device is connected to the Internet and accessible from a PC or a mobile phone.   The parking system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the information processing / distributing device distributes guide information on a store or the like together with the parking lot information to the information display means.   The information processing / distribution device registers the user in advance with a user ID, senses when entering the parking lot, and provides information corresponding to the user detected with the user ID. The parking lot system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.   The parking system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the information display means provides and displays the arrangement and vacancy information of the parking lot as image data.   The parking system according to claim 1, wherein the access point totals information detected by the vehicle sensor and broadcasts the information to the information display means. The parking lot according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of access points are provided in the parking lot, and wireless communication is performed between the plurality of access points and the in-vehicle display device to detect position information of the vehicle. system.

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