JP2020149497A - Parking support system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technology that can appropriately guide a vehicle to an empty parking space while reducing a number of facility installed in a parking facility in a parking support system.SOLUTION: A parking support system 10 uses a drone to support parking of a vehicle in a parking facility. The parking support system is comprised of: an imaging device that images an inside of the parking facility; an empty parking space detection unit that detects an empty parking space in the parking facility from the image taken by the imaging device; and a guide unit that guides a vehicle from an entrance of the parking facility to the empty parking space. The drone is equipped with at least one of the imaging device and the guide unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The techniques disclosed herein relate to parking assistance systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to a parking support system that assists the parking of a vehicle in a parking facility.

A parking support system has been developed that detects an empty parking space from a plurality of parking spaces in a parking facility and guides a vehicle to the empty parking space. For example, in the parking support system of Patent Document 1, a sensor is provided in each parking space. Each sensor is connected to a personal computer, and the personal computer identifies which parking space is available. In addition, a travel guide light is installed on the road surface in the parking facility, and the vehicle is guided to an empty parking space by turning on the travel guide light.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-118703

In the parking support system of Patent Document 1, an empty parking space is detected by a sensor provided in each parking space, and a vehicle is guided to the empty parking space by a traveling guide light installed on the road surface. However, there is a problem that it is necessary to install many sensors and travel guide lights in the parking facility, which is costly and time-consuming. The present specification discloses a technique in which a parking support system can appropriately guide a vehicle to an empty parking space while reducing the number of facilities installed in the parking facility.

The parking assistance system disclosed herein uses a drone to assist in parking a vehicle within a parking facility. The parking support system has a photographing device that photographs the inside of the parking facility, a control device that detects an empty parking space in the parking facility from the image taken by the photographing device, and guides the vehicle from the entrance of the parking facility to the empty parking space. It is equipped with a guidance device. The drone is equipped with at least one of a photographing device and a guidance device.

In the above parking support system, at least one of a photographing device for detecting an empty parking space and a guidance device for guiding the vehicle from the entrance of the parking facility to the empty parking space is mounted on the drone. Since the drone moves in the parking facility to take pictures and guide, it is possible to reduce the number of fixed photography devices and guidance devices installed in the parking facility. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the cost and labor required to install many imaging devices and guidance devices.

The block diagram which shows the schematic structure of the parking support system which concerns on Example. A schematic diagram showing a configuration in which a shooting drone photographs the inside of a parking facility. The figure for demonstrating the process of detecting an empty parking space. The figure for demonstrating another example of the process of detecting an empty parking space. The schematic diagram which shows the guidance route from the entrance of a parking facility to an empty parking space.

The main features of the examples described below are listed. It should be noted that the technical elements described below are independent technical elements and exhibit technical usefulness alone or in various combinations, and are limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. It's not a thing.

(Feature 1) In the parking support system disclosed in the present specification, the drone may be equipped with a photographing device. The drone may include a first transmitter that transmits the captured image to the control device. According to such a configuration, the drone can move in the parking facility and take an image for detecting an empty parking space. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of fixed imaging devices installed in the parking facility.

(Feature 2) In the parking support system disclosed in the present specification, the drone may be equipped with a guidance device. The control device may include a route generation unit that generates a route from the entrance to the empty parking space, and a second transmission unit that transmits route information regarding the generated route to the drone. The drone may guide the vehicle from the entrance to the empty parking space based on the route information. According to such a configuration, the drone can guide the vehicle from the entrance of the parking facility to the empty parking space according to the route information. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of fixed guidance devices installed in the parking facility.

(Feature 3) In the parking support system disclosed in the present specification, the control device may include a pedestrian detection unit that detects a pedestrian from an image taken by the photographing device. The drone may notify the vehicle that there is a pedestrian when the pedestrian detection unit detects the pedestrian. According to such a configuration, when there is a pedestrian in the parking facility, the presence of the pedestrian can be notified to the vehicle by the drone. Therefore, it is possible to call attention to the vehicle and reduce contact accidents in the parking facility.

(Feature 4) In the parking support system disclosed in the present specification, the drone may move following the pedestrian when the pedestrian detection unit detects the pedestrian. According to such a configuration, when there are pedestrians in the parking facility, the drone can follow the pedestrians to notify others that there are pedestrians. Therefore, it is possible to call attention to the driver of the vehicle in the parking facility and reduce contact accidents in the parking facility.

(Feature 5) In the parking support system disclosed in the present specification, the control device may include an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality in the parking facility from an image taken by the photographing device. The drone may notify the abnormality when the abnormality detection unit detects the abnormality. According to such a configuration, when an abnormality such as vandalism occurs in the parking facility, the drone can notify the abnormality. Therefore, the safety in the parking facility can be ensured.

(Feature 6) In the parking support system disclosed in the present specification, the control device may include a moving vehicle detection unit that detects a vehicle moving in the parking facility from an image taken by the photographing device. The drone may move following the moving vehicle when the moving vehicle detection unit detects the moving vehicle. According to such a configuration, the drone can notify another person of the existence of the moving vehicle by following the moving vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to call attention to drivers, pedestrians, and the like of other vehicles in the parking facility, and it is possible to reduce contact accidents in the parking facility.

(Characteristic 7) In the parking support system disclosed in the present specification, a first drone equipped with a photographing device and a second drone equipped with a guidance device may move in the parking facility. The first drone and the second drone may be separate machines. According to such a configuration, the first drone equipped with a photographing device to photograph the inside of the parking facility and the second drone equipped with a guiding device to guide the vehicle are moved separately in the parking facility. be able to. Therefore, the first drone and the second drone can be made into specifications suitable for their respective uses, and the cost of the drone can be reduced.

Hereinafter, the parking support system 10 according to the embodiment will be described. The parking support system 10 uses the drones 30 and 40 to support the parking of the vehicle 70 in the parking facility 60. As shown in FIG. 1, the parking support system 10 includes a management server 12, a plurality of photographing drones 30, and a plurality of guided drones 40. In FIG. 1, one shooting drone 30 and one guided drone 40 are shown, and the plurality of shooting drones 30 and the plurality of guided drones 40 are not shown.

The management server 12 includes an empty parking space detection unit 14, a vehicle information detection unit 16, a route generation unit 18, a pedestrian detection unit 20, an abnormality detection unit 22, a guidance system unit 24, and a communication unit 26. ing. The management server 12 can be configured by, for example, a computer equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like. When the computer executes the program, the management server 12 has the empty parking space detection unit 14, the vehicle information detection unit 16, the route generation unit 18, the pedestrian detection unit 20, the abnormality detection unit 22, and the guidance system unit shown in FIG. It functions as 24 mag. The processing of each part 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24 of the management server 12 will be described in detail later. The communication unit 26 wirelessly communicates with the communication unit 36 of the photographing drone 30 and the communication unit 46 of the induction drone 40. The information that the communication unit 26 wirelessly communicates with the communication units 36 and 46 will be described in detail later.

The photographing drone 30 includes a photographing device 32, a notification unit 34, a communication unit 36, and a control unit 38. The photographing drone 30 is controlled by the control unit 38, and is configured to move by flight. The photographing drone 30 may move on a preset route, or may move according to the information received from the management server 12. The photographing device 32 photographs the inside of the parking facility 60 while the photographing drone 30 moves in the parking facility 60. The notification unit 34 notifies the abnormality in the parking facility 60 based on the abnormality information (detailed later) from the management server 12. The notification unit 34 is, for example, an alarm device that emits a warning sound such as a siren. By issuing a warning sound from the notification unit 34, the surroundings of the photographing drone 30 are notified that an abnormality has occurred in the parking facility 60. The notification unit 34 may be configured to notify that an abnormality has occurred around the photographing drone 30, and is configured to visually notify the abnormality, for example, a rotating light or the like. It may be configured to emit both sound and light. The communication unit 36 wirelessly communicates with the communication unit 26 of the management server 12. The information that the communication unit 36 wirelessly communicates with the communication unit 26 will be described in detail later. The photographing device 32, the notification unit 34, and the communication unit 36 are connected to the control unit 38, and their operations are controlled by the control unit 38.

The induction drone 40 includes an induction unit 42, a sensor 44, a communication unit 46, and a control unit 48. The guided drone 40 is controlled by the control unit 48, and is configured to move by flight in the parking facility 60 based on the information transmitted from the management server 12 (for example, the route information described later). ..

The guidance unit 42 presents an instruction for guiding the vehicle 70. The guide unit 42 is a guide light such as a light, and presents an instruction to the vehicle 70 by turning on or blinking. By applying the guide light as the guide unit 42, the configuration of the guide unit 42 mounted on the guide drone 40 can be miniaturized. The guidance unit 42 may be configured to present instructions to the vehicle 70, and may be, for example, a display board capable of displaying characters and the like.

Further, the guidance unit 42 may be a projector including a laser light source unit and a projector mechanism unit. In this case, the guidance instruction may be drawn on the front glass of the vehicle 70 guided by the guidance drone 40 by the projector, or the guidance instruction may be drawn on the guidance path. By applying the projector as the guidance unit, detailed information can be presented to the driver of the vehicle 70. Further, the guidance unit 42 may be a display means including a plurality of display filters that can be switched with the laser light source unit. Arrows and standard comments are displayed on the plurality of display filters, and by switching the display filters, the arrows and standard comments are displayed on the front glass and the route of the vehicle 70. By using a plurality of display filters, the cost of the guide unit 42 can be reduced as compared with the projector. As for the projector mechanism and the display filter, for example, the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-149152 can be applied, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the following, the guidance unit 42 "presents a guidance instruction" to turn on or blink a light to guide the vehicle 70, display characters or the like, or display information on the windshield or the road surface. It is called. Further, when calling attention to the vehicle 70 based on the instruction from the management server 12, the guidance unit 42 presents an instruction in a mode different from the guidance instruction. For example, when the guide portion 42 is a light, the color of the light is changed or the lighting is changed to blinking. When the guidance unit 42 is a display board, it is changed to a display indicating that the driver of the vehicle 70 is alerted (for example, the characters "pedestrian caution"). In this embodiment, the guidance unit 42 is configured to present a guidance instruction and an instruction for calling attention, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, a presentation unit for presenting a guidance instruction and a presentation unit for presenting an instruction for calling attention may be separately configured.

The sensor 44 is, for example, a sensor camera and detects the vehicle 70 being guided during vehicle guidance. The communication unit 46 wirelessly communicates with the communication unit 26 of the management server 12. The information that the communication unit 46 wirelessly communicates with the communication unit 26 will be described in detail later. The guidance unit 42, the sensor 44, and the communication unit 46 are connected to the control unit 48, and their operations are controlled by the control unit 48.

Next, the processing performed by the parking support system 10 will be described. The parking support system 10 provides various types of support to the vehicle 70 in the parking facility 60. Below, as support for the vehicle 70 by the parking support system 10, a process of detecting an empty parking space in the parking facility 60 (vacant parking space detection process) and a process of guiding the vehicle 70 from the entrance 64 of the parking facility 60 to the empty parking space. Processing (guidance processing), processing for notifying a pedestrian in the parking facility 60 to the vehicle 70 (pedestrian notification processing), and processing for notifying an abnormality in the parking facility 60 (abnormality notification processing) will be described. ..

(Vacant parking space detection process)
First, a process for detecting an empty parking space in the parking facility 60 will be described. The vacant parking space detection process is executed by the following procedure. First, the management server 12 receives an image of the inside of the parking facility 60 from the photographing drone 30 (specifically, the communication unit 36 of the photographing drone 30) via the communication unit 26. As shown in FIG. 2, the photographing drone 30 moves on a preset route in the parking facility 60, and the photographing device 32 of the photographing drone 30 photographs the inside of the parking facility 60 while the photographing drone 30 is moving. The photographing drone 30 transmits the photographed image to the management server 12 via the communication unit 36. At this time, the photographing drone 30 transmits the photographed image and the information regarding the position and time at which the image was photographed to the management server 12. The position and time at which the image was taken may be specified based on the position and time of the taking drone 30 when the management server 12 receives the image from the taking drone 30.

Next, the vacant parking space detection unit 14 of the management server 12 detects the vacant parking space in the parking facility 60 from the received image in the parking facility 60. Hereinafter, an example of the procedure for the vacant parking space detection unit 14 to detect the vacant parking space will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, first, the vacant parking space detection unit 14 identifies the parking spaces 62a to 62j from the received image and the information regarding the shooting position thereof. The parking spaces 62a to 62j may be specified, for example, from the map and the shooting position of the parking facility 60 stored in advance in the management server 12, or by detecting the borders of the parking spaces 62a to 62j from the image. You may specify. Next, the vacant parking space detection unit 14 recognizes the vehicle 70 in the image. Then, it is possible to specify in which parking space the vehicle 70 is parked among the specified parking spaces 62a to 62j. In FIG. 3, the empty parking space detection unit 14 recognizes the vehicle 70 at a position corresponding to the parking spaces 62a, 62b, 62e, 62f, 62h, 62i, and 62j in the image. That is, the vacant parking space detection unit 14 determines that the parking spaces 62a, 62b, 62e, 62f, 62h, 62i, and 62j are not vacant parking spaces. After that, the vacant parking space detection unit 14 determines that the parking space in which the vehicle 70 is not recognized at a position corresponding to the parking space among the specified parking spaces 62a to 62j is regarded as the vacant parking space. In FIG. 3, the vacant parking space detection unit 14 determines that the parking spaces 62c, 62d, 62g excluding the parking spaces 62a, 62b, 62e, 62f, 62h, 62i, 62j from the parking spaces 62a to 62j are vacant parking spaces. ..

The method of detecting an empty parking space is not limited to the above method. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when a sign (for example, a number or a character) that can identify the parking space is displayed in advance in each parking space 62a to 62j and the sign is recognized from the captured image. The parking space corresponding to the sign may be specified as an empty parking space. In FIG. 4, since the vehicle 70 is parked in the parking spaces 62a, 62b, 62e, 62f, 62h, 62i, 62j, the parking spaces 62a, 62b, 62e, 62f, 62h, 62i are taken from the captured images. , 62j cannot recognize the sign displayed. On the other hand, since the vehicle 70 is not parked in the parking spaces 62c, 62d, 62g, the signs C, D, and G displayed in the parking spaces 62c, 62d, 62g can be recognized from the captured image. it can. That is, the vacant parking space detection unit 14 identifies that the parking spaces 62c, 62d, and 62g corresponding to the signs C, D, and G recognized from the image are vacant parking spaces. In this case, the vacant parking space can be detected without specifying the shooting position of the image.

In the vacant parking space detection process of this embodiment, since the photographing drone 30 photographs the inside of the parking facility 60 with the photographing device 32 while moving in the parking facility 60, it is necessary to install a fixed photographing device in the parking facility 60. Absent. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the labor and cost of installing many fixed imaging devices in the parking facility 60. When a fixed photographing device is installed in the parking facility 60 as in the conventional case, it is necessary to install many fixed photographing devices in order to detect the availability of all the parking spaces in the parking facility 60. is there. This is because when a fixed imaging device is used, it is necessary to install a large number of imaging devices in order to install them so that a blind spot does not occur. Also, when detecting the availability of parking spaces using a sensor that is cheaper than a fixed imaging device, it is necessary to install sensors in all parking spaces. In this case as well, it is necessary to prepare many sensors, and it takes time and effort to install the sensors in all the parking spaces. In this embodiment, since the inside of the parking facility 60 is photographed while moving with the photographing drone 30, blind spots are less likely to occur as compared with the fixed photographing device, and the number of photographing devices required for the parking support system 10 is reduced. be able to. Therefore, the parking support system 10 of the present embodiment is particularly effective in a parking facility having many parking spaces and a parking lot temporarily set in a vacant lot of a plaza or a park. Further, since the number of necessary photographing devices is small, it is possible to introduce an expensive photographing device such as an infrared camera or a camera capable of capturing a high-quality image. As a result, the vacant parking space can be detected more appropriately from the image taken by the photographing device 32 mounted on the photographing drone 30.

In this embodiment, the inside of the parking facility 60 is photographed using only the photographing device 32 provided in the photographing drone 30, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, a fixed photographing device may be installed in the parking facility 60, or the photographing device 32 of the photographing drone 30 and the fixed photographing device may be used in combination to photograph the inside of the parking facility 60. Even in such a case, the number of fixed imaging devices installed in the parking facility 60 can be reduced, and the labor and cost of installing the fixed imaging devices in the parking facility 60 can be reduced. ..

(Induction processing)
Next, a process of guiding the vehicle 70 from the entrance 64 of the parking facility 60 to the vacant parking space will be described. The guidance process is executed in the following procedure. First, the management server 12 receives an image of the entrance 64 of the parking facility 60 from a camera (not shown) installed at the entrance 64 of the parking facility 60 via the communication unit 26. A camera installed at the entrance 64 of the parking facility 60 (hereinafter, also referred to as an entrance camera) photographs a vehicle 70 entering the parking facility 60 from the entrance 64. The entrance camera is configured to take a picture of the vehicle 70 when the vehicle 70 is located at the entrance 64 of the parking facility 60. For example, the entrance camera takes a picture when the sensor detects that the vehicle 70 is located at the entrance 64 of the parking facility 60, and transmits the taken image to the management server 12. By taking a picture with the entrance camera, it is possible to acquire an image capable of determining the size, type, presence / absence of the disabled person mark, etc. of the vehicle 70 located at the entrance 64 of the parking facility 60. The image of the vehicle 70 located at the entrance 64 of the parking facility 60 may be taken by the photographing device 32 of the photographing drone 30. From the received image, the vehicle information detection unit 16 of the management server 12 provides information on the vehicle 70 located at the entrance 64 of the parking facility 60 (size, type, presence / absence of disability mark, etc. of the vehicle 70, etc., hereinafter also referred to as vehicle information. ) Is detected.

Next, the route generation unit 18 of the management server 12 uses the detected vehicle information and the information on the vacant parking space in the parking facility 60 detected by the above-mentioned vacant parking space detection process to obtain the vacant parking space from the entrance 64 of the parking facility 60. Generates the induction path 66 to. Specifically, the route generation unit 18 selects one vacant parking space from the vacant parking spaces in the detected parking facility 60. At this time, the route generation unit 18 selects an appropriate vacant parking space based on the detected vehicle information. For example, when the detected vehicle information includes the information "with a disabled person mark", the route generation unit 18 selects an empty parking space for the disabled person. Further, based on the size and type of the vehicle 70 included in the detected vehicle information, an empty parking space suitable for the vehicle 70 (for example, an empty parking space in which a large vehicle can be parked, an empty parking space dedicated to a light vehicle, etc.) May be selected. The route generation unit 18 generates a guidance route 66 from the entrance 64 of the parking facility 60 to the selected empty parking space. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the route generation unit 18 selects 62 g of the vacant parking space among the detected vacant parking spaces. Then, the route generation unit 18 generates a guide route 66 from the entrance 64 of the parking facility 60 to the selected empty parking space 62 g. The route generation unit 18 generates, for example, the guidance route 66 so that the distance from the entrance 64 of the parking facility 60 to the empty parking space 62g is the shortest.

Next, the guidance system unit 24 of the management server 12 selects one from the plurality of guidance drones 40, and the guidance route 66 generated by the route generation unit 18 to the communication unit 46 of the guidance drone 40 via the communication unit 26. Information about (hereinafter, also referred to as route information) is transmitted. At this time, the guidance system unit 24 selects a standby drone that is not guiding the vehicle 70 from the plurality of guided drones 40. The guided drone 40 guides the vehicle 70 from the entrance 64 of the parking facility 60 to the selected empty parking space 62 g according to the received route information. At this time, the guidance unit 42 of the guidance drone 40 presents a guidance instruction. The guidance drone 40 moves along the received route information in a state where the guidance unit 42 presents the guidance instruction. Further, the guided drone 40 moves while detecting the vehicle 70 being guided by the sensor 44. The control unit 48 of the guided drone 40 controls the moving speed of the guided drone 40 so that the vehicle 70 can track the guided drone 40 based on the detection result of the vehicle 70 by the sensor 44. For example, if the guiding vehicle 70 slows down or stops, the sensor 44 does not detect the vehicle 70. In such a case, the control unit 48 stops the movement of the guided drone 40 until the vehicle 70 is detected by the sensor 44 again. By controlling the guided drone 40 in this way, the vehicle 70 can be appropriately guided without the guided drone 40 moving first. When the guidance drone 40 moves to the selected empty parking space 62g, the control unit 48 switches the guidance unit 42 to a state in which the guidance instruction is not presented, and ends the guidance process.

In the guidance process of this embodiment, since the guidance drone 40 moves in the parking facility 60 and guides the vehicle 70 to the empty parking space, it is not necessary to install a fixed guidance device in the parking facility 60. When a fixed guidance device is installed in the parking facility 60 as in the conventional case, in order to enable guidance to all the parking spaces in the parking facility 60, many routes in the parking facility 60 are provided. It is necessary to install a guidance device. Further, in an outdoor parking lot without a roof, a fixed guidance device may not be installed or the place where it can be installed may be limited. Further, in an outdoor parking lot, it may be difficult for the driver of the vehicle 70 to visually recognize the display content of the fixed guidance device in a situation where the visibility is poor such as bad weather or at night. In this embodiment, since the guidance drone 40 guides the vehicle 70, it is possible to reduce the labor and cost of installing a fixed guidance device in the parking facility 60. Further, in the case of an outdoor parking lot, since the guided drone 40 that moves by flight can freely move in the outdoor parking lot, it is difficult to limit the range that can be guided by the guided drone 40. Further, if the guidance unit 42 such as the projector mechanism and the display filter is applied to the guidance drone 40 and the guidance instruction is displayed on the windshield of the vehicle being guided, the visibility is poor such as bad weather or at night. Is also relatively easy to see. Therefore, the parking support system 10 of the present embodiment is particularly effective in a parking lot temporarily set in a vacant lot such as a plaza or a park. By guiding the vehicle 70 to the vacant parking space by using the guidance drone 40 in this way, the vehicle 70 that has entered the parking facility 60 can smoothly move to the vacant parking space. This makes it possible to reduce the number of vehicles 70 traveling unnecessarily at low speed in the parking facility 60 in order to search for an empty parking space. Therefore, congestion in the parking facility 60 can be avoided, and pedestrians can safely move in the parking facility 60.

Further, in this embodiment, the guided drone 40 has a configuration different from the configuration of the above-mentioned photographing drone 30. For this reason, the induction drone 40 may be equipped with a configuration necessary for guiding, and may not be equipped with an expensive member such as a photographing device 32, for example. In this way, since the induction drone 40 can have specifications suitable for induction, the cost can be reduced. Similarly, the cost of the shooting drone 30 can be reduced because the specifications can be made suitable for shooting. Further, since only the necessary equipment is mounted on the shooting drone 30 and the guided drone 40, the weight of each can be reduced.

The drone that moves in the parking facility 60 may be one type having both specifications suitable for shooting and specifications suitable for guidance. That is, one type of drone may include a photographing device 32, a guide unit 42, and a sensor 44, and the drone may be configured to function as a photographing drone and also as a guided drone. Further, in the present embodiment, the photographing drone 30 performs the photographing in the parking facility 60, and the guiding drone 40 performs the guidance to the vacant parking space, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. The parking support system may include at least one of the photographing drone 30 and the guided drone 40. For example, when the parking support system is provided with the photographing drone 30 but not with the guidance drone 40, a fixed guidance device (for example, a display displaying the guidance destination or a guidance direction is displayed on the road surface) in the parking facility 60. A fixed guidance device may perform the guidance processing by installing a projector or the like. Further, when the parking support system is provided with the guided drone 40 but not with the photographing drone 30, a fixed photographing device is installed in the parking facility 60, and the vacant parking space detection process is acquired from the fixed photographing device. It may be executed based on the image.

(Pedestrian notification processing)
Next, a process of notifying the vehicle 70 of a pedestrian in the parking facility 60 will be described. The pedestrian notification process is executed in the following procedure. First, the communication unit 26 of the management server 12 receives an image of the inside of the parking facility 60 from the communication unit 36 of the photographing drone 30. The process in which the communication unit 26 receives the image in the parking facility 60 from the shooting drone 30 is the same as the process in which the communication unit 26 receives the image in the parking facility 60 from the shooting drone 30 in the above-mentioned empty parking space detection process. Therefore, detailed description thereof will be omitted. Further, when a fixed photographing device is installed in the parking facility 60, the communication unit 26 of the management server 12 may receive an image photographed in the parking facility 60 from the fixed photographing device. Images taken inside the parking facility 60 may be received from both the shooting drone 30 and the fixed shooting device.

Next, the pedestrian detection unit 20 of the management server 12 detects the pedestrian in the parking facility 60 from the received image in the parking facility 60. Since the detection of a pedestrian from an image can be performed by using a known method, detailed description thereof will be omitted. Further, when the pedestrian detection unit 20 detects a pedestrian, in addition to the position where the pedestrian is detected, if it can be detected, the age of the pedestrian, whether or not the pedestrian is using a wheelchair, etc. Information (hereinafter, also referred to as pedestrian information) is also detected.

Next, the guidance system unit 24 of the management server 12 transmits the pedestrian information detected via the communication unit 26 to the communication unit 46 of the guidance drone 40. Specifically, the guidance system unit 24 identifies the guided drone 40 (that is, the guided drone 40 that is guiding the vehicle 70) flying in the vicinity of the detected position of the pedestrian, and transmits the pedestrian information. Further, the guidance system unit 24 selects a waiting guidance drone 40 that is not guiding the vehicle 70 and transmits pedestrian information.

When the guided drone 40 that has received the pedestrian information is guiding the vehicle 70, the guided drone 40 notifies the guiding vehicle 70 to that effect. Specifically, the control unit 48 of the guidance drone 40 changes the mode of presentation of the guidance unit 42 from the state of presenting the guidance instruction to the state of presenting the instruction for calling attention. By changing the mode of presentation of the guidance unit 42, the driver of the vehicle 70 guided by the guidance drone 40 can be alerted. At this time, the guided drone 40 stops moving on the guided path. As a result, the vehicle 70 guided by the guided drone 40 can be urged to stop, and the vehicle 70 can be prevented from coming into contact with a pedestrian. The guided drone 40 resumes movement on the guided route when the pedestrian information is no longer transmitted. The guided drone 40 has a sensor that detects a pedestrian, and may resume movement on the route when the sensor no longer detects the pedestrian. In this way, when there are pedestrians in the vicinity, the guidance drone 40 during vehicle guidance alerts the vehicle 70, so that contact accidents in the parking facility 60 can be reduced.

Further, when the guided drone 40 that has received the pedestrian information is waiting, the guided drone 40 moves to the position of the pedestrian included in the received pedestrian information. Then, the guided drone 40 moves following the pedestrian. Since the follow-up of the pedestrian by the guided drone 40 can be performed by using a known method, detailed description thereof will be omitted. In this way, the guided drone 40 follows the pedestrian, so that the driver of the vehicle 70 in the parking facility 60 can be alerted. Since the guided drone 40 moves above the parking facility 60, it is unlikely to be a blind spot for the vehicle 70 or the equipment in the parking facility 60. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately alert the driver of the vehicle 70 and the like, and it is possible to reduce contact accidents in the parking facility 60. While the guided drone 40 follows the pedestrian, the guided portion 42 of the guided drone 40 may present an instruction for calling attention. As a result, the guided drone 40 can be made more visible to the driver of the vehicle 70 in the parking facility 60.

(Abnormal notification processing)
Next, the process of notifying the abnormality in the parking facility 60 will be described. The abnormality notification process is executed according to the following procedure. First, the communication unit 26 of the management server 12 receives an image of the inside of the parking facility 60 from the communication unit 36 of the photographing drone 30. The process in which the communication unit 26 receives the image in the parking facility 60 from the shooting drone 30 is the same as the process in which the communication unit 26 receives the image in the parking facility 60 from the shooting drone 30 in the above-mentioned empty parking space detection process. Therefore, a detailed description will be omitted. Further, when a fixed photographing device is installed in the parking facility 60, the communication unit 26 of the management server 12 may receive an image photographed in the parking facility 60 from the fixed photographing device. Images taken inside the parking facility 60 may be received from both the shooting drone 30 and the fixed shooting device.

Next, the abnormality detection unit 22 of the management server 12 detects information on the abnormality in the parking facility 60 (hereinafter, also referred to as abnormality information) from the received image in the parking facility 60. An abnormality in the parking facility 60 is, for example, a state in which a suspicious person such as vandalism on a vehicle or a fire in the parking facility 60 needs to be reported. Since the detection of a suspicious person, a fire, etc. from the image can be performed by using a known method, detailed description thereof will be omitted. The abnormality detection unit 22 detects the abnormality in the parking facility 60 as well as the position where the abnormality has occurred.

Next, the guidance system unit 24 of the management server 12 transmits the abnormal information detected via the communication unit 26 to the communication unit 36 of the photographing drone 30. Specifically, the guidance system unit 24 of the management server 12 transmits the abnormality information to the photographing drone 30 that has captured the image in which the abnormality information is detected. If the fixed shooting device detects the image in which the abnormality information is detected, or if the shooting drone 30 that shot the image in which the abnormality information is detected is significantly separated from the shooting position, the abnormality is found. Abnormality information may be transmitted to the photographing drone 30 flying in the vicinity of the detected position. Further, the guided drone may be provided with a notification unit, and in this case, the abnormality information may be transmitted to the waiting guided drone that is not guiding the vehicle 70. In the following, a case where the photographing drone 30 receives the abnormality information will be described as an example.

The photographing drone 30 that has received the abnormality information moves to the position where the abnormality has occurred based on the received abnormality information, and stops moving at that position. Then, the control unit 38 of the photographing drone 30 generates a warning sound in the notification unit 34. In this way, the notification unit 34 notifies the abnormality at the position where the abnormality is detected, so that the abnormality has occurred around the notification unit 34 (that is, the photographing drone 30 equipped with the notification unit 34). Can be notified. Further, when the abnormality is a suspicious person such as vandalism on the vehicle, the notification unit 34 can be expected to have an effect of stopping the act such as vandalism on the vehicle by issuing a warning sound or the like. Further, the management server 12 may be configured to transmit the abnormality information to the photographing drone 30 and notify the abnormality to the outside when the abnormality detection unit 22 detects the abnormality. By providing the above-mentioned abnormality detection process, the safety in the parking facility 60 can be ensured.

In this embodiment, the guidance system unit 24 executes control for transmitting the information detected by the management server 12 (that is, route information, pedestrian information, abnormality information, etc.) to the photographing drone 30 or the guidance drone 40. However, it is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the guidance system unit may be separate from the management server. By separating the guidance system unit and the management server, the load on the management server can be reduced. Further, in the present embodiment, the management server 12 includes an empty parking space detection unit 14, a vehicle information detection unit 16, a route generation unit 18, a pedestrian detection unit 20, and an abnormality detection unit 22. Not limited to. For example, at least a part of the vacant parking space detection unit 14, the vehicle information detection unit 16, the route generation unit 18, the pedestrian detection unit 20, and the abnormality detection unit 22 may be provided by the photographing drone 30 or the guided drone 40.

The points to be noted regarding the parking support system 10 described in the examples will be described. The management server 12 of the embodiment is an example of the "control device", the communication unit 36 is an example of the "first transmission unit", and the communication unit 26 is an example of the "second transmission unit". The drone 30 is an example of the "first drone", and the guided drone 40 is an example of the "second drone".

Although specific examples of the disclosed techniques have been described in detail in the present specification, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of claims. The techniques described in the claims include various modifications and modifications of the specific examples illustrated above. In addition, the technical elements described in the present specification or the drawings exhibit technical usefulness alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing.

The technique described in the above embodiment is characterized in that the drone is used to assist the parking of the vehicle 70 in the parking facility 60. Therefore, the technique disclosed in the present specification is not only a technique of guiding the vehicle 70 from the entrance 64 of the parking facility 60 to the empty parking space by using a drone, but also a technique of guiding the vehicle from the parking space to the exit of the parking facility 60. It can also be applied to technology. Specifically, the technology for detecting pedestrians and abnormalities in the parking facility 60 in the above embodiment is applied to detect the vehicle 70 moving in the parking facility 60. Then, by applying the technique in which the guidance drone 40 guides the vehicle 70 from the entrance 64 of the parking facility 60 to the empty parking space in the above embodiment, the detected vehicle 70 is guided to the exit of the parking facility 60. As a result, all the vehicles 70 moving in the parking facility 60 (that is, the vehicle 70 moving from the entrance 64 to the empty parking space and the vehicle 70 moving from the parking space to the exit) are guided by the guided drone 40. Become. Therefore, it is possible to call attention to the drivers and pedestrians of other vehicles 70, and it is possible to reduce contact accidents in the parking facility 60.

10: Parking support system 12: Management server 14: Empty parking space detection unit 16: Vehicle information detection unit 18: Route generation unit 20: Pedestrian detection unit 22: Abnormality detection unit 24: Guidance system unit 26: Communication unit of management server 30: Shooting drone 32: Shooting device 34: Notification unit 36: Shooting drone communication unit 38: Shooting drone control unit 40: Guided drone 42: Guidance unit 44: Sensor 46: Guided drone communication unit 48: Guided drone control Part 60: Parking facility 62: Parking space 66: Guidance route 70: Vehicle

Claims (8)

A parking support system that uses a drone to support the parking of vehicles in a parking facility.
An imaging device that photographs the inside of the parking facility,
A control device that detects an empty parking space in the parking facility from an image taken by the photographing device, and
A guidance device for guiding the vehicle from the entrance of the parking facility to the empty parking space is provided.
The drone is a parking support system equipped with at least one of the photographing device and the guidance device. The drone is equipped with the photographing device.
The parking support system according to claim 1, wherein the drone includes a first transmission unit that transmits the captured image to the control device. The drone is equipped with the guidance device.
The control device is
A route generation unit that generates a route from the entrance to the empty parking space,
It is provided with a second transmission unit that transmits route information regarding the generated route to the drone.
The parking support system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the drone guides the vehicle from the entrance to the empty parking space based on the route information. The control device includes a pedestrian detection unit that detects a pedestrian from an image taken by the photographing device.
The parking support system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drone notifies the vehicle that the pedestrian is present when the pedestrian detection unit detects a pedestrian. The parking support system according to claim 4, wherein the drone moves following the pedestrian when the pedestrian detection unit detects a pedestrian. The control device includes an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality in the parking facility from an image taken by the photographing device.
The parking support system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the drone notifies the abnormality when the abnormality detection unit detects the abnormality. The control device includes a moving vehicle detection unit that detects a vehicle moving in the parking facility from an image taken by the photographing device.
The parking support system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the drone moves following the moving vehicle when the moving vehicle detection unit detects the moving vehicle. A first drone equipped with the photographing device and a second drone equipped with the guidance device are moving in the parking facility.
The parking support system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first drone and the second drone are separate machines.

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