JP2022105520A - Parking lot management device, parking lot management method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a parking lot management device, a parking lot management method, and a program that, in a case of changing an exit grace time after advance adjustment in accordance with the degree of congestion at an exit or the like, enable the validity of the changed setting to be proved.

SOLUTION: A parking lot management device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an acquisition unit, a control unit, and a report unit. The acquisition unit acquires congestion information about a congestion status inside and outside a parking lot. The control unit controls a charging condition for the parking lot based on the acquired congestion information. The report unit reports the congestion information and information about the charging condition. The control unit changes the charging condition in a case of receiving a permission in response to the report made by the report unit.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

COPYRIGHT: (C)2022,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a parking lot management device, a parking lot management method, and a program.

The purpose of Patent Document 1 is to allow smooth entry and exit without congestion at the entrance and exit in the parking lot, easy settlement without the burden on the user at the time of advance settlement, and prevention of unauthorized use. The parking lot management method is disclosed. In this parking lot management method, the entry / exit of the vehicle is controlled by appropriately using the information on the license plate of the vehicle, the grace time after admission, and the grace time after settlement (paragraph [0038] of the specification of Patent Document 1]. [0052] Fig. 5 etc.).

Patent Document 2 discloses, as a parking lot control method, a technique for notifying a vehicle driver of the congestion status of each of a plurality of toll settlement offices and the external road condition photographed by an external camera through a guide screen. (Patent Document 2 specification paragraph [0048] [0062] FIG. 6 etc.).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-295511 Special Table 2009-517767

A system that allows the parking fee to be settled in advance when the vehicle is taken out of the parking lot is effective because it does not require settlement processing at the exit. Therefore, it is important to improve the effectiveness and convenience of pre-payment of the parking fee.

Conventionally, in Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2, fraudulent participation is determined based on the difference between the pre-payment time and the exit payment machine arrival time. However, due to traffic jams waiting for exit settlement or congestion of the road to the entry destination, the preset entry grace time (grace time) may be exceeded, and if you set a long entry grace time to avoid it, this time Has a problem that it is not possible to prevent fraudulent staying in the parking lot for a long time even after pre-payment. Therefore, a technique of changing the participation grace time according to the congestion situation of the parking lot can be considered, but it was difficult to prove the validity of the change setting.

In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to make it possible to prove the validity of the change setting when the delivery grace time after pre-payment is changed according to the degree of congestion at the exit. The purpose is to provide a parking lot management device, a parking lot management method, and a program.

In order to achieve the above object, the parking lot management device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an acquisition unit, a control unit, and a notification unit.
The acquisition unit acquires congestion information regarding the congestion status inside and outside the parking lot.
The control unit controls the charging conditions of the parking lot based on the acquired congestion information.
The notification unit notifies the congestion information and information regarding the billing conditions.

The acquisition unit acquires congestion information regarding the congestion status of vehicles participating from the parking lot as the congestion information, and the control unit obtains the congestion information from the completion of the pre-payment of the parking fee based on the acquired congestion information. You may control the grace period until the vehicle enters.

The control unit may measure the congestion degree of the vehicle participating from the parking lot based on the acquired congestion information, and set the grace time according to the determined congestion degree.

The traffic jam information may include information on the traffic jam status of the road connected to the entrance of the parking lot.

The traffic jam information may include real-time traffic jam information provided by an external map information site.

The notification unit may notify the image of the traffic jam information or the linked address information.

The notification unit may notify the map image created in advance of the level of the congestion status read from the image showing the congestion status of the image of the congestion information as image information superimposed on the map image created in advance. ..

The control unit determines the congestion degree of the vehicle participating from the parking lot based on the acquired congestion information, and sets the grace time indefinitely when the determined congestion degree becomes a predetermined state. You may.

The control unit may set the grace time to an unlimited time when the determined degree of congestion exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

The control unit may change the billing conditions when the permission is received in response to the notification by the notification unit.

The parking lot management method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a parking lot management method executed by a computer, which acquires congestion information regarding the congestion status inside and outside the parking lot, and is stationed based on the acquired congestion information. It controls the billing conditions of the parking lot and notifies the congestion information and the information related to the billing conditions.

The program according to one embodiment of the present invention causes a computer to perform the following steps.
Steps to get congestion information about congestion inside and outside the parking lot.
A step of controlling the billing conditions of the parking lot based on the above-mentioned congestion information acquired.
Steps to notify information about the congestion information and the billing conditions

As described above, according to the present invention, for example, it is possible to prove the validity of the change setting of the grace time regarding the advance settlement of the parking fee.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the structural example of the parking lot which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the configuration example of a parking lot management system. It is a block diagram which shows the functional configuration example of the exit settlement machine. It is a flowchart which shows the processing example of the parking lot management system at the time of admission. It is a figure which shows an example of the in-vehicle information stored in the in-vehicle DB. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state which the vehicle entered into the entrance gate. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the image taken by the surveillance camera installed in the premises of a parking lot. It is a flowchart which shows the processing example of the parking lot management system at the time of participation from a parking lot after pre-payment. It is a flowchart which shows the setting example of the participation grace time. It is a figure which shows an example of the congestion degree determination and the grace time setting table. It is a figure which shows the other example of the congestion degree determination and the grace time setting table. It is a figure which shows the site of the live traffic jam information. It is a flowchart which shows the other example of setting of participation grace time. It is a flowchart which shows the other example of setting of participation grace time. It is a figure which shows an example of the congestion degree determination and the grace time setting table used in the process shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the mail screen displayed on the mobile terminal of a parking lot owner. It is a schematic diagram which shows the map image of the report presented to the parking lot owner.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Parking lot management system]
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration example of a parking lot according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a parking lot management system that manages the parking lot shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the parking lot 1 is a facility where the vehicle C can be parked, and is configured at a position adjacent to the external road R. Hereinafter, for convenience, the two lanes on the side adjacent to the parking lot 1 will be referred to as the down lane R1, and the two lanes on the opposite side will be referred to as the up lane R2.

The parking lot 1 has an entrance 2, an entrance lane 3, an entrance 4, an entrance gate 5, an exit 6, an entrance lane 7, an entrance 8, an entrance gate 9, and a plurality of parking spaces 10. Have.

The entrance 2 and the exit 6 are an entrance to the site where the parking lot 1 is provided and an exit to the outside of the site. The entrance 2 and the exit 6 are arranged side by side along the extending direction of the down lane R1 at positions adjacent to the down lane R1. When viewed from the road R, the entrance 2 is located on the left side and the exit 6 is located on the right side.

The entrance lane 3 extends linearly from the entrance 2, turns at a substantially right angle to the right at the end, and extends toward the premises of the parking lot 1. The entrance lane 3 is a lane that guides the vehicle C entering the parking lot 1 from the entrance 2 to the premises of the parking lot 1. The end of the entrance lane 3 does not need to be clearly defined, and the vicinity of the end of the entrance gate 5 and the predetermined position in the premises of the parking lot 1 can be regarded as the entrance lane 3. That is, depending on the configuration of the parking lot 1, a part of the premises lane 20 provided in the premises of the parking lot 1 may function as the entrance lane 3.

The entry lane 7 extends linearly from the exit 6, turns at a substantially right angle to the right at the end, and extends toward the premises of the parking lot 1. The entry lane 7 is a lane that guides the vehicle C participating from the parking lot 1 to the exit 6. The start end of the entry lane 7 does not have to be clearly defined, and the vicinity of the end of the entry gate 9 and a predetermined position on the premises of the parking lot 1 can be regarded as the start end of the entry lane 7. That is, depending on the configuration of the parking lot 1, a part of the premises lane 20 provided in the premises of the parking lot 1 may function as a participation lane 7.

The entrance 4 is provided on the entrance lane 3 at the boundary between the premises of the parking lot 1 and the outside. The entry port 8 is provided on the entry lane 7 at the boundary between the premises of the parking lot 1 and the outside. As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, when viewed from the road R, the entrance 4 is provided on the back side and the entrance 8 is provided on the front side.

Therefore, the distance of the approach from the entrance 2 of the entrance lane 3 to the entrance 4 is larger than the distance from the entrance 8 of the entry lane 7 to the exit 6. As a result, for example, when the parking lot 1 is full, vehicles waiting to enter are lined up, which prevents the passage of the outside road R from being obstructed.

The entrance gate 5 is provided near the entrance 4 on the entrance lane 3. The entrance gate 5 includes islands 12a and 12b, an entrance gate device 13, a parking ticket issuing machine 14, and an entrance lane camera 15. The islands 12a and 12b are provided so as to face each other so as to sandwich the entrance lane 3.

The entrance gate device 13, the parking ticket issuing machine 14, and the entrance lane camera 15 are provided on the island 12a located on the right side of the traveling direction of the vehicle C. A parking ticket issuing machine 14 is provided on the front side of the entrance gate device 13 when viewed from the vehicle C, and an entrance lane camera 15 is provided above the back side of the entrance gate device 13.

The entry gate 9 is provided in the vicinity of the entry port 8 on the entry lane 7. The entry gate 9 has islands 16a and 16b, a entry gate device 17, an exit checkout machine 18, and a entry lane camera 19. The islands 16a and 16b are provided so as to face each other so as to sandwich the entry lane 7.

The entry gate device 17, the exit checkout machine 18, and the entry lane camera 19 are provided on the island 16a located on the right side of the traveling direction of the vehicle C. The exit settlement machine 18 is provided on the front side of the entry gate device 17 when viewed from the vehicle C, and the entry lane camera 19 is provided above the back side of the entry gate device 17.

The plurality of parking spaces 10 are provided on the premises of the parking lot 1. A plurality of parking spaces 10 are provided along the entrance lane 3, the entry lane 7, and the premises lane 20 in the premises from the entrance 2 to the exit 6. The number and location of the parking spaces 10 are not limited.

As shown in FIG. 2, the parking lot management system 30 includes a parking lot management device 31 and a storage device 35. Further, the parking lot management system 30 includes an entrance gate device 13, a parking ticket issuing machine 14, an entrance lane camera 15, an entry gate device 17, an exit settlement machine 18, and an entry lane camera 19.

Further, the parking lot management system 30 includes pre-payment machines 36 and 37, control devices 38 to 40 on each floor, and a plurality of parking space surveillance cameras (hereinafter, simply referred to as surveillance cameras) 41. The same code number "41" is used for all of the plurality of surveillance cameras 41.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pre-payment machine 36 is provided on the back side of the island 12b near the entrance gate 5. The pre-payment machine 37 is provided on the back side of the island 16b near the entry gate 9.

The control devices 38 to 40 are installed on each floor of the parking lot 1. Each of the control devices 38 to 40 controls the operation of a plurality of surveillance cameras 41 installed on the floors of each floor, and receives the image signal generated by the surveillance cameras 41. Note that FIG. 1 shows the first floor of the parking lot 1, and omits the illustration of the route for moving to the second floor or higher.

The surveillance camera 41 is provided at a position where all of the plurality of parking spaces 10 provided on the floors of each floor can be photographed. In the example shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of surveillance cameras 41 are installed on the ceiling according to the positions of the plurality of parking spaces 10. It is possible to detect warehousing / delivery to the parking space 10 based on the captured image taken by the surveillance camera 41.

In this disclosure, the entry of the vehicle C into the premises of the parking lot 1 and the exit of the vehicle C from the premises of the parking lot 1 to the outside are described as entry / exit to the parking lot 1. Further, entering the vehicle C into the parking space 10 and taking out the vehicle C from the parking space 10 are described as entering / leaving the parking space 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, a post-entry passage sensor 21 is installed near the exit 6 adjacent to the road R (not shown in FIG. 2). The post-entry passage sensor 21 can determine whether or not the vehicle C that has entered from the entry gate 9 (entry entrance 8) has passed through the exit 6. Although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a loop coil 22 (see FIG. 6) that functions as a sensor for detecting the entry of the vehicle C is embedded in the ground of the entrance gate 5 and the entry gate 9. Will be done.

The parking lot management device 31 is arranged in a control room (not shown) provided for managing the entire parking lot 1, and can control the operation of each device installed in the parking lot 1. be. The parking lot management device 31 is communicably connected to each device via the premises LAN 24 constructed in the premises of the parking lot 1. For example, the settlement information, the image information, and the like generated by each device are transmitted to the parking lot management device 31. From the parking lot management device 31, control information for controlling the operation of each device, various information stored in the storage device 35, and the like are transmitted.

The parking lot management device 31 has hardware necessary for configuring a computer such as a CPU, ROM, RAM, and HDD. Further, the parking lot management device 31 has a communication unit for communicating with other devices via the premises LAN 24 and the Internet 25. As the communication unit, for example, a wireless LAN module such as WiFi and a communication device such as a modem or a router are used. As the parking lot management device 31, any computer such as a PC (Personal Computer) is used.

In the present embodiment, the CPU of the parking lot management device 31 executes the program related to the present technique stored in the ROM or the like, thereby executing the parking lot management method according to the present technique. Specifically, when the CPU of the parking lot management device 31 executes a predetermined program, the number reading unit 32, the acquisition unit 33, the time control unit 34, and the notification unit 43, which are the functional blocks shown in FIG. 2, are realized. To. Of course, dedicated hardware such as an IC (integrated circuit) may be used to realize each block.

The number reading unit 32 is configured to be able to read the vehicle number (land transport branch office name, classification number, hiragana, 4-digit serial number, etc.) based on the captured image of the vehicle C.
The acquisition unit 33 is configured to be able to acquire congestion information (congestion information) regarding the congestion status in the parking lot 1 or the congestion status at the time of leaving the vehicle C participating from the parking lot 1.
The time control unit 34 determines the degree of congestion at the time of leaving the vehicle C entering from the parking lot 1 based on the congestion information acquired by the acquisition unit 33, and sets the participation grace time based on the determined degree of congestion. Is configured to be possible. The time control unit 34 is configured as a control unit that controls the charging conditions of the parking lot 1 based on the congestion status inside and outside the parking lot.
The notification unit 43 is configured to be able to notify the parking lot owner 81 or the like of the traffic jam information and information regarding the billing conditions, or to receive a response from the parking lot owner 81 or the like to the notification.

The program is installed in the parking lot management device 31 via, for example, a recording medium. Alternatively, the program may be installed in the parking lot management device 31 via the Internet 25 or the like.

The storage device 35 stores various information about the parking lot management system 30. For example, the storage device 35 stores various DBs such as a member registration DB, a vehicle presence DB (see FIG. 5), a discount DB, a participation information DB, an owner information DB, various history DBs, and a management information DB. Further, various table information (TB) such as a congestion degree determination and a grace time setting table (see FIGS. 10, 11 and 14) are stored in the storage device 35. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the parking lot management device 31 and the storage device 35 are separately configured, but both devices may be integrally configured.

Further, the parking lot management system 30 is communicably connected to the parking lot management organization 70 via the Internet 25, and is also connected to the parking lot owner 81, the mobile terminal device owned by the parking lot staff 82, and the like. The parking lot management organization 70 has a Web / API server 71 and a mail server 72. The parking lot management organization 70 may have other DBs and DB servers.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the exit settlement machine. The exit checkout machine 18 has a CPU 45, a memory 46, and an interface 48 connected to these via a bus 47. The memory 46 is composed of, for example, a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, or the like, and stores various programs, various parking data, and the like.

The interface 48 includes a card reader / writer 49, a bill / coin management unit 50, a touch panel 51, a speaker 52, a receipt printer 53, an intercom 54, a communication unit 55, a vehicle detection unit 56, a gate control unit 57, and an image acquisition unit 58. Be connected.

The operation of each block is controlled by the CPU 45 that operates according to the program, and the user can smoothly operate the block, for example, based on the display screen and the voice guide by the touch panel 51 and the speaker 52. Also, by using the intercom 54, it is possible to have a conversation with the operator.

The card reader / writer 49 writes predetermined information on the magnetic stripe of the parking ticket supplied to the user, and prints the predetermined information on the surface of the parking ticket. Further, the card reader / writer 49 reads the parking ticket information from the parking ticket inserted in the insertion slot, and calculates the settlement amount based on the parking time and the discount information.

The banknote / coin management unit 50 receives, counts, and calculates the amount of banknotes inserted into the banknote / coin slot. In addition, the change required for payment is counted and paid out to the banknote / coin return port (not shown). The receipt printer 53 prints the settlement amount, the date and time, and the like on the receipt and issues it.

The communication unit 55 is a modem, a router, and other communication devices for communicating with other devices such as the parking lot management device 31 via the premises LAN 24. The communication unit 55 may communicate using either wired or wireless.

The vehicle detection unit 56 is connected to the loop coil 22 embedded in the entry gate 9. The vehicle detection unit 56 functions as a vehicle detection sensor in cooperation with the loop coil and outputs a detection result. As the vehicle detection sensor for detecting the vehicle, another sensor such as an optical sensor using infrared rays or the like may be used.

The gate control unit 57 is connected to the entry gate device 17 and controls the opening / closing operation of the entry gate device 17. The image acquisition unit 58 is connected to the entry lane camera 19 and acquires a captured image generated by the entry lane camera 19.

The pre-payment machines 36 and 37 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are realized by a configuration including, for example, a block other than the vehicle detection unit 56, the gate control unit 57, and the image acquisition unit 58 of the exit settlement machine 18 shown in FIG. To. Further, the parking ticket issuing machine 14 is realized by, for example, the exit settlement machine 18 shown in FIG. 3 having a card feeder for issuing a blank parking ticket instead of the bill / coin management unit 50 and the receipt printer 53. .. Of course, it is not limited to this.

The vehicle detection unit 56 provided in the parking ticket issuing machine 14 is connected to the loop coil 22 embedded in the entrance gate 5. The gate control unit 57 provided in the parking ticket issuing machine 14 is connected to the entrance gate device 13. The image acquisition unit 58 provided in the parking ticket issuing machine 14 is connected to the entrance lane camera 15.

[Operation when entering the parking lot]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing example of the parking lot management system at the time of entering the parking lot. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of vehicle presence information stored in the vehicle presence DB.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a state in which the vehicle C has entered the entrance gate 5. The state in which the vehicle C has entered the entry gate 9 is substantially the same as the state shown in FIG. Later, in order to explain the state in which the vehicle C enters the entry gate 9, the reference numerals of the components included in the entry gate 9 such as the exit settlement machine 18 are described in parentheses in FIG.

First, the vehicle detection unit 56 connected to the loop coil 22 monitors the entry of the vehicle C into the entrance gate 5 (step 101). When the vehicle C is detected (Yes in step 101), the vehicle C that has entered the entrance gate 5 is photographed by the entrance lane camera 15 (step 102). As shown in FIG. 6, the entrance lane camera 15 is installed at a position where the license plate 26 of the vehicle C is included in the shooting range SR.

The parking ticket issuing machine 14 issues a parking ticket (step 103). At this time, a guidance to press the ticketing button may be output, and a parking ticket may be issued according to the operation of pressing the ticketing button of the user.

The parking ticket issuing machine 14 transmits the entrance information including the photographed image of the vehicle C, the parking ticket number, and the entrance date and time, and is received by the parking lot management device 31 (steps 103 and 104). The number reading unit 32 shown in FIG. 3 reads the vehicle number based on the captured image of the vehicle C (step 105). Any technique such as image processing for enlarging a portion of the license plate 26 or OCR (Optical Character Recognition) processing may be used for reading the vehicle number.

As shown in FIG. 5, the read vehicle number, parking ticket number, and admission date and time are recorded in the vehicle presence DB as the vehicle presence information 27 (step 106).

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an image taken by a surveillance camera installed in the premises of a parking lot. For example, a plurality of parking spaces 10 (vehicle C) as shown in FIG. 7A are simultaneously photographed so that their respective parking space numbers can be recognized.

The captured image is transmitted to the parking lot management device 31 via the control devices 38 to 40 on each floor in association with the shooting date and time. A moving image may be taken, and each of the plurality of frame images may be transmitted to the parking lot management device 31. or. Still images taken at predetermined intervals may be sequentially transmitted.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the parking lot management device 31 that has received the photographed image enlarges the front part of the parking space 10 in which the vehicle C has entered, that is, the front part of the vehicle C, and the vehicle number is obtained from the image of the license plate 26. To read. When the read vehicle number matches the vehicle number registered in step 105, the number of the parking space 10 in which the vehicle C is stored is stored in the in-vehicle DB. Further, the shooting date and time of the shot image is stored in the in-vehicle DB as the warehousing date and time.

[Operation when leaving the parking lot]
The case where the pre-payment machine 36 (37) is operated by the user and the pre-payment is performed will be described. When the parking ticket is inserted into the pre-payment machine 36 (37), the parking lot management device 31 is requested to have vehicle information 27 including the date and time of admission based on the parking ticket number. When the vehicle presence information 27 is received from the parking lot management device 31, the parking fee is calculated based on the entrance date and time and the current date and time, and is displayed on the touch panel 51 of the advance payment machine 36 (37).

When the settlement of the parking fee is completed, the settlement information including the settlement date and time and the settlement fee is transmitted to the parking lot management device 31. As shown in FIG. 5, the parking lot management device 31 stores these information in the in-vehicle DB. The settlement information is stored as parking ticket information in the parking ticket inserted in the pre-payment machine 36 (37).

Based on the captured image transmitted from the surveillance camera 41, the delivery of the vehicle C for which the pre-payment has been performed is monitored, and when the delivery is made, the delivery date and time is calculated. The calculated delivery date and time is stored in the in-vehicle DB.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing example of the parking lot management system at the time of entry from the parking lot after the pre-payment. The vehicle detection unit 56 of the exit checkout machine 18 monitors the entry of the vehicle C into the entry gate 9 (step 201).

As shown in FIG. 6, when the vehicle C is detected (Yes in step 201), the vehicle C that has entered the entry gate 9 is photographed by the entry lane camera 19. The captured image is transmitted to the parking lot management device 31 (step 202).

The parking lot management device 31 receives a photographed image of the vehicle C that has entered the entry gate 9, and reads the vehicle number (steps 203 and 204). The parking lot management device 31 acquires the settlement information including the parking space number, the settlement date and time, and the settlement fee from the in-vehicle information 27 including the read vehicle number (step 205).

The parking lot management device 31 sets a grace period for pre-payment (step 206). The pre-payment grace time is the participation grace time from the completion of the pre-payment of the parking fee to the entry of the vehicle C from the parking lot 1. If the vehicle C is not allowed to participate before the grace period has elapsed, a parking fee will be charged according to the excess time. In other words, the grace time for pre-payment can be said to be the grace time that does not require recollection of the parking fee after pre-payment. The process of setting the participation grace time will be described in detail later.

The parking lot management device 31 transmits the settlement information and the advance settlement information including the participation grace time to the exit settlement machine 18 (step 207). The exit settlement machine 18 receives the advance settlement information and calculates the excess time (steps 208, 209). For example, the entry grace date and time, which is the settlement date and time plus the grace time, is compared with the current date and time. If the current date and time has not passed the grace date and time, the excess time will be zero. If the current date and time has passed the participation grace date and time, the difference between the current date and time and the participation grace date and time is calculated as the excess time.

It is determined whether or not the parking fee has been settled (step 210). In the present embodiment, the parking ticket is inserted into the exit settlement machine 18, and the settlement information stored in the parking ticket is read. If the pre-payment has been completed and the excess time is zero, it is determined that the payment has been completed (YES in step 210), and the entry gate device 17 is opened by the gate control unit 57 shown in FIG. 3 (step 211).

If there is an excess time, the parking fee is settled according to the excess time (step 212). Even if the pre-payment has not been performed, the result is NO in step 210, and the settlement process is executed in step 212. When the settlement process in the exit settlement machine 18 is completed, the entry gate device 17 is opened (step 211).

The passage of vehicle C is monitored, and when the passage of vehicle C is detected, the entry gate device 17 is closed (steps 213, 214). The method of detecting the passage of the vehicle C is not limited, and a vehicle detection mechanism such as a loop coil may be configured on the outside of the entry gate device 17, for example.

When the entry gate device 17 is closed, entry information including information such as entry date and time and re-payment for excess time is transmitted to the parking lot management device 31 (step 214). The parking lot management device 31 stores history information including vehicle presence information 27 and participation information in a separate history DB based on the participation information (step 215). At the same time, the vehicle presence information 27 of the participating vehicle C is deleted from the vehicle presence DB.

It should be noted that the processing after step 208 may be executed based on the pre-payment information transmitted from the parking lot management device 31 by omitting the insertion of the parking ticket into the exit settlement machine 18. As a result, the user's operation is omitted and the convenience is improved.

[Setting grace time]
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of setting the participation grace time. In the present embodiment, the acquisition unit 33 shown in FIG. 2 acquires traffic congestion information regarding the congestion status at the time of leaving the vehicle C participating in the parking lot 1 (step 301). The time control unit 34 shown in FIG. 2 determines the degree of congestion at the time of leaving the vehicle C entering the parking lot 1 based on the acquired congestion information (step 302). Further, the time control unit 34 sets the participation grace time based on the determined congestion degree (step 303).

The time control unit 34 may appropriately control the participation grace time based on the acquired traffic jam information without determining the degree of traffic jam. In any case, it is possible to set the participation grace time in real time according to the traffic jam situation.

The congestion information regarding the congestion status (at the time of leaving the warehouse) of the vehicle C participating from the parking lot 1 includes arbitrary information related to the congestion status of the vehicle C participating from the parking lot 1. For example, any information that may affect the congestion situation of the vehicle C participating from the parking lot 1 is included. Below are some examples of how to set the grace time using various traffic jam information.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a congestion degree determination and a grace time setting table. The congestion degree determination and grace time setting table (hereinafter, simply referred to as a table) 60a is table information in which the time zone, the expected congestion degree, and the participation grace time are associated with each other.

For example, it is possible to create the table 60a in advance by monitoring the degree of traffic congestion according to various time zones in the past and the appropriate grace time for participation. The created table 60a is stored in the storage device 35 shown in FIG. It should be noted that the table 60a may be sequentially updated to the latest state by continuing the monitoring. This makes it possible to set the participation grace time with high accuracy.

In the example shown in FIG. 10, the congestion degree "medium" is associated with "16:00 to 19:00 on weekdays", and the grace time "10 minutes" is set. Congestion degree "mixed" is associated with "15:00 to 20:00 on holidays", and a grace time of "15 minutes" is set.

The "special time zone" is a time zone in which the vehicle C participating in the parking lot 1 is expected to be extremely congested. For example, when an event in which a large number of people participate is regularly held in the vicinity of the parking lot 1, the time corresponding to the holding time of the event is set as the "special time zone". Of course, it is not limited to this. The congestion degree "special" is associated with the "special time zone", and the grace time is set to "unlimited".

Grace time "Unlimited" means that the entry grace time for pre-payment is set to unlimited, and even if any time has passed after the completion of pre-payment, vehicle C can enter from parking lot 1 for free. It becomes possible. That is, the time during which the parking fee does not need to be recollected after the pre-payment will continue indefinitely.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the determined congestion degree is in a predetermined state, the participation grace time is set to unlimited. The case where the degree of congestion becomes a predetermined state includes, for example, a predetermined state as shown in FIG. Further, when the degree of congestion is calculated as a parameter for increasing or decreasing, the grace period for participation is set to unlimited when the degree of congestion exceeds a predetermined threshold value (predetermined level). The fact that the degree of congestion exceeds a predetermined threshold value is included when the degree of congestion reaches a predetermined state. The predetermined state and the predetermined threshold value are not limited and may be set arbitrarily.

A congestion degree "empty" is associated with a time zone other than the time zone in which the congestion degree is "medium", "mixed", and "unlimited", and a grace time of "5 minutes" is set. Typically, normal grace time is allocated for the "empty" congestion level.

The time control unit 34 of the parking lot management device 31 can set the participation grace time by referring to the table 60a based on the current date and time. The current date and time and the table 60a are included in the traffic jam information regarding the traffic jam situation of the vehicle C participating from the parking lot 1.

Further, the table 60a corresponds to the related information in which the date and time and the expected traffic jam situation are associated with each other. The time control unit 34 will set the participation grace time based on the related information associated with the date and time and the expected traffic jam situation.

By using the table 60a in this way, a special detection device or the like for detecting the congestion status of the participating vehicle C becomes unnecessary, and the participation grace time can be controlled according to the degree of congestion of the participating vehicle C easily and inexpensively. Can be executed. The time zone, the degree of traffic congestion, the participation grace time, and the like included in the table 60a are examples and may be set arbitrarily. Further, other parameters may be adopted as appropriate.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of the congestion degree determination and grace time setting table. In this table 60b, the traffic jam information of the outer road R shown in FIG. 1, mainly the down lane R1, the traffic jam degree, and the participation grace time are associated with each other.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the parking lot management device 31 is a Google map provided by an organization that provides traffic information such as a VICS (registered trademark) center or Google (registered trademark) via the Internet 25 or the like. The map data related to the traffic congestion information of the down lane R1 and the live traffic information is acquired from the traffic information providing organization 90 such as a website that provides the live traffic congestion information such as. By referring to the table 60b based on the acquired traffic jam information, it is possible to set the participation grace time.

FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically showing a map image of live traffic congestion information in the vicinity of parking lot 1 provided by the traffic information providing organization 90. The type of straight line drawn on the road (typically the color of the line) indicates the degree of congestion on the road, for example, the solid line (red) is "mixed" and the alternate long and short dash line (orange) is "medium". , The broken line (green) corresponds to the "sky".

The traffic jam information, the degree of traffic jam, the participation grace time, etc. included in the table 60b are examples and may be set arbitrarily. Also, it is different from no traffic jam, congestion, traffic jam above / below a predetermined distance, etc.
Other parameters may be adopted as appropriate. Further, the table 60b may be created in consideration of the traffic congestion information of the up lane R2.

The traffic jam information of the table 60b and the external road R is included in the traffic jam information regarding the traffic jam situation of the vehicle C participating from the parking lot 1. Further, the traffic congestion information on the external road R corresponds to information on the traffic congestion status of the road connected to the entrance 8 of the parking lot 1.

The road connected to the entry port 8 is not limited to the road directly connected to the entry port 8, but also includes the case of being indirectly connected to the entry port 8. For example, the road R connected to the exit 6 is also included in the road connected to the entrance 8.

Further, for example, the degree of congestion may be determined based on the congestion information of the intersection closest to the entry port 8, and the grace time may be set. The road included in the intersection is also included in the road connected to the entrance 8. In addition, traffic jam information on roads and places that greatly affect the traffic jam situation of the vehicle C participating from the parking lot 1 may be used as appropriate.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of setting the participation grace time. In the flowchart shown in FIG. 13, the table 60a shown in FIG. 10 and the table 60b shown in FIG. 11 are used in combination to set the participation grace time.

First, the current date and time are acquired, and by referring to the table 60a, the participation grace time is extracted (steps 401 and 402). The participation grace time in this case can be said to be a provisional participation grace time. Next, communication is made to the parking lot management organization 70 for inquiring about surrounding traffic information (step 403). The parking lot management organization 70 accesses an external traffic congestion information site (traffic information providing organization 90) by the Web / API server 71, and acquires live traffic congestion information.

The parking lot management device 31 (acquisition unit 33) acquires live traffic congestion information from the parking lot management organization 70 (step 404), performs image analysis from, for example, an image of a map of live traffic congestion information, and performs image analysis on the traffic congestion degree of the target road R1. Is determined (step 405).

In the present embodiment, the operation of setting the grace time is repeated at regular intervals, and it is determined whether or not the congestion degree has changed with respect to the previous determination of the congestion degree (step 406). If the degree of congestion has changed, it becomes YES, it is determined whether the change has increased the degree of congestion (step 407), and if it increases, it becomes YES, and the parking lot owner 81 is notified to that effect (step). 408). After that, the parking lot management device 31 monitors the reception of the permission of the parking lot owner 81 (step 409), and when the permission is received, transmits the congestion information to that effect (step 410). When there is congestion on the external road R and the degree of congestion increases, the entry grace time (temporary entry grace time) is set with reference to the table 60b with the permission of the parking lot owner. (Step 411).

The acquisition of traffic congestion information on the external road (step 404), the notification of the increase in traffic congestion (step 408), and the transmission of the traffic congestion information (step 410) are performed via the Web / AIP server 71 and the mail server 72 in the parking lot management organization 70. By installing these Web / AIP servers and mail servers in the parking lot management device 31, the parking lot management device 31 alone executes each of the above steps without going through the parking lot management organization 70. You can also.

Alternatively, the parking lot management device 31 may be configured to function as the parking lot management organization 70. In this case, each process from the acquisition of the traffic jam information on the external road (step 404) to the transmission of the traffic jam information (step 410) may be executed by the parking lot management organization 70.

In the table 60b shown in FIG. 11, since the item without congestion is set, the table 60b may be referred to without determining whether or not there is a change in the degree of congestion in step 406. Conversely, regarding the creation of the table 60b including the traffic jam information of the external road R, the table information may be created on the premise that there is a traffic jam. Then, as shown in FIG. 13, the determination of the presence or absence of traffic congestion and the reference to the table 60b may be executed step by step.

The participation grace time extracted in step 402 is compared with the participation grace time extracted in step 411, and the longer participation grace time may be set as the final participation grace time. If it is determined in step 406 that there is no change in the degree of congestion (NO in step 406), the participation grace time extracted in step 402 is set as the final participation grace time.

In this way, a plurality of methods for setting the participation grace period may be combined and executed. This makes it possible to set the participation grace time with high accuracy.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing another example of setting the participation grace time. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a congestion degree determination and grace time setting table used in the process shown in FIG. In the examples shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the number of vehicles C issued per unit time and the number of vehicles C entered per unit time are used as congestion information regarding the C congestion situation of the vehicle participating from the parking lot 1. ..

As shown in FIG. 14, the current date and time is acquired and the unit time is set (steps 501 and 502). As the unit time, for example, a time such as 10 minutes or 15 minutes is set. Of course, it is not limited to these times. The current date and time and the unit time serve as a reference time for determining the degree of congestion, and are included in the congestion information regarding the congestion status of the vehicle C participating from the parking lot 1.

The number of deliveries per unit time is calculated (step 503). In the present embodiment, the in-vehicle DB and the history DB are referred to, and the number of vehicles C including the delivery date and time between the current date and time and the unit time is calculated as the number of delivery per unit time. Of course, other methods may be used.

The number of appearances per unit time is calculated (step 504). In the present embodiment, the history DB is referred to, and the number of vehicles C including the participation date and time between the current date and time and the unit time is calculated as the number of participations per unit time. Of course, other methods may be used.

The difference between the number of deliveries per unit time and the number of entries per unit time is calculated (step 505). Here, not the absolute value of the difference in the number of units, but the difference is calculated including the negative sign. That is, the difference in the number of units is calculated, including which of the number of shipments per unit time and the number of participations per unit time is larger. Of course, if the difference is zero, it means that the number of shipments per unit time and the number of participations per unit time are the same value.

With reference to the table 60c shown in FIG. 15, the participation grace time is set (step 506). In the example shown in FIG. 15, when the number of goods issued per unit time is small, the congestion degree “empty” is associated and the grace time “5 minutes” is set. If the number of issues per unit time is an intermediate value and the number of issues per unit time is larger than the number of entries per unit time, the congestion degree "medium" is associated and the grace time is "10 minutes". Is set.

When the number of issues per unit time is large and the number of issues per unit time is larger than the number of entries per unit time, the congestion degree "mixed" is associated and the grace time "15 minutes" is set. .. It should be noted that the determination of "small", "medium", and "large" of the number of deliveries can be executed, for example, by setting a plurality of threshold values.

For example, if the unit time is 15 minutes and the number of shipments is less than 15 units / 15 minutes, it is determined that the number of shipments is small. When the number of shipments is more than 15 units / 15 minutes and less than 25 units / 15 minutes, the number of shipments is determined as an intermediate value. If the number of shipments is more than 25 units / 15 minutes, it is determined that the number of shipments is large. Of course, other determination methods may be used.

In addition, regarding the difference between the number of issues per unit time and the number of entries per unit time, it is determined that the number of issues per unit time is greater than the number of entries per unit time by a predetermined number (for example, 5). It can also be adopted as a condition. In addition, any method may be used.

When the number of appearances is abnormally small compared to the number of shipments, the congestion degree "special" is associated and the grace time is set to "unlimited". Of course, the table 60c shown in FIG. 15 is an example, and an arbitrary table 60c may be created using the number of shipments / appearances per unit time and the difference thereof.

In this way, by using the number of exits / number of entries per unit time and the difference between them, it is possible to set a highly accurate entry grace time that reflects the congestion situation in the parking lot 1 in real time. That is, it is possible to accurately and finely set the participation grace time according to the degree of traffic congestion. As a result, even when a traffic jam occurs due to, for example, an accidental accident, it is possible to appropriately set the participation grace time with high accuracy.

In the examples shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, by using the number of goods issued / the number of participations per unit time and the difference between them, the number of those who will participate and the number of people who actually participates are compared. It has become possible to set a highly accurate participation grace time. Other parameters may be used to calculate or estimate the number of these or likely participants and the number actually participating. Information on the number of vehicles that will participate and the number of vehicles that actually participate in the parking lot 1 is also included in the traffic congestion information on the congestion status of the vehicle C that participates in the parking lot 1.

Further, the table 60c may be created by using the number of admissions and the number of warehousing per unit time. For example, a grace period may be set as appropriate depending on the situation in which the number of admissions tends to be greater than the number of admissions, or the situation in which the number of admissions tends to be greater than the number of exits.

Further, the determination of the degree of congestion and the setting of the grace time may be executed based on the change in the number of shipments / participation in the cumulative time from the reference time instead of the unit time.

As described above, in the parking lot management system 30 according to the present embodiment, the traffic jam information regarding the traffic jam situation of the participating vehicle C is acquired, and the length of the participation grace time is controlled based on the traffic jam information. This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle C from illegally staying after the pre-payment, or collecting an excess charge from the vehicle C, which has taken a long time to participate due to traffic congestion or the like. As a result, it becomes possible to improve the effectiveness and convenience of pre-payment of parking fees.

In any case, it is effective to obtain the permission of the parking lot owner 81 when changing the setting of the grace time, and then to change the setting, especially when increasing the setting from the initial setting. ..

That is, the main point of this embodiment is that the setting of the grace time is a part of the calculation method (billing condition) of the parking lot fee system in a broad sense, and the parking lot owner 81 is fully responsible for the automatic change. This is because it may not be permitted. This is because it is considered that the parking lot owner 81 may miss the additional charge that should be originally collected by changing the setting of the grace time. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the operation of obtaining the permission from the parking lot owner 81 is performed only when the setting is increased (the grace time is extended, that is, the price is reduced). If the grace period is to be undone or changed in stages, it does not have to be done with the permission of the parking lot owner 81, even if it is stated in the report.

FIG. 16 is an example of a mail screen displayed on the mobile terminal 110 of the parking lot owner 81. On the mail screen, a text 111 explaining the change in the degree of congestion due to the congestion of the external road and a button 112 for permitting the change of the grace time are displayed. When the parking lot owner presses the button 112, the permission of step 409 in FIG. 13 is displayed. Reception is done. Further, the parking lot owner 81 can access the map information shown in FIG. 12 by pressing the button 113 of the live traffic information link in order to confirm the content of the mail text in detail. This access information is URL information such as https: // www ..., and is composed of data indicating the latitude / longitude information of the parking lot and the presence / absence of congestion information. Information can be confirmed from the mobile terminal 110.

<Other Examples>
It is complicated to perform the procedure for obtaining the permission of the parking lot owner 91 at the time of occurrence each time, and with the consent of the parking lot owner, the history of the change in the grace time setting due to the occurrence of traffic congestion on the external road R can be displayed. It is also effective to create a report by the notification unit 43 and present it. In that case, it is also effective to capture the image of FIG. 12, record it as image data, and attach it to the report as evidence of the occurrence of traffic congestion.

If there is a concern that capturing and recording an image of a traffic jam information providing site will infringe on the copyright of the map of the site, the part showing the traffic jam information from the image (corresponding road R1). Congestion by recognizing the color of the line) and dividing only the roads around the parking lot on a map drawn in advance by another expression method, for example, as shown in Fig. 17, by the hatch interval (multiple stages from sparse to dense). You may express the situation. In particular, when presenting it as an attachment to a report, it is desirable to plot with black-and-white image data.

Further, as another embodiment, the parking lot 1 may be engaged with a staff member 82 dispatched from the parking lot management organization 70. In particular, in order to smoothly enter and leave the vehicle during busy hours and holidays, it is often the case that the user is assisted near the entrance / exit of the parking lot 1. By providing the traffic congestion information on the external road R to the staff 82, it is possible to respond to inquiries from users such as why it is crowded, which is an effective means.

In addition, for a sudden event that does not appear in the traffic jam information, it is assumed that the staff 82 notifies the parking lot owner 81 and obtains permission. At that time, the permission of the parking lot owner 81 can be obtained by using the notification route shown in FIG. A sudden event is assumed to be, for example, a vehicle-to-vehicle contact accident in a parking lot or at a parking lot exit, or an accident on an external road.

The notification destination of the traffic jam information generated by the notification unit 43 is not limited to the parking lot owner 81, and may be a general user in the parking lot, another parking lot, or a parking lot.
For example, when the parking lot 1 has a plurality of exits connected to different roads, the acquired congestion information may be displayed in the parking lot to guide a relatively vacant exit. Alternatively, it is also possible to provide a service for notifying the user who will use the parking lot 1 of the congestion status of the parking lot or recommending the use of another parking lot.

Further, the parking lot management method and the program according to the present technology may be executed by a single computer or may be executed by interlocking a plurality of computers. That is, there may be a case where the acquisition of the traffic jam information, the setting of the participation grace time, and the like are executed by a single computer, and a case where each process is executed by a different computer. Further, the execution of each process by a predetermined computer includes having another computer execute a part or all of the process and acquiring the result. For example, the parking lot management method and program according to the present technology can be applied to the configuration of cloud computing.

In the present disclosure, the vehicle is not limited to an automobile, but also includes a bicycle, a two-wheeled vehicle (motorcycle), and the like. The parking lot is a concept including a bicycle parking lot for parking bicycles, motorcycles, and the like. That is, this technique is not limited to parking lots where automobiles can be parked, but can also be applied to bicycle parking lots and the like.

It is also possible to combine at least two feature portions among the feature portions according to the present invention described above. That is, the various feature portions described in each embodiment may be arbitrarily combined without distinction between the respective embodiments. Further, the various effects described above are merely exemplary and not limited, and other effects may be exhibited.

Further, the present invention can be appropriately modified within the scope of the claims and within a range not contrary to the gist or idea of the invention that can be read from the entire specification, and the parking lot management system accompanied by such a modification is also a technique of the present invention. Included in the idea.

The technique of the present invention can be used as a parking lot management system for pay parking lots.

C ... Vehicle R ... External road 1 ... Parking lot 3 ... Entrance lane 4 ... Entrance 5 ... Entrance gate 7 ... Exit lane 8 ... Exit 9 ... Exit gate 10 ... Parking space 13 ... Entrance gate device 14 ... Parking ticket issuance Machine 15 ... Entrance lane camera 17 ... Entry gate device 18 ... Exit checkout machine 19 ... Entry lane camera 30 ... Parking lot management system 31 ... Parking lot management device 32 ... Number reading unit 33 ... Acquisition unit 34 ... Time control unit 35 ... Memory Devices 36, 37 ... Pre-payment machine 43 ... Notification unit 60a-60c ... Congestion degree judgment and grace time setting table 70 ... Parking lot management organization 81 ... Parking lot owner

Claims (11)

The acquisition department that acquires congestion information regarding the congestion status inside and outside the parking lot,
A control unit that controls the billing conditions of the parking lot based on the acquired congestion information.
It is provided with a notification unit for notifying the congestion information and information regarding the billing conditions.
The control unit is a parking lot management device that changes the billing conditions when a permission is received in response to a notification from the notification unit. The parking lot management device according to claim 1.
The acquisition unit acquires, as the congestion information, the traffic congestion information regarding the traffic congestion status of the vehicle participating from the parking lot.
The control unit is a parking lot management device that controls the grace time from the completion of the pre-payment of the parking fee to the entry of the vehicle based on the acquired traffic jam information. The parking lot management device according to claim 2.
The control unit is a parking lot management device that measures the degree of traffic congestion of a vehicle entering the parking lot based on the acquired traffic jam information and sets the grace time according to the determined degree of traffic congestion. The parking lot management device according to claim 2 or 3.
The traffic jam information is a parking lot management device that includes information on the traffic jam status of the road connected to the entrance of the parking lot. The parking lot management device according to any one of claims 2 to 4.
The traffic jam information is a parking lot management device including real-time traffic jam information provided by an external map information site. The parking lot management device according to claim 5.
The notification unit is a parking lot management device that notifies an image of the traffic jam information or linked address information. The parking lot management device according to any one of claims 2 to 6.
The notification unit notifies the map image created in advance of the level of the congestion status read from the image showing the congestion status of the image of the congestion information as image information superimposed on the map image created in advance. Device. The parking lot management device according to any one of claims 2 to 7.
The control unit determines the congestion degree of the vehicle participating from the parking lot based on the acquired congestion information, and sets the grace time indefinitely when the determined congestion degree becomes a predetermined state. Parking lot management device. The parking lot management device according to claim 8.
The control unit is a parking lot management device that sets an unlimited grace period when the determined degree of congestion exceeds a predetermined threshold value. Get congestion information about the congestion situation inside and outside the parking lot,
Based on the acquired congestion information, the billing conditions of the parking lot are controlled.
Notify the congestion information and the information regarding the billing conditions,
A parking lot management method in which a computer performs to change the billing conditions in response to the notification and upon receipt of permission. Steps to get congestion information about congestion inside and outside the parking lot,
A step of controlling the billing conditions of the parking lot based on the acquired congestion information, and
The step of notifying the congestion information and the information regarding the billing conditions, and
A program that causes a computer to perform steps to change the billing terms in response to the notification and when permission is received.

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