JP2023010473A - parking guidance system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide technology that can guide users to vacant parking spaces even in indoor parking lots where GPS radio waves do not reach, while using portable smartphones and other devices as user terminals.SOLUTION: A parking guidance system 10 includes: a plurality of beacon transmitters 24 in a parking lot 14; a beacon transmitter DB that stores a location of each beacon transmitter 24; a usage status DB that stores a usage status of a plurality of parking spaces; means for calculating a current position of a user terminal 22 based on the radio wave strength of beacons from the plurality of beacon transmitters 24 and the position of each beacon transmitter 24; means for identifying vacant parking spaces in the parking lot 14 by referring to the usage status DB; means for calculating a route from the current position to the vacant parking space; means for transmitting to the user terminal 22 a guidance image displaying the route on an indoor map of the parking lot 14; and means for registering in the usage status DB that the vehicle 18 is parked in the parking space.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a parking guidance system, and more particularly to a technique for guiding a vehicle to a location of a parking lot and guiding the vehicle to an empty space in the parking lot after arriving at the parking lot.

Recently, with the dramatic improvement in the functions and performance of smartphones (hereinafter "smartphones") and tablet terminals (hereinafter "tablets"), instead of using dedicated in-vehicle car navigation devices (hereinafter "dedicated car navigation systems") An increasing number of users are using smartphones and tablets with car navigation application programs (hereinafter referred to as "car navigation apps") set up as car navigation systems.
[2020] 15 recommended popular car navigation apps | Free and offline functions! Internet URL: https://motor-fan.jp/article/10016745 Search date: July 5, 2021

By setting up a car navigation app on a smartphone and using it instead of a dedicated car navigation system, not only is the introduction cost low, but the latest maps can be used for free, and once you arrive at your destination, you can take it out of the car and use it for walking. It is expected that the number of users will continue to increase in the future as it has great advantages such as being able to be used as a navigation tool.

However, despite the fact that smartphones and tablets can be used outside the vehicle, the mechanism of receiving GPS signals transmitted from satellites and grasping the current position is the same as a dedicated car navigation system, so it is not possible to use multi-storey parking lots in commercial facilities. There is a problem that the function cannot be sufficiently exhibited in places where it is difficult for GPS signals to reach, and there is a limit to the expansion of convenience.

This invention has been devised in view of the current situation, and is a navigation technology that can guide the user to an empty parking space even indoors where GPS radio waves are difficult to reach, while using a portable smartphone or tablet. is intended to provide

In order to achieve the above object, the parking guidance system described in claim 1 comprises a plurality of beacon transmitters installed in a parking lot, and a beacon transmitter memory for storing the position of each beacon transmitter in the parking lot. means, usage storage means for storing the usage status of a plurality of parking spaces in the parking lot, radio field strength of beacons from a plurality of beacon transmitters received by the user terminal, and the position of each beacon transmitter. means for calculating the current position of the user terminal in the parking lot, means for specifying an empty parking space in the parking lot by referring to the usage status storage means, and calculating a route from the current position to the empty parking space. means for generating a guidance image showing the route on an indoor map of the parking lot and transmitting it to the user terminal; means for acquiring the fact that the vehicle is parked in the vacant parking space; The storage means includes means for registering information indicating that a vehicle associated with the user terminal is parked in the parking space.
The above "empty parking space" does not necessarily refer only to individual "parking spaces (vehicles/parking squares)", but refers to units of parking blocks (parking zones) that include vacant parking spaces and units of parking floors. You can also think of it as (the same applies below).

A parking guidance system according to claim 2 is the system according to claim 1, further, when a user terminal transmits a guidance request to a parking space, the user terminal refers to the usage status storage means and means for identifying the parking space where the vehicle related to the parking lot is parked, the radio field intensity of the beacons from the multiple beacon transmitters received by the user terminal, and the position of each beacon transmitter, based on the position of each beacon transmitter. means for calculating a current position in the parking space; means for calculating a route from the current position to the parking space; means for acquiring the fact that the vehicle has left the parking space; and means for registering information indicating that the vehicle associated with the user terminal has left the parking space in the usage status storage means. It is characterized by having

A parking guidance system according to claim 3 is the system according to claim 1 or 2, and further, when a parking reservation request is transmitted from the user terminal, the usage status storage means is referred to, and an empty space in the parking lot is determined. means for identifying a parking space; means for generating a parking position selection screen showing the vacant parking spaces on an indoor map of the parking lot and transmitting the screen to a user terminal; and selection information of a specific vacant parking space from the user terminal. is transmitted, means for registering information indicating that the parking space has been reserved for a specific date and time in the utilization status storage means.

In the case of the parking guidance system according to the present invention, the current position of the user terminal is calculated based on the radio wave intensity of the beacons from a plurality of beacon transmitters installed in the parking lot. It is also possible to guide the vehicle in which the user is boarding to an empty parking space, or to guide the user carrying the user terminal to the parking space of his/her own vehicle.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a parking guidance system according to the present invention; FIG. It is a figure which shows the data structure of the record stored in parking lot DB of a management server, user DB, and utilization history DB. It is a figure which shows the data structure of the record stored in parking space DB of a parking control apparatus, beacon transmitter DB, and usage status DB. It is a flowchart which shows the processing procedure at the time of parking-lot warehousing in a parking guidance system. It is a figure which shows the guidance screen to the empty parking space displayed on the display of a user terminal. It is a top view which shows the state which the vehicle parked in the parking space. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when leaving the parking lot in the parking guidance system; It is a figure which shows the guidance screen to the parking space of the own vehicle displayed on the display of a user terminal. 4 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure when parking lot reservation is made in the parking guidance system. It is a figure which shows the parking reservation screen displayed on the display of a user terminal.

An embodiment of a parking guidance system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, this system 10 comprises a management server 12 installed on the Internet, and a plurality of parking lot controllers 16 installed in parking lots 14 in various places.
A user 20 boarding a vehicle 18 possesses a portable user terminal 22 such as a smartphone or a tablet.

The management server 12 consists of a computer with an OS and a dedicated application program, and has a parking lot management function, a user management function, a reservation processing function, a usage history management function, and the like.
The management server 12, as shown in FIG. 2, has various databases such as a parking lot DB 12a, a user DB 12b, and a usage history DB 12c.

The parking lot DB 12a is storage means for storing attribute information of each parking lot managed by the management server 12. As shown in FIG. A record with data items such as the number of units stored and unit price is stored.

The user DB 12b is storage means for storing attribute information of member users who use this system 10. As shown in FIG. , sex, date of birth, date of subscription, and other data items are stored.

The usage history DB 12c is storage means for storing usage history information of each member user, and as shown in FIG. A record with data items such as is stored.

The parking lot control device 16 consists of a computer with an OS and a dedicated application program installed, and realizes a vehicle entrance/exit detection function, a vehicle number reading function, a vehicle position detection function, a hall guidance function, and the like.
This parking control device 16 is connected to the management server 12 via a communication network.

The parking lot control device 16 is also connected to a plurality of beacon transmitters 24, cameras 26, and ETC antennas 27 installed in the parking lot 14 by wire or wirelessly.
The beacon transmitter 24 is used to detect the current position of the user terminal 22 in the parking lot 14 by transmitting a beacon to the user terminal 22 based on a wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth Low Energy (registered trademark). (details will be described later).
The camera 26 is for capturing the license plate 28 of the vehicle 18 and reading the vehicle number, and is installed near the gate at the entrance of the parking lot. Also, the ETC antenna 27 is for wirelessly communicating with the ETC on-board device in the vehicle 18 to acquire the vehicle number, and is also installed near the gate at the entrance of the parking lot. Instead of installing both the camera 26 and the ETC antenna 27, only one of them can be installed.

As shown in FIG. 3, the parking control device 16 includes various databases such as a parking space DB 16a, a beacon transmitter DB 16b, and a usage status DB 16c.
As shown in FIG. 3A, the parking space DB 16a stores records having data items such as parking space ID, position (coordinates), floor, block, and the like.
Also, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the beacon transmitter DB 16b stores records having data items such as the transmitter ID, floor, installation location (coordinates), and the like.
As shown in FIG. 3(c), the usage DB 16c stores records having data items such as user ID, parking space ID, reservation date and time, vehicle number, warehousing date and time, and warehousing date and time.

The user terminal 22 consists of a smartphone or tablet equipped with an OS and a dedicated application program (hereinafter referred to as "dedicated application"), and has an Internet connection function via Wi-Fi or a cellular line, a GPS signal reception function, and a It has a radio wave reception function from each beacon transmitter 24, a general car navigation function, and the like.

Next, a processing procedure for parking the vehicle 18 driven by the user 20 in the parking space in the parking lot 14 will be described according to the flowchart of FIG.
First, the user 20 activates a dedicated application on the user terminal 22 in the vehicle 18 (S10), and sets a shopping mall as the destination by operating the menu on the screen (S12).

The dedicated application that receives this guides the user to the shopping mall using voice and images (S14).
In other words, the dedicated application calculates the current position based on GPS signals from multiple satellites, displays the current position and the route to the destination on the screen map, and gives voice instructions such as going straight, turning left, turning right, etc. Reproduce.

Then, when the vehicle arrives at the destination shopping mall, the dedicated application announces that the vehicle has arrived at the destination and will shift to the parking lot mode (S16).
Specifically, calculation of the current position and route guidance based on GPS signals are stopped, detection of the current position in the parking lot using a plurality of beacon transmitters 24, and guidance to an empty parking space, that is, "parking Guidance" is requested from the parking control device 16.

A request from the user terminal 22 is actually transmitted to the parking control device 16 via the management server 12, and a response from the parking control device 16 is also returned to the user terminal 22 via the management server 12. However, for convenience of explanation, the description below assumes that data is directly transmitted and received between the user terminal 22 and the parking lot control device 16. FIG.
Of course, the system can also be configured so that data is directly transmitted and received between the user terminal 22 and the parking control device 16. FIG.

The parking lot control device 16, which receives the above request from the user terminal 22, obtains the vehicle number of the vehicle 18 by means of the camera 26 and the ETC antenna 27 installed near the entrance gate (S18), and refers to the usage status DB 16c. to identify a vacant parking space (S20).
Here, the vacant parking space means a parking space in which no vehicle is currently parked and no parking reservation has been made. However, it does not necessarily refer only to individual "parking spaces (vehicles/parking squares)", and it is also possible to think of a parking block or an entire parking floor that includes an empty parking space as an empty parking space.

Next, the parking control device 16 estimates the current position of the vehicle 18 (user terminal 22) (S22).
That is, the user terminal 22 receives radio waves from a plurality of beacon transmitters 24 in the parking lot, and continuously transmits the respective radio wave intensities to the parking control device 16 together with the beacon ID.
Since the parking lot control device 16 knows the position of each beacon transmitter 24, it identifies the position coordinates of the user terminal 22 in the parking lot 14 by the principle of triangulation based on the intensity of each radio wave intensity.

Next, the parking lot control device 16 searches for a route to a vacant parking space that can be parked in a shorter time, taking into account the nearest vacant parking space from the current position of the vehicle 18 or the congestion situation (S24), and provides guidance. Transmission of information (audio and image information) is started (S26).
In the user terminal 22 that receives this guidance information, a guidance image is displayed on the display, and a guidance voice saying "Turn right at the next corner" is reproduced from the speaker (S28).

FIG. 5 shows an example of a guide image displayed on the display of the user terminal 22. An icon 42 indicating a vehicle 18 on a map 40 in a parking lot, an arrow indicating the direction of travel, and an icon 44 indicating an empty space. etc. are displayed.
As with a general car navigation system, when it detects that the vehicle 18 has deviated from the recommended route, the parking control device 16 re-searches the route and transmits new guidance information to the user terminal 22 .

As shown in FIG. 6, when the vehicle 18 is parked in the target vacant parking space 30 and the user 20 touches the parking completion button on the dedicated application, the user terminal 22 notifies the parking controller 16 of parking completion. It is transmitted (S30).
At the same time, the parking position is recorded in the memory of the user terminal 22 (S32). This "parking position information" corresponds to the latitude and longitude of the shopping mall (parking lot) and the parking space ID transmitted from the parking lot control device 16 .

On the other hand, the parking control device 16 that has received the parking completion notification registers the user ID, parking space ID, vehicle number, and entry date and time in the usage status DB 16c (S34). A user ID is provided by the management server 12 .

The user 20 who has safely parked in the vacant parking space 30 of the parking lot leaves the vehicle 18 and goes shopping, sightseeing in the city, business, or the like. And after finishing your business, you can easily return to the parking position with the return guidance function of the dedicated application.
Hereinafter, the processing procedure when the user 20 returns to the parking position of the vehicle 18 will be described according to the flowchart of FIG.
First, the user 20 activates the dedicated application on the user terminal 22 (S40) and selects "return" from the menu on the screen. Upon receiving this return request (S42), the dedicated application calculates the current position of the user based on the GPS signal and starts guidance to the shopping mall where the parking lot is located (S44).
Then, when the user arrives at the target shopping mall and touches the "shift to exit mode" button, a request for guidance to the parking position is transmitted from the user terminal 22 (S46). This request contains a user ID.

The parking control device 16, which has received this guidance request via the management server 12, refers to the usage status DB 16c to acquire the parking position (parking space ID) of the vehicle 18 related to the user (S48). The current position of the user terminal 22 is estimated based on the radio field strength from each beacon transmitter 24 (S50), and the optimum route is searched (S52).

Next, the parking controller 16 starts transmitting guidance information (audio and image information) to the parking space (S54).
In the user terminal 22 that receives this guide information, a predetermined guide image is displayed on the display and the following announcement is reproduced (S56).
"Parking position is B block on the 3rd floor. Please go up to the 3rd floor by the central elevator."
"You have arrived at the 3rd floor. Go straight through the central passage and turn right at the end."
"We have arrived at Block B. Your car is parked at No. 5 in Block B."
FIG. 8 shows an example of a guidance image displayed on the display of the user terminal 22. An icon 46 indicating the user 20 on a map 40 in the parking lot, an arrow indicating the direction of travel, and a parking space for the own vehicle. An icon 48 or the like indicating the status is displayed.

When the user 20 who gets into the vehicle 18 touches the boarding completion button on the dedicated application, the user terminal 22 transmits a boarding completion notification to the parking control device 16 (S58).
The parking control device 16 that receives this confirms the fact of leaving the parking lot by acquiring the vehicle number of the leaving vehicle 18 through the camera 26 installed at the exit gate and the ETC antenna 27 (S60).
Then, when it is confirmed that the vehicle 18 has left the parking space 30 without error, the date and time of leaving the parking space is registered in the corresponding record in the usage status DB 16c (S62).
In the unlikely event that the leaving of the vehicle 18 cannot be confirmed even after a predetermined period of time has passed, the parking lot control device 16 can send a warning message to the user terminal 22 to prompt the user to leave the parking immediately.

User 20 can also reserve a parking lot in advance.
The procedure for reserving a parking lot will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
First, the user 20 activates the dedicated application on the user terminal 22 (S70), and selects "reservation" from the menu on the screen. The dedicated application that has received this reservation request displays a search screen on the display (S72).
When the user specifies an area (for example, "around Kannai Station") and a date and time (for example, "right now" or "13:00 on July 15") on this search screen, the dedicated application stores these search conditions on the management server 12. (S74).

The management server 12, which receives this, refers to the parking lot DB 12a to identify a plurality of parking lot control devices 16 located around Kannai Station, and inquires of them whether there is a vacant parking space at the relevant date and time (S76). ).
Each parking lot control device 16 that receives this information refers to its usage status DB 16c to check whether there is a vacant parking space at the relevant date and time.
If there is a vacant parking space, it notifies the management server 12 of a response of 'available (reservation possible)' (S78).

The management server 12 totalizes the responses sent from each parking control device 16 and sends a list of reservable parking lots to the user terminal 22 (S80).
This list includes the name, address, scale (number of parking spaces), unit price, etc. of the parking lot.
User 20 selects one parking lot from this list. As a result, the user terminal 22 sends a reservation application for the parking lot to the management server 12 (S82).

The management server 12 that receives this requests the corresponding parking control device 16 to make a reservation (S84).
In response to this, the parking control device 16 registers the reservation information (user ID, parking space ID, reservation date and time) in the usage DB 16c (S86), and then transmits a registration completion notice to the management server 12 (S88).
As a result, a reservation completion notice is transmitted from the management server 12 to the user terminal 22 (S90).

After completing the reservation, the user 20 goes to the target parking lot at the reservation date and time and requests parking guidance.
On the other hand, the parking control device 16 identifies the reserved parking space 30 by referring to the usage status DB 16c, and provides route guidance to the parking space.

The user can also make a reservation for parking by designating a specific parking lot from the beginning.
In this case, vacant parking space information is transmitted to the user terminal 22 from the target parking car control device 16 via the management server 12 .
FIG. 10 shows a parking reservation screen 50 displayed on the display of the user terminal 22. The user 20 can select any block that can be reserved on any floor by touching it and make a reservation for a specific date and time. . A "reservable block" means a dedicated block (collection of a plurality of parking spaces) provided for reservation. Alternatively, it can be operated so that reservations are made for each parking floor reserved exclusively for reservations.

In addition, the following three patterns are set in advance based on the wishes of the parking lot side regarding the fee when the parking lot is reserved.
(a) Post-reservation billing type: A form in which hourly charges are billed at the time of reservation
(b) Flat rate billing type at the time of reservation: A form in which an arbitrary flat rate is charged
(c) Pay-as-you-use type: A form in which charges are made only when entering the parking lot.

The management server 12 relays the exchange of information between each user terminal 22 and each parking lot control device 16 as described above, and has a function of registering the parking lot usage record of the user 20 in the usage history DB 12c.

10 Parking Guidance System
12 management server
12a Parking database
12b User database
12c Usage history DB
14 parking lot
16 Parking controller
16a Parking space database
16b Beacon transmitter DB
16c Usage DB
18 vehicles
20 users
22 User terminal
24 beacon transmitter
26 camera
27 ETC Antenna
28 license plate
30 parking spaces

Claims (3)

A plurality of beacon transmitters installed in the parking lot,
beacon transmitter storage means for storing the position of each beacon transmitter in the parking lot;
a usage status storage means for storing usage statuses of a plurality of parking spaces in the parking lot;
means for calculating the current position of the user terminal in the parking lot based on the radio wave intensity of the beacons from the plurality of beacon transmitters received by the user terminal and the position of each beacon transmitter;
means for identifying an empty parking space in the parking lot by referring to the usage storage means;
means for calculating a route from the current position to an empty parking space;
means for generating a guide image showing the route on an indoor map of a parking lot and transmitting the guide image to the user terminal;
means for acquiring the fact that the vehicle is parked in the vacant parking space;
means for registering information indicating that a vehicle associated with the user terminal is parked in the parking space in the usage storage means;
A parking guidance system comprising: means for specifying a parking space in which a vehicle related to the user terminal is parked by referring to the usage status storage means when a request for guidance to the parking space is transmitted from the user terminal;
means for calculating the current position of the user terminal in the parking lot based on the radio wave intensity of the beacons from the plurality of beacon transmitters received by the user terminal and the position of each beacon transmitter;
means for calculating a route from the current position to the parking space;
means for generating a guide image showing the route on an indoor map of a parking lot and transmitting the guide image to the user terminal;
means for acquiring the fact that the vehicle has left the parking space;
means for registering information indicating that a vehicle associated with the user terminal has left the parking space in the usage status storage means;
2. The parking guidance system according to claim 1, comprising: means for specifying an empty parking space in the parking lot by referring to the usage status storage means when a parking reservation request is transmitted from the user terminal;
means for generating a parking position selection screen showing the vacant parking spaces on an indoor map of the parking lot and transmitting the screen to the user terminal;
means for registering information indicating that the parking space has been reserved for a specific date and time in the utilization status storage means when selection information for a specific vacant parking space is transmitted from the user terminal;
The parking guidance system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by comprising:

Images