JP2807912B2 - Vehicle identification device for parking lot - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a vehicle identification device for a parking lot, which uses a camera to identify vehicles entering and leaving the parking lot.

[Conventional technology]

The license plate of the vehicle entering and leaving the parking lot is photographed with a camera, and the vehicle number is automatically identified by reading the vehicle number from this photographed data, and it is determined whether the vehicle entering and leaving the parking lot is the same. A conventional vehicle identification device for determining or determining whether an entering / exiting vehicle is a pre-registered contract vehicle is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-61-134892 and JP-A-63-253499. As can be seen, a camera or TV camera is installed on one side of the vehicle passage and the license plate is configured to photograph the diagonal from diagonally forward, so it is difficult to read the vehicle number accurately, especially when the vehicle is If the vehicle enters the vehicle in a state where it is bent in the diagonal direction opposite to the camera position, the vehicle number may be read incorrectly, or it may not be possible to read the vehicle number at all. There was be a problem.

Therefore, conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-213778, for example, a camera (CCD camera) is mounted at the center of a gate bar that opens and closes an entry / exit passage, thereby photographing a license plate of a vehicle from a short distance from the front. Alternatively, it has been considered that a license plate can be accurately photographed by installing various devices such as a wide-angle lens or a telephoto lens or a high-output type lighting device in the camera.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, the former solution, in which the camera is mounted in the center of the gate bar, is based on the so-called direct light when the vehicle approaches one side and the headlights at night are just in front of the camera. There is a problem that it is impossible to take accurate pictures due to the backlight phenomenon.In addition, the latter solution that uses various equipment such as a telephoto lens, a wide-angle lens, or a high-power type illumination device unifies the entire device. There is a problem that standardization cannot be carried out, or that various facilities are expensive and the cost of the entire apparatus increases. It has also been considered to prevent the occurrence of the above-mentioned backlight phenomenon by using an infrared strobe, but this solution has a problem in terms of cost.

Therefore, the technical problem of the present invention is to enable the license plate to be accurately photographed regardless of the state of the vehicle entering the vehicle, and also to enable the vehicle to be managed accurately. A vehicle identification device for a parking lot is provided.

[Means for solving the problem]

Means taken by the present invention to solve the above technical problem are as follows.

The license plate of the vehicle entering and exiting is taken with a camera,
In a parking lot management device configured to read a vehicle number from this photographing data to identify an incoming / outgoing vehicle, (1) the camera is mounted on a gate bar provided at an entrance / exit of the parking lot, and the camera is attached to the gate bar. The gate bar is configured to be reciprocally movable in the length direction by a motor.

(2) At one or both sides of the entrance / exit, a sensor for measuring the distance from the entrance / exit vehicle is installed.

(3) controlling the motor in accordance with the measurement data of the sensor to move the camera to the front side of the vehicle entering and exiting;
When the movement of the camera is completed, the license plate is photographed.

(4) When the interval measured by the sensor is within a predetermined set range, the license plate is immediately photographed without moving the camera by the motor.

(5) The average width (M) of the vehicle is set in advance,
When the camera is moved by the motor, a position obtained by adding a half of the width (M) to a distance (L) from the vehicle measured by the sensor, that is, a position of (M + T / 2). The camera to move.

(6) At the entrance of the parking lot, a ticket issuing machine that issues a parking ticket that records the vehicle number of the entering vehicle read from the image data captured by the camera is installed.

(7) At the exit of the parking lot, compare the vehicle number recorded on the inserted parking ticket with the vehicle number of the exiting vehicle read from the photographed data taken by the camera, Only exit control machines that allow opening of exit gate bars should be installed.

[Action]

 The above means works as follows.

The element (1) makes it possible to move the camera to an arbitrary position on the gate bar by moving the camera in the longitudinal direction of the gate bar by a motor, that is, to a front position of a vehicle entering and leaving the vehicle.

The element of the above (2) measures the distance from the approaching vehicle and determines the movement position of the camera according to the measured value. Therefore, even if the vehicle enters the vehicle with a slight lateral shift, It is possible to perform shooting with a camera without any trouble.

The above element (3) captures the license plate after moving the camera to the front side of the vehicle, so that the vehicle number can be accurately captured without using a special device such as a telephoto lens or a wide-angle lens. To enable reading.

The element (4) enables the vehicle to be identified by photographing the camera in a short time without moving the camera more than necessary, thereby enabling the vehicle to enter and leave the vehicle smoothly.

Regarding the factor (4), even if the vehicle has a small or large width, the camera is always moved to the substantially central portion of the front of the vehicle by calculating the average value to obtain the average value. It enables the license plate to be accurately photographed without being affected.

The element (5) generates a correlation between the entered vehicle and the parking ticket because the number of the vehicle entering the parking lot is photographed, and the photographed vehicle number is recorded and issued in the parking ticket. Make it possible.

The element of the above (6) is that if the number of the outgoing vehicle and the number recorded in the parking ticket do not match, the vehicle will not be allowed to leave without opening the exit gate. Can be prevented from illegally using a fraudulent parking ticket received without actually storing the vehicle.

As described above, the technical problems described above can be solved by the above means, and the problems of the conventional technology can be solved.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the parking lot vehicle identification device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a parking lot P in which a vehicle identification device according to the present invention is installed at an entrance PA and an exit PB.
PA has a vehicle interval sensor 1 for measuring a lateral interval L with a vehicle MS entering the parking lot, a ticket issuing machine 2 for issuing a parking ticket (not shown), first and second entrance vehicle sensors S ₁ , S ₂ and an entrance gate bar 4 that is opened and closed by an entrance gate switch 3 are provided.

Further, the unloading port PB is a vehicle interval sensor 6 for measuring the horizontal distance L between the vehicle MT to outgoing, the goods issue tiller 7, first and second outlets vehicle sensors T _1, T _2, exit gate An exit gate bar 9 that is opened and closed by a switch 8 is provided.

Reference numerals 5 and 10 denote entrance and exit cameras (CCD cameras) attached to the gate bars 4 and 9 so as to face the vehicles MS and MT to enter and exit, respectively. As shown in FIG. 3, each of the gate bars 4, 9 is configured to be movable in the longitudinal direction. That is, in FIG.
A guide camshaft supported and supported by bearings 12 and 13 inside 4, 9 and each of the cameras 5 and 10 mounted on a movable base 11 mounted on the camshaft 14 includes a camera moving motor. 1
According to the rotation of the guide cam shaft 14 by 6,17, the gate bar
The mechanism is moved in the length direction of 4,9. In addition, 15
Is a guide groove.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electric configuration of the above-described vehicle identification device according to the present invention. The above-mentioned vehicle interval sensors 1 and 6, a parking ticket issuing machine 2, a retrieval control machine 7, and an entrance The vehicle sensors S ₁ , S ₂ , T ₁ , T ₂ at the exit and the exit, and the motors 3M, 8M of the entrance and exit gate switches 3, 8 and the motors 16 and 17 for moving the camera are each a microcomputer. It is connected to the arithmetic units 20 configured using the respective components, and each of them is configured to be controlled and operated in accordance with the system program stored in the ROM 22.

An image recognition device 21 reads a vehicle number from a license plate of each vehicle MS, MT captured by the entrance camera 5 and the exit camera 10, and the arithmetic device 20 stores the image from the image recognition device 21. When receiving the vehicle number reading signal of the vehicle MS, it sends a vehicle number recording signal to the ticket issuing machine 2, activates the number recording machine 2A, issues a parking ticket recording a vehicle number and a parking time, and outputs the parking ticket. When pulled out, the entrance gate bar 4 is opened so that the vehicle MS can be stored.

On the other hand, when the arithmetic unit 20 receives the vehicle number reading signal of the leaving vehicle MT from the image recognition device 21, the vehicle number recorded on the parking ticket inserted into the leaving management machine 7 is read. The vehicle number read by the exit camera 10 and the vehicle number read by the exit camera 10 are compared with the vehicle numbers read by the number reader 7A. 9 to open the vehicle MT.

In some cases, the exit management machine 7 may be provided with a fee settlement function for calculating and collecting a parking fee. In addition, each first
The entrance vehicle sensor S ₁ and the first exit vehicle sensor T ₁ are for turning on the inter-vehicle sensors 1, 6, the issuing machine 2 and the retrieval control machine 7 in accordance with the vehicle detection. 2
Inlet vehicle sensor S ₂ and a second outlet vehicle sensor T ₂ are, is intended for closing the respective gate bar 4 and 9 open by vehicle detection. Further, in FIG. 2, reference numeral 23 denotes a clock device for transmitting a reference clock signal.

Next, the vehicle is controlled by the cameras 5 and 10 which are the gist of the present invention.
The processing procedure of the operation of correctly photographing the MS and MT license plates and correctly identifying the vehicle will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. These flowcharts show a part of the system program stored in the ROM 22.

Figure 4 is a shows the storage operation procedure, when the goods receipt vehicle MS is detected by the first inlet vehicle sensor S ₁ enters the goods receipt port PA, interval by the vehicle spacing sensor 1 of the first step S1 The measurement is performed, and the process proceeds to the next step S2.

In step S2, the measured interval L is compared with a predetermined set interval T (for example, 50 to 80 cm).

In the next step S3, it is determined whether or not the interval L is within the range of the set interval T.
Image S4 of the license plate by the entrance camera 5, reading of the vehicle number S5 by the image recognition device 21, display of the read number S6, printing of the number of the vehicle by the ticketing machine 2 or bar code or magnetic recording of the parking ticket Issue S7,
Sampling check S8, open S9 in the inlet gate bar 4, S10 return inlet camera 5 to the home position (however, executed only when the L ≠ T), a second inlet vehicle sensor S ₂ vehicle MS warehousing completion detection S11 in accordance with and, The steps of S12 for closing the entrance gate bar are sequentially executed, and the warehousing process ends.

On the other hand, if L ≠ T is determined in the third step S3, the process proceeds to step S13, where it is determined whether L> T, and if YES, that is, if the measurement interval is wider than the set interval. If it is determined, the process proceeds to step S14 to calculate the moving width of the entrance camera 5, and then proceeds to step S15 to rotate the camera moving motor 16 in the forward direction, and
, The entrance camera 5 is set directly in front of the vehicle MS.

If it is determined in step S13 that L <T instead of L> T, the process proceeds to step S16 to calculate the moving width of the entrance camera 5, and then proceeds to step S17 to reverse the camera moving motor 16. The vehicle rotates to move rightward toward the entrance camera 5, and the entrance camera 5 is set in front of the vehicle MS.

When the entrance camera 5 is set in front of the vehicle MS by performing the above-described steps S15 and S17, the above-described steps S4 to S12 are sequentially executed, and the warehousing process is completed.

When a parking fee is collected for using the parking lot, the parking time is printed or recorded on the parking ticket issued by the ticket issuing machine 2 together with the vehicle number. The position in front of the entering vehicle MS is L + M /
At the position 2 (where M = the average value of the vehicle width set in advance), when the entrance camera 5 is moved, the distance from the home position (the center of the gate bar 4) to this moved position is obtained. The motor 16 is moved to the position to move the entrance camera 5.

Next, the procedure of the leaving process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

Outgoing vehicle MT enters outgoing exit PB and the first exit vehicle sensor
Once detected by T _1, allowing parking ticket inserted in step S20 the shutter goods issue tiller 7 (not shown) is opened.

In the next step S21, it is determined whether or not the inserted parking ticket is formal. If it is a formal parking ticket, the vehicle number printed or magnetically recorded on the parking ticket is read S22, and the vehicle is read. Each step of the detection S23 of the interval 1 by the interval sensor 6 and the comparison S24 of the set interval T and the detection interval L are executed.

If it is determined in step S21 that the ticket is an unauthorized parking ticket (such as no record of the number), the exit permission display S3
4. Each step of parking ticket return S35 is executed.

Following step S24, in step S25, L = T (T =
It is determined whether or not it is the set interval). If YES, the exit camera 10 captures the license plate S26, the image recognition device 21 reads the vehicle number S27, and step S
The comparison between the vehicle number read in step 22 and the vehicle number read in step S27 is performed in order S28. If it is determined in step S29 that the two numbers match, the opening S30 with the exit gate bar 9 is performed S30. home position moves S31 in the outlet for the camera 10, the second outlet vehicle sensor T ₂ vehicle unloading completion detection S32 by the outlet gate bar 9 is closed S33
Are carried out, and the retrieval of the vehicle MT is completed.

If it is determined in step S25 that L ≠ T,
Steps S36 to S40 for correcting the position of the exit camera 10 similar to steps S13 to S17 at the time of entry into the vehicle are executed, and the vehicle MT
After the exit camera 10 is set directly in front of the camera, the steps from S26 on are executed.

If it is determined in step S29 that the vehicle number recorded on the parking ticket and the vehicle number captured by the camera 10 do not match, the process proceeds to step S34, and the exit is not permitted. If the parking lot for implementing the present invention is a toll parking lot, steps of calculating and collecting the fee are added after the above-mentioned comparison step S29.

In FIG. 1, 1A and 6A are second entrance and exit interval sensors provided on the opposite side of the entrance PA and exit PB in correspondence with the respective interval sensors 1 and 6, By using these two sets of sensors 1 and 1A, and 6 and 6A, the interval between the vehicles MS and MT can be calculated more accurately.

〔effect〕

The parking lot vehicle identification device according to the present invention is as described above, and since the camera that captures the license plate can always be located directly in front of the vehicle or within a set range thereof, a telephoto lens or a wide-angle lens or the like is used. Using a device that can be standardized at a relatively low cost even if it is not used, the license plate can be accurately photographed to identify the vehicle number correctly, and the direct light from the headlights at night can be used as a camera. Can be prevented, so that it can demonstrate the advantage of being able to shoot license plates without using expensive infrared strobes,
This is an extremely innovative vehicle identification device, which is advantageous in that it has an advantage that it can be used for parking lot entry / exit management to prevent unauthorized parking.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a parking lot provided with a vehicle identification device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an electric configuration of the present invention, and FIG. Figure,
FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are flowcharts when the vehicle enters and leaves the vehicle. P is parking lot, PA is entrance, PB is exit, MS and MT are vehicles,
1 and 6 are interval sensors, 2 is a ticket issuing machine, 4 and 9 are gate bars, 5 and 10 are cameras, 7 is an outgoing management machine, 16 and 17 are camera movement motors, and 21 is an image recognition device.

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-61-134892 (JP, A) JP-A-63-253499 (JP, A) JP-A-1-213778 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int .Cl. ⁶ , DB name) E04H 6/00

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A parking lot management device configured to photograph a license plate of a vehicle entering and exiting with a camera, read a vehicle number from the photographed data and identify the vehicle entering and exiting, The camera is attached to a gate bar provided at the entrance and exit of the vehicle, and this camera is configured to be reciprocally movable in the longitudinal direction of the gate bar by a motor, and a sensor for measuring a distance between the entrance and exit vehicles is installed at one or both sides of the entrance. Then, the motor is controlled and operated in accordance with the measurement data of this sensor to move the camera to the front side of the entering and exiting vehicle, and
A vehicle identification device for a parking lot, wherein the license plate is photographed when the movement of the camera is completed. 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein when the interval measured by the sensor is within a predetermined set range, the license plate is immediately photographed without moving the camera by the motor. The vehicle identification device for a parking lot according to (1). 3. An average width (M) of the vehicle is set in advance, and when the camera is moved by the motor,
Position obtained by adding half the width (M) to the distance (L) from the vehicle measured by the sensor, that is, (L + M / 2)
The vehicle identification device for a parking lot according to claim 1, wherein the camera is configured to move to the position of (1). 4. A parking machine for issuing a parking ticket which records a vehicle number of a vehicle which has been read from the photographed data taken by the camera is installed at the entrance of the parking lot. Compare the vehicle number recorded in the parked parking ticket with the vehicle number of the exiting vehicle read from the photographed data taken by the camera, and use the exit management machine that allows the opening of the exit gate bar only in the same case The vehicle identification device for a parking lot according to claim 1, wherein the device is installed.