JP7490521B2 - Mechanical parking device, safety confirmation method and safety confirmation program - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a mechanical parking device, a safety confirmation method, and a safety confirmation program.

Conventionally, to ensure the safety of mechanical parking devices, a mechanical parking device has been proposed in which multiple cameras are placed inside the boarding/deboarding compartment, real-time images taken by the cameras are displayed on a touch panel of the control panel or on a monitor installed near the control panel, and users can check the real-time images to confirm the safety of the boarding/deboarding compartment.

Patent Document 1 also discloses a safety confirmation system that uses images captured by multiple cameras installed in the passenger compartment to detect moving and stationary objects within the passenger compartment. When the safety confirmation system described in Patent Document 1 detects a stationary object, it provides the user with a display screen that surrounds the detected stationary object with a frame and highlights the stationary object.

JP 2019-44332 A

The safety confirmation system described in Patent Document 1 detects stationary objects based on the difference between image frames acquired in a time series. For this reason, the obstacle (stationary object) continues to be detected for a certain period of time after it is detected, but after the certain period has passed, the obstacle may blend into the scenery and become undetectable. For this reason, even if an obstacle is left behind in the boarding/alighting compartment, the alarm may have gone off by the time the user checks for safety, making it impossible to reliably notify the user of the presence of the obstacle.

This disclosure has been made in light of these circumstances, and aims to provide a mechanical parking device that can reliably notify users of the presence of an obstacle, as well as a safety confirmation method and safety confirmation program for the same.

The first aspect of the present disclosure is a mechanical parking device that includes a camera installed in the boarding/disembarking compartment of the mechanical parking device, a display unit installed on or near an operation panel, an image processing unit that detects a stationary object other than a vehicle based on an image acquired by the camera, and a control unit that, when a stationary object is detected by the image processing unit, causes the display unit to display a confirmation screen that includes an image of the detected stationary object and a real-time image acquired by the camera.

A second aspect of the present disclosure is a safety confirmation method for a mechanical parking device that includes a camera installed in a boarding/disembarking compartment and a display unit installed on or near an operation panel, in which a computer executes the steps of detecting a stationary object other than a vehicle based on an image acquired by the camera, and, when a stationary object is detected, displaying on the display unit a confirmation screen including an image of the detected stationary object and a real-time image acquired by the camera.

The third aspect of the present disclosure is a safety confirmation program for a mechanical parking device that includes a camera installed in a boarding/disembarking compartment and a display unit installed on or near an operation panel, and that causes a computer to execute a process of detecting a stationary object other than a vehicle based on an image acquired by the camera, and a process of displaying a confirmation screen including an image of the detected stationary object and a real-time image acquired by the camera on the display unit when a stationary object is detected.

The present disclosure has the effect of reliably notifying the user of the presence of an obstacle.

1 is a schematic external view of an entrance berth of a mechanical parking device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. This is a schematic plan view of a storage berth and a lift chamber of a mechanical parking device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. A schematic front view of a lift chamber of a mechanical parking device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. A schematic diagram of an operation panel of a mechanical parking device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. A functional block diagram of a control system of a mechanical parking device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a safety confirmation function among various functions provided in a camera system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for a warehousing process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for a warehousing process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. A figure showing an example of a confirmation screen when a stationary object is detected in a mechanical parking device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the confirmation screen shown in FIG. 9 after an obstacle has been removed.

Below, a mechanical parking device and its safety confirmation method and safety confirmation program according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a berth-type mechanical parking device with a flat reciprocating system in which vehicles are transferred by a conveyor will be described as an example, but the mechanical parking device of the present disclosure is not limited to this example. For example, a pallet-type mechanical parking device may also be used. In addition, mechanical parking devices may be of a vertical circulation type, flat reciprocating type, horizontal circulation type, multi-layer circulation type, two-tier type, etc.

Figure 1 is a schematic external view of the entrance berth (boarding and disembarking room) 2 of a mechanical parking device 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of the entrance berth 2 and lift chamber 3 of the mechanical parking device 1 according to this embodiment, and Figure 3 is a schematic front view of the lift chamber 3 of the mechanical parking device 1 according to this embodiment.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the storage berth (boarding and disembarking room) 2 is adjacent to the lift elevator room 3. A partition door (boarding and disembarking room door) 4 is provided between the storage berth 2 and the lift elevator room 3.

A conveyor 5 is provided at the receiving berth 2, and vehicles are transported (transversely) between the receiving berth 2 and the lift chamber 3 by the conveyor 5. In the lift chamber 3, vehicles are transported (raised and lowered) between the vehicle storage shelves by a transport machine (vehicle transport means) such as a lift.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, cameras 10a to 10d for capturing an overall view of the inside of the berth and camera 10e for capturing images of the interior of the incoming vehicle are installed at various locations in the incoming berth 2. The cameras 10a to 10e are, for example, video cameras, and are controlled by a camera control device 70 (see Figure 5), which will be described later. The cameras 10a to 10e may also be, for example, cameras with adjustable angles of view.

The cameras 10a to 10d are installed, for example, at the four corners of the wall of the storage berth 2. Note that the installation positions of the cameras 10a to 10d shown in FIG. 1 are just an example, and the number of cameras and their installation positions can be determined appropriately so as to avoid blind spots in the monitored area. For example, the cameras 10a to 10d may be installed on the ceiling.

Camera 10e is a camera for photographing the interior of a vehicle parked in the storage berth 2. The parking area in the storage berth 2 where vehicles are stopped is predetermined. Camera 10e is installed in a position where it can photograph the interior of a vehicle parked in a predetermined orientation in the predetermined parking area in the storage berth 2. For example, camera 10e is provided in front of a vehicle parked in the storage berth 2. In this embodiment, as an example, camera 10e is provided in front of the entrance direction of the entering vehicle in the storage berth 2, and above a display unit 13 that displays entrance guidance to the driver of the entering vehicle.

Further, in front of the parking area, a light source 14 for illuminating the interior of the vehicle is provided for illuminating the interior of the vehicle. In this embodiment, two light sources 14 for illuminating the interior of the vehicle are disposed on both sides of the camera 10e, but the installation positions and the number of light sources 14 are not limited to this example.
The interior illumination light source 14 is controlled, for example, by a camera control device 70 described later. For example, the interior illumination light source 14 is controlled to be turned on and off at a predetermined timing by the control of the camera control device 70. For example, the camera control device 70 turns on the interior illumination light source 14 when it detects that the vehicle has stopped in a stopping area in the storage berth 2, and turns it off when the compartment door 4 is opened. Note that the interior illumination light source 14 may also be turned off when the compartment door 4 is closed.

The entrance berth 2 is also provided with a stop position detection sensor 7 (see FIG. 5) for detecting whether the vehicle is parked beyond the specified parking area. If the stop position detection sensor 7 detects that the vehicle is parked beyond the designated parking area, an error is reported by the parking lot control device 40 (see FIG. 5), which will be described later.

A vehicle entrance detection sensor 8 (see Figure 5) for detecting when a vehicle has entered the storage berth 2 and vehicle height sensors 16, 18 (see Figure 5) for detecting the vehicle height are provided near the vehicle entrance of the storage berth 2.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the vehicle height sensor 16 is composed of a pair of sensors consisting of a transmitter 16a that transmits a beam and a receiver 16b that receives the beam. The vehicle height sensor 18 is composed of a pair of sensors consisting of a transmitter 18a that transmits a beam and a receiver 18b that receives the beam. The vehicle entry detection sensor 8 is composed of a pair of sensors consisting of a transmitter 8a that transmits a beam and a receiver 8b that receives the beam.

The vehicle height sensor 16 is located at a lower position than the vehicle height sensor 18. The vehicle entry detection sensor 8 is located at a lower position than the vehicle height sensor 16. In other words, the vehicle entry detection sensor 8 needs to detect the entry of all vehicle types, so it is installed at a height where all entering vehicles will block the beam.

In addition, instead of sensors that detect vehicles by blocking beams, such as the vehicle height sensors 16, 18 and vehicle entry detection sensor 8 described above, a laser scan sensor that scans a beam in the height direction may be provided near the vehicle entrance, and vehicle height detection and vehicle entry detection may be performed using this laser scan sensor.

The receiving berth 2 is equipped with a number of object detection sensors 9 (see Figure 5) that detect objects such as people, animals, and obstacles within the receiving berth 2.

A door 6 is provided on the parking lot entrance/exit SP side of the entrance berth 2. This door 6 is an entrance/exit door used when people move between the entrance berth 2 and the parking lot entrance/exit SP. In addition, an entry/exit detection sensor 11 (see FIG. 5) is provided near the door 6 to detect when a person moves between the parking lot entrance/exit SP and the entrance berth 2.

An operation panel 20 is provided on the side of the parking lot entrance SP. This operation panel 20 is preferably provided near the door 6 in a location where the inside of the storage berth 2 can be seen.
In addition, a parking lot control device 40 (see Figure 5) that controls the entire mechanical parking device 1 is installed inside or outside the entrance berth 2.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the operation panel 20. The operation panel 20 is equipped with an IC card reader 21, a parking ticket reader 22, a shutter 23, a monitor 24, and a touch panel 25, and accepts various operation inputs from an operator such as a caretaker via these. The operation panel 20 may also be provided with a human presence sensor (not shown) for detecting whether or not a person is in front of the operation panel 20, an emergency stop button for accepting an emergency stop, etc.

A manager who is permitted to operate the mechanical parking device 1 carries an IC card to identify the manager. The IC card records the manager's authentication information (hereinafter referred to as the "manager ID"). When the IC card reader 21 detects an IC card within the readable range of the IC card reader 21, it reads the manager ID from the IC card. The read manager ID is sent to the main control unit 50 (Figure 5) described later and is used for operator authentication.

The parking ticket reader 22 accepts the insertion of a parking ticket and ejects the parking ticket.
The monitor 24 is equipped with a liquid crystal display device for displaying characters and images, and indicator lamps such as LEDs, etc. It may also be configured to provide various information to the administrator and users in combination with a speaker that outputs voice generated by a voice synthesizer, an alarm sound, or a buzzer.
The monitor 24 also displays real-time images captured by the cameras 10a to 10e installed in the receiving berth 2. With this configuration, the manager can check the safety of the receiving berth 2 from the images captured by the cameras when entering the berth.

The touch panel (display unit) 25 is a touch panel type operation screen. In other words, the touch panel 25 is configured to have the functions of both an input unit and a display unit. The touch panel 25 sequentially displays information and button displays related to storage reservations, and the manager can easily perform input operations related to storage by operating the touch panel 25 according to the information. Note that the touch panel 25 is one example, and for example, the input unit and the display unit may be provided separately, and the user may perform input operations from the input unit according to the contents displayed on the display unit.

Figure 5 is a functional block diagram of the control system of the mechanical parking device 1 according to this embodiment. The parking lot control device 40 is, for example, a computer, and includes a CPU, an auxiliary storage device for storing programs executed by the CPU, a main memory that functions as a work area when each program is executed, a communication interface for connecting to a network, and the like. The parking lot control device 40 also includes a comprehensive database 52 in which various data required to control the mechanical parking device 1 is stored. The comprehensive database 52 stores vehicle presence status, vehicle storage shelf shape type, administrator ID which is identification information of the administrator authorized to use the mechanical parking device 1, and the like.

The auxiliary storage device of the parking lot control device 40 stores control programs for controlling each mechanism of the mechanical parking device 1, and the CPU reads the various programs stored in the auxiliary storage device into the main memory and executes them to realize the functions of each part described below. In addition, when executing the programs, the CPU refers to and uses various data stored in the general database 52.

The above control programs may be pre-stored in an auxiliary storage device such as a ROM, HDD, or flash memory when the parking lot control device 40 is manufactured, or may be downloaded and installed from a server that distributes control programs, etc., after construction, etc. Alternatively, the programs may be installed via an external storage device. In this way, there are no particular limitations on the method of installing the various programs.

The parking lot control device 40 includes a main control unit 50. In addition to the above-mentioned general database 52, the main control unit 50 is connected to a partition door control unit 41, a conveyor control unit 42, and a sensor control unit 43.
Furthermore, the main control unit 50 is connected to the camera system 60 and the operation panel 20, and is configured to be capable of two-way communication with each of these units.

The compartment door control unit 41 receives an operation command from the main control unit 50 and opens and closes the compartment door 4 .
The conveyor control unit 42 receives operation commands from the main control unit 50 and controls various conveyors 31 such as the conveyor 5 and lifts.
The sensor control unit 43 receives sensor signals from various sensors installed in the storage berth 2, such as the stopping position detection sensor 7, vehicle entry detection sensor 8, object detection sensor 9, entry/exit detection sensor 11, vehicle height sensors 16, 18, etc., and outputs the information to the main control unit 50.

The camera system 60 mainly comprises the cameras 10a to 10e, the interior illumination light source 14, and a camera control device 70. The camera control device 70 controls the cameras 10a to 10e and the interior illumination light source 14. The camera control device 70 also outputs image data acquired by the cameras 10a to 10e to the main control unit 50.

The main control unit 50 controls the entire mechanical parking device 1 based on input information from the partition door control unit 41, the transport machine control unit 42, and the sensor control unit 43, and input information from the operation panel 20. The main control unit 50 also displays image data input from the camera system 60 on the monitor 24 and touch panel 25 of the operation panel 20. The main control unit 50 also executes a control program for the entry process and a control program for the exit process, which will be described later, to perform entry and exit processes, and controls the display of the touch panel 25 provided on the operation panel 20, performs user authentication processing, and controls the operation of mechanical mechanisms such as the transport machine 31 and the partition door 4.

Next, the safety confirmation function, which is one of the various functions provided in the camera system 60 according to this embodiment, will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the safety confirmation function, which is one of the various functions provided in the camera system 60 according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, the camera control device 70 mainly comprises an image data storage unit 71, an image processing unit 72, a detected image storage unit 73, and a communication unit 74.
The camera control device 70 is, for example, a computer, and includes a CPU, an auxiliary storage device for storing programs executed by the CPU, a main memory that functions as a work area when each program is executed, a communication interface for connecting to a network, etc. The auxiliary storage device stores a safety confirmation program for realizing various functions described later, and the CPU reads out the various programs stored in the auxiliary storage device into the main memory and executes them to realize the functions of each unit described later.
The camera control device 70 is also connected to the cameras 10a to 10e and the interior illumination light source 14 via a communication network, allowing information to be exchanged.

The image data storage unit 71 stores the image data input from the cameras 10a to 10e.
The image processing unit 72 performs a stationary object detection process for detecting a stationary object other than a vehicle and a moving object detection process for detecting a moving object based on image data input from the cameras 10a to 10e.

Specifically, in image data acquired in a time series, a difference image between multiple image frames acquired before and after is obtained, and still and moving objects are detected based on the difference image. Note that numerous image processing techniques have already been proposed for still and moving object detection processing based on image data, and detailed explanations will be omitted here since these well-known image processing techniques may be adopted as appropriate. For example, the technique disclosed in JP 2019-44332 A may be adopted.

The image processing unit 72 may start a stationary object detection process to detect a stationary object, for example, when it is detected that the vehicle has stopped in a specified stopping area of the storage berth 2. The image processing unit 72 may also end the stationary object detection process when it receives a start instruction input from the touch panel 25 (see FIG. 4), when the compartment door 4 is closed, etc.

The image processing unit 72 executes a still object detection process for each image data input from each of the cameras 10a to 10e. If a still object is detected during the still object detection process, it outputs a still object detection signal to the communication unit 74 indicating that a still object has been detected. The image processing unit 72 also stores the image data in which the still object is detected in association with the still object detection signal in the detected image storage unit 73. For example, if the image processing unit 72 detects a still object in image data acquired by the camera 10a, it stores the first image data in which the still object was detected by the camera 10a in association with the identification information of the camera 10a in the detected image storage unit 73.

The image processing unit 72 also starts a moving object detection process to detect a moving object when, for example, it detects that a person has left the storage berth 2. The image processing unit 72 may also end the moving object detection process when it receives a start instruction input from the touch panel 25 (see FIG. 4), when the compartment door 4 is closed, etc.

The image processing unit 72 may also detect moving objects based on image data acquired by a specific camera among the multiple cameras 10a-10d. For example, if the angles of view of the multiple cameras 10a-10d overlap, the same moving object may be detected simultaneously by the different cameras 10a-10d. For this reason, cameras that detect moving objects are determined in advance among the multiple cameras 10a-10d, and moving objects are detected using image data acquired by these cameras. Note that the detection of still objects described above may also be performed based on image data acquired by a specific camera.

The image processing unit 72 executes a motion detection process for each image data input from a predetermined camera (e.g., 10a, 10c, 10e), for example. If a motion object is detected during the motion detection process, a motion detection signal indicating that a motion object has been detected is output to the communication unit 74. The image processing unit 72 also stores the image data in which the motion object has been detected in association with the motion detection signal in the detected image storage unit 73. For example, if the image processing unit 72 detects a motion object in image data acquired by the camera 10a, it stores the image data from when the motion object was first detected by the camera 10a until a predetermined period of time has elapsed in association with the identification information of the camera 10a in the detected image storage unit 73.

When a stationary object detection signal is input from the image processing unit 72, the communication unit 74 outputs a stationary object detection signal to the parking lot control device 40. When a moving object detection signal is input from the image processing unit 72, the communication unit 74 outputs a moving object detection signal to the parking lot control device 40. When an image transmission request is received from the parking lot control device 40, the communication unit 74 outputs the image data stored in the detection image storage unit 73 to the parking lot control device 40.

〔Warehousing processing〕
Next, the entrance process of the mechanical parking device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 8. Figures 7 to 8 are flow charts showing an example of the procedure of the entrance process according to this embodiment.

First, when entering the shed, the user follows the guidance of the caretaker and drives the vehicle into the entrance berth 2 from the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 2. This turns off the sensor signal of the vehicle entry detection sensor 8, and the main control unit 50 detects the entry of the vehicle based on the change in this sensor signal. Also, when the vehicle stops in a specified parking area in the entrance berth 2, the main control unit 50 detects that the vehicle has stopped in the specified parking area based on the sensor signal input from the stop position detection sensor 7 (SA1). When the main control unit 50 detects that the vehicle has stopped in the parking area, it outputs a stop signal to the camera control device 70 to notify that the vehicle has stopped (SA2).

When the camera control device 70 receives a stop signal, it starts a stationary object detection process. If a stationary object is detected during this stationary object detection process, a stationary object detection signal is output from the image processing unit 72 to the communication unit 74, and image data detecting the stationary object is associated with the identification information of the camera that acquired the image data and stored in the detected image storage unit 73. In addition, when a stationary object detection signal is input from the image processing unit 72, the communication unit 74 of the camera control device 70 transmits the stationary object detection signal to the parking lot control device 40.

Furthermore, when the camera control device 70 receives a stop signal, it starts an image transmission process to transmit image data acquired by the cameras 10a to 10e to the parking lot control device 40. The main control unit 50 causes the image data received from the camera control device 70 to be displayed on the monitor 24 of the operation panel 20 (SA3). As a result, real-time images acquired by the cameras 10a to 10e are displayed on the monitor 24 of the operation panel 20. As a result, the manager can check the situation inside the storage berth 2 by checking these images.

The user then parks the vehicle in a designated area of the entrance berth 2, gets out of the vehicle, and moves through door 6 to the parking lot entrance/exit SP. When the user leaves the entrance berth 2, the sensor signal from the entrance/exit detection sensor 11 turns off, and the main control unit 50 detects the person's exit (SA4) and sends an exit signal to the camera control device to notify the person that they have left (SA5).

When the camera control device 70 receives the exit signal, it starts the motion detection process. If a motion is detected during this motion detection process, a motion detection signal is output from the image processing unit 72 to the communication unit 74, and image data from the detection of the motion until a predetermined period of time has elapsed is associated with the identification information of the camera that acquired the image data and stored in the detected image storage unit 73. Furthermore, when the motion detection signal is input from the image processing unit 72, the communication unit 74 of the camera control device 70 transmits the motion detection signal to the parking lot control device 40.

When the main control unit 50 detects that a person has left, it causes an authentication screen to be displayed on the touch panel 25 of the operation panel 20 (SA6). When the administrator touches the IC card to the IC card reader 21 in accordance with the authentication screen, the administrator ID (authentication information) registered on the IC card is read and transmitted to the main control unit 50. When the main control unit 50 receives the administrator ID (SA7), it determines whether the received administrator ID is registered as a registered administrator ID in the authentication information database, thereby performing operator authentication to determine whether the person attempting to operate the operation panel 20 has legitimate authority (SA8).

If the result of this is that the operator authentication is not successful (SA9: NO), a message indicating that the operator authentication has failed is displayed on the touch panel 25 to notify the user that the operator authentication has failed, and the authentication screen is then displayed again (SA6).

On the other hand, if operator authentication is successful (SA9: YES), the main control unit 50 then determines whether or not it has received either a still object detection signal or a moving object detection signal from the camera control device 70 (SA10 in FIG. 8). As a result, if either detection signal has been received (SA10: YES), it sends an image transmission request to the camera control device 70 (SA11). When the camera control device 70 receives the image transmission request, it transmits the image data stored in the detection image memory unit 73 to the parking lot control device 40.

When the parking lot control device 40 receives image data (SA12), it identifies the camera that acquired the image data from the camera identification information associated with the image data. It then causes the touch panel 25 to display a confirmation screen in which the image when a still or moving object is detected and the real-time image acquired by the identified camera are arranged so as to be comparable (SA13). Note that when multiple pieces of image data are received, i.e., when multiple still objects are detected, when at least one still object and at least one moving object are detected, or when multiple moving objects are detected, a confirmation screen in which all of the detected images and their real-time images are arranged so as to be comparable is displayed on the touch panel 25.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of a confirmation screen when a stationary object is detected. As shown in Figure 9, the confirmation screen displays an image when the stationary object is detected (hereinafter referred to as the "detected image") and a real-time image captured by the camera (hereinafter referred to as the "real-time image") in a comparative manner. The confirmation screen may also highlight the detected stationary object by surrounding it with a frame or the like. This allows the user to easily recognize the location of the stationary object. The confirmation screen also displays guidance to alert the user, such as "Please remove the obstacle." The confirmation screen also displays guidance saying "If the obstacle has been removed, press the confirmed button."

After checking this confirmation screen, the user compares the detection image with the real-time image to confirm whether the stationary object (obstacle) displayed in the detection image has been removed in the real-time image. If the stationary object has not been removed in the real-time image either (screen example in Figure 9), the user enters storage berth 2, removes the obstacle, and exits storage berth 2 again.

Then, return to the operation panel 20, check the confirmation screen again, and compare the detection image with the real-time image. As a result, if the stationary object (obstacle) displayed in the detection image has been removed in the real-time image as shown in FIG. 10, press the "Confirmed button" to input confirmation that the obstacle has been removed.

As a result, when the Confirmed button is pressed, the main control unit 50 accepts the input of Confirmed (SA14), and then causes the touch panel 25 of the operation panel 20 to display an unmanned confirmation screen to allow the user to perform an unmanned confirmation of the storage berth 2 (SA15). Note that if neither a stationary object detection signal nor a moving object detection signal has been received in step SA10 (SA10: NO), the process proceeds to step SA15, where the unmanned confirmation screen is displayed.

On the unmanned confirmation screen, an "unmanned confirmation button" is displayed along with guidance encouraging the user to confirm that no one is inside the vehicle, for example, "please make sure that no one is inside the vehicle." Following this guidance, the user (for example, the driver of the entering vehicle) confirms that no one is inside the entrance berth 2 and inputs the unmanned confirmation by pressing the "unmanned confirmation button" on the touch panel 25. When the user presses the unmanned confirmation button, the main control unit 50 accepts the input of the unmanned confirmation (SA16), and then displays a safety confirmation screen on the touch panel 25 (SA17). On the safety confirmation screen, the "safety confirmation button" is displayed along with guidance encouraging the user to confirm safety inside the premises, such as "please check the monitor for safety inside the premises."

Following the guidance displayed on the safety confirmation screen, the manager checks the images of the yard and the vehicle interior displayed on the monitor 24, confirms that there are no people or the like in the storage berth 2 or inside the vehicle, and inputs a safety confirmation by pressing the "safety confirmation button" on the touch panel 25. When the manager presses the safety confirmation button, the main control unit 50 accepts the safety confirmation input (SA18), and then displays a start-up screen for storing the vehicle in the hangar on the touch panel 25 of the operation panel 20 (SA19). The start-up screen displays a start-up button for issuing a start-up instruction. When the operator presses the start-up button displayed on the start-up screen, the main control unit 50 accepts the input of the start-up instruction (SA20), performs start-up processing (SA21), and transmits a start-up processing start signal to the camera control device 70 (SA22).
When the camera control device 70 receives the startup process start signal, it ends the still object detection process and the moving object detection process.

In the startup process, the compartment door 4 is opened and the conveyor 5 is moved sideways, moving the vehicle placed on the conveyor 5 to the lift chamber 3. Once the vehicle has been stored in the lift chamber 3, the compartment door 4 is closed and the vehicle in the lift chamber 3 is transported by the lift and stored in the vehicle storage shelf. Once the closing operation of the compartment door 4 is completed, the main control unit 50 ejects the parking ticket (SA23) and ends the entry process.

Although the warehousing process according to the present embodiment has been described above, the procedure of the warehousing process is not limited to the above example. For example, it is possible to delete unnecessary steps, add new steps, or change the processing order without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
For example, in the above-mentioned warehousing process, the confirmation screen is displayed as a screen separate from the unmanned confirmation screen and the safety confirmation screen, but the above confirmation screen may be displayed in place of the safety confirmation screen or in place of the unmanned confirmation screen.

In addition, in step SA13, when the confirmation screen is displayed, if the operator enters the receiving berth 2 to remove an obstacle or the like, operator authentication may be performed again. In other words, when entry into the receiving berth 2 is detected, a locked state may be set in which input operations on the touch panel 25 are not permitted, and when the operator authentication is successful, the locked state may be released and input operations on the touch panel 25 may be permitted.

The start and end times of the still object detection process and the moving object detection process are also merely examples, and the still object detection process and the moving object detection process may be started, for example, when a person's exit is detected or when operator authentication is successful. Also, the still object detection process and the moving object detection process may be ended, when the compartment door 4 is opened or closed during the startup process.
The timing of displaying the real-time image on the monitor 24 is also just one example. For example, the real-time image may be displayed on the monitor 24 in synchronization with the display of a safety confirmation screen on the touch panel 25 .

Although the warehousing process has been described above, the basic process flow for the shipping process is similar. That is, the shipping process is also basically performed according to the procedures in Figures 7 and 8. The differences between the warehousing process and the shipping process are as follows:
For example, in the entrance process, when exit from the entrance berth 2 is detected, an authentication screen is displayed. In contrast, in the exit process, for example, a parking lot user inserts a parking ticket into a fee settlement machine (not shown) provided on the parking lot entrance/exit SP side, and when the parking fee settlement is completed, a lift on which the vehicle is placed is moved to the exit floor where the exit berth is located. When the lift moves to the exit floor, an authentication screen is displayed on the touch panel 25 of the operation panel 20.

In the outgoing process, the start-up process in step SA21 performs a vehicle sending-out process. In the vehicle sending-out process, the compartment door 4 opens, and the vehicle waiting in the lift chamber 3 is transported laterally by the conveyor 5 to a predetermined position in the outgoing berth.
In addition, in the entrance process, the parking ticket is discharged (SA23) after the storage process, but in the exit process, this process is omitted.
As for other processing, the outgoing processing is almost the same as the incoming processing, so the explanation will be omitted.

As described above, the mechanical parking device and its safety confirmation method and safety confirmation program according to this embodiment perform stationary object detection processing to detect stationary objects other than vehicles based on images captured by the cameras 10a to 10e installed in the entrance berth 2. When a stationary object is detected, a confirmation screen including an image of the detected stationary object and a real-time image captured by the camera is displayed on the touch panel 25. This makes it possible to reliably notify the user of the presence of an obstacle in the entrance berth 2 (inside the boarding and disembarking compartment).
Furthermore, by displaying a confirmation screen in which the image at the time a stationary object (obstacle) was detected and the current image are arranged so as to be comparable, the location of the obstacle can be easily notified to the user, and the user can easily check whether or not the obstacle has already been removed.

Although the present disclosure has been described above using an embodiment, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. Various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiment without departing from the gist of the disclosure, and forms with such modifications or improvements are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

For example, in the present embodiment, the camera control device 70 of the camera system 60 is provided separately from the parking lot control device 40, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the camera control device 70 may be incorporated into the parking lot control device 40. That is, a program for realizing the various functions of the camera control device 70 may be stored in an auxiliary storage device provided in the parking lot control device 40, and the CPU of the parking lot control device 40 may read and execute this program in the main memory to realize each process of the camera control device 70.

Functions of the camera control device 70 may also be installed in each of the cameras 10a-10e, and each of the cameras 10a-10e may perform stationary object detection processing and moving object detection processing. In this case, each of the cameras 10a-10e and the parking lot control device 40 directly exchange information to perform the above-mentioned parking lot entry processing, etc.

In addition, some of the functions of the camera control device 70 may be implemented in the parking lot control device 40, and the other functions may be implemented in each of the cameras 10a to 10e.
In short, as long as the processing performed by the camera control device 70 described above is realized by the configuration provided in the mechanical parking device 1, there are no particular limitations on where the processing is performed.

The mechanical parking device and the safety confirmation method and safety confirmation program described in each of the above-described embodiments can be understood, for example, as follows.

The mechanical parking device (1) according to the present disclosure includes cameras (10a-10e) installed in the boarding/disembarking area (2), a display unit (25) installed on an operation panel (20) or in the vicinity of the operation panel, an image processing unit (72) that detects stationary objects other than a vehicle based on images acquired by the camera, and a control unit (40) that, when a stationary object is detected by the image processing unit, causes the display unit to display a confirmation screen including an image of the detected stationary object and a real-time image acquired by the camera.

According to the mechanical parking device of the present disclosure, when a stationary object is detected, a confirmation screen including an image of the detected stationary object and a real-time image captured by the camera is displayed on the touch panel 25, thereby reliably notifying the user of the presence of an obstacle within the entrance berth 2 (inside the boarding and disembarking compartment).
Furthermore, by displaying a confirmation screen in which the image at the time a stationary object (obstacle) was detected and the current image are arranged so as to be comparable, the location of the obstacle can be easily notified to the user, and the user can easily check whether or not the obstacle has already been removed.

In the mechanical parking device according to the present disclosure, the control unit may allow the mechanical mechanism to operate after the user who has checked the confirmation screen has performed an input operation to confirm that a stationary or moving object has been removed.

The mechanical parking device disclosed herein makes it possible to safely operate the mechanical mechanism, for example, opening and closing the compartment door 4 and moving the transport device 31 such as the conveyor 5, with stationary objects (obstacles) securely removed.

In the mechanical parking device disclosed herein, the image processing unit may start detecting stationary objects when it detects that a vehicle has stopped in a specified area within the boarding/disembarking compartment.

The mechanical parking device disclosed herein makes it possible to efficiently detect stationary objects.

In the mechanical parking device disclosed herein, the image processing unit detects a moving object based on an image acquired by the camera, and when a moving object is detected by the image processing unit, the control unit may cause the display unit to display a confirmation screen including an image of the detected moving object and a real-time image acquired by the camera.

According to the mechanical parking device disclosed herein, when a moving object is detected, a confirmation screen including an image of the detected moving object and a real-time image captured by the camera is displayed on the touch panel 25, so that the user can be reliably notified of the presence of a moving object (such as a person or animal) within the entrance berth 2 (inside the boarding and disembarking compartment).

In the mechanical parking device disclosed herein, the image processing unit may start detecting a moving object when it detects that a person has left the boarding/deboarding area.

According to the mechanical parking device disclosed herein, since moving object detection is performed after a person's exit is detected, it is possible to avoid detecting a moving object such as the movement of a driver. This makes it possible to avoid unnecessary moving object detection and to perform moving object detection efficiently.

In the mechanical parking device disclosed herein, multiple cameras may be provided, and the image processing unit may detect a moving object based on an image acquired by a predetermined camera among the multiple cameras.

The mechanical parking device disclosed herein makes it possible to avoid detecting the same stationary or moving object using multiple cameras.

The safety confirmation method for a mechanical parking device according to the present disclosure is a safety confirmation method for a mechanical parking device (1) equipped with cameras (10a-10e) installed in the boarding/disembarking area (2) and a display unit (25) installed on or near the operation panel (20), in which a computer executes the steps of detecting a stationary object other than a vehicle based on an image acquired by the camera, and, when a stationary object is detected, displaying on the display a confirmation screen including an image of the detected stationary object and a real-time image acquired by the camera.

The safety confirmation program for a mechanical parking device according to the present disclosure is a safety confirmation program for a mechanical parking device (1) equipped with cameras (10a-10e) installed in the boarding/disembarking compartment and a display unit (25) installed on or near the operation panel (20), and is a program for a computer to execute a process of detecting a stationary object other than a vehicle based on an image acquired by the camera, and, when a stationary object is detected, a process of displaying a confirmation screen including an image of the detected stationary object and a real-time image acquired by the camera on the display unit.

1: Mechanical parking device 2: Entrance berth 3: Lift room 4: Compartment door 5: Conveyor 7: Stop position detection sensor 8: Vehicle entry detection sensor 9: Object detection sensors 10a to 10e: Camera 11: Entry/exit detection sensor 13: Display unit 14: Light source for illuminating inside of vehicle 16: Vehicle height sensor 18: Vehicle height sensor 20: Operation panel 21: IC card reader 22: Parking ticket reader 23: Shutter 24: Monitor 25: Touch panel (display unit)
31: Conveyor 40: Parking lot control device 41: Partition door control device 42: Conveyor control device 43: Sensor control device 50: Main control device 52: Integrated database 60: Camera system 70: Camera control device 71: Image data storage device 72: Image processing device 73: Detected image storage device 74: Communication device

Claims (8)

A camera installed in a boarding/deboarding compartment of the mechanical parking device;
A display unit provided on an operation panel or in the vicinity of the operation panel;
an image processing unit that detects a stationary object other than a vehicle based on an image acquired by the camera;
A mechanical parking device comprising: a control unit that, when a still object is detected by the image processing unit, causes the display unit to display a confirmation screen including an image of the detected still object and a real-time image captured by the camera. The mechanical parking device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit permits operation of the mechanical mechanism after a user who has checked the confirmation screen inputs confirmation that a stationary or moving object has been removed. The mechanical parking device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the image processing unit starts detecting the stationary object when it is detected that the vehicle has stopped in a predetermined area within the boarding/alighting compartment. The image processing unit detects a moving object based on an image acquired by the camera,
A mechanical parking device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit, when a moving object is detected by the image processing unit, causes the display unit to display a confirmation screen including an image of the detected moving object and a real-time image acquired by the camera. The mechanical parking device according to claim 4, wherein the image processing unit starts detecting the moving object when it detects that a person has left the boarding/deboarding compartment. The camera is provided in plurality,
The mechanical parking device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the image processing unit detects a moving object based on an image acquired by a predetermined camera among the plurality of cameras. A safety confirmation method for a mechanical parking device equipped with a camera installed in a boarding/disembarking compartment and a display unit installed on or near an operation panel,
detecting a stationary object other than a vehicle based on an image acquired by the camera;
A safety confirmation method for a mechanical parking device, in which a computer executes a step of, when a stationary object is detected, displaying on the display unit a confirmation screen including an image of the detected stationary object and a real-time image captured by the camera. A safety confirmation program for a mechanical parking device having a camera installed in a boarding/disembarking compartment and a display unit installed on or near an operation panel,
A process of detecting a stationary object other than a vehicle based on an image acquired by the camera;
A safety confirmation program for a mechanical parking device, which causes a computer to execute a process of, when a stationary object is detected, displaying on the display unit a confirmation screen including an image of the detected stationary object and a real-time image captured by the camera.

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