JPH0142033B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a parking fee adjustment machine having a pool mechanism, and more particularly to a parking fee adjustment machine capable of settling parking fees exceeding the capacity of the pool.

[Prior Art] Recently, for the purpose of saving labor, parking fee adjustment machines (hereinafter referred to as adjustment machines) are installed at the exit of parking lots to automatically collect the fees.
So-called unmanned parking lots are emerging (eg US Pat. No. 3,484,586).

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an unmanned parking lot that forms the background of the present invention and to which the present invention is applied. In the figure, an unmanned parking lot 1 is provided with a vehicle detector 2 near the entrance. A parking ticket issuing machine 3 is provided at a position past the vehicle detector 2. In front of the parking ticket issuing machine 3 in the direction of movement, an entry gate 4 is provided so as to be openable and closable. A vehicle detector 5 is provided on the advancing direction side of the warehousing gate 4. The area passing through the installation position of the vehicle detector 5 is the parking area P.
becomes.

A payment machine 6 is provided in the area leading from the parking area P to the exit. Near this payment machine 6,
A vehicle detector 7 is provided to detect payment vehicles. In front of the payment machine 6, that is, on the exit side, an exit gate 8 is provided so as to be openable and closable. Output gate 8
A vehicle detector 9 for detecting a leaving vehicle is provided on the traveling direction side of the vehicle.

In the unmanned parking lot as described above, a series of operations from when a vehicle enters the unmanned parking lot to when the vehicle leaves the parking lot will be explained. When a vehicle enters through the entrance,
A vehicle detector 2 detects an incoming vehicle. In response to the input vehicle detection output from the vehicle detector 2, the parking ticket issuing machine 3 issues a parking ticket recording the parking time. When the user takes out the parking ticket, the parking gate 4 is opened. The vehicle then passes through the position of the warehousing gate 4 and proceeds to the parking area P. At this time, the vehicle detector 5 detects the vehicle and closes the warehousing gate 4. After the user stops the vehicle in the vehicle parking area P, the user gets out of the vehicle and exits the parking lot through a person-only exit (not shown).

Next, a case will be described in which the vehicle is parked for a desired time and then left. The user returns to the parking area P where his vehicle is parked and drives the vehicle to the front of the payment machine 6. At this time, the vehicle detector 7 detects the vehicle and provides its output to the payment machine 6. In response, the payment machine 6 opens the shutter of the customer service department,
Guidance is displayed according to the order of operations. The user inserts the parking ticket into the payment machine 6 based on the guidance display.
The payment machine 6 calculates the parking time based on the parking time recorded at the time of parking the parking ticket and the current time (i.e., exit time), and calculates and displays a fee according to the parking time. The user looks at the parking fee displayed on the payment machine 6 and pays the parking fee. The payment machine 6 opens the gate 8 when the payment of the parking fee is completed, and the vehicle detector 9 detects the exit of the vehicle and closes the gate 8.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] By the way, such payment machines provide customers with the following problems:
It displays the parking fee, accepts the paid fee, and displays the paid fee, but in order to smoothly request the return of the paid fee after the customer has paid the fee, it has a pool mechanism. Fees input by customers are temporarily stored. Once a pool is limited in its physical size, the amount that can be accommodated is inevitably limited, so with conventional payment machines, the maximum amount that can be handled at one time is limited by the amount that can be handled at one time, and if the amount exceeds this amount There was an inconvenience that the charges could not be settled.

The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problems in the conventional example described above, and to solve the problem by having parking fees or input fees exceed a predetermined handling amount that is set below the capacity amount of the pool, to be settled under the supervision of an attendant. do the
Based on the concept of recovering the pool once it is full, even before the end of payment, we have made it possible to make payment even if the payment amount per time exceeds the pool capacity amount. be.

[Means for solving problems] The configuration of the present invention will be explained based on FIG.

The parking fee settlement machine of the present invention normally calculates the parking fee based on the information on the face of the parking ticket when it is inserted, and when the fee is inserted, it temporarily stores it in a pool and collects the amount of money that was inserted. The parking fee is calculated, and when the amount of money put in is equal to or greater than the parking fee, the parking fee is settled, and once the payment is completed, the fee that has been put into the pool is recovered. In this respect, it operates similarly to a conventional parking fee settlement machine having a pool mechanism.

However, when it is detected by the comparison means that the parking fee or input fee exceeds the handling amount, which is set below the capacity amount of the pool, the following operation is performed according to the operation mode set by the switching means. Operate.

That is, in the unattended payment mode, the alarm means sends out an attendant call signal, and the charge input control means prohibits charge input.

On the other hand, in the attendant operation mode, the fee input control means allows the fee input even if the parking fee or the input fee exceeds the handling amount. When the pool becomes full once due to charge input and the fullness detection means detects this, the collection means once drives the pool mechanism and performs the operation of collecting the input charge regardless of whether settlement is completed or not.

[Operations and Effects] As described above, in the payment machine of the present invention, when the comparison means detects that the parking fee or input fee once exceeds the handling amount of the pool in the unattended payment mode, the alarm means is activated. The person in charge will be prohibited from inserting the fee and will call a staff member. Then, when the switching means is operated by the attendant to switch to the attendant operation mode, the collection means allows the charge to be inputted, and once the pool is full, the pool is automatically closed according to the output of the detection means. Collect it and make it possible to continue charging further.

Therefore, the amount of money that can be handled by the payment machine, that is, the amount of money that can be paid, is not limited by the physical size of the pool, and even in the case of a large bill, the clerk can pay the bill without touching the money. Further, there is no limit to the amount to be settled, and it is possible to prevent troubles such as malfunctions caused by charges exceeding the amount accommodated in the pool being deposited. Furthermore, even when a request for return of the input fee is made after the pool has been collected, the staff member monitors the payment operation, so the staff member can smoothly process the return request.

[Example] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a payment machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 shows a main part of an attendant operation surface provided on the back side of the payment machine shown in FIG.

In FIG. 2, the customer service operation unit 11 sends a signal to the CPU 12 in response to a customer's operation such as inserting a parking ticket on the customer service side of the payment machine, and also receives instructions from the CPU 12 to determine the parking fee, input fee, operating procedure, and fee. Make a display indicating that input is prohibited. Attendant operation section 13
The machine has a changeover switch for switching between unattended payment mode ON and staff operation mode The memory 14 is composed of a ROM in which a control program for the CPU 12 is written, and a RAM for a work area, buffer area, etc. The loop coil detection group 15 includes a vehicle detector 7 that detects when the vehicle comes in front of the payment machine and a vehicle detector 7 that detects when the vehicle comes in front of the payment machine.
and a vehicle detector 9 that detects when the vehicle has passed. This payment machine further includes a pool mechanism and a pool full detector (not shown). The output signal of each detector is input to the CPU 12.

The CPU 12 controls the entire operation of the payment machine according to a control program stored in the memory 14. For example, this function calculates parking fees and input fees, settles parking fees, compares parking fees with predetermined transaction amounts, and sends out attendant call signals.
The CPU 12 performs this. Further, once the pool is recovered, it is also performed based on a command from the CPU 12.

The operation of the payment machine shown in FIG. 2 will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In the unmanned payment mode or attendant operation mode, when a vehicle comes in front of the payment machine, the vehicle detector 7 detects the vehicle, and the payment machine uses the CPU 12.
The following parking fee settlement operation will be started under the control of: First, the system waits for the parking ticket to be inserted, and then reads the information written on the parking ticket, such as the entry time. Next, the parking fee is calculated from this parking time and the current time (leaving time), and the parking fee is displayed. Then, if money is input, the input fee will be displayed,
The parking fee is settled, that is, the parking fee is subtracted from the input fee, and then it is determined whether the payment has been completed. Here, if the payment has been completed, the exit gate 8 is opened, and after waiting for the vehicle detector 9 to detect the exit of the vehicle, the gate 8 is closed, the pool is temporarily collected, and the fare payment operation is completed. If the payment of the fee has not been completed, it is determined whether the parking fee exceeds a predetermined amount determined within the pool's handling range, that is, the handling amount, and if it does not, the process returns to the above-mentioned input fee display stage. .

If the parking fee exceeds the handling amount, it is determined whether or not the valet operation mode is set. That is, it is determined whether the mode changeover switch is in the attendant operation mode and whether or not the attendant key is inserted. If the mode changeover switch is not in the attendant operation mode or the attendant key is not inserted, the attendant operation mode is not set. In this case, the payment machine calls the clerk by contacting the office using an alarm means such as an intercom, displays a display prohibiting charge input on the customer service side, and returns to the step of displaying the input charge. In this case, the fare adjustment operation is substantially suspended until the payment machine is set to the attendant operation mode, that is, until the attendant inserts the attendant key and switches the mode changeover switch to the attendant operation mode.

The state where the mode changeover switch is set to the attendant operation mode and the attendant key is inserted is the attendant operation mode setting state. In this case, even if the parking fee exceeds the handling amount, since the attendant is monitoring the payment machine, the following operations are performed. In other words, it is determined whether the pool is full or not, and if the pool is not full, it remains as is, and if the pool is full, the input fee is displayed as described above after collecting the pool even if the payment has not been completed. The process returns to step 1 and continues the parking fee payment operation.

[Other Embodiments] In the above embodiments, the parking fee and the amount handled by the pool were once compared in order to determine whether or not it was necessary to call an attendant, but the amount of money put in and the amount handled by the pool may be compared.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an unmanned parking lot to which the payment machine of the present invention is applied, Figure 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a payment machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a diagram of the payment machine of Figure 2. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the device shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of the present invention. 1... Unmanned parking lot, 2, 5, 7, 9... Vehicle detector, 3... Parking ticket issuing machine, 4... Entry gate,
6...Parking fee payment machine, 8...Exit gate, 11
... Customer service operation section, 12 ... CPU, 13 ... Attendant operation section, 14 ... Memory, 15 ... Loop coil detection group.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A parking fee adjustment machine that is installed in a parking lot and has a pool mechanism that pools input fees and a fee calculation means that calculates parking fees and input fees, the machine comprising: a comparison means for comparing the handling amount with the handling amount once set below the storage amount of the pool; a switching means for switching the operation mode of the parking fee adjustment machine between an unattended adjustment mode and an attendant operation mode; an alarm means for sending an attendant call signal when the parking fee or input fee exceeds the handling amount; In the valet operation mode, a charge injection control means that allows the parking fee to be charged even if the parking fee or the input fee exceeds the handling amount, and a detection device that detects that the pool is once full due to the charge injection. A parking fee payment machine comprising: means for collecting parking fees once the pool is full, regardless of whether payment is completed once the fullness detection means detects that the pool is full.