KR102656034B1 - District control unit failure prevention apparatus for parking control - Google Patents

Abstract

The electric leakage amount of multiple ultrasonic sensors managed by the district control unit (DCU) is accumulated and stored, and when the accumulated value exceeds a certain level, the parking control server is notified so that proactive measures can be taken before the district controller goes down. This relates to an area controller failure prevention device for parking control, which transmits control commands and receives detection signals through a plurality of ultrasonic sensors that detect vehicles on the parking surface using ultrasonic methods and power line communication with the ultrasonic sensors. For parking control, including a zone controller (DCU) that detects electric leakage, stores leakage current amount data, predicts failure when the accumulated current value exceeds the standard value, generates failure state prediction information, and transmits it to the parking control server. Implement a zone controller failure prevention device.

Description

District control unit failure prevention apparatus for parking control}

The present invention relates to a district controller failure prevention device for parking control. In particular, it accumulates and stores the electric leakage amount of a plurality of ultrasonic sensors managed by a district control unit (DCU), and when the accumulated value exceeds a certain value, the parking control server This relates to a zone controller failure prevention device for parking control that notifies the area and allows proactive measures to be taken before the zone controller goes down.

Typically, a parking control system includes a parking control server for parking control, an ultrasonic sensor for detecting parked vehicles or objects, and a district control unit (DCU) that manages multiple ultrasonic sensors. is mainly used.

An ultrasonic sensor is a sensor that utilizes the characteristics of ultrasonic waves, which are sounds with a high frequency (approximately 20 KHz or higher) that are inaudible to the human ear. Because the frequency is high and the wavelength is short, it can measure high resolution and is widely used in the precision measurement field. It is used. The wavelength used in an ultrasonic sensor is determined by the speed of sound in the medium and the frequency of the sound wave, and the transmitting and receiving elements of the ultrasonic waves are the same.

When detecting an object (particularly a vehicle) using such an ultrasonic sensor, the presence or absence of the object (vehicle) is determined by emitting ultrasonic waves and measuring the distance by receiving the reflected ultrasonic waves.

A plurality of ultrasonic sensors are installed at predetermined intervals on the raceway installed at the top of the parking lot, and one zone controller manages the plurality of ultrasonic sensors.

However, in this general parking control system, the zone controller manages a plurality of ultrasonic sensors, and it is impossible to detect the short circuit state of each ultrasonic sensor, but simply detects whether or not the ultrasonic sensor is broken. In actual ultrasonic sensors, disturbances such as electric leakage may occur before a complete failure occurs, and as these disturbances become more severe, the occurrence of electric leakage increases and overcurrent occurs in the zone controller, causing the zone controller to go down and become inoperable.

When the zone controller is down and inoperable, the parking control server detects the situation and issues an alarm or notifies the manager to take follow-up measures.

If the operation of the zone controller is disabled, parking control cannot be performed, causing confusion in the parking lot.

Therefore, research is needed to recognize the short circuit condition of the ultrasonic sensor before the zone controller malfunctions and to take proactive measures accordingly.

Conventionally proposed technologies for parking control systems using ultrasonic sensors are disclosed in <Patent Document 1> to <Patent Document 3> below.

In the prior art disclosed in <Patent Document 1>, when the ultrasonic information obtained through an ultrasonic sensor is different from the initial fixed value or is unclear, the initial fixed value using the ultrasonic sensor is compared with the subsequently changed comparison values to determine whether or not to park. or even when the reflected wave cannot be measured, it recognizes the vehicle as parked and checks whether the vehicle is parked through program logic using the input parking information, allowing accurate detection of whether the vehicle is parked in a parking lot where a variety of cases can occur.

In addition, the prior art disclosed in <Patent Document 2> includes an obstacle detection unit that detects obstacles based on the recognized location information of the vehicle, location information of obstacles, and captured image data, and when an obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection unit, machine learning An automatic parking system that includes an obstacle motion detection unit that detects obstacle movement in the near and far distances using an algorithm (SVM: Support Vector Machine) and an obstacle movement alarm unit that notifies the driver of the detection results of the obstacle movement detected by the obstacle motion detection unit. Implement an object detection device.

In addition, the prior art disclosed in <Patent Document 3> includes an ultrasonic sensor for a vehicle, a position control unit that adjusts the position of the ultrasonic sensor for a vehicle according to control, a height sensor for the rear that detects the height of the rear of the vehicle, and a front sensor that detects the height of the front of the vehicle. Based on the vehicle's rear height and front height detected by the vehicle height sensor, rear height sensor, and front height sensor, when a change in vehicle height is confirmed compared to the reference vehicle height detected when the vehicle is unladen, ultrasonic waves are sent according to the changed vehicle height. It includes a control unit that controls the position adjustment unit to adjust the position of the sensor. Through this configuration, the position of the vehicle ultrasonic sensor is adjusted according to changes in ride height, allowing the ultrasonic sensor to accurately detect objects around the vehicle.

However, the above prior art is also focused on detecting vehicles or objects parked in a parking lot using an ultrasonic sensor, and it is possible to predict in advance the failure of the controller that manages the ultrasonic sensor by detecting the short circuit state of the ultrasonic sensor. There is no downside.

Republic of Korea registered patent 10-0822759 (registered on April 10, 2008) (vehicle parking detection method and parking detection system) Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2013-0054637 (published on May 27, 2013) (object detection device and method in automatic parking system) Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2016-0066763 (published on June 13, 2016) (position control device and method for ultrasonic sensors for vehicles)

Therefore, the present invention was proposed to solve the problem of the district controller being down and various problems occurring in the prior art in the parking control system using an ultrasonic sensor as described above, and a plurality of devices managed by a district control unit (DCU) are provided. We provide a zone controller failure prevention device for parking control that accumulates and stores the amount of electric leakage of the ultrasonic sensor and notifies the parking control server when the accumulated value exceeds a certain level so that proactive measures can be taken before the zone controller goes down. There is a purpose.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the “parking control zone controller failure prevention device” according to the present invention,

A plurality of ultrasonic sensors that detect vehicles on the parking surface using ultrasonic waves; and

It transmits control commands and receives detection signals through power line communication with the plurality of ultrasonic sensors, detects electric leakage of the ultrasonic sensor, accumulates and stores leakage current amount data, predicts failure when the accumulated current exceeds the standard value, and predicts failure status. It is characterized by including a zone controller (DCU) that generates prediction information and transmits it to the parking control server.

In addition, the "parking control area controller failure prevention device" according to the present invention,

It is characterized in that it further includes a parking control server that generates an alarm when receiving failure state prediction information from the zone controller.

In the above, the parking control server is,

When the failure state prediction information is received, the failure prediction information including the identification information of the corresponding area controller is transmitted to the administrator terminal to take action.

In the above, the zone controller is,

An earth leakage detection unit that detects an earth leakage state of a plurality of ultrasonic sensors through a power line connected to the ultrasonic sensors;

a current accumulator that accumulates and stores the leakage current detection value detected by the earth leakage detection unit; and

It is characterized in that it includes a failure prediction unit that predicts failure of the zone controller in advance by comparing the leakage current value accumulated in the current accumulator with a reference current value prepared to predict failure of the zone controller in advance and generates failure state prediction information. .

In the above, the zone controller is,

a status transmission unit that transmits the failure state prediction information generated by the failure prediction unit to a parking control server; and

It is characterized in that it further includes a power supply (SMPS) that supplies driving power to the zone controller and ultrasonic sensor.

According to the present invention, electric leakage data from a plurality of ultrasonic sensors managed by a district control unit (DCU) is accumulated and stored, and when the accumulated value exceeds a certain level, the parking control server is notified of this to prevent the district controller from going down. It has the effect of encouraging proactive measures to be taken.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a parking control area controller failure prevention device according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of a parking control zone controller failure prevention device according to the present invention;
Figure 3 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the zone controller of the zone controller failure prevention device for parking control according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, a parking control area controller failure prevention device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

The terms or words used in the present invention described below should not be construed as limited to their usual or dictionary meanings, and the inventor may appropriately define the concept of the term in order to explain his/her invention in the best way. It must be interpreted with meaning and concept consistent with the technical idea of the present invention based on the principle that it can be done.

Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical idea of the present invention, and therefore various equivalents and It should be understood that variations may exist.

Figure 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a malfunction prevention device for a parking control zone controller according to the present invention, and Figure 2 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of a malfunction prevention device for a parking control zone controller according to the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a single zone controller, and Figure 2 shows a plurality of zone controllers. Since the configuration and operation of each zone controller constituting the plurality of zone controllers 210 to 240 are the same, only one zone controller 210 will be described below.

The parking control zone controller failure prevention device according to the present invention may include an ultrasonic sensor (101 - 100+N), a zone controller (210), and a parking control server (300).

The ultrasonic sensor (101 - 100+N) is installed in the raceway (1) and serves to detect vehicles on the parking surface by ultrasonic method.

The zone controller 210 transmits control commands and receives detection signals through power line communication with the plurality of ultrasonic sensors (101 - 100+N), and detects leakage of the ultrasonic sensors (101 - 100+N) to determine the amount of leakage current. It stores data cumulatively, predicts failure when the accumulated current value exceeds the standard value, generates failure state prediction information, and transmits it to the parking control server 300.

As shown in FIG. 3, the zone controller 210 includes a command transmitter 201 that transmits a measurement command or a measurement cycle synchronization command to the plurality of ultrasonic sensors 101 to 100+N, and the plurality of ultrasonic sensors. (101 ~ 100+N) and a detection signal receiver 202 that receives signals detected from each ultrasonic sensor (101 ~ 100+N) through power line communication (DPC), and a plurality of ultrasonic waves through a power line connected to the ultrasonic sensor. An earth leakage detection unit 203 that detects the earth leakage state of the sensor, a current accumulation unit 204 that accumulates and stores the earth leakage current detection value detected by the earth leakage detection unit 203, and an earth leakage current accumulated in the current accumulation unit 204. It includes a failure prediction unit 205 that predicts failure of the zone controller 210 by comparing the value with a reference current value prepared to predict failure of the zone controller 210 and generates failure state prediction information.

In addition, the zone controller 210 includes a status transmission unit 206, a zone controller 210, and an ultrasonic sensor 101 that transmits the failure state prediction information generated by the failure prediction unit 205 to the parking control server 300. -100+N) may further include a power supply (SMPS) 207 that supplies driving power.

The parking control server 300 serves to generate an alarm when it receives failure state prediction information from the zone controllers 210 - 240.

When receiving the failure state prediction information, the parking control server 300 transmits the failure prediction information including the identification information of the corresponding zone controller to the administrator terminal to take action.

The operation of the parking control zone controller failure prevention device according to the present invention configured as described above will be described in detail as follows.

First, each zone controller 210 is connected to a plurality of ultrasonic sensors (101 ~ 100+N) that it manages through power line communication, supplies driving power through the power supply (SMPS) 207, and transmits commands. Using the unit 201, an object detection command is simultaneously transmitted to each ultrasonic sensor (101 to 100+N).

Here, as is well known, power line communication is a new technology that transmits voice, data, Internet, etc. at high speeds by using power lines previously installed for power supply as a communication network. It transmits high-frequency communication signals of tens of MHz or more at high speed through power lines installed in homes or offices. It refers to a technology that does not affect the operation of general home appliances because it uses low-power signals.

A plurality of ultrasonic sensors (101 to 100+N) are driven by power supplied through the power line, and start measuring the vehicle at a pre-programmed time according to a measurement command transmitted through the power line. Here, the pre-programmed time refers to the measurement time, and in the present invention, it is assumed to be set to 1 second for convenience of explanation.

A plurality of ultrasonic sensors (101 to 100+N) measure the vehicle based on a programmed time and store the measured information.

Next, the zone controller 210 commands the plurality of ultrasonic sensors 101 to 100+N to transmit the acquired detection signals through the command transmission unit 201 using a communication protocol such as a polling method. The plurality of ultrasonic sensors 101 to 100+N that receive these commands transmit the acquired detection signals to the zone controller 210 through the power line communication. Here, each ultrasonic sensor transmits a detection signal including unique information that identifies itself, so that the zone controller 210 can clearly recognize the location of the detection signal from the ultrasonic sensor installed.

Through this process, while detecting whether there is a vehicle on the parking surface of the parking lot, the zone controller 210 predicts in advance a failure (down state as an inoperable state) that may occur due to short circuit of each ultrasonic sensor. , the presence or absence of electric leakage and the amount of electric leakage of each ultrasonic sensor are detected through the electric leak detection unit 203.

The earth leakage detection unit 203 detects the state and amount of electric leakage of the ultrasonic sensor using an earth leakage detection sensor installed on the power line connected to the ultrasonic sensor. Here, as a method of detecting the amount of electrical leakage of the ultrasonic sensor, a method of detecting the amount of electrical leakage of the power line can be used.

The amount of electrical leakage of the ultrasonic sensor detected in this way is transmitted to the current accumulator 204. Here, the earth leakage detection unit 203 may convert the detected earth leakage amount into digital earth leakage current amount data and transmit it to the current accumulator 204, or transmit the earth leakage current amount signal in analog form.

When the electric leak detection value is received as an analog leakage current amount signal, the current accumulator 204 converts it into digital leakage current amount data, and when it is received as digital leakage current amount data, it accumulates and stores it as is in the internal storage device.

The actual leakage amount stored in the internal storage device is leakage current amount data.

Next, the failure prediction unit 205 compares the leakage current value accumulated in the current accumulator 204 with the reference current value prepared to predict failure of the zone controller 210 in advance to determine the failure of the zone controller 210. Predict in advance.

Here, when a single electrical leak occurs in an ultrasonic sensor, the amount of electrical current is so small that it is not enough to cause overcurrent in the zone controller, so the zone controller can operate normally. However, if the overcurrent limit is reached due to electrical leakage in multiple ultrasonic sensors, the zone controller stops operating without prior notice. It goes down and becomes inoperable. When the zone controller goes down, numerous ultrasonic sensors controlled by the zone controller do not operate properly, causing chaos in the parking lot. Therefore, in order to prevent chaos in the parking lot that may occur due to the inoperability of the zone controller, it is necessary to predict zone controller failure in advance.

In order to predict in advance a failure of the zone controller that may occur due to an electric current in an ultrasonic sensor, the present invention sets the overcurrent limit as a reference current value before the zone controller goes down due to overcurrent, and the accumulated leakage current value is set to the reference current value. It is predicted that if the current value is exceeded, there is a high probability of failure. Next, when a failure is predicted as described above, failure state prediction information is generated and transmitted to the status transmission unit 206. Here, it is desirable that the failure state prediction information includes zone controller identification information to identify the corresponding zone controller.

The status transmission unit 206 transmits the failure state prediction information generated by the failure prediction unit 205 to the parking control server 300. Here, the status transmission unit 206 can transmit failure state prediction information to the parking control server 300 through wired or wireless communication.

The parking control server 300 generates an alarm when it receives failure state prediction information from the zone controllers 210 - 240. Alerts can be audible and visual. Here, if the manager is not present at the location where the parking control server 300 is located after the alarm occurs, the status of the zone controller cannot be recognized in real time, and if this state passes for a certain period of time, there is a risk that the zone controller may be down.

Therefore, the parking control server 300 audio-visually generates an alarm about the failure prediction of the zone controller as described above, and simultaneously transmits the failure prediction information including the identification information of the zone controller to the manager terminal such as a smartphone to the manager. Ensures that the status information of the zone controller is recognized in real time. The parking control server 300 may transmit failure prediction information to the manager terminal through various wireless communication methods.

Even when the parking manager is not in the situation room where the parking control server is located, the parking manager can recognize the status of the zone controller in real time through a manager terminal such as a smartphone. In case of failure prediction information, quick follow-up action can be taken to ensure that the zone controller uses ultrasonic waves. It prevents overcurrent that may occur due to sensor short circuit, causing chaos in the parking lot.

In particular, by taking precautions before the zone controller goes down due to overcurrent, etc., there is an effect of reducing zone controller replacement costs or A/S costs that may occur due to zone controller failure.

According to the present invention described above, electric leakage data of a plurality of ultrasonic sensors managed by a district control unit (DCU) is accumulated and stored, and when the accumulated value exceeds a certain value, the parking control server is notified of this, and the district controller is shut down. Make sure that precautionary measures are taken before it happens.

Although the invention made by the present inventor has been described in detail according to the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be changed in various ways without departing from the gist of the invention, as is known in the art. It is self-evident to those who have.

101 - 100+N: Ultrasonic sensor
210 - 240: Zone controller (DCU)
201: Command transmission unit
202: Detection signal receiver
203: Earth leak detection unit
204: Current accumulation unit
205: Failure prediction unit
206: Status transmission unit
207: Power supply (SMPS)

Claims (5)

As a device to prevent failure of the parking control area controller (DCU),
A plurality of ultrasonic sensors that detect vehicles on the parking surface using ultrasonic waves; and
Control commands are transmitted and detection signals are received through power line communication with the plurality of ultrasonic sensors, electrical leakage of the ultrasonic sensors is detected and leakage current amount data is accumulated, and if the accumulated current value exceeds the standard value, failure is predicted, and fault status is detected. A zone controller failure prevention device for parking control, comprising a zone controller (DCU) that generates prediction information and transmits it to the parking control server.
In claim 1, the area controller failure prevention device for parking control further comprises a parking control server that generates an alarm upon receiving failure state prediction information from the area controller.
In claim 1, the parking control server,
A parking control area controller failure prevention device, characterized in that upon receiving the failure state prediction information, failure prediction information including identification information of the corresponding area controller is transmitted to the administrator terminal to take action.
In claim 1, the zone controller,
An earth leakage detection unit that detects an earth leakage state of a plurality of ultrasonic sensors through a power line connected to the ultrasonic sensors;
a current accumulator that accumulates and stores the leakage current detection value detected by the earth leakage detection unit; and
A failure prediction unit that predicts failure of the zone controller by comparing the leakage current accumulated in the current accumulator with a reference current value prepared to predict failure of the zone controller in advance and generates failure state prediction information. Area controller failure prevention device for parking control.
In claim 4, the zone controller,
a status transmission unit that transmits the failure state prediction information generated by the failure prediction unit to a parking control server; and
A zone controller failure prevention device for parking control, further comprising a power supply (SMPS) that supplies driving power to the zone controller and ultrasonic sensors.

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