US 6,650,250 B2 · Parking lot guidance system and parking lot guidance program

Abstract

A parking lot guidance system guides parking lot users to empty parking spaces in a large-scale parking lot in a way that is easy for the user to understand. The parking lot guidance system N has vehicle detection units 1 for detecting vehicles parked in parking spaces, a control unit 2 for generating parking space availability data for the parking lot based on detection results from the vehicle detection units 1, a parking lot map storage unit 3 for storing maps of the parking lot, an empty space data storage unit 4 for storing the empty parking space data generated by the control unit 2, and data transmitters 6 for sending the empty parking space data to optical beacons 5 located at various places throughout the parking lot. The parking lot is preferably divided into multiple parking blocks, and data indicating whether any of those blocks as an available parking space is sent to vehicles V. When entering a specific parking block, data indicating the location of available parking spaces are sent to the vehicles. These data are sent to the vehicles by optical beacons 5, and presented pictorially on an on-board display in the vehicles.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A parking lot guidance system for guiding a vehicle to an empty parking space in a parking lot divided into at least one parking block having multiple parking spaces, said parking lot comprising:

vehicle detector for detecting parked vehicles in said parking spaces;
a first parking space data generator for generating first parking data including at least a pictorial representation of parking availability data for said parking block based on detection results from said vehicle detector, wherein said parking availability data indicates at least whether any parking spaces are available within said parking block;
a second parking space data generator for generating second parking data including at least a pictorial representation of parking space location data for said parking block based on detection results from said vehicle detector, wherein said parking space location data indicates which of said multiple parking spaces are available and their relative location within said parking block;
and
a transmitter for sending said first parking data to said vehicle at the entrance to said parking lot, and for sending said second parking data to said vehicle at the entrance to said parking block;
wherein said vehicle has a display device for displaying said first and second parking data, whereby said vehicle is guided to an empty one of said multiple parking spaces.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Parking lot guidance system and parking lot guidance program

Life of this patent

Parking lot guidance system and parking lot guidance program

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8