JP7636877B2 - Mechanical parking system operation device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an operating device for a mechanical parking device , and more particularly to an operating device for a mechanical parking device suitable for operation when a vehicle enters or leaves the parking device.

A variety of large-scale mechanical parking systems have already been developed that efficiently utilize multi-level space, including horizontal circulation systems, elevator systems, and vertical circulation systems. These mechanical parking systems often include a berth (also called a boarding/disembarking area) where vehicles can enter and exit the parking system, and an operating panel that opens and closes the entrance and exit doors to the berth.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a mechanical parking device in which a vehicle is placed on a pallet that is transported to a hangar and a boarding/deboarding compartment is provided where the driver of the vehicle can get on and off the vehicle, the device comprising: a plurality of cameras that capture images of the interior of the boarding/deboarding compartment; a monitor that is provided on an operation panel provided outside the boarding/deboarding compartment or in the vicinity of the operation panel and that displays images captured by the cameras; and an input means that is provided on an operation panel provided outside the boarding/deboarding compartment or in the vicinity of the operation panel and that inputs the status of a safety check being performed by a person.

JP 2015-212516 A

As with the invention described in Patent Document 1 above, conventional mechanical parking devices have operation panels with button or touch panel configurations, and occupants must touch the buttons or touch panels to perform the desired operations. Since mechanical parking devices are used by many users, there is a risk of causing viral infections, such as COVID-19, which is transmitted by contact.

The present invention has been devised in consideration of such problems, and has an object to provide an operating device for a mechanical parking equipment that allows a user to perform entry and exit operations without touching the operation panel.

According to the present invention, an operating device for a mechanical parking device is provided with an operation panel by which a user operates the opening and closing of an entrance/exit door of a berth for entering or leaving a vehicle, the operating device comprising: a safety confirmation camera capable of capturing an image of a predetermined area within the berth; a processing progress camera arranged on the operation panel and capable of capturing an image of the user standing in front of the operation panel; a control device that analyzes the gestures of the user captured by the safety confirmation camera or the processing progress camera and processes operations related to the opening and closing of the entrance/exit door; and a display arranged on the operation panel that displays information necessary for the operation of opening and closing the entrance/exit door. An operating device for a mechanical parking device is provided, characterized in that operations related to opening and closing include a start operation that sends a signal to start the entry or exit process, a confirmation operation that sends a signal by the user to confirm that no one remains in the berth after entry or exit, and a door close operation that sends a signal by the user to close the entrance/exit door, and the control device is configured to analyze the gestures of the user captured by the safety confirmation camera to process the confirmation operation, and to analyze the gestures of the user captured by the process progress camera to process the start operation and the door close operation .

The display may be configured to display images from the safety confirmation camera, and the processing progress camera may be configured to be used for the start operation, the confirmation operation, and the door closing operation.

The display may be configured to be capable of displaying a sample of the gesture.

The control device may be configured to be able to authenticate the user by face recognition or iris recognition from an image of the user captured by the process progress camera.

The gesture of the start operation may be a gesture of moving a hand in a direction in which the entrance door is opened.

The gesture of the confirmation operation may be a pose of making a circle above the head with both hands.

The gesture for the door closing operation may be a gesture of moving a hand in a direction to close the entrance door.

The control device may be configured to emergency stop operation of the mechanical parking device by an emergency stop gesture.

The emergency stop gesture may be an X above the head.

The operating device for the mechanical parking equipment of the present invention described above allows users to perform operations related to opening and closing the entrance and exit doors of the berth through gestures without touching the operation panel, allowing users to perform entry and exit operations without touching the operation panel, thereby reducing the risk of contact infection.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an operating device of a mechanical parking device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. The captured images include a user, where (A) is an image captured by a first safety confirmation camera, (B) is an image captured by a second safety confirmation camera, and (C) is an image captured by a processing progress camera. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the operation procedure when entering the warehouse. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an operation panel in the first embodiment, in which FIG. 1A shows a processing start signaling process, and FIG. 1B shows a first unmanned confirmation signaling process. 1A is a diagram showing an operation panel in the first embodiment, where (A) shows the second unmanned confirmation signal process, and (B) shows the door closing process start signal process. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the operation procedure at the time of leaving the warehouse. A schematic diagram showing the configuration of an operating device of a mechanical parking device related to a second embodiment of the present invention. The captured images include a user, where (A) shows a gesture for a start operation, (B) shows a gesture for a confirmation operation, and (C) shows a gesture for a door closing operation. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing displays in a second embodiment, in which FIG. 13A shows an authentication step, and FIG. 13B shows a processing start signal step. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a display in a second embodiment, in which (A) shows an unmanned confirmation signal process, and (B) shows a door closing process start signal process. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a display in a second embodiment, in which (A) shows a re-authentication process and (B) shows a door closing process.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 11(B). Here, Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an operating device for a mechanical parking device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. For ease of explanation, Fig. 1 only shows the configuration near the entrance and exit berths.

As shown in FIG. 1, the operating device 1 of the mechanical parking device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is disposed in a mechanical parking device equipped with an operating panel 3 that allows a user to operate the opening and closing of the entrance door 21 of the entrance/exit berth 2 through which a vehicle C enters or leaves the parking device.

The mechanical parking device is, for example, a large-scale mechanical parking device that uses a horizontal circulation system, an elevator system, a vertical circulation system, or the like. Such a mechanical parking device is configured, for example, to store a vehicle C on a specified shelf (vehicle compartment) with the vehicle C placed on a pallet P.

The entrance/exit door 21 is disposed in front of the loading/unloading berth 2. The entrance/exit door 21 is opened, for example, by moving it upward, and closed, by moving it downward. Note that the configuration of the entrance/exit door 21 is not limited to the configuration shown in the figure. The entrance/exit door 21 is opened and closed by the user operating the operation panel 3.

The operating device 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with a safety confirmation camera 4 capable of capturing images of a specified area within the loading/unloading berth 2, a processing progress camera 5 arranged on the operation panel 3 capable of capturing images of a user standing in front of the operation panel 3, a control device 6 that analyzes the gestures of the user captured by the safety confirmation camera 4 and the processing progress camera 5 and processes operations related to opening and closing the entrance/exit door 21, and a display 31 arranged on the operation panel 3 that displays information necessary for opening and closing the entrance/exit door 21.

The safety confirmation camera 4 includes, for example, a first safety confirmation camera 41 capable of capturing an image of a user standing at a first safety confirmation position M1 set within the loading/unloading berth 2, and a second safety confirmation camera 42 capable of capturing an image of a user standing at a second safety confirmation position M2 set within the loading/unloading berth 2. The first safety confirmation camera 41 and the second safety confirmation camera 42 are so-called video cameras.

The first safety confirmation position M1 and the second safety confirmation position M2 may be configured to be visible by marks attached to the floor inside the loading/unloading berth 2. Here, they are displayed with round marks, but the marks may also be lines or foot marks. The first safety confirmation position M1 is, for example, located on the left front side of the vehicle C, and the second safety confirmation position M2 is, for example, located on the right rear side of the vehicle C.

The first safety confirmation camera 41 is positioned at a location where it can capture an image of a user standing at the first safety confirmation position M1, for example, at a position above the left front corner of the loading/unloading berth 2. The second safety confirmation camera 42 is positioned at a location where it can capture an image of a user standing at the second safety confirmation position M2, for example, at a position above the right rear corner of the loading/unloading berth 2.

In this embodiment, two safety confirmation cameras 4 (a first safety confirmation camera 41 and a second safety confirmation camera 42) are illustrated, but the number of safety confirmation cameras 4 may be one or three or more.

The processing progress camera 5 is, for example, a video camera built into the operation panel 3. The processing progress camera 5 may also be a video camera placed in a position adjacent to the operation panel 3. Although not shown, a marker indicating the user's standing position may be placed on the floor surface in front of the operation panel 3.

The control panel 3 is arranged, for example, on the wall surface 22 in front of the loading/unloading berth 2 located next to the entrance/exit door 21. The control panel 3 may be installed independently at a position away from the wall surface 22. However, it is preferable that the control panel 3 is arranged within a range where the entrance/exit door 21 can be visually confirmed.

The operation panel 3 also includes, for example, a display 31, operation buttons 32, a card reader 33, etc. Necessary information is displayed on the display 31 according to the operation process. The operation buttons 32 are not an essential component in this embodiment, but may be provided as an auxiliary operation means in consideration of cases such as when it is necessary to urgently stop the operation of the entrance/exit door 21 or when the risk of infection is low.

The operation buttons 32 include, for example, a confirmation button for confirming processing, a safety confirmation button for confirming safety, a door close button for closing the entrance/exit door 21, a start button for starting the entry process, a cancel button for canceling an operation, and an exit alarm button for sounding an alarm when exiting the warehouse. Note that the operation buttons 32 are not limited to these buttons.

The card reader 33 is a device that reads the information stored on an IC card carried by a user when the IC card is brought close to the card reader. It is necessary when an IC card is used as a means of authenticating the user. If other means, such as a remote control, face recognition, or iris recognition, are used as a means of authenticating the user, the card reader 33 can be omitted.

It is preferable that such authentication means can be processed without the user having to touch the operation panel 3. For example, in this embodiment, since the operation panel 3 has a built-in camera 5 for processing, it is possible to perform contactless personal authentication using features that can identify an individual, such as face recognition or iris recognition, without using an IC card.

The control device 6 is connected to the safety confirmation cameras 4 (first safety confirmation camera 41 and second safety confirmation camera 42) and the operation panel 3 (including the processing progress camera 5) by wire or wirelessly. The control device 6 is a computer that processes the operation device 1, but may also be a computer that processes the entire mechanical parking device. The control device 6 may also be built into the operation panel 3, or may be located in the machine room of the mechanical parking device.

The control device 6 has an image analysis program built in that can analyze the user's gestures captured by the first safety confirmation camera 41, the second safety confirmation camera 42, and the processing progress camera 5. For example, if the user's gesture is set to a pose of making a circle above the user's head with both hands, the control device 6 is configured to determine whether the user has made such a pose, and to proceed to the next process if it recognizes that the user has made a pose of making a circle above the head with both hands. The user's gesture may also be set to another pose.

Here, FIG. 2 shows captured images including a user, where (A) shows an image captured by a first safety confirmation camera, (B) shows an image captured by a second safety confirmation camera, and (C) shows an image captured by a processing progress camera. Note that in each of FIG. 2(A) to FIG. 2(C), the depiction of vehicle C and user D has been simplified for ease of explanation.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2(A), when the first safety confirmation camera 41 captures an image of user D making a circle above his head with both hands for a certain period of time, the control device 6 recognizes that the unmanned check of the space to the right of the vehicle C has been completed and moves on to the next process.

Also, as shown in FIG. 2(B), when the second safety confirmation camera 42 captures an image of user D making a circle above his head with both hands for a certain period of time, the control device 6 recognizes that the unmanned check of the space to the left of the vehicle C has been completed and moves on to the next process.

Also, as shown in FIG. 2(C), when the processing progress camera 5 captures an image of user D making a circle above his head with both hands for a certain period of time, the control device 6 recognizes that a signal to start processing has been given and executes a process to open or close the entrance door 21.

As shown in Figures 2(A) to 2(C), operations related to opening and closing the entrance door 21 that are processed by user D's gestures include, for example, a start operation in which user D sends a signal to start the entry or exit process, a confirmation operation in which user D sends a signal to confirm that no one remains in the entry/exit berth 2 after entry or exit, and a door close operation in which user D sends a signal to close the entrance door 21. By processing these operations by user D's gestures, user D can perform entry and exit operations without touching the operation panel 3.

In this embodiment, the safety confirmation camera 4 (first safety confirmation camera 41 and second safety confirmation camera 42) is configured to be used for the above-mentioned confirmation operation, and the process progress camera 5 is configured to be used for the above-mentioned start operation and door closing operation.

Furthermore, operations that were previously handled by the operation buttons 32, such as canceling processing or stopping in an emergency, or the touch panel of the display 31, may be handled by user gestures. For example, by setting multiple gestures, such as making an X above the head or a pose with both arms spread horizontally, it is possible to handle a variety of operations. If operations that were previously handled by the operation buttons 32 can be handled by user gestures, the operation buttons 32 may be omitted.

Next, the procedure for parking vehicle C in a mechanical parking device using the above-mentioned operation device 1 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 5(B). Here, Figure 3 is a diagram showing the operation procedure when parking. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the operation panel in the first embodiment, where (A) shows the processing start signal process and (B) shows the first unmanned confirmation signal process. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the operation panel in the first embodiment, where (A) shows the second unmanned confirmation signal process and (B) shows the door closing processing start signal process.

As shown in FIG. 3, the warehousing procedure includes an initial screen display step (Step 1) in which an initial screen is displayed on the display 31 of the operation panel 3, an authentication step (Step 2) in which the user is authenticated, a processing start signal step (Step 3) in which the user sends a signal to start the warehousing process, a pallet transport step (Step 4) in which a specified pallet P is transported to the warehousing/unloading berth 2, a door opening step (Step 5) in which the entrance/exit door 21 of the warehousing/unloading berth 2 is opened, and a warehousing step (Step 6) in which the user allows the vehicle C to enter the warehousing/unloading berth 2. Step 6, an unmanned confirmation step Step 7 in which the user confirms that no one remains in the loading/unloading berth 2, an unmanned confirmation signal step Step 8 in which the user sends a signal after entering the berth that they have confirmed that no one remains in the loading/unloading berth 2, a door-closing process start signal step Step 9 in which the user sends a signal to close the entrance/exit door 21, a re-authentication step Step 10 in which the user is re-authenticated, and a door-closing step Step 11 in which the entrance/exit door 21 of the loading/unloading berth 2 is closed.

The initial screen display process Step 1 is the first screen displayed on the display 31 of the operation panel 3 to a user who is about to park a vehicle C in a mechanical parking device. The initial screen displays information about, for example, the vehicle compartment status, entrance/exit operation, pallet operation, etc.

The authentication step Step 2 is, for example, a step of reading an IC card for authentication carried by the user with the card reader 33 to perform authentication. Specifically, the user is authenticated by holding the IC card over the card reader 33. Note that if other means such as a remote control, face recognition, or iris recognition is used as a means for authenticating the user, the act of holding the IC card over the card reader 33 can be omitted.

The process start signal step 3 is a process for making the mechanical parking device recognize that it is OK to start the parking process. For example, as shown in FIG. 4(A), the display 31 displays a message saying "Take a pause to start the process/Press the start button." When the control device 6 recognizes the user's gesture, it sends a signal to the mechanical parking device that it is OK to start the parking process. The same process is also performed when the user presses the start button.

The pallet transport process Step 4 is a process of transporting the pallet P from a specified vehicle compartment to the loading/unloading berth 2. If a vehicle compartment is assigned to each user in advance, the vehicle compartment is selected by authenticating the user. If a vehicle compartment is not assigned in advance, an available vehicle compartment may be selected at will.

The door opening process, Step 5, is a process of opening the entrance door 21 after confirming that the pallet P has been transported to the specified position at the loading/unloading berth 2. After the entrance door 21 is opened, a message is displayed on the display 31 of the operation panel 3 encouraging the user to enter the warehouse.

The storage process Step 6 is a process in which the user drives the vehicle C and stops it on the pallet P. Specifically, after the user checks the message displayed on the display 31 of the operation panel 3, the user stores the vehicle C in the storage.

The unmanned confirmation step Step 7 is a step in which a user who has entered and disembarked vehicle C confirms that no one remains in the loading/unloading berth 2 (including vehicle C). Specifically, the user visually confirms that no one remains in the loading/unloading berth 2.

The unmanned confirmation signal process Step 8 is a process for making the mechanical parking device recognize that it has been confirmed that no one remains in the entrance/exit berth 2. For example, as shown in FIG. 4(B), the display 31 of the operation panel 3 displays the message "Take a pose for unmanned confirmation at safety confirmation position No. 1/Press the safety confirmation button." When the user stands at the first safety confirmation position M1 and takes a specified pose, the control device 6 recognizes the user's gesture and sends a signal to the mechanical parking device that unmanned confirmation at the first safety confirmation position M1 has been completed. The same process is also performed when the user presses the safety confirmation button.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5(A), for example, the display 31 of the operation panel 3 displays the message "Take a pose to confirm unattended parking at safety confirmation position No. 2/Press the safety confirmation button." When the user stands at the second safety confirmation position M2 and takes a specified pose, the control device 6 recognizes the user's gesture and transmits a signal to the mechanical parking device that unattended parking confirmation at the second safety confirmation position M2 has been completed. The same process is also performed when the user presses the safety confirmation button.

Door closing process start signal step 9 is a process for making the mechanical parking device recognize that it is OK to close the entrance door 21. For example, as shown in FIG. 5(B), the display 31 of the operation panel 3 displays the message "Take a pose to close the door/press the door close button." When the user takes a specified pose in front of the operation panel 3, the control device 6 recognizes the user's gesture and transmits a signal to the mechanical parking device that it is OK to close the entrance door 21. The same process is also performed when the user presses the door close button.

The re-authentication process, Step 10, is a process for verifying whether the user who is about to end the parking operation is the same person as the user who started the parking operation. This re-authentication can prevent erroneous operation of the mechanical parking device. Specifically, the user is authenticated by the same operation as in the authentication process, Step 2.

The door closing process, Step 11, is a process for closing the entrance door 21 after user authentication is completed. This process ends the warehousing operation.

According to the above-described embodiment, in addition to the operation buttons (e.g., start button, safety check button, door close button) that were used for conventional entry processing, the entry processing can be operated by the user's gestures, so that the entry processing can be completed without the user touching the operation panel 3, thereby reducing the risk of contact infection.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, since the operation button 32 is also provided, when it is necessary to stop the operation of the entrance/exit door 21 in an emergency or when the risk of infection is low, the entry process can be performed using the operation button 32 in the same manner as in the conventional case.

Next, the procedure for exiting a vehicle C parked in a mechanical parking device will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 shows the operation procedure for exiting the parking device.

As shown in FIG. 6, the unloading procedure includes an initial screen display step (Step 21) for displaying an initial screen on the display 31 of the operation panel 3, an authentication step (Step 22) for authenticating the user, a processing start signal step (Step 23) for the user to send a signal to start the unloading process, a pallet transport step (Step 24) for transporting a pallet P carrying a specific vehicle C to the loading/unloading berth 2, a door opening step (Step 25) for opening the entrance/exit door 21 of the loading/unloading berth 2, and a step (Step 26) for the user to unload the vehicle C from the loading/unloading berth 2. The system includes an unmanned confirmation step 26 in which the user confirms that no one remains in the loading/unloading berth 2, an unmanned confirmation signal step 28 in which the user sends a signal to confirm that no one remains in the loading/unloading berth 2 after leaving the warehouse, a door-closing process start signal step 29 in which the user sends a signal to close the entrance/exit door 21, a re-authentication step 30 in which the user is authenticated, and a door-closing step 31 in which the entrance/exit door 21 of the loading/unloading berth 2 is closed.

The above-mentioned initial screen display step 21, authentication step 22, processing start signal step 23, unmanned confirmation step 27, door closing processing start signal step 29, re-authentication step 30, and door closing step 31 are essentially the same as the warehousing procedure, so detailed explanations are omitted here.

The pallet transport process Step 24 is a process of transporting the user's vehicle C together with the pallet P from the vehicle compartment in which the vehicle C is stored to the loading/unloading berth 2.

The door opening process (Step 25) is a process of opening the entrance/exit door 21 after confirming that the pallet P carrying the vehicle C has been transported to the specified position at the loading/unloading berth 2. After the entrance/exit door 21 is opened, a message is displayed on the display 31 of the operation panel 3, encouraging the user to leave the vehicle C.

The unloading process (Step 26) is a process in which the user drives the vehicle C to move the vehicle C from the loading/unloading berth 2 to the outside. Specifically, the user checks the message displayed on the display 31 of the operation panel 3, and then the user unloads the vehicle C.

The unmanned confirmation signal process Step 28 is processed by the user taking a specified pose at either the first safety confirmation position M1 or the second safety confirmation position M2. When leaving the warehouse, visibility inside the loading/unloading berth 2 is good, so the process may be set up to proceed with unmanned confirmation at one location. Of course, just like when entering the warehouse, unmanned confirmation may also be set up to be performed at two locations, the first safety confirmation position M1 and the second safety confirmation position M2.

According to this embodiment, in addition to the operation buttons (e.g., start button, safety check button, door close button) that were used for conventional unloading processes, the unloading process can be operated by the user's gestures, so that the unloading process can be completed without the user having to touch the operation panel 3, reducing the risk of contact infection.

Next, the operation device 1 of a mechanical parking device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 7 to 11(B). Note that the same reference numerals will be used to designate components that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment described above, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted.

Here, FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an operating device for a mechanical parking device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a captured image including a user, where (A) shows a gesture for a start operation, (B) shows a gesture for a confirmation operation, and (C) shows a gesture for a door closing operation. Note that in each of FIGS. 8(A) to 8(C), the depiction of vehicle C and user D has been simplified for ease of explanation.

The operating device 1 according to the second embodiment is equipped with a safety confirmation camera 4 capable of capturing images of a specified area within the loading/unloading berth 2, a processing progress camera 5 arranged on the operation panel 3 capable of capturing images of a user standing in front of the operation panel 3, a control device 6 that analyzes the gestures of the user captured by the processing progress camera 5 and processes operations related to opening and closing the entrance/exit door 21, and a display 31 arranged on the operation panel 3 that displays information necessary for opening and closing the entrance/exit door 21.

As shown in FIG. 7, the safety confirmation camera 4 includes, for example, a first safety confirmation camera 41 capable of capturing an image of the area on the left side of the vehicle C, and a second safety confirmation camera 42 capable of capturing an image of the area on the right side of the vehicle C. The number of safety confirmation cameras 4 may be one, or three or more.

The operation panel 3 also includes a display 31, an emergency stop button 34, a processing progress camera 5, etc. The display 31 is configured to be able to display images from the safety confirmation camera 4, and the processing progress camera 5 is configured to be used for start operations, confirmation operations, and door closing operations.

In this embodiment, all operation buttons other than the emergency stop button 34 are omitted, and the opening and closing operation of the entrance door 21 can be performed substantially completely without contact. Although not shown, the emergency stop button 34 can also be omitted by setting an emergency stop gesture (for example, making an X above the head). However, since it is expected that people will often panic in an emergency and will not be able to calmly perform the emergency stop gesture, the emergency stop button 34 may be left in place even if an emergency stop gesture is set.

The control device 6 is also configured to be able to authenticate the user by facial recognition or iris recognition from the image of the user captured by the processing progress camera 5. This configuration makes it possible to omit the card reader and also to avoid indirect contact between the user and the operation panel 3 via an IC card.

The operating device 1 according to this embodiment allows the user to perform all gestures for operations related to opening and closing the entrance door 21 in front of the operating panel 3. By setting the gestures for the start operation, confirmation operation, and door closing operation to different poses, it is possible to make the user aware of the operation process of the entrance door 21, and to perform entry and exit more safely. Of course, the gestures for the start operation, confirmation operation, and door closing operation may also be set to the same pose.

As shown in FIG. 8(A), the gesture for the start operation is, for example, a gesture of moving both arms from bottom to top. The gesture for the start operation may be any gesture of moving the hands in the direction of opening the entrance door 21. In this embodiment, since the entrance door 21 is a type that opens upward, the gesture is set to a gesture of moving the arms, including the hands, from bottom to top.

The gesture may be set to one arm rather than both arms. The gesture may also be a gesture of moving only the hand in the direction to open the entrance door 21 as if beckoning. Although not shown, if the entrance door 21 is a type that opens horizontally (sideways), the gesture may be set to a gesture of spreading both arms horizontally to the left and right or a gesture of moving the arms left and right.

As shown in FIG. 8B, the gesture for the confirmation operation is, for example, a pose in which both hands are used to make a circle above the head. However, this gesture is merely an example, and other poses may be set.

As shown in FIG. 8(C), the gesture for the door closing operation is, for example, a gesture of moving both arms from top to bottom. The gesture for the door closing operation may be any gesture in which the hands are moved in the direction of closing the entrance door 21. In this embodiment, since the entrance door 21 is a type that closes downward, the gesture is set to a gesture in which the arms, including the hands, are moved from top to bottom.

The gesture may be set to one arm rather than both arms. The gesture may also be a gesture of moving only the hand in the direction of closing the entrance door 21 as if beckoning. Although not shown, if the entrance door 21 is a type that closes horizontally (sideways), the gesture may be set to a gesture of closing the door forward with both arms spread horizontally to the left and right, or a gesture of moving the arms left and right.

The procedure for storing items using the operation device 1 according to the second embodiment is basically the same as the procedure shown in FIG. 3. Details of the procedure for storing items using the operation device 1 according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 9(A) to 11(B).

Here, FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the display in the second embodiment, where (A) shows the authentication process and (B) shows the process of signaling to start processing. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the display in the second embodiment, where (A) shows the process of signaling to start unmanned confirmation and (B) shows the process of signaling to start closing the door. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the display in the second embodiment, where (A) shows the re-authentication process and (B) shows the process of closing the door.

As shown in FIG. 9(A), the screen of the display 31 displays a message display section 31a that displays messages related to entrance/exit operations, a pallet information display section 31b that displays information related to the pallet, a camera image display section 31c that displays images from the safety confirmation camera 4, a gesture sample display section 31d that displays sample gestures, etc.

The camera image display unit 31c includes a display unit 31c' that displays the image from the first safety confirmation camera 41 and a display unit 31c'' that displays the image from the second safety confirmation camera 42. Note that these display units are not always fixed, and screen output can be omitted or switched to a different screen depending on the operation process.

The authentication step Step 2 shown in FIG. 9(A) is a step in which authentication of a user is processed by facial authentication. For example, a message such as "Please stand in a designated position as facial authentication will be performed" is displayed on the message display unit 31a. At this time, nothing may be displayed on the other display units. The authentication means may be iris authentication.

The process start signal step Step 3 shown in FIG. 9(B) is a step for prompting the user to make a specified gesture in front of the operation panel 3. For example, the message displayed in the message display section 31a is, "Facial recognition has been accepted. Please check the number on the "Call" palette and make the gesture to start the operation."

The pallet information display section 31b (call side) also displays the number of the shelf (car compartment) where the vehicle C will be stored at the inbound/outbound berth 2. The gesture sample display section 31d also displays a video showing, for example, a gesture of moving both arms from bottom to top. The sample may be displayed repeatedly.

Step 8, the unmanned confirmation signal process shown in FIG. 10(A), is a process in which the user is prompted to check the image from the safety confirmation camera 4 in front of the operation panel 3, and after confirming that it is safe, to make a specified gesture. For example, a message such as "Is there no one in the parking lot? Please make a confirmation gesture after confirming that there is no one in the image below" is displayed on the message display section 31a.

In addition, the image from the first safety confirmation camera 41 is displayed on the display unit 31c', and the image from the second safety confirmation camera 42 is displayed on the display unit 31c''. In addition, the gesture sample display unit 31d displays, for example, a pose in which both hands are used to make a circle above the head.

The door closing process start signal step 9 shown in FIG. 10 (B) is a process for confirming with the user that it is OK to start the process of closing the entrance door 21. For example, the message display section 31a displays a message such as "If you wish to close the entrance door, please perform the gesture for the door closing operation."

At this time, the image from the first safety confirmation camera 41 may be displayed on the display unit 31c', and the image from the second safety confirmation camera 42 may be left displayed on the display unit 31c". In addition, the gesture sample display unit 31d may display, for example, a video showing a gesture of moving both arms from top to bottom. The sample may be displayed repeatedly.

The re-authentication step Step 10 shown in FIG. 11(A) is a step in which re-authentication of the user is processed by facial authentication. For example, a message such as "Please stand in a designated position as facial authentication will be performed" is displayed in the message display section 31a.

At this time, the image from the first safety confirmation camera 41 may be displayed on the display unit 31c', and the image from the second safety confirmation camera 42 may be left displayed on the display unit 31c". Also, nothing may be displayed on the gesture sample display unit 31d. The authentication means may be iris authentication.

When face recognition or iris recognition is used as the authentication method, the user's entire body is captured by the processing progress camera 5, so the door closing process start signal step 9 and the re-authentication step step 10 may be processed substantially simultaneously.

The door closing process Step 11 shown in FIG. 11(B) is a process of closing the entrance door 21 after re-authentication. The message display unit 31a displays a message such as "Facial authentication has been accepted. Please note that the entrance door will be closed."

At this time, the image from the first safety confirmation camera 41 may be displayed on the display unit 31c', and the image from the second safety confirmation camera 42 may be left displayed on the display unit 31c". Also, the gesture sample display unit 31d may be in a state where nothing is displayed.

The procedure for unloading using the operating device 1 according to the second embodiment is basically the same as the procedure shown in FIG. 6. The specific process is substantially the same as the above-mentioned loading process, so a detailed explanation is omitted here.

In the above embodiment, the mechanical parking device is described as having an entry/exit berth 2 that processes entry and exit at the same berth, but the mechanical parking device may also have separate entry berths that only process entry and exit, and exit berths that only process exit.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 Operation device 2 Incoming/outgoing berth 3 Operation panel 4 Safety confirmation camera 5 Processing progress camera 6 Control device 21 Entrance/exit door 22 Wall surface 31 Display 31a Message display section 31b Pallet information display section 31c Camera image display section 31c' First safety confirmation camera display section 31c" Second safety confirmation camera display section 31d Gesture sample display section 32 Operation button 33 Card reader 34 Emergency stop button 41 First safety confirmation camera 42 Second safety confirmation camera Step 1, Step 21 Initial screen display process Step 2, Step 22 Authentication process Step 3, Step 23 Processing start signal process Step 4, Step 24 Pallet transport process Step 5, Step 25 Door opening process Step 6 Incoming process Step 26 Outgoing process Step 7, Step 27 Unmanned confirmation process Step 8, Step 28 Unmanned confirmation signal process Step 9, Step 29 Door closing process start signal process Step 10, Step 30 Re-authentication process Step 11, Step 31 Door closing process

Claims (9)

An operating device for a mechanical parking device having an operating panel that allows a user to operate the opening and closing of an entrance door of a berth for entering or leaving a vehicle,
A safety confirmation camera capable of capturing an image of a predetermined area within the berth;
a process progress camera that is disposed on the operation panel and is capable of capturing an image of the user standing in front of the operation panel;
a control device that analyzes the gestures of the user captured by the safety confirmation camera or the process progress camera and processes operations related to opening and closing the entrance door;
A display that is disposed on the operation panel and displays information necessary for opening and closing the entrance door,
The operations related to opening and closing the entrance door include a start operation to send a signal to start the entry or exit process, a confirmation operation to send a signal that the user has confirmed that no one remains in the berth after entry or exit, and a door closing operation to send a signal to close the entrance door by the user,
The control device is configured to analyze the gesture of the user captured by the safety confirmation camera to process the confirmation operation, and to analyze the gesture of the user captured by the process progress camera to process the start operation and the door closing operation .
An operating device for a mechanical parking device.
An operating device for a mechanical parking device as described in claim 1, wherein the display is configured to display images from the safety confirmation camera, and the processing progress camera is configured to be used for the start operation, the confirmation operation, and the door closing operation. The operating device for a mechanical parking device according to claim 1 , wherein the display is configured to be capable of displaying a sample of the gesture. The operating device for a mechanical parking device as described in claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to authenticate the user by facial recognition or iris recognition from the image of the user captured by the processing progress camera. The operating device for a mechanical parking device according to claim 1 , wherein the gesture of the start operation is a gesture of moving a hand in a direction in which the entrance door is opened. The operating device for a mechanical parking device according to claim 1 , wherein the gesture of the confirmation operation is a pose of making a circle above the head with both hands. The operating device for a mechanical parking device according to claim 1 , wherein the gesture for the door closing operation is a gesture of moving a hand in a direction to close the entrance door. The operating device for a mechanical parking device as described in claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to emergency stop the operation of the mechanical parking device by an emergency stop gesture. The operating device for a mechanical parking device according to claim 8, wherein the emergency stop gesture is an X-shaped pose above the head.