JP7680215B2 - Mechanical parking facility operation system and mechanical parking facility equipped with the same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an operating system for mechanical parking facilities that allows non-contact entry and exit operations in mechanical parking facilities, and to mechanical parking facilities equipped with the same.

In mechanical parking facilities (in this specification and claims, "mechanical parking facilities" includes various types of parking facilities such as box-type circulation, horizontal circulation, flat reciprocating, vertical and horizontal movement puzzle, elevator, vertical circulation, multi-level, and flat parking movement), authentication means such as a PIN number, IC card, or remote control are used to authenticate users when entering and leaving the facility.

Conventionally, the above-mentioned contract holder authentication is performed by the above-mentioned authentication means in two stages: authentication before entering and leaving the parking lot (hereinafter referred to as "first authentication") and authentication after entering and leaving the parking lot (hereinafter referred to as "second authentication"). However, safety checks of mechanical parking facilities and door closing operations, which are performed between the first and second authentications, are generally performed by button or touch panel operations.

For example, prior art related to this type of authentication involves performing a first authentication process before opening an entrance/exit door, performing a second authentication process before closing the entrance/exit door, and once the authentication information from the first authentication process matches the authentication information from the second authentication process, the user operates an operation panel to input a door close command, thereby closing the entrance/exit door (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In another prior art, a mechanical parking device equipped with a boarding/disembarking area allows the safety of the area to be checked by pressing a push button twice (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Patent No. 5710042 Patent No. 6416299

However, in all of the above-mentioned prior art, the series of operations required for entering and exiting a mechanical parking facility requires a person to directly touch components of the mechanical parking facility, such as buttons and touch panels, when performing safety checks and closing the entrance and exit doors. This makes it difficult to take measures against infectious diseases.

The present invention aims to provide an operating system for a mechanical parking facility that can perform a series of operations required when entering and leaving the facility without contact, and a mechanical parking facility equipped with the same.

In order to achieve the above object, the operation system for a mechanical parking facility according to the present invention is an operation system for a mechanical parking facility that performs a first authentication operation to start the entry and exit of a vehicle at a parking entry/exit section, and performs a second authentication operation after the vehicle has entered and exited the parking facility, and is equipped with a reading unit that reads information by holding a contactless operation medium for performing the first authentication operation and the second authentication operation, and a control device that, at least when the contactless operation medium is a contactless authentication medium, compares the information of the contactless authentication medium read by the reading unit with registered information, and allows the safety confirmation operation of the parking entry/exit section performed before or after the second authentication operation to be accepted by holding the contactless authentication medium or a contactless operation medium different from the contactless authentication medium over the reading unit to read the information. In this specification and the claims, the "contactless authentication medium" and "contactless operation medium" include IC cards, cards having an identification code (barcodes, two-dimensional codes, etc.), mobile terminals having an IC chip that can be read without contact, and the like. Additionally, "holding" includes bringing the contactless authentication medium or contactless operation medium close to a position where it can be read by the reading unit, and touching it to the reading unit. Additionally, when "contactless operation medium" is mentioned without any specific indication, it includes "contactless authentication medium."

With this configuration, in a configuration in which a contactless authentication medium is used to authenticate users who operate mechanical parking equipment, safety confirmation operations can be performed contactlessly by holding that contactless authentication medium or a contactless operation medium different from the contactless authentication medium over the reading unit. Therefore, a series of operations when entering and leaving the mechanical parking equipment can be performed contactlessly using the contactless medium without the user having to directly touch the components of the mechanical parking equipment, thereby helping to prevent infection.

The control device may be configured so that after the reading unit reads the information on the contactless operation medium, the next operation can be accepted after the reading unit becomes unable to read the information on the contactless operation medium. With this configuration, the control device can appropriately separate and accept multiple operations performed by holding the same contactless operation medium over the reading unit when the vehicle enters or leaves the garage by temporarily making the contactless operation medium unreadable. As mentioned above, the contactless operation medium here also includes a contactless authentication medium.

The control device may be configured to determine that each operation has been performed when the contactless operation medium is held over the reading unit for a predetermined period of time or more during the safety confirmation operation. With this configuration, the control device can determine that a safety confirmation operation has been performed when the contactless operation medium is held over the reading unit for a predetermined period of time or more. This makes it possible to prevent the control device from erroneously determining that an operation has been performed when the contactless operation medium is brought close to the reading unit against the user's intention.

The system may further include an unmanned confirmation operation of the loading/unloading section that is performed before or after the second authentication operation, and the unmanned confirmation operation may be accepted by holding the contactless authentication medium or a contactless operation medium different from the contactless authentication medium over the reading unit to read information, and may include an alarm unit that notifies the user that the second authentication operation, the unmanned confirmation operation, or the safety confirmation operation is in a state to be accepted. In this specification and claims, "alert" includes alerts by displaying characters, alerts by light, alerts by sound, etc. With this configuration, the alert from the alarm unit allows the user to properly recognize the operation to be performed.

The unmanned confirmation operation and the safety confirmation operation may be accepted as a single operation by holding the non-contact operation medium over the reading unit and having it read. With this configuration, the unmanned confirmation operation and the safety confirmation operation can be performed as a single operation by holding the non-contact operation medium over the reading unit.

The control device may be configured to stop or open the closing operation of the entrance door of the loading/unloading section by detecting the non-contact operation medium with the reading unit during the closing operation of the entrance door. With this configuration, the closing operation of the entrance door can be stopped or opened by holding the non-contact medium over the reading unit during the closing operation of the entrance door, so that the closing operation of the entrance door can be stopped or opened without contact in an emergency, etc.

The control device may also be configured to compare the information of all of the contactless operation media read by the reading unit with registered information to determine whether the medium is authorized for operation. With this configuration, the read information can be compared with registered information for a series of contactless operations when entering and leaving a mechanical parking facility, and only authorized media can be used.

On the other hand, the mechanical parking facility of the present invention is equipped with any one of the above-mentioned operating systems.

With this configuration, a series of operations for entering and exiting a vehicle in a mechanical parking facility can be performed contactlessly using the operating system. This allows users to perform entry and exit operations without directly touching the components of the mechanical parking facility, helping to prevent infection with infectious diseases.

According to the present invention, it is possible to perform a series of operations required for entering and leaving a mechanical parking facility without contact. This eliminates the need for users to directly touch the components of the mechanical parking facility when entering and leaving a vehicle, making it possible to take preventive measures against infection with infectious diseases.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a mechanical parking facility according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an operation panel in the mechanical parking facility shown in FIG. 1, where (a) is a front view and (b) is a reference diagram showing a state in which an IC card is used on the operation panel. FIG. 3 is a flow chart according to a first embodiment of the entry and exit operation in the mechanical parking facility shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the distance between the operation panel and the non-contact medium and the control by the control device during the loading/unloading operation shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a flow chart according to a second embodiment of the entry and exit operation in the mechanical parking facility shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart according to a third embodiment of the entry and exit operation in the mechanical parking facility shown in FIG.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiment, an elevator-type parking facility will be described as an example of the mechanical parking facility 10. In addition, an IC card 50 (e.g., a proximity type) will be described as an example of the contactless operation medium. The contactless operation medium may be a single contactless authentication medium, or a combination of a contactless authentication medium and another different contactless operation medium. In the following embodiment, an example will be described in which the same IC card 50 is used as the contactless operation medium used as the contactless authentication medium. Note that the contactless operation medium used for unmanned confirmation, safety confirmation, and door closing operations can be any IC card equipped with an IC chip. The concepts of up, down, left, and right in this specification and claims are the same as the concepts of up, down, left, and right in the state of facing the entrance door 12 as shown in FIG. 1.

(Configuration of mechanical parking facilities)
Fig. 1 is a front view showing a mechanical parking facility 10 according to one embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an operation panel 20 in the mechanical parking facility 10 shown in Fig. 1, where (a) is a front view and (b) is a reference diagram showing a state in which an IC card 50 is used on the operation panel 20.

As shown in FIG. 1, the mechanical parking facility 10 of this embodiment is an example of an elevator-type parking facility, and an entrance door 12 is provided at the front of a parking tower 11 that stores a pallet (not shown) carrying a vehicle V, allowing users and vehicles V to enter and exit an entrance/exit section (not shown) inside the parking tower 11. A awning 13 is provided above the entrance door 12, and an operation panel 20 is provided to the side of the entrance door 12 (to the right in this example). In this example, a control device 14 is provided inside the parking tower 11 and is connected to the operation panel 20.

The control device 14 is equipped with a control unit having a processor, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, an I/O interface, etc. The control device 14 controls the operation of each component of the mechanical parking facility 10 (pallets, entrance/exit doors 12, etc.) in response to operations on the driver's control panel 20. The control of the operation of each component is achieved by the processor performing calculations using the volatile memory based on programs stored in the non-volatile memory. Information about the contractor who uses the mechanical parking facility 10 is registered in the control device 14. Information corresponding to the contractor's authentication information is recorded on the IC card 50 (Figure 2 (b)).

As shown in FIG. 2(a), the operation panel 20 of this embodiment is provided with a display unit 21 and a reading unit 22 (hereinafter also referred to as "IC card reader 22") over which an IC card 50, which is a contactless operation medium, is held. Below the reading unit 22, a safety confirmation/door close button 25 and a cancel button 26 are provided. In this embodiment, the safety confirmation operation and the door close operation are integrated operations, but they may be operated separately. In that case, the notification process and the determination of whether or not they have been performed can be performed for each of them by performing the same process as the safety confirmation/door close in the flowcharts shown in each embodiment described later, and they may be operated by a contactless operation medium (including a contactless authentication medium). The safety confirmation/door close button 25 is used when a reading failure occurs with the IC card reader 22. In addition, an unmanned confirmation button used when a reading failure occurs during the unmanned confirmation operation S27 in the second embodiment described later may be further provided, or the safety confirmation/door close button 25 may be used for this purpose. The cancel button 26 is used when an operation is to be canceled. An emergency stop button 27 is provided below the display unit 21. In this embodiment, the display unit 21 is a notification unit that notifies (displays) guidance for operations to be performed by the user. For example, guidance such as "safety check/door closing operation" and "second authentication operation" described later is displayed on the display unit 21. Information such as "call number" and "waiting time" is also displayed on the display unit 21. The display unit 21 may be a touch panel to display an operation means such as a numeric keypad for inputting a PIN when the IC card reader 22 fails to read or for users who do not have an IC card 50. On the side of the reading unit 22, a green lamp 23 that is lit when the IC card 50 is held over the touch panel and a red lamp 24 that is lit when the IC card 50 is held over the touch panel and read are performed are provided.

A non-contact IC card reader 22 can be used as the reading unit 22. Also, an IC card 50 equipped with an antenna coil and an IC chip 51 (FIG. 2(b)) inside the card can be used. The IC card 50 includes a mobile terminal such as a smartphone equipped with an IC chip 51.

As shown in FIG. 2(b), the IC card reader 22 can detect the IC card 50 by bringing the IC card 50, which has an antenna coil, into close proximity (contact) with the magnetic field M (FIG. 4) generated by the IC card reader 22. This generates power in the antenna coil of the IC card 50, which activates the circuitry within the IC card 50, allowing information to be sent and received between the IC card reader 22. Note that the reading (including detection) of the IC card 50 by the IC card reader 22 may be done in a manner other than this.

The reading unit 22 is not limited to the form shown in the figure. For example, a recess may be provided in the driving operation panel 20, and a non-contact reading unit may be used in which information is sent and received by inserting an IC card 50 into the recess. The reading unit 22 may also be provided separately from the driving operation panel 20 in a position that is easy for a passenger to operate. In this case, it is preferable to provide an emergency stop button adjacent to the reading unit 22. The driving operation panel 20 in this embodiment is an example, and the driving operation panel 20 is not limited to this example.

(Storage/Return Operation According to the First Embodiment)
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a first embodiment of the entry and exit operation in the mechanical parking facility 10 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the first embodiment, after starting, it is determined whether or not the first authentication operation has been performed (S1). The first authentication operation can be performed by holding the IC card 50 over the reading unit 22 of the operation panel 20 (FIG. 2(b)). Therefore, the user can perform the first authentication operation without directly touching the operation panel 20.

When the first authentication operation is performed (S1), the first authentication process determines whether the first authentication data matches the authentication data of the registered contractor (S2). If it does not match the authentication data of the registered contractor, an error display process is performed (S3) and the system returns to the state waiting for the first authentication operation (S1). If it matches the authentication data of the registered contractor, the internal machine operates to perform a transport call process (S4) and the called pallet is transported to the loading/unloading section. When the called pallet arrives at the loading/unloading section, a door opening process is performed (S5) and the entrance/exit door 12 is automatically opened.

After that, if the vehicle is entering the facility, the user gets into vehicle V and enters the loading/unloading section, and after loading vehicle V onto the call pallet, the user exits the loading/unloading section. If the vehicle is leaving the facility, the user enters the loading/unloading section, gets into vehicle V on the call pallet, and exits the loading/unloading section. After the door opening process (S5) of the entrance/exit door 12 is executed, the driving operation function can be locked so that at least emergency stop operations are not accepted. This makes it possible to invalidate any safety check operations that are mistakenly performed by another person during the entrance/exit operation after the entrance/exit door 12 is opened.

After the entrance door 12 is opened, a safety confirmation notification process is performed (S6). In this embodiment, the safety confirmation operation and the door closing operation are integrated, so notifications such as "To close the entrance door, please confirm the safety of the loading/unloading section and hold your IC card over the reader" and "The safety confirmation and door closing operation using the IC card does not check whether it matches the authentication information when the pallet is called" are made. This notification may be displayed on the display unit 21 or announced by voice. In this embodiment, "safety confirmation" also refers to "unmanned confirmation" as described below.

Then, it is determined whether or not the safety check and door closing operations have been performed (S7). The safety check and door closing operations can be performed by holding the IC card 50 over the reading unit 22 of the operation control panel 20 (Figure 2 (b)). Because the safety check and door closing operations do not need to be collated with the contractor's authentication information, they can also be performed by holding not only the authentication IC card 50, but also a different IC card with an IC chip, a mobile terminal with an IC chip, etc. over the reading unit 22. This allows the user to perform the safety check and door closing operations without directly touching the operation control panel 20.

This safety check/door closing operation does not require verification of the user, so acceptance of the operation can be completed simply by the reading unit 22 detecting the IC card 50. In addition, when the IC card 50 is held up to the reading unit 22 for the safety check/door closing operation, the reading unit 22 may read the information in the IC card 50 and determine whether the card is permitted for operation. For example, the authentication information on the IC card 50 may be verified against the authentication information from the first authentication operation, and if they match, operation may be permitted. Also, for example, if the IC card 50 is an IC card 50 registered with the mechanical parking facility 10 (matching any of the information about the contractor registered in the control device 14), operation may be permitted.

When it is determined that the safety check and door closing operations have been performed (S7), an announcement (notification) is made to prompt the user to perform a second authentication operation to start closing the door (S8). The second authentication operation is notified by performing a second authentication operation, and if the second authentication data matches the first authentication data of the first authentication operation, the closing of the entrance door 12 will begin. For example, this notification may be something like "Please hold your IC card over the reader to perform the second authentication operation. If it matches the authentication information at the time of pallet calling, the entrance door can be closed." This notification can be made in various ways, such as a voice announcement or by displaying the information on the touch panel display unit 21.

It is then determined whether or not the second authentication operation has been performed (S9). The second authentication operation is performed by holding the IC card 50 over the reading unit 22 of the operation panel 20 (FIG. 2(b)). Therefore, the second authentication operation can also be performed without the user having to directly touch the operation panel 20. Note that if a predetermined time has elapsed without the second authentication operation being performed (S10), the system returns to the safety confirmation notification processing state (S6) and the safety confirmation operation is performed again.

When the second authentication operation is performed, a comparison process is performed as the second authentication process to determine whether the second authentication data matches the first authentication data (S11). If the first authentication data does not match the second authentication data, an error display process is performed (S12), and the state returns to the safety confirmation notification process (S6).

In the verification process (S11), if the first authentication data and the second authentication data match, the door closing operation is started (S13), and the entrance door 12 starts to close. After that, in this embodiment, as a means for interrupting the closing operation of the entrance door 12 and performing the door closing operation during the closing operation of the entrance door 12, it is determined whether the IC card 50 is held over the reading unit 22 of the operation control panel 20 and detected (S14). At this time, a notification such as "In an emergency, hold the IC card over the IC card reader to open the entrance door" may be displayed on the display unit 21 of the operation control panel 20. This allows the closing operation of the entrance door 12 to be stopped and then opened again if a person re-enters the room or if someone notices something left behind after the closing operation of the entrance door 12 has started. That is, when the information on the IC card 50 is detected by the reading unit 22 during the closing operation of the entrance door 12, the door closing process is interrupted (S15), the process returns to before the door opening process (S5), and the entrance door 12 is opened. This operation can also be performed without the user directly touching the operation panel 20. In this case, the information recorded on the IC card 50 may be compared to determine whether it matches the information corresponding to the contractor's authentication information or the first or second authentication data, or it may be determined that the IC card 50 has been held over and detected simply based on the fact that information has been sent and received between the IC card 50 and the IC card reader 22.

After the door closing operation of the entrance door 12 is started (S13), the process ends when the closing process of the entrance door 12 is completed without the IC card 50 being detected by the reading unit 22 (S16).

According to this operation system, when a vehicle V enters or leaves the mechanical parking facility 10, the user (contractor) holds the IC card 50 over the reading unit 22 of the driver's control panel 20 to perform a first authentication operation, which starts up the device, places the desired pallet in the entry/exit area, and opens the entrance/exit door 12. After the user has entered or exited the vehicle V, they hold the IC card 50 over the reading unit 22 to check safety and close the door, and then hold the IC card 50 over the reading unit 22 to perform a second authentication operation, which closes the entrance/exit door 12. Thus, a series of operations during entry and exit can be performed using the IC card 50, which is a contactless operating medium.

Therefore, with the mechanical parking facility 10 equipped with this operation system, the authentication of the contractor and the series of operations to operate the mechanical parking facility 10 can be performed contactlessly using the IC card 50. This allows the contractor to enter and exit the facility without directly touching the components of the mechanical parking facility 10 (the operation panel 20), making it possible to take preventive measures to reduce the risk of contracting an infectious disease via the operation panel 20.

(Example of non-contact operation medium detection)
Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the distance between the reading unit 22 (IC card reader 22) of the operation panel 20 and the IC card 50, which is a non-contact operating medium, and the control by the control device 14 during the entering and leaving operation shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 4 shows the relationship between the magnetic field M from the surface S of the IC card reader 22 and the data communication and control of the display unit 21 by the control device 14 when the IC card 50 enters and leaves the magnetic field M. The vertical axis shows the change in the distance between the surface S of the IC card reader 22 and the IC card 50, and the horizontal axis shows the passage of time.

Based on FIG. 4, we will explain an example of control (discrimination) when the two operations of the safety check/door closing operation (S7) and the second authentication operation (S9) are performed consecutively by holding the IC card 50 over the same IC card reader 22 in the flowchart of FIG. 3.

Each operation performed by holding the IC card 50 over the IC card reader 22 is accepted by the IC card reader 22 detecting the IC card 50 as follows. A magnetic field M of a predetermined strength is generated on the surface S of the IC card reader 22. When the IC card 50 is brought close to the IC card reader 22 and enters the magnetic field M, the antenna coil in the IC card 50 generates power, which activates the circuitry in the IC card 50, transmitting and receiving data between the IC card reader 22.

When the IC card 50, which is located away from the IC card reader 22 ("a" in the figure), approaches the IC card reader 22 and detects the IC card 50 (position "m1" in the figure), the control device 14 determines that it has accepted the safety check/door close operation. The control device 14 then does not accept the next IC card operation until the IC card reader 22 no longer detects the IC card 50 (position "m2" in the figure). This ensures that the next operation cannot be performed unless the IC card 50, which has been detected by holding it over the IC card reader 22, is moved to a position where it cannot be detected by the IC card reader 22. Note that data communication is possible between the IC card 50 and the IC card reader 22 from position "m1" to position "m2" in the figure (position "b" in the figure).

When this safety check/door closing operation is being performed, the display 21 of the operation panel 20 displays messages such as "To close the entrance/exit door, please check the safety of the loading/unloading area and hold your IC card over the reader," and "The safety check/door closing operation using an IC card does not check whether it matches the authentication information when the pallet was called." This allows the user to distinguish whether the "safety check/door closing operation" or the next "second authentication operation" is being performed.

Then, when the IC card 50 is moved away to a position where it is not detected by the IC card reader 22 (position "m2" in the figure), it becomes ready to accept the next second authentication operation. The IC card 50 is in position "c" in the figure. In this state, a message such as "Please perform the second authentication operation next" is displayed on the display unit 21 of the operation panel 20. In this state, the IC card 50 is brought close to the IC card reader 22, and when it is detected as it enters the magnetic field M (position "m3" in the figure), a comparison is started to determine whether the second authentication data for the second authentication operation matches the first authentication data. After that, when the IC card 50 is moved away from the IC card reader 22, it is no longer detected (position "m4" in the figure), and it moves away from the IC card reader 22 ("e" in the figure).

By doing this, even when two operations, the safety check/door closing operation and the second authentication operation, are performed consecutively using the same IC card 50, the IC card 50 can be held over the IC card reader 22 to perform the safety check/door closing operation and then left as is to prevent the next second authentication operation from being performed consecutively.

As another method for distinguishing between the "safety check and door closing operation" and the "second authentication operation", the safety check and door closing operation can be accepted as having been performed when the IC card reader 22 detects the IC card 50 (position "m1" in the figure) and then no longer detects the IC card 50 (position "m2" in the figure). Even in this way, it is necessary to remove the IC card 50 from the IC card reader 22 for each operation, and each operation can be separated. Note that the method for distinguishing between the "safety check and door closing operation" and the "second authentication operation" is not limited to these. Also, in the "second authentication operation", a comparison to determine whether the second authentication data matches the first authentication data may be started when the IC card reader 22 detects the IC card 50 (position "m3" in the figure) and then no longer detects the IC card 50 (position "m4" in the figure).

Furthermore, in order to confirm that the IC card 50 has definitely left the detection area of the IC card reader 22 after an operation using the IC card 50, the next operation using the IC card 50 may not be accepted until the IC card reader 22 maintains a state in which it does not detect the IC card 50 for a certain period of time.

There is also the risk that a user may accidentally and temporarily hold the IC card 50 over the IC card reader 22, resulting in an erroneous operation, and this should be prevented, particularly with the safety check and door closing operations. For this reason, if the state in which the IC card 50 is detected continues for a certain period of time or more (time "b" in the figure; for example, about 3 seconds), the safety check and door closing operations can be accepted. Also, for the safety check and door closing operations, the IC card 50 can be held over the IC card reader 22 twice to have it detected twice, thereby preventing erroneous operations.

(Storage/Return Operation According to the Second Embodiment)
Fig. 5 is a flowchart according to a second embodiment of the entry and exit operation in the mechanical parking facility 10 shown in Fig. 1. The components shown in Figs. 1 and 2 will be described using the same symbols as in Figs. 1 and 2. The driving operation function lock and the use of a different IC card as described in Fig. 3 are also possible, and their description will be omitted. In the flowchart according to the second embodiment, the steps from the start to the "door opening process (S5)" and from the "door closing operation (S13)" to the end are the same as those in the first embodiment, so the description of these steps will be simplified.

After starting, it is determined whether or not a first authentication operation has been performed (S21). Then, it is determined whether or not the first authentication data of the first authentication operation matches the authentication data of the registered contractor (S22). If they do not match, an error display process is performed (S23). If they do match, the internal machine operates to perform a transport call process, and the called pallet is transported to the loading/unloading section (S24). When the called pallet arrives at the loading/unloading section, a door opening process is performed (S25), and the entrance/exit door 12 is automatically opened.

In the second embodiment, after the entrance door 12 is opened, an unmanned confirmation notification process is performed (S26). At this time, for example, a notification such as "Please confirm that there is no one in the entrance/exit section and hold your IC card over the reading section" can be made. The unmanned confirmation operation is performed by holding the IC card 50 over the reading section 22 of the driving operation panel 20 (FIG. 2(b)), so the user can perform it without directly touching the driving operation panel 20. Since the unmanned confirmation operation does not need to be compared with the contractor's authentication information, it can be performed by holding an IC card equipped with an IC chip over the reading section 22 of the driving operation panel 20 in addition to the IC card 50 for authentication. When the unmanned confirmation operation is performed (S27), a safety confirmation notification process is performed (S28). The notification in the safety confirmation notification process is the same as in the first embodiment, so its description is omitted. In this embodiment, the unmanned check operation is, for example, performed by the user himself/herself after confirming that no passengers remain, and the safety check/door closing operation is, for example, performed by the user or manager after confirming the safety of the loading/unloading area and the surrounding area, allowing safety to be checked from multiple angles. Also, in this embodiment, as described above, the safety check operation and the door closing operation can be performed separately.

It is then determined whether or not a safety check and door closing operation has been performed (S29). The safety check and door closing operation can be performed by holding the IC card 50 over the reading unit 22 of the operation panel 20 (Figure 2 (b)). Since the safety check and door closing operation does not need to be verified against the contractor's authentication information, it can also be performed by holding an IC card equipped with an IC chip over the reading unit 22 of the operation panel 20, in addition to the authentication IC card 50. This allows the safety check and door closing operation to be performed without the user having to directly touch the operation panel 20. If the safety check and door closing operation is not performed for a predetermined period of time (S30), the system returns to the unmanned confirmation notification processing state (S26) and the unmanned confirmation operation is performed again.

When the safety check and door closing operation is performed (S29), a second authentication operation is then performed, and if the second authentication data of the second authentication operation matches the first authentication data of the first authentication operation, a notification is issued that the closing of the entrance door 12 will begin (S31). For example, this notification may be something like, "Please hold your IC card over the reader to perform the second authentication operation. If it matches the authentication information when the pallet was called, the entrance door can be closed."

It is then determined whether or not the second authentication operation has been performed (S32). The second authentication operation can be performed by holding the IC card 50 over the reading unit 22 of the operation panel 20 (FIG. 2(b)). Therefore, the second authentication operation can also be performed without the user having to directly touch the operation panel 20. Note that if a predetermined time has elapsed without the second authentication operation being performed (S33), the system returns to the unmanned confirmation notification processing state (S26) and the unmanned confirmation operation is performed again.

When the second authentication operation is executed, a comparison process is performed as the second authentication process to check whether the second authentication data matches the first authentication data (S34). If the first authentication data does not match the second authentication data, an error display process is performed (S35) and the state returns to the safety confirmation notification process (S28). If the first authentication data matches the second authentication data in the comparison process (S34), a door closing operation is initiated (S36) and the entrance door 12 begins to close.

After the door closing operation has started, it is determined whether or not the IC card 50 has been held over the reading unit 22 during the closing operation of the entrance door 12 to perform the door opening operation (S37). If the IC card 50 is held over the reading unit 22 while the entrance door 12 is closed, the door closing process is interrupted (S38), and ends when the closing process of the entrance door 12 is completed without the IC card 50 being held over the reading unit 22 (S39).

In this embodiment, the control (discrimination) when the three operations of "unmanned confirmation operation (S27)", "safety confirmation and door closing operation (S29)", and "second authentication operation (S32)" are performed successively by holding the IC card 50 over the same IC card reader 22 can be the same as the control shown in FIG. 4 above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

Even with this operation system, when a vehicle V enters or leaves the mechanical parking facility 10, the user (contractor) holds the IC card 50 over the reading unit 22 of the driver's control panel 20 to perform the first authentication operation, which starts up the device, places the desired pallet in the entry/exit area, and opens the entrance/exit door 12. Then, after the user has entered or left the vehicle V, they hold the IC card 50 over the reading unit 22 to perform an unmanned confirmation operation, then hold the IC card 50 over the reading unit 22 to confirm safety and close the door, and then hold the IC card 50 over the reading unit 22 to perform the second authentication operation, which closes the entrance/exit door 12. Thus, a series of operations during entry and exit can be performed using the IC card 50, which is a non-contact medium.

Therefore, with the mechanical parking facility 10 equipped with this operation system, the authentication of the contractor and the series of operations to operate the mechanical parking facility 10 can be performed contactlessly using the IC card 50. This allows the contractor to enter and exit the facility without directly touching the components of the mechanical parking facility 10 (the operation panel 20), making it possible to take preventive measures to reduce the risk of contracting an infectious disease via the operation panel 20.

(Storage entry and exit operation according to the third embodiment)
Fig. 6 is a flowchart according to a third embodiment of the entry and exit operation in the mechanical parking facility 10 shown in Fig. 1. The components shown in Figs. 1 and 2 will be described with the same reference numerals as in Figs. 1 and 2. The driving operation function lock and the use of a different IC card as described in Fig. 3 are also possible, and their description will be omitted. In the flowchart according to the third embodiment, the steps from the start to the "door opening process (S5)" and from the "door closing operation (S13)" to the end are the same as those in the first embodiment, so the description of these steps will be simplified.

After starting, it is determined whether or not a first authentication operation has been performed (S51). Then, it is determined whether or not the first authentication data of the first authentication operation matches the authentication data of the registered contractor (S52). If they do not match, an error display process is performed (S53). If they do match, the internal machine operates to perform a transport call process, and the called pallet is transported to the loading/unloading section (S54). When the called pallet arrives at the loading/unloading section, a door opening process is performed (S55), and the entrance/exit door 12 is automatically opened.

In the third embodiment, after the entrance door 12 is opened, a notification is given to perform an authentication operation to allow a safety check and door closing operation (S56). This notification may be, for example, "Please hold your IC card over the reading section to perform the second authentication operation. If it matches the authentication information when the pallet was called, you can perform a safety check and door closing operation using the IC card and close the entrance door." After the user has completed entering or leaving the storage/retrieval section, they follow this notification to perform the second authentication operation.

It is then determined whether or not the second authentication operation has been performed (S57). The second authentication operation can be performed by holding the IC card 50 over the reading unit 22 of the operation panel 20 (FIG. 2(b)). Therefore, the second authentication operation can also be performed without the user having to directly touch the operation panel 20.

When the second authentication operation is executed, a comparison process is performed as the second authentication process to check whether the second authentication data matches the first authentication data (S58). If the first authentication data does not match the second authentication data, an error display process is performed (S59), and the system returns to a state in which a notification has been made to perform an authentication operation to permit safety check and door closing operations (S56).

If the first authentication data and the second authentication data match in the comparison process (S58), a safety confirmation notification process is performed (S60). An example of a notification in the safety confirmation notification process is a message such as "Please hold your IC card over the reader to close the entrance door."

After that, it is determined whether or not the safety check and door closing operation has been performed (S61). The safety check and door closing operation can be performed by holding the IC card 50 over the reading unit 22 of the operation panel 20 (FIG. 2(b)). Since the safety check and door closing operation does not need to be verified against the contractor's authentication information, it can also be performed by holding an IC card equipped with an IC chip over the reading unit 22 of the operation panel 20 in addition to the IC card 50 for authentication. In this embodiment, the "safety check" is also an "unmanned check". This allows the safety check and door closing operation to be performed without the user directly touching the operation panel 20. If the safety check and door closing operation is not performed for a predetermined time (S62), the state returns to a state where a notification is given to perform an authentication operation to permit the safety check and door closing operation (S56), and the second authentication operation is performed again. When the safety check and door closing operation is performed (S61), the door closing operation is started (S63).

After the door closing operation has started, it is determined whether or not the IC card 50 has been held over the reading unit 22 during the closing operation of the entrance door 12 to perform the door opening operation (S64). If the IC card 50 is held over the reading unit 22 while the entrance door 12 is closed, the door closing process is interrupted (S65), and ends when the closing process of the entrance door 12 is completed without the IC card 50 being held over the reading unit 22 (S66).

In this embodiment, the control (discrimination) example when the two operations of the "second authentication operation (S57)" and the "safety check and door closing operation (S61)" are performed successively by holding the IC card 50 over the same IC card reader 22 can be the same as the control shown in Figure 4 above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

Even with this operation system, when a vehicle V enters or leaves the mechanical parking facility 10, the user (contractor) holds the IC card 50 over the reading unit 22 of the driver's control panel 20 to perform the first authentication operation, which starts up the device, places the desired pallet in the entry/exit area, and opens the entrance/exit door 12. Then, after the user has entered or left the vehicle V, they hold the IC card 50 over the reading unit 22 to perform the second authentication operation, and then hold the IC card 50 over the reading unit 22 to perform a safety check and door closing operation, which closes the entrance/exit door 12. Thus, a series of operations during entry and exit can be performed using the IC card 50, which is a contactless operating medium.

Therefore, with the mechanical parking facility 10 equipped with this operation system, the authentication of the contractor and the series of entry and exit operations that operate the mechanical parking facility 10 can be performed contactlessly using the IC card 50. This allows the contractor to enter and exit the facility without directly touching the components of the mechanical parking facility 10 (the operation panel 20) during entry and exit operations, making it possible to take preventive measures to reduce the risk of contracting an infectious disease via the operation panel 20.

(Other Modifications)
The mechanical parking facility 10 is not limited to the configuration in the above embodiment. For example, it can be applied to various types of parking facilities such as a box-type circulation type, a horizontal circulation type, a flat reciprocating type, a vertical and horizontal movement puzzle type, a vertical circulation type, a multi-level type, and a flat parking movement type. It can also be applied to a parking facility that directly transports the vehicle V without using a pallet.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the same IC card is used as the contactless authentication medium (contactless operation medium) IC card 50 used for the first authentication operation and the second authentication operation, and as the contactless operation medium IC card 50 used for other operations. However, the contactless operation medium may be a plurality of different IC cards 50, and may be IC cards corresponding to individual operations, such as an "authentication IC card," an "unmanned confirmation operation IC card," and an "safety confirmation/door closing operation IC card." In this way, the user can perform the series of operations to be performed when entering and leaving the warehouse while being clearly aware of the operation.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which a user entering or leaving the facility performs a series of operations contactlessly using his or her own IC card 50. However, the user entering or leaving the facility may perform some operations using his or her own IC card 50, and the manager may perform some operations (e.g., closing the door) using the manager's IC card.

In the above embodiment, a series of operations are performed using the IC card 50, which is a contactless medium. However, if the IC card reader 22 fails to read the IC card 50, the operation may be performed using the safety check/door close button 25. Also, in preparation for a reading failure of the IC card 50, numbers or the like may be displayed on the display unit 21, and the numbers may be entered by pressing the screen.

The sequence of operations shown in each of the above flowcharts is merely an example, and the order of each flowchart may be changed. Various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

(Summary)
As described above, according to the mechanical parking facility 10, the operation system can appropriately perform the first authentication operation and the second authentication operation during entry and exit operations, as well as safety checks and door closing operations, without directly touching the components of the mechanical parking facility 10. This makes it possible to take preventive measures against infection with infectious diseases caused by touching the components of the mechanical parking facility 10 during entry and exit operations.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Mechanical parking facility 11 Parking tower 12 Entrance door 14 Control device 20 Operation panel 21 Display unit (notification unit)
22 IC card reader (reading unit)
25 Safety check/door close button 50 IC card 51 IC chip
M magnetic field
S surface

Claims (6)

An operation system for a mechanical parking facility, which performs a first authentication operation to start a vehicle entering or leaving a parking lot at a parking lot entry/exit section, and performs a second authentication operation after the vehicle has entered or left the parking lot,
a reading unit capable of detecting a first contactless operation medium for authentication and reading authentication information recorded on the first contactless operation medium by holding the first contactless operation medium over the reading unit, and capable of detecting a second contactless operation medium different from the first contactless operation medium by holding the second contactless operation medium over the reading unit;
a control device that compares the authentication information read by the reading unit with registered information,
The first and second authentication operations are performed by holding the first non-contact operation medium on which the authentication information is recorded over the reading unit to read the authentication information,
An operation system for mechanical parking equipment, which enables the safety confirmation operation of the entry/exit section, performed before or after the second authentication operation, to be accepted by holding the first non-contact operation medium or the second non-contact operation medium over the reading unit and having it detected by the reading unit. The control device is configured to detect the first non-contact operation medium or the second non-contact operation medium with the reading unit, and then become able to accept the next operation after the first non-contact operation medium or the second non-contact operation medium becomes unable to be detected by the reading unit.An operation system for a mechanical parking facility as described in claim 1. The control device is configured to determine that the safety confirmation operation has been performed when the first non-contact operation medium or the second non-contact operation medium is held over the reading unit for a predetermined period of time or longer during the safety confirmation operation.An operation system for a mechanical parking facility as described in claim 1 or 2. The safety confirmation operation is an operation that is executed after confirming the safety in and around the loading/unloading section,
The method further includes an unmanned confirmation operation that is executed after confirming that there is no one in the loading/unloading section, which is executed before or after the second authentication operation,
The unmanned confirmation operation is accepted by holding the first non-contact operation medium or the second non-contact operation medium over the reading unit and being detected by the reading unit,
A mechanical parking facility operation system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, having an alarm unit that notifies whether the second authentication operation and the unmanned confirmation operation or the safety confirmation operation are in a state to be accepted. The control device is configured to stop the closing operation of the entrance/exit door or open the entrance/exit door by detecting the first non-contact operation medium or the second non-contact operation medium with the reading unit during the closing operation of the entrance/exit door of the entry/exit section. An operation system for a mechanical parking facility as described in any one of claims 1 to 4 . A mechanical parking facility comprising the operating system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 .

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