JPH0475982B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Field of Application) This invention provides storage cage selection in a multi-story parking system in which a plurality of vehicle loading cages connected in a ring are vertically circulated to move vehicles in and out. Regarding the method.

(Prior art and its problems) In this type of multi-level parking system, in order to select an empty cage, that is, a storage cage to load a vehicle from among all the cages, the operator has conventionally used the control panel of the multi-level parking system to Judging from the displayed storage status of each cage, empty cages were appropriately selected and recalled in order to keep the loads of all cages as balanced as possible to avoid overloading the circulation drive electric motor.

In order to eliminate such a complicated process of selecting a storage cage by an operator, various techniques have been developed in recent years to automatically select an appropriate storage cage. As a storage cage selection technique, the applicant of the present application has previously proposed the technique described below.

One of them (Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-19843) divides all the cages connected in a ring into multiple blocks, with several cages forming one block. The number of vehicles in the parking lot is compared, and the empty cage in the block with the largest number of vehicles is determined to be a cage that cannot be entered, and the empty cage in other cases is determined to be a cage that can be entered. It is configured to be called as a warehousing cage.

By the way, although this technology is superior in that it can call out the incoming cages in a short time while taking into account the load balance of the cages, the load balance is adjusted only between pairs of blocks that face each other, so the overall effect of the cages is There is a problem with the lack of consideration for load balance.

On the other hand, another technique proposed by the present applicant (Japanese Patent Publication No. 19842/1984) is based on the amount of unbalance in the loads of the cage groups in the right and left halves at the moment when they are stopped. is compared with a predetermined reference value, and if the unbalance amount is greater than the reference value, a certain cage is called, an empty cage is predicted whose left and right balance will be approximately balanced at the time the vehicle is parked, and the empty cage is replaced. It is configured to be called as a warehousing cage.

However, in the case of this technology, consideration is given to the load balance for the entire cage with respect to the cage arrangement at the end of cage calling, so if the unbalance exceeds the above reference value in the rotational phase state during the cage calling operation. There is a possibility that this may occur.

(Object of the Invention) The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and provides a method for selecting a parking cage for a multi-level parking system, which can further suppress the load imbalance of the cage and reduce the motor capacity as much as possible. The purpose is to

(Means for Achieving the Object) In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the method for selecting a storage cage for a multi-level parking system of the present invention vertically circulates a plurality of vehicle loading cages connected in a ring to allow vehicles to enter and exit the parking lot. In the multilevel parking system, all the cages are equally divided into two cage groups with one reference cage as the boundary, and the difference in the number of cars between the two cage groups is calculated by sequentially changing the reference cage. performed over the division pattern of
When the calculated maximum difference in the number of actual vehicles is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value, the empty cage closest to the middle position of the cage group with the smaller number of actual vehicles among the cage groups in the division pattern that indicates the maximum difference in the number of actual vehicles is used as the storage cage. On the other hand, when the difference in the maximum number of actual vehicles is below the reference value, the specified block consisting of a plurality of consecutive cages and the plurality of blocks obtained by dividing all the cages into units similar to the specified block are selected. Compare the actual number of cars between a specific block and a block that faces it, and if the number of actual cars in a specific block is not greater, empty cages in that specific block can be stocked, and cages in other cases can be stocked. By carrying out the process of defining a car as an impermissible cage for all specific blocks, distinguishing all the cages into those that can enter and those that cannot enter, and calling the cage that can be parked closest to the entrance of the multi-story parking device as the cage that can enter, all When the load unbalance amount for the entire cage assuming a rotational phase state is greater than the allowable value, the receiving cage is selected in a manner that gives priority to reducing the unbalance amount, and when the unbalance amount is within the allowable value, the cage is called out. We try to select storage cages in a way that gives priority to shortening the waiting time while also giving some consideration to the balance.

(Example) Figures 1a, b, and c show a flowchart of a parking cage selection method for a multilevel parking system that is an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 shows a circulation system to which the parking cage selection method is applied. A vertical cross-sectional view of the multilevel parking device is shown. Second
In the multilevel parking system shown in the figure, each vehicle mounting cage 1 is connected to a pair of front and rear endless chains 3 via attachments 2, and is vertically circulated by driving the endless chains 3 with a drive device (not shown). It is configured like this,
The vehicle W is driven into the cage 1' located at the vehicle entry position through the entrance/exit 4.

Next, the procedure of the parking cage selection method in the above-mentioned multi-story parking system will be described with reference to the flow diagrams of FIGS. 1a to 1c.
This will be explained with reference to the connecting ring of the cage 1 shown in schematic diagrams in FIGS. 3 and 4.

In the flowchart of FIG. 1a, when a command to call an empty car is inputted from the operation panel (not shown) of the multi-story parking system, and the empty car call is registered in the storage section of the control device (not shown) of the multi-story parking system. (Step S ₁ ), dividing all the cages 1 into two into a cage group on the right half of the connecting ring and a cage group on the left half, based on the cage 1' located at the entrance 4 of the multi-story parking device at that time, The difference in the number of actual vehicles between the two cage groups is determined by the arithmetic unit of the control device (step S ₂ ). Whether a vehicle W is loaded in each cage 1, that is, whether it is an actual vehicle or an empty vehicle, is determined by a vehicle detector (not shown) installed near the stop position of the cage 1' at the entrance 4 of the multi-story parking system. The information on actual and empty vehicles is stored in the storage section of the control device. Then, based on this information, the difference in the number of actual vehicles is calculated.

To exemplify the arithmetic processing in step _S2 above for the case of 16 cages 1 with cage numbers ~ shown schematically in FIG. This corresponds to finding the difference in the actual number of cars between both cage groups divided into left and right halves by the dividing line A. in this case,
Assuming that cages 1 with hatched cage numbers are actual cars and cages 1 with other cage numbers are empty, the actual number of cars in the cage group on the right half is 6, and the number of actual cars in the cage group on the left half is 2, which is the difference in the number of actual cars. 4 is obtained as . The obtained difference in the number of actual vehicles, that is, the unbalance number AN1, is compared with the maximum unbalance number AN2 stored in the storage section of the control device in the next step _S3 . When AN1>AN2, the obtained unbalanced number AN1 is re-stored in the storage section as a new maximum unbalanced number AN2 in step _S4 . Note that the maximum unbalance number AN2 is set as 0 as the initial state, so unless the unbalance number AN1 obtained by the above calculation is 0, this is the maximum unbalance number AN2.
will be stored in the storage unit as .

At the same time, in step _S4 , the entrance number KR1 given by the cage number of the reference cage 1' at the entrance/exit 4 is stored in the storage section as the temporary entrance number KR2 when the number of unbalances is maximum, and the next Execution moves to step _S5 . Note that if AN1≦AN2 in step _S3 , the execution proceeds directly to step _S5 without rewriting the maximum unbalance number AN2 and the temporary entrance number KR2.

In step _S5 , it is confirmed how many times step _S2 has been executed. If the number of executions has not reached the limit number, step _S6 sets the entrance number KR1, that is, the cage 1 as the reference, to 1.
The execution of step _S2 is repeated with a shift of one step. In other words, to use the schematic diagram in Figure 3 as an example, the reference cage 1 is changed from the one with the cage number to the one with the cage number, and the entire area is cage 1
is equally divided into two cage groups, and the difference in the number of actual vehicles in this division pattern is found in the same way as in the previous case.

Similarly, the execution of steps S ₂ to _{S 5} is
It is repeated until the limit number of times specified in S ₅ is reached. This limited number of times is set to half of the total number N of cages. In other words, as illustrated in the schematic diagram of FIG. 3, the division of the cage group by the dividing line is repeated eight times, and as a result, the unbalance number AN1 is reduced for all division patterns (i.e., all rotational phase states). Calculations will be performed. By repeating this execution, the maximum unbalance number AN2 and the corresponding temporary entrance number KR2 are sequentially updated and stored in the storage unit of the control device, and when the execution is completed for all division patterns, The maximum value among the unbalance numbers AN1 obtained for all the division patterns is stored as the maximum unbalance number AN2, and the temporary entrance number KR2 in the division pattern indicating this maximum unbalance number AN2 is stored in the storage unit. will be done.

When the execution is repeated more than the limit number of times set in step _S5 , the execution moves to step _S7 , where the maximum unbalance count described above is reached.
AN2 and a predetermined allowable imbalance number N _A are compared. The above-mentioned allowable unbalance number N _A is set to a number of unbalances within a range that does not exceed the capacity of the electric motor that drives the multi-story parking system, and when the obtained maximum unbalance number AN2 is greater than or equal to the allowable unbalance number N _A , Empty cages to be stocked are selected in step _S8 (details will be described later), and conversely, the maximum unbalance number AN2 is the allowable unbalance number.
When the number is below N _A , an empty cage to be stocked is selected in step S ₉ (details will be described later). Then, the cage number of the empty car selected in step _S8 or step _S9 is registered in the storage section of the control device, and the empty car is called to the entrance/exit 4 as a storage cage (step _S10 ).

FIG. 1b is a flowchart showing the details of step _S8 , and in step _S7 of FIG.
If it is determined that 2≧ _NA , step _S11 is executed. In this step _S11 , the cage group with the smaller number of actual vehicles is extracted from both cage groups in the division pattern indicating the previously determined maximum imbalance number AN2. In other words, using the schematic diagram in Figure 3 as an example, if the cage number in the diagram is the temporary entrance number at the maximum unbalance, then the dividing line A
Of the left and right cage groups that are divided into two, the left cage group with fewer actual vehicles is extracted.

Next, in step _S12 , the intermediate position of the extracted cage group is determined, and the cage number of the empty cage closest to the intermediate position is selected. For example, when the obtained cage group is in the clockwise direction with respect to the previous reference cage 1, KR2+N/4
(where N is the total number of cages), the cage number is determined as the intermediate position, and conversely, when the direction is counterclockwise, the cage number of KR2-N/4 is determined as the intermediate position. In other words, to exemplify the schematic diagram of FIG. 3, the extracted cage group is located in the clockwise direction from the reference cage 1 of the cage number, and N/4=
Since 16/4=4, the position of cage number 16+4=20 is determined as the intermediate position. By the way, in this case, the total number of cages is 16, so
Actually, a cage number of 20-16=4 is determined as the intermediate position. Then, based on the cage number found as the intermediate position, information on actual cars and empty cars in each cage 1 is sequentially searched left and right, and the cage number of the first empty cage searched, that is, the empty cage closest to the intermediate position, is searched. Desired. In the schematic diagram of FIG. 3, the empty cage number closest to the intermediate position of the cage numbers, that is, the empty cage with the cage number, is searched.

As described above, when selecting an empty cage at step _S8 in Figure 1a, the maximum unbalance number AN2
In response to the situation where the number of unbalances is greater than or equal to the allowable unbalance number N _A , empty cages are selected with priority given to unbalance reduction. Through this cage selection procedure, the number of unbalances during the operation in which empty cages are called to the entrance/exit 4 of the multi-story parking system is at most the allowable number of unbalances.
Since the value is less than or equal to N _A , an imbalance that exceeds the capacity of the electric motor that is the drive source of the multi-story parking system will not occur.

On the other hand, Fig. 1c shows the steps in Fig. 1a.
This is a flowchart showing details of _S9 , and when it is determined in step _S7 of FIG. 1a that AN2< _N4 , step _S13 is executed. In this step S ₁₃ ,
1 is set as the processing attention cage number P. Next, in step _S14 , it is checked whether the car 1 with the processing target car number P is empty. When the cage 1 of the processing target car number P is determined to be an empty cage, the execution moves to step _S15 , where the cage number Q next to the processing target car number P is designated. Next, in step _S16 , it is checked whether cage 1 with cage number Q is empty. Cage 1 with cage number Q
If it is determined that the car is empty, that is, if both cages 1 with cage numbers P and Q are determined to be empty, the execution moves to step _S17 , where the above process in the storage section of the control device is performed on the car number P of interest. A logical code "0" indicating that the processing target car number P can be stored in the cage 1 is written into the corresponding memory bit.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step _S16 that the cage 1 with the cage number Q is the actual car cage, the process moves to step _S18 . Here, when the cage numbers P and Q are set as one block, and the other adjacent cage numbers are sequentially set as one block, the cage number P+N/2 that constitutes the block facing the block with cage numbers P and Q is set. , Q+N/2 cages 1 are all empty cages. If both cages are empty, in step _S19 , the memory bit of the cage number P to be processed is stored with that cage number P to be processed.
A logical code "1" indicating that the vehicle cannot be stored in the cage 1 is written. Also cage number P+
When at least one of the cages 1 of N/2 and Q+N/2 is an actual vehicle cage, the above step _S17
Logic code "0" is written into the memory bit of the car number P to be processed.

In addition, in step _S14 , if cage 1 with processing attention cage number P is determined to be an actual vehicle cage, it is impossible to store the vehicle in this cage 1.
At this time as well, the logical code "1" is written in the memory bit of the car number P of interest in the above step _S19 .

In the end, in the execution of steps _S14 to _S19 , the states of actual cars and empty cars are compared between the blocks with gate numbers P and Q and the blocks facing them, and 1 the cage 1 with the cage number P of interest is processed. In the case of an actual vehicle cage, 2. Even if cage 1 of the processing target cage number P is an empty cage, the total number of actual vehicles of the blocks with cage numbers P and Q is equal to the opposing cage number P+
When there are more than N/2, Q+N/2 blocks, it is determined that cage 1 with processing attention cage number P cannot be stocked, and in other cases, cage 1 with processing attention cage number P is an empty cage. It is stipulated that stocking is allowed for a limited period of time. In the next step _S20 , the process attention cage number P for which the above execution was performed is N.
(Total number of cages)
If it is determined that the number P is not N, the process attention cage number P is incremented by 1 in step _S21 , and the following steps are performed for this new process attention cage number P.
_S14 to _S20 are executed, and the above processing is performed for all cages, that is, when the processing target cage number P is N.
It is repeated until .

The above process will be explained for the case of 16 cages 1 with cage numbers ~ shown in the schematic diagram in FIG. 4. In the same figure, first, the actual vehicle The status of empty cars is compared. Then, according to the above-described procedure, it is determined whether the cage 1 having the processing target cage number can be stored or not. In this case, cage 1 with the processing attention cage number is an actual car cage, and therefore it is determined that it cannot be stored. Next, a similar comparison is made between the block with cage number , and the opposite block with cage number , and cage 1 of the cage number of interest is processed.
A determination is made as to whether or not the item can be stocked.
Here, since the numbers of actual cars in the two blocks are both 1 and equal, it is determined that cage 1 with the processing target cage number, which is an empty cage, can be stored. In this way, while sequentially shifting the car to be processed, that is, the block to be processed, one by one, it is determined whether or not all the cars can be stored. in this case,
For example, if we compare the block with cage number , and the block with cage number , to determine whether or not cage 1 with the car number of interest for processing can be entered, the number of actual vehicles in the block of cage number , is larger than that of cage number . Even though the cage number 1 is empty, it is determined that the cage cannot be stored.

Next, when it is determined in step _S20 that the cage number P has reached N, execution moves to step _S22 .
Here, the cage number of the cage 1 located at the entrance/exit 4 of the multi-story parking system, that is, the entrance number R is determined. In the next step _S23 , based on the obtained entrance number R, each cage number is allowed to enter the cage.
Information on items that cannot be stocked is rearranged by N/2 items on the left and right. Furthermore, in the next step _S24 , the information about the entry not allowed and not allowed stored on the left and right with the entrance number R as a reference is sequentially searched, and the cage number of the first searched memory bit "0", that is, entrance 4 is searched. The cage number of the nearest available empty cage is
Selected as the cage number of the empty cage to be called.

As described above, when selecting an empty cage in step _S9 in Figure 1a, the maximum unbalance number
In response to the situation where AN2 is within the allowable unbalance number N _A and there is plenty of room for unbalanced numbers, empty cages are selected in a way that prioritizes shortening the waiting time when calling cages and also takes balance into consideration. It is done.

In the above embodiment, in the empty cage selection procedure in step _S9 of FIG. 1a, which prioritizes shortening cage calling time, adjacent cages 1
By shifting cage 1 one by one and sequentially reassembling the blocks, the process performed as a block can be performed over all cages. Then, the status of actual vehicles and empty vehicles may be sequentially compared for each of these facing blocks. In this case, the empty cages on the side of the block where the number of actual vehicles is large may be determined as not allowed to be stored, and the empty cages in other cases may be determined as allowed to be stored. Further, the number of cages constituting one block does not need to be limited to two as in the above embodiment, and can be set arbitrarily.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the parking cage selection method for a multilevel parking device of the present invention, when the amount of unbalance assuming all rotational phase states exceeds the reference value, the unbalance of the entire cage can be reduced. On the other hand, when the unbalance amount is less than the standard value, the selection of the receiving cage is done in such a way that priority is given to shortening the cage calling time and balance is also considered. , no matter what the rotational phase state, the unbalance amount is always kept within the motor's capacity without reaching an unbalance exceeding the set value, and the multi-story parking system can be driven by a small-capacity electric motor. The effect of reducing equipment costs can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1a, b, and c are flowcharts showing the steps of a parking cage selection method for a multilevel parking system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-section of the multilevel parking system to which the storage cage selection method is applied. Front view, Figure 3, Figure 4
Each figure is a schematic diagram of the cage arrangement for showing the procedure of the storage cage selection method. 1...cage, W...vehicle.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a multi-story parking system in which a plurality of vehicle mounting cages connected in a circular manner are vertically circulated to move vehicles in and out of the garage, all the cages are divided into two cages with one reference cage as the border. The process of equally dividing into groups and calculating the difference in the number of actual cars between the two cage groups is performed across all division patterns by sequentially changing the reference cage, and the calculated maximum difference in the number of actual cars is greater than a predetermined reference value. Sometimes, the empty cage closest to the middle position of the cage group with the smaller number of actual vehicles among the cage groups in the division pattern indicating the maximum difference in the number of actual vehicles is called as the receiving cage, while the difference in the maximum number of actual vehicles falls below the standard value. When going around, the number of actual cars is determined between a specific block consisting of a plurality of consecutive cages and a block that faces the specific block among the multiple blocks obtained by dividing all the cages into units similar to the specific block. For all specific blocks, the empty cages in the specific block are determined to be available for storage if the number of actual vehicles in the specific block is not greater than the number of vehicles in the specific block, and the cages in other cases are determined to be unavailable for storage. This method of selecting a parking cage for a multi-story parking system is characterized in that all the cages are classified into those that can be entered and those that cannot be entered, and the cage that can be entered closest to the entrance of the multi-story parking system is called as the parking cage. 2. A plurality of consecutive cages in the specific block include a car to be processed at a specific position, and the number of actual vehicles is compared between the blocks that face the specific block, and the number of actual vehicles in the specific block is not greater. When the car to be processed in the specified block is an empty cage, the car to be processed is determined to be a car that can be stored, and in other cases, the car to be processed is determined to be a cage that cannot be stored.
The processing is performed for all specific blocks obtained by shifting the target cage one by one to distinguish all the cages into warehousing possible cages and warehousing non-entering cages.
A storage cage selection method for a multi-story parking system according to claim 1.