U.S. patent application number 15/949032 was filed with the patent office on 2019-10-10 for coordinated parking-monitoring system.
This patent application is currently assigned to HangZhou HaiCun Information Technology Co., Ltd.. The applicant listed for this patent is WenSheng WANG, Guobiao ZHANG. Invention is credited to WenSheng WANG, Guobiao ZHANG.
Application Number | 20190311624 15/949032 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 68099044 |
Filed Date | 2019-10-10 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190311624 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
WANG; WenSheng ; et
al. |
October 10, 2019 |
COORDINATED PARKING-MONITORING SYSTEM
Abstract
The present invention discloses a coordinated parking-monitoring
system. A co-monitored parking space is monitored by at least two
parking-monitoring devices. Its effective parking-monitoring area
is substantially more than that if it were monitored by a single
parking-monitoring device. This lowers the overall system cost.
Inventors: |
WANG; WenSheng; (Singapore,
SG) ; ZHANG; Guobiao; (Corvallis, OR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
WANG; WenSheng
ZHANG; Guobiao |
Singapore
Corvallis |
OR |
SG
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
HangZhou HaiCun Information
Technology Co., Ltd.
HangZhou
CN
|
Family ID: |
68099044 |
Appl. No.: |
15/949032 |
Filed: |
April 9, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G08G 1/147 20130101;
G08G 1/065 20130101; G06K 9/00771 20130101; G08G 1/148
20130101 |
International
Class: |
G08G 1/14 20060101
G08G001/14; G08G 1/065 20060101 G08G001/065; G06K 9/00 20060101
G06K009/00 |
Claims
1-20. (canceled)
21. A coordinated parking-monitoring method, comprising the steps:
A) a first camera-based parking-monitoring device including a first
camera obtains a first occupancy likelihood of a co-monitored
parking space from a first image captured by said first camera; B)
a second camera-based parking-monitoring device including a second
camera obtains a second occupancy likelihood of said co-monitored
parking space from a second image captured by said second camera;
C) said first camera-based parking-monitoring device transfers said
first occupancy likelihood of said co-monitored parking space to
said second parking-monitoring device; D) said second
parking-monitoring device determines the parking occupancy of said
co-monitored parking space from said first and second occupancy
likelihoods.
22. The coordinated parking-monitoring method according to claim
21, wherein said first camera-based parking-monitoring device
transfers said first occupancy likelihood to said second
parking-monitoring device with at least a communication means.
23. The coordinated parking-monitoring method according to claim
22, wherein said communication means is a Bluetooth communication
means.
24. The coordinated parking-monitoring method according to claim
22, wherein said communication means is a WiFi communication
means.
25. The coordinated parking-monitoring method according to claim
22, wherein said communication means is a cellular communication
means.
Description
BACKGROUND
1. Technical Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of electronics,
and more particularly, to a parking-monitoring system.
2. Prior Arts
[0002] Locating a vacant parking space causes much frustration to
motorists. It increases fuel consumption and has a negative impact
to the environment. To conserve energy resources and enhance the
quality of the environment, it is highly desired to develop a
parking-monitoring system, which can transmit substantially
real-time parking occupancy data to motorists. Based on the parking
occupancy data, a motorist can be guided towards a vacant parking
space at destination.
[0003] Parking enforcement is an important aspect of city
management. The current parking-enforcement system is patrol-based,
i.e. parking enforcement officers patrol the streets and/or parking
lots to enforce the parking regulations. This operation requires
significant amount of man power and also consumes a lot of fuel. It
is highly desired to take advantage of the above-mentioned
parking-monitoring system and automatically measure the parking
time for each monitored parking space.
[0004] Both parking monitoring and enforcement are based on the
detection of parked vehicles (i.e. parking detection). Because it
can monitor a large number of parking spaces simultaneously, a
camera is an ideal device for parking detection. Prior arts
disclose many camera-based parking-monitoring systems. FIG. 1A
discloses a cross-sectional view of a camera-based
parking-monitoring system. A parking-monitoring device 25a captures
the images of the parking spaces 05d . . . along the curb 20a of
the street 20. It is mounted on a support 21a such as an utility
pole or a street-lamp post, which also provides power to the device
25a.
[0005] FIG. 1B discloses a top view of the camera-based
parking-monitoring system. In prior arts, each parking space is
monitored by a single parking-monitoring device. Due to its finite
view angle 22a (limited by a right edge 23a and a left edge 24a),
the parking-monitoring device 25a can monitor a finite number (a
total of seven in this example) of parking spaces 05a, 05b . . .
05g. These parking spaces 05a-05g form a monitored group 30A for
the parking-monitoring device 25a. Likewise, an adjacent
parking-monitoring device 25b monitors seven parking spaces 05h,
05i . . . , which form a monitored group 30B. In prior arts, there
is no overlap between the monitored groups 30A and 30B.
[0006] FIG. 1C discloses more details of the parking spaces 05g,
05h near the border between the monitored groups 30A and 30B. When
a vehicle is parked in the parking space 05g, it will occlude a
portion of its adjacent parking space 05h from the perspective of
the parking-monitoring device 25a. Out of the total parking area
(denoted by "ABCD") of the parking space 05h, only the shaded
portion (denoted by "EBCF") is an effective area which can be used
for parking monitoring (i.e. effective parking-monitoring area).
When its effective parking-monitoring area ratio, i.e. the ratio
between the effective parking-monitoring area ("EBCF") and the
total parking area ("ABCD"), is below a parking-determination
threshold (e.g. 70%), the effectiveness of the parking-monitoring
device 25a to monitor the parking space 05h becomes questionable.
As a result, the parking space 05g becomes the rightmost parking
space that can be monitored by the parking-monitoring device 25a.
Line 23a becomes the right edge of the view angle 22a, which bounds
the monitor group 30A of the parking-monitoring device 25a.
[0007] The prior-art parking-monitoring system is an un-coordinated
parking-monitoring system: each parking-monitoring device works by
itself and there is no coordination among them. As a result, the
parking spaces that can be monitored by each parking-monitoring
device are limited. This increases the total system cost.
Objects and Advantages
[0008] It is a principle object of the present invention to
conserve energy resources and enhance the quality of the
environment.
[0009] It is a further object of the present invention to lower the
overall system cost of a parking-monitoring system.
[0010] It is a further object of the present invention to increase
the number of parking spaces that can be monitored by each
parking-monitoring device.
[0011] In accordance with these and other objects of the present
invention, a coordinated parking-monitoring system is
disclosed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The present invention discloses a coordinated
parking-monitoring system. Different from prior arts where each
parking-monitoring device works by itself and each parking space is
monitored by a single parking-monitoring device, at least a parking
space is monitored by at least two parking-monitoring devices. This
parking space is referred to as a co-monitored parking space. The
effective parking-monitoring area of the co-monitored parking space
is substantially more than that if it were monitored by a single
parking-monitoring device. As a result, the number of parking space
that can be monitored by a parking-monitoring device increases
(e.g. from seven to eight). This helps to lower the overall system
cost.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of a city street monitored
by a parking-monitoring device; FIG. 1B is a top view of the city
street monitored by an un-coordinated parking-monitoring system
(prior art); FIG. 1C illustrates the effective parking-monitoring
area of a parking space monitored by a single parking-monitoring
device (prior art).
[0014] FIG. 2A is a top view of the city street monitored by a
preferred coordinated parking-monitoring system; FIG. 2B
illustrates the effective parking-monitoring area of a co-monitored
parking space, which is monitored by two parking-monitoring
devices.
[0015] FIG. 3A is a block diagram of a preferred coordinated
parking-monitoring system; FIG. 3B is a block diagram of a
preferred parking-monitoring device.
[0016] FIGS. 4A-4B are flow charts of two preferred coordinated
parking-monitoring methods.
[0017] It should be noted that all the drawings are schematic and
not drawn to scale. Relative dimensions and proportions of parts of
the device structures in the figures have been shown exaggerated or
reduced in size for the sake of clarity and convenience in the
drawings. The same reference symbols are generally used to refer to
corresponding or similar features in the different embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] Those of ordinary skills in the art will realize that the
following description of the present invention is illustrative only
and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Other embodiments of
the invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled
persons from an examination of the within disclosure.
[0019] Referring now to FIG. 2A, a preferred coordinated
parking-monitoring system deployed in the city street 20 is
disclosed. This coordinated parking-monitoring system comprises at
least a co-monitored parking space 05h, which is monitored by two
parking-monitoring devices 25a and 25b. The monitored group 30A* of
the parking-monitoring device 25a includes the parking spaces 05d,
05e, 5f, 05g, 05h, . . . , while the monitored group 30B* of the
parking-monitoring device 25b includes the parking spaces 05h, 05i,
05j, 05k, . . . . Compared with FIG. 1B, the parking space 05h,
instead of the parking space 05g, becomes the rightmost parking
space that can be monitored by the parking-monitoring device 25a.
The view angle 22a* of the parking-monitoring device 25a becomes
larger and its right edge 23a* extends to the parking space 05h.
Likewise, the view angle 22b* of the parking-monitoring device 25b
also becomes larger and its left edge 24b* extends to the parking
space 05h. In the example disclosed in FIG. 1B and FIG. 2A, the
total number of the parking spaces monitored by each
parking-monitoring device 25a, 25b increases from seven to
eight.
[0020] FIG. 2B discloses more details of the parking spaces 05g,
05h, 05i near the border between the monitored groups 30A* and
30B*. For the co-monitored parking space 05h, the first effective
parking-monitoring area for the first parking-monitoring device 25a
is the area "EBCF", whereas the second effective parking-monitoring
area for the second parking-monitoring device 25b is the area "HEI"
(excluding the overlapped area between "HBCG" and "EBCF"). Because
the parking space 05h is co-monitored by the parking-monitoring
devices 25a and 25b, the total effective parking-monitoring area
for the co-monitored parking space 05h is the sum of the areas
"EBCF" and "HEI", which is shown in the shaded area "HBCFI".
Accordingly, the total effective parking-monitoring area ratio,
i.e. the ratio between the total effective parking-monitoring area
("HBCFI") and the total parking area ("ABCD"), becomes higher than
the parking-determination threshold (e.g. 70%). Hence, the parking
space 05h, although it cannot be reliably monitored by the
parking-monitoring device 25a in prior arts, can be reliably
monitored in the coordinated parking-monitoring system.
[0021] Referring now to FIGS. 3A-3B, a preferred coordinated
parking-monitoring system is disclosed in FIG. 3A. It comprises a
first parking-monitoring device 25a and a second parking-monitoring
device 25b. The first parking-monitoring device 25a communicates
information 40 with the second parking-monitoring device 25b. In
one preferred embodiment, the communicated information 40 includes
the images of the parking space 05h. In another preferred
embodiment, the communicated information 40 includes the occupancy
likelihood of the parking space 05h.
[0022] FIG. 3B is a block diagram of a preferred parking-monitoring
device 25. It comprises an image-capturing means 70, an
image-processing means 80 and a communication means 90. The
image-capturing means 70 could comprise at least one camera. When
it comprises multiple cameras, these cameras may face different
directions in such a way that a large number of parking spaces can
be monitored simultaneously. The image-processing means 80 could
comprise a processor and a memory. The processor could be any type
of central-processing unit (CPU), graphic-processing unit (GPU)
and/or digital signal processor (DSP). The memory used by the
parking-monitoring device could be any type of non-volatile memory
(NVM, e.g. flash memory) or hard-disk drive (HDD). It could store
an operating system of the parking-monitoring device. The
communication means 90 could be Bluetooth, WiFi or cellular
communication means.
[0023] Referring now to FIGS. 4A-4B, two preferred coordinated
parking-monitoring methods are disclosed. In the preferred method
of FIG. 4A, the first parking-monitoring device 25a captures the
images of a first plurality of parking spaces, including a first
image of the parking space 05h (step 100). At the same time, the
second parking-monitoring device 25b captures the images of a
second plurality of parking spaces, including a second image of the
parking space 05h (step 200). Then the first parking-monitoring
device 25a transfers the first image of the parking space 05h to
the second parking-monitoring device 25b (step 120). The second
parking-monitoring device 25b determines the occupancy of the
parking space 05h from the first and second images of the parking
space 05h (step 220).
[0024] FIG. 4B is a flow chart of a second preferred coordinated
parking-monitoring method. The first parking-monitoring device 25a
captures a first image of the parking space 05h (step 100), while
the second parking-monitoring device 25b captures a second image of
the parking space 05h (step 200). Afterwards, the first
parking-monitoring device 25a does a preliminary processing on the
first image of the parking space 05h. Because its first effective
parking-monitoring ratio is below the parking-determination
threshold from the perspective of the first parking-monitoring
device 25a (FIG. 1C), this preliminary processing can only obtain a
first occupancy likelihood for the parking space 05h (step 140).
The first occupancy likelihood could be the ratio of the first
changed area (i.e. the area within the first effective
parking-monitoring area "EBCF" which has a background change) and
the total parking area "ABCD". Similarly, a second occupancy
likelihood can be calculated from the perspective of the second
parking-monitoring device 25b (step 240). Then the first
parking-monitoring device 25a transfers the first occupancy
likelihood to the second parking-monitoring device 25b (step 160).
The second parking-monitoring device 25b determines the occupancy
of the parking space 05h from the first and second occupancy
likelihoods (step 260). For example, the first occupancy likelihood
is 0.6 and the second likelihood is 0.2, both of which are below
the parking-determination threshold (0.7). The total occupancy
likelihood is 0.8 (0.6+0.2), which is above the
parking-determination threshold. A hard occupancy decision hereby
can be made. Because only the first occupancy likelihood (no the
first image) is transferred, a smaller communication bandwidth is
required for the communication means 90.
[0025] While illustrative embodiments have been shown and
described, it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that
many more modifications than that have been mentioned above are
possible without departing from the inventive concepts set forth
therein. The invention, therefore, is not to be limited except in
the spirit of the appended claims.
* * * * *