Parking information sensing device and providing method thereof

A parking information sensing device is disclosed. Each parking space in a parking lot is disposed with a parking information sensing device, detecting whether a car on the parking space. By means of a driving control circuit, the sensing device drives a light emitting unit to emit a light and a reflecting element of the parking space is on a pathway of the light. Light is reflected by the reflecting element and then passes light sensing unit that detects the reflected light and generates a first sensing signal sent to the driving control circuit. Thus the driving control circuit judges if there is no vehicle on the parking space. On the other hand, it judges if there is a car on the parking space according to another sensing signal. The sensing device further includes a first transmitting/receiving unit that forms a wireless mesh network among parking information sensing devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a sensing device, especially to a parking information sensing device and a providing method thereof.

Cars or motorbikes are the most common kinds of transportation. But it's getting difficult to find out a parking space in a parking lot, especially in a parking lot of shopping malls, department stores or other places. Most users of the parking lot now uses tickets to record status of the parking space. Users only know the number of available parking space through a display panel on an entry of the parking lot. However, they can't get precise location of the available parking space immediately and users can only find out the empty parking space in sight. Once there are only few cars in the parking lot, it's easy to get a parking space. If there is a lot of cars occupied the parking space, it's getting difficult to find out available space.

In order to solve above problems, a parking information system is disclosed. Referring to U.S. Pat. No. 6,147,624, Method and apparatus for parking management system for locating available parking space, a parking management system is provided so that users learn available parking space quickly and park their car easily. However, a sensing device being used is infrared sensor and the infrared sensor itself has low detection sensitivity. It can only detect there is a car on the parking space roughly.

Thus there is a need to develop a parking information sensing device and a providing method thereof that improves precision of checking of parking space status by more sensitive way with lower cost and maintenance fee. Thus people know available parking space easily and precisely.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a parking information sensing device and a providing method thereof that use a light-gathering member with a wire harness to receive the reflected light for checking whether there is a car on the parking space. Light emitted from a light emitting unit and reflected by a reflecting element within a circle area πr2whose radius is the wire harness length is all collected and is sent to a light sensing unit. The light-gathering member with wire harness is convenient for installment and adjustment.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a parking information sensing device and a providing method thereof that use a transmitting/receiving unit to send sensing results of parking space for showing users and managing personnel availability of the parking space. And a plurality of transmitting/receiving units forms a wireless mesh network that detects parking space in the parking lot.

In order to achieve above objects, a parking information sensing device and a providing method thereof according to the present invention are disclosed. The parking information sensing device includes a driving control circuit coupled to a light emitting unit as well as an light sensing unit. The driving control circuit drives the light emitting unit emitting a light to a parking space while a reflecting element such as a mirror is arranged on the parking space and is located on a path of the light emitted from the light emitting unit. The light sensing unit receives the light reflected by the reflecting element. After receiving the reflected light, the light sensing unit generates a sensing signal that is sent to the driving control circuit so that the driving control circuit judges whether there is a car on the parking space according to the sensing signal. Moreover, judging results of the driving control circuit can be displayed by indicating light units. A first transmitting/receiving unit of each parking information sensing device communicates with one another and forms a wireless mesh network.

This invention further includes a monitoring device disposed with a second transmitting/receiving unit corresponding to the first transmitting/receiving unit of the parking information sensing device. Through the wireless mesh network formed by a plurality of first transmitting/receiving units, the second transmitting/receiving unit receives judging results of the parking space for showing users the results. Furthermore, the monitoring device actively sends command signals so as to make the parking information sensing system report the status itself through the wireless mesh network to the monitoring device and the status is displayed. Therefore, managing personnel can easily do tasks of system fees calculation, management and quickly maintenance.

This invention further includes a parking information display panel disposed with a third transmitting/receiving unit corresponding to the first transmitting/receiving unit of the parking information sensing device. Through the wireless mesh network formed by a plurality of first transmitting/receiving units, the third transmitting/receiving unit receives judging results of the parking space. The parking information display panel not only shows amount of available parking space but also displays precisely parking spaces on each floor of the parking lot for users' convenience.

A method for providing parking information includes a plurality of steps. Emitting a light to a parking space, and then detecting the light being reflected from the parking space. Judging whether the parking space is occupied by a car in accordance with a sensing result. When the reflected light is reflected by the reflecting element, a first sensing signal is generated so as to judge that there is no car on the parking space. On the contrary, it is judged that there is a car on the parking space. In addition, the judging result of the parking space is transmitted to the monitoring device or the parking information display panel by wire or wireless for being displayed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIG. 1A,FIG. 1B, andFIG. 2, a parking information sensing device10detects whether a single parking space32within a parking lot30is occupied by a vehicle or not. The parking information sensing device10composed of a light emitting unit12, a reflecting element14, a light sensing unit16and a driving control circuit18is disposed on each of the parking space32. The light emitting unit12corresponds to the parking space32while the reflecting element14is arranged on the parking space32and is located on a path of the light emitted from the light emitting unit12. The light sensing unit16is located on a path of light reflected by the reflecting element14. The driving control circuit18is coupled to the light emitting unit12as well as the light sensing unit16and is to drive the light emitting unit12emitting a light to the reflecting element14on the parking space32. The reflecting element14reflects the light from the light emitting unit12to the light sensing unit16so as to detect status of the parking space32.

As shown inFIG. 1B, the light sensing unit16is further disposed with a light-gathering member162having wire harness for receiving light and detecting the parking space32. The light-gathering member162consists of a receiver164connected with a wire harness166and the wire harness166connected with a light receiving point168. Wire harness length r is the distance from the receiver164to the light receiving point168and light from the light emitting unit12, reflected by the reflecting element14and toward the light sensing unit16, inside a circle whose radius is the wire harness length r is all collected. Thus the area receivable by the light sensing unit16is enlarged to πr2and this is convenient for installment and adjustment. The light-gathering member162is designed with a parabolic surface for concentrating reflected light and improving light-receiving accuracy.

When the parking space32is not occupied by any vehicle, the light sensing unit16receives light reflected by the reflecting element14through the light-gathering member162and generates correspondingly a first sensing signal that is sent to the driving control circuit18. According to the first sensing signal, the driving control circuit18drives an indicating light unit184so as to show a signal of available space. Furthermore, the driving control circuit18further transmits this checking result by a first transmitting/receiving unit182, received by the next first transmitting/receiving unit182of the Parking information sensing device10nearby in the parking lot30and being transmitted again, finally arriving at monitoring device20and a parking information display panel22for parking spaces. For example, when there is a car on the parking space32, the car blocks (interrupts) light emitted from the light emitting unit12so that the reflecting element14reflects no light to the light sensing unit16. Thus there is no first sensing signal generated by the light sensing unit16. Then the driving control circuit18checks if there is a car on the parking space32. Similarly, when there is no obstacle interrupts, light from the light emitting unit12is reflected by the reflecting element14and arrives the light sensing unit16. Thus the light sensing unit16generates the first sensing signal that is sent to the driving control circuit18so as to judge that there is no vehicle on the parking space32. Moreover, the light sensing unit16detects the received light according to a threshold value. When the light sensing unit16detects that the intensity of the received light no more less than the threshold value, it correspondingly generates the first sensing signal to make the driving control circuit18judge there is no vehicle on the parking space32. When the light sensing unit16senses the intensity of the received light is less than the threshold value, it correspondingly generates a second sensing signal that enables the driving control circuit18to judge that there is a car occupied the parking space32. The roof of the car reflects or scatters light emitted from the light emitting unit12so that the light sensing unit16detects no reflected light or just scattered light. Thus the light sensing unit16receives the light whose intensity is lower than a threshold value and then drives the driving control circuit18to recognize that there is a car on the parking space32according to sensing results thereof. At last, the first transmitting/receiving unit182transmits the checking result of the driving control circuit18so as to show status of the parking space32.

The driving control circuit18is further coupled to the indicating light unit184that displays light signals corresponding to checking results of the driving control circuit18. For example, when the driving control circuit18checks there is no car on the parking space32, the indicating light unit184turns on a light for showing empty status. When the driving control circuit18checks there is a car occupied the parking space32, the indicating light unit184lights a light showing occupied status.

Furthermore, the first transmitting/receiving unit182supports communication protocol of Zigbee or IEEE802.15.4 so that all of the parking information sensing devices10within a parking lot30form a wireless mesh network34through communications among the first transmitting/receiving units182. Similarly, a second transmitting/receiving unit and a third transmitting/receiving unit can also support communication protocol of Zigbee or IEEE802.15.4.

Referring toFIG. 2, the present invention includes a monitoring device20disposed with a second transmitting/receiving unit202and a parking information display panel22with a third transmitting/receiving unit222. The second transmitting/receiving unit202and the third transmitting/receiving unit222connect to the wireless mesh network34. The first transmitting/receiving units182sends checking results of the driving control circuit18to the second transmitting/receiving unit202and the third transmitting/receiving unit222while the monitoring device20receives the checking results of the driving control circuit18through the second transmitting/receiving unit202for showing the results. In similar way, the parking information display panel22receives and displays the checking results of the driving control circuit18through the third transmitting/receiving unit222. Furthermore, the monitoring device20sends command signals to each parking information sensing device10for sensing status thereof and then each parking information sensing device10reports the status itself through the wireless mesh network34to the monitoring device20and the status is displayed so as to achieve purposes of system fees calculation, management and quickly maintenance.

Referring toFIG. 3, the monitoring device20consists of a second transmitting/receiving unit202and a host204for showing checking results and transmitting command signals. As shown inFIG. 4, the parking information display panel22includes a third transmitting/receiving unit222, a driving circuit224, an electronic display226. The driving circuit224drives the electronic display226to show the checking result.

Thus numbers of parking information sensing devices10forming the wireless mesh network34, the monitoring device20and the parking information display panel22according to the present invention displays real time status of the parking space32so as to make users learn where there is a vacancy.

ReferringFIG. 5, a flow chart of an embodiment according to the present invention is disclosed. A method for providing parking information is to check whether light reflected by the reflecting element14is received for detecting whether there is a vehicle on a parking space32. Referring to step S10, a light is emitted and the light path passes the parking space32. Then as shown in the step S20, a reflecting element14is disposed on the parking space32and is located on the light path. Thus the light is reflected by the reflecting element14and the reflected light passes through a light sensing unit16. Next run the step S30, check whether the reflected light is received by the light sensing unit16so as to judge whether the parking space32is occupied or not. When the reflected light is reflected by the reflecting element14, referring to the step S40, it is judged that there is no car on the parking space32according to the sensing signal. When the reflected light is not reflected by the reflecting element14therefore the light sensing unit16receive nothing, as shown in step S50, it is judged if there is a car on the parking space32according to the sensing signal. Thus the present invention judges whether there is a vehicle on the parking space without complicated procedures.

Referring toFIG. 6, a light emitting unit12for emitting light of the present invention is disposed on a position that faces the parking space32while a reflecting element14is disposed on the parking space32itself and is located on a path of the light emitted from the light emitting unit12. The reflecting element14reflects the light from the light emitting unit12. After being reflected, the light arrives a light-gathering member162of an light sensing unit16and the light sensing unit16generates a first sensing signal according to the light received by the light-gathering member162. According to the first sensing signal, a driving control circuit18judges that there is no car on the parking space32and a first transmitting/receiving unit182sends the judging result of no car on the parking space32to a second transmitting/receiving unit202so that a monitoring device20displays the result of no car on the parking space32. When there is a vehicle occupied the parking space32, the reflected light is reflected by the line AA′ which is the roof of the vehicle. The reflected light will not approach to light-gathering member162of an light sensing unit16and the light sensing unit16doesn't generate a first sensing signal or a second sensing signal so that the driving control circuit18judges that there is a car on the parking space32. And the first transmitting/receiving unit182sends the checking result of a car on the parking space32to the second transmitting/receiving unit202so that the monitoring device20shows the result of a car occupied the parking space32. Therefore, a parking information sensing device10according to the present invention provides users real-time information showing whether the parking space32is occupied or not.

When there is a car on the parking space32, the car roof will reflect or scatter the light emitted from the light emitting unit12. That means the light is reflected or scattered at the position of the line AA′ and thus the light sensing unit16can't sense the light reflected by the car roof or only senses the light scattered by the car roof. Therefore, the light intensity received by the light sensing unit16is lower than the threshold so that the driving control circuit18judges that there is a car on the parking space32according to the sensing result of the light sensing unit16.