Patent Publication Number: US-2018047290-A1

Title: Collision prevention apparatus and system for parking lot

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This patent application is a national-stage application of International Patent Application No. PCT/KR2016/001080 which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2015-0024353, filed on Feb. 17, 2015, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a collision prevention apparatus and system for parking lot, and more specifically, to an apparatus and system for preventing a car from hitting a ramp wall by outputting an alert or displaying the distance of the car when part of the car is sensed to be within a safe distance. 
     DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART 
     An apartment building, office building, department store, shopping mall, or other buildings have their own underground parking lot intended for parking motor vehicles due to a limited ground parking area. 
     Sometimes, a car driver is required to drive down the curved ramp to find a parking space in a multi-story car park or the underground parking lot of a building. 
     In this case, the driver&#39;s carelessness or unskillfulness may oftentimes result in a collision with the ramp wall, damaging the car as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Also frequent is a collision with a concrete column in the underground parking lot while parking the ear on the parking space. 
     A rear-end accident may ensue as well. 
     A recent solution to resolve such problems is to put convex mirrors along the curved ramp to alert drivers. Such approach, however, fails to present a satisfactory result because it may rather throw the drivers&#39; sense of distance into confusion. Thus, there is an increasing need for technology that may effectively respond to such issues. 
     Korean Patent Application No. 10-1998-0048064 discloses a parking alert apparatus that can sense an object near a car being parked and display the distance to the object and outputting an alert when the car approaches within a predetermined distance, thereby attaining safe parking. 
     However, the prior-art apparatus is not responsive to the likelihood of side-impact collisions with the walls that may arise while getting into the entrance or driving on the curved ramp. Therefore, there is increasing demand for technology to prevent not only head-on or rear-end collisions but also side-impact crashes while driving on the corridor. 
     SUMMARY 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a collision prevention apparatus and system for a parking lot, which can be installed on a column or wall of a curved ramp for entrance or exit from the parking lot to prevent car collisions and helping the driver to properly recognize the direction and distance to the wall, contributing to safe parking. 
     To achieve the above objects, according to the present invention, there is provided a collision prevention apparatus for a parking lot, comprising a distance sensor for measuring a distance to a vehicle and an alert controller for generating an alert signal depending on the measured distance to the vehicle to alert a driver of the vehicle, wherein the alert controller includes a comparator for detecting when the measured distance to the vehicle is not more than a preset safe distance and an output device for generating an alert signal when the measured distance to the vehicle is not more than the safe distance and outputting the generated alert signal. 
     Preferably, the output device may adjust and output a color of a light emitting diode (LED) depending on the measured distance to the vehicle. 
     Preferably, the output device may output the measured distance to the vehicle on a display. 
     Preferably, the output device may output an alert sound through a speaker when the measured distance to the vehicle is not more than the safe distance. 
     Preferably, a plurality of alert controllers each packaged in the same housing may be arranged in a row along a wall of a curved ramp of the parking lot, and a plurality of distance sensors may be arranged in a row along the wall of the curved ramp of the parking lot, and each of the distance sensors may be connected with each of the comparator and the output device packaged in the same housing. 
     Preferably, the distance sensor and the alert controller may be connected with each other via a length-adjustable telescopic pole. 
     To achieve the above objects, according to the present invention, there is provided a collision prevention system for a parking lot, comprising a plurality of distance sensors installed per section of a predetermined size on a wall of a curved ramp of the parking lot and an alert controller connected with the plurality of distance sensors via wired or wireless communication to gather information about a distance to a vehicle, wherein the distance sensors include a low-hand distance sensor placed on a left-hand wall of the curved ramp to measure a display to the vehicle and a right-hand distance sensor placed on a right-hand wall of the curved ramp to measure a distance to the vehicle, wherein the alert controller is placed per section in a one-by-one manner, gathers the measured distance to the vehicle from the left-hand distance sensor and the right-hand distance sensor placed in each section, detects when the gathered distance to the vehicle is not more than a preset safe distance, and when the gathered distance to the vehicle is not more than the preset safe distance, generates an alert signal, and outputs the generated alert signal. 
     Preferably, the alert controller may adjust and output a color of an LED depending on the extracted left-hand shortest distance and the right-hand shortest distance. 
     Preferably, the alert controller may further include a left-hand display for outputting the extracted left-hand shortest distance on a screen and a right-hand display for outputting the extracted right-hand shortest distance on a screen. 
     Preferably, when at least one of the extracted left-hand shortest distance and the extracted right-hand shortest distance is not more than the safe distance, the alert controller may output an alert sound through an internal speaker. 
     Preferably, the alert controller placed per section in a one-by-one manner may communicate with another alert controller, and when an alert signal is generated, the alert controller may transmit the generated alert signal to a nearby alert controller, and the nearby alert controller may output an alert sound through an external speaker. 
     According to the present invention, a collision prevention apparatus and system for a parking lot can be installed on a column or wall of a curved ramp for entrance or exit from the parking lot to prevent car collisions and helping the driver to properly recognize the direction and distance to the wall, contributing to safe parking. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a view illustrating an example of car collision into a wall of a curved corridor on a car park ramp; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating a collision prevention apparatus for a parking lot according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 3 and 4  are views illustrating a collision prevention apparatus for a parking lot according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 5 and 6  are views illustrating examples of collision prevention apparatuses installed in a parking lot as shown in  FIGS. 2 to 4 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a view illustrating an example of a collision prevention apparatus for a parking lot according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a view illustrating an example of a collision prevention system for a parking lot according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 9  is a block diagram illustrating a collision prevention system  200  for a parking lot according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     Various changes may be made to the present invention, and the present invention may come with a diversity of embodiments. Some embodiments of the present invention are shown and described in connection with the drawings. However, it should be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and all changes and/or equivalents or replacements thereto also belong to the scope of the present invention. 
     The terms “first” and “second” may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms are used only to distinguish one component from another. For example, a first component may be denoted a second component, and vice versa without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. 
     The terms as used herein are provided merely to describe some embodiments thereof, but not to limit the present disclosure. It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprise” and/or “have,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
     Unless otherwise defined, all terms including technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments of the present disclosure belong. 
     It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. 
     Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference denotations are used to refer to the same members throughout the drawings. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating a collision prevention apparatus for a parking lot according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , according to an embodiment of the present invention, a collision prevention apparatus  100  for a parking lot is attached onto the wall or column of the parking lot or the wall of a curved ramp to the parking lot. The collision prevention apparatus  100  includes a distance sensor  110  and an alarm controller  190 . 
     The distance sensor  110  includes a sensor that may sense the distance to an object. The distance sensor  110  may be installed on the wall or column of the parking lot or the wall of the curved ramp to the parking lot to measure the distance to a vehicle. As the distance sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor or an ultrasound sensor may be used to measure the distance to an object. The distance sensor falls within known technology and no detailed description thereof is given. 
     The alarm controller  190  generates an alert signal depending on the measured distance to the vehicle to alert the driver. The alarm controller  190  includes a comparator  120  and an output device  130 . The alarm controller  190  may further include at least one of a display  134 , a light emitting diode (LED)  135 , and a speaker  136 . 
     The comparator  120  compares the distance to the vehicle measured through the distance sensor  110  with a preset safe distance to detect when the measured distance to the vehicle is the safe distance or less. 
     When the measured distance to the vehicle is the safe distance or less, the output device  130  generates and outputs an alert signal. 
     Meanwhile, to provide the driver with a different alert message per distance, the comparator  120  may compare the measured distance to the vehicle with a preset dangerous distance in addition to the comparison with the safe distance. When the measured distance to the vehicle is the dangerous distance or less, the output device  130  may additionally generate and output a danger signal. 
     For example, where the safe distance is 30 cm, the dangers distance is 15 cm, and the distance between the wall and the vehicle is 40 cm, neither an alert signal nor a danger signal may be generated. Where the distance between the wall and the vehicle exceeds 15 cm and is not more than 30 cm, an alert signal may be generated, and where the distance between the wall and the vehicle is not more than 15 cm, a danger signal may be generated. 
     The output device  130  may include at least one of a distance output device  131 , a color adjuster  132 , and an alarm  133 . 
     The distance output device  131  performs control to receive the measured distance to the vehicle, digitize the received distance, and output the digitized distance on the display  134 . The driver may be aware how far the vehicle is away from the wall by checking the distance to the vehicle which is outputted through the display  134 . 
     The color adjuster  132  performs control to change the color of the LED  135  and output the changed color depending on the measured distance to the vehicle. For example, where the measured distance to the vehicle exceeds the safe distance, the color adjuster  132  may perform control so that a green LED lights on, where the measured distance to the vehicle exceeds the dangerous distance and is not more than the safe distance, the color adjuster  132  may perform control so that a yellow or orange LED lights on, and where the measured distance to the vehicle is not more than the dangerous distance, the color adjuster  132  may perform control so that a red LED lights on. Where the safe distance is set up but the dangerous distance is not, the color adjuster  132  may perform control so that two LEDs, e.g., a green LED and a red LED, light on. 
     The above-described safe distance and dangerous distance are not limited to the foregoing and may rather be set to distances appropriate for various environments, e.g., the size of the parking lot or the width of the curved ramp. The color of the LED depending on the measured distance between the wall and the vehicle may also be varied depending on contexts. 
     Where the measured distance to the vehicle is not more than the safe distance, the alarm  133  may perform control to output an alert sound through its embedded speaker  136 . The alarm  133  may perform control to output different alert sounds, e.g., from a first alert sound to a nth alert sound, stepwise depending on the measured distance between the wall and the vehicle, allowing the driver to predict the distance between the wall and the vehicle by simply hearing the alert sounds. Alternatively, the alarm  133  may allow the driver to predict the distance between the wall and the vehicle by performing control so that the duration that the alert sound goes off is changed, e.g., shortened, as the distance between the wall and the vehicle decreases. 
     The collision prevention apparatus  100  may be connected with an external speaker  150  to alert another following vehicle to the vehicle in front being close to the wall so that the other vehicle can slow down. In this case, the output device  130  may be connected, through wired or wireless communication, with the external speaker  150  which is positioned nearby. When an alert signal is generated, the output device  130  may generate a remote alert signal and transmit the generated remote alert signal to the external speaker  150  so that the external speaker  150  may output an alert sound. 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  are views illustrating a collision prevention apparatus for a parking lot according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     The collision prevention apparatus of  FIG. 3  allows the driver to predict the distance between the vehicle and the wall by controlling the LED  135  to change and output its color depending on the distance between the vehicle and the wall. 
     To that end, the collision prevention apparatus of  FIG. 3  externally includes a distance sensor  110  and an LED  135  and includes an alert controller  190  inside its housing. The collision prevention apparatus includes a speaker  136  for outputting alert sound and a length-adjustable telescopic pole  140  for installation and attachment onto the wall of a parking lot in various environments. Cables for power feeding and information transmission may be provided inside the telescopic pole  140  to connect the distance sensor  110  with the alert controller  190  in the housing. 
     The collision prevention apparatus of  FIG. 4  directly informs the driver of the distance between the wall and the vehicle by outputting the measured distance between the wall and the vehicle through the display  134 . To that end, similar to the collision prevention apparatus of  FIG. 3 , the collision prevention apparatus of  FIG. 4  includes a distance sensor  110  and an LED  135  and includes an alert controller  190  inside its housing, and the collision prevention apparatus of  FIG. 4  includes a length-adjustable telescopic pole. 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  are views illustrating examples of collision prevention apparatuses installed in a parking lot as shown in  FIGS. 2 to 4 . 
       FIG. 5  shows an example in which the collision prevention apparatus  100  of  FIG. 3  is installed at a curved ramp to a parking lot, and  FIG. 6  shows an example in which the collision prevention apparatus  100  of  FIG. 4  is installed at a curved ramp to a parking lot. 
     As the vehicle approaches the wall, the driver may suddenly speed down or stop the car. Thus, when the vehicle ahead comes closer to the wall, the external speaker  150  may output an alert sound to the tailing car&#39;s driver to predict the sudden speed-down or stopping of the car ahead. 
       FIG. 7  is a view illustrating an example of a collision prevention apparatus for a parking lot according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , for easier installation, at a curved ramp of a parking lot, of the collision prevention apparatus, the comparator and the output device of the alert controller  190  may be included in the same housing, and the alert controller  190  and the distance sensor  110  are connected with the distance sensor  110  in a one-to-one manner through wired or wireless communication. 
     In other words, a plurality of alert controllers  190 , each packaged in the same housing, are arranged in a row along the wall of the curved ramp of the parking lot, and a plurality of distance sensors  110  are arranged in a row along the wall of the curved ramp of the parking lot. Each of the plurality of alert controllers  190  is connected with a corresponding one of the plurality of distance sensors  110  in a one-to-one correspondence. 
     The alert controllers  190  and the distance sensors  110  may be powered from an external source and may be connected together in a one-to-one correspondence via wired or wireless communication. 
     According to the present invention, schemes for the wireless communication may include at least one of predetermined short-range communication means, e.g., conventional short-range wireless communication means including infrared (IR) communication, radio frequency (RF) communication, Bluetooth, Wireless LAN, wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi), and Zigbee, and/or all types of short-range wireless communication means to be equipped in the wireless terminal  100  in the future. 
       FIG. 8  is a view illustrating an example of a collision prevention system for a parking lot according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , according to an embodiment of the present invention, a collision prevention system includes a plurality of distance sensors  210 _L and  210 _R that are installed on the wall of the curved ramp of the parking lot in each section of a predetermined size, and alert controllers  290  connected with the plurality of distance sensors  210 _L and  210 _R via wired or wireless communication to gather information about the distance to the vehicle. 
     The distance sensors include left-hand distance sensors  210 _L which are arranged on the left-hand wall of the curved ramp to measure the distance to the vehicle and right-hand distance sensors  210 _R which are arranged on the right-hand wall of the curved ramp to measure the distance to the vehicle. 
     One alert controller  290  is placed in each section S 1  or S 2  to gather the distance to the vehicle which is measured from the left-hand distance sensors  210 _L and the right-hand distance sensors  210 _R arranged in the section, and the alert controller  290  detects when the distance gathered is not more than a preset safe distance, and when the distance is not more than the preset safe distance, generates and outputs an alert signal. 
     Preferably, the alert controllers  290  may be installed at the outside of the wall with respect to the direction in which the vehicle travels to effectively inform the driver of the distance between the wall and the vehicle. However, the alert controllers  290  may be installed at the inside of the wall depending on contexts. As described above in connection with  FIG. 2 , a dangerous distance may be set up in addition to the safe distance. 
     Although two sections S 1  and S 2  are shown in  FIG. 8 , the number of sections is not limited thereto and is determined depending on the length of the curved ramp or the size of each section. For example, the number of sections may be significantly increased as the curved ramp is longer or more and more levels are put to access the underground parking lot. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , each section has one alert controller  290 . The alert controller  290  in a certain section collects the measured distance between the wall and the vehicle from the distance sensors  210 _L and  210 _R installed in the section. Each alert controller  290  and each distance sensor  210 _L and  210 _R may have its own unique identity (ID). Thus, upon first installing the alert controllers  290  and the distance sensors  210 _L and  210 _R, the distance sensors  210 _L and  210 _R in each section are set to perform wired or wireless communication with the alert controller  290  alone which belongs to the corresponding section. 
     For connection via wired communication, the alert controller  290  and the distance sensors  210 _L and  210 _R which belong to a corresponding section may be connected together through communication cables. Upon first installing the alert controllers  290  and the distance sensors  210 _L and  210 _R, the alert controller  290  that belongs to a particular section may store the IDs of the distance sensors  210 _L and  210 _R belonging to the particular section and identify the distance sensors  210 _L and  210 _R, so that the alert controller  290  may communicate with only the distance sensors  210 _L and  210 _R belonging to the particular section. 
     The alert controller  290  may include a display screen able to output numbers or an LED able to change colors so that the alert controller  290  may generate an alert signal and output the alert signal through the display or LED when a vehicle passing through the particular section approaches the wall, previously alerting the drivers to the danger that the vehicle may hit the wall of the curved ramp of the parking lot. 
     Meanwhile, an external speaker  250  may be provided near the alert controller  290  to alert the driver or the tailing car&#39;s driver when the alert signal is generated. 
       FIG. 9  is a block diagram illustrating a collision prevention system  200  for a parking lot according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , according to an embodiment of the present invention, a collision prevention system  200  for a parking lot includes a plurality of distance sensors installed per section of a predetermined size on the wall of a curved ramp of the parking lot and alert controllers connected with the plurality of distance sensors via wired or wireless communication to gather information about the distance to a vehicle. 
     Although a plurality of alert controllers and a plurality of distance sensors are arranged along the curved ramp of the parking lot, an example is described in one alert controller  290  and one distance sensor  210  are provided for ease of description. 
     The distance sensor  210  include a left-hand distance sensor  210 _L which is placed on the left-hand wall of the curved ramp to measure the distance to the vehicle and a right-hand distance sensor which is placed on the right-hand wall of the curved ramp to measure the distance to the vehicle, and the distance sensor  210  transmits the measured distance to the vehicle to the alert controller  290  via wired or wireless communication. 
     One alert controller  290  is placed in each section, gathers the measured distance to the vehicle from the left-hand distance sensor and the right-hand distance sensor in the section, detects when the gathered distance to the vehicle is not more than a preset safe distance, and when the gathered distance to the vehicle is not more than the safe distance, generates and outputs an alert signal. The alert controller  290  includes at least one of a collector  280 , a comparator  220 , and an output device  230 . 
     The collector  280  gathers the measured distance to the vehicle from each of the left-hand distance sensor and the right-hand distance sensor placed in each section. 
     The comparator  220  extracts a shortest distance to the left from the distance to the vehicle gathered from the left-hand distance sensor and a shortest distance to the right from the display to the vehicle gathered from the right-hand display sensor. 
     The output device  230  generates an alert signal when at least one of the extracted left-hand shortest distance and right-hand shortest distance is not more than the safe distance. The output device  230  may include at least one of a distance output device  231 , a color adjuster  232 , and an alarm  233 . 
     The distance output device  231  performs control to output the extracted left-hand shortest distance and right-hand shortest distance on a left-hand display  234 _L and a right-hand display  234 _R, respectively. The display  234  may be implemented to have two displays that are joined together. The display  234  includes the left-hand display  234 _L and the right-hand display  234 _R. As the extracted left-hand shortest distance is outputted on the left-hand display  234 _L, and the extracted right-hand shortest distance is outputted on the right-hand display  234 _R, the driver may check on the display  234  the shortest distance between the left-hand wall and the vehicle or between the right-hand wall and the vehicle, thereby being put on notice how far the vehicle is away from the left-hand wall and the right-hand wall. 
     The color adjuster  232  controls a left-hand LED  235 _L and a right-hand LED  235 _R to change and output its color depending on the extracted left-hand shortest distance and the extracted right-hand shortest distance. For example, where the extracted shortest distance exceeds the safe distance, the color adjuster  132  may perform control so that a green LED lights on, where the extracted shortest distance exceeds the dangerous distance and is not more than the safe distance, the color adjuster  132  may perform control so that a yellow or orange LED lights on, and where the extracted shortest distance is not more than the dangerous distance, the color adjuster  132  may perform control so that a red LED lights on. Where the safe distance is set up but the dangerous distance is not, the color adjuster  132  may perform control so that two LEDs, e.g., a green LED and a red LED, light on. 
     The above-described safe distance and dangerous distance are not limited to the foregoing and may rather be set to distances appropriate for various environments, e.g., the size of the parking lot or the width of the curved ramp. The color of the LED depending on the measured distance between the wall and the vehicle may also be varied depending on contexts. 
     The LED may include the left-hand LED  235 _L and the right-hand LED  235 _R to indicate which one of the left-hand wall and the right-hand wall the vehicle approaches. 
     Where at least one of the extracted left-hand shortest distance and the extracted right-hand shortest distance is not more than the safe distance, the alarm  133  may perform control to output an alert sound through its embedded speaker  236 . As described above, the alarm  133  may perform control to output different alert sounds, e.g., from a first alert sound to a nth alert sound, stepwise depending on the measured distance between the left-hand or right-hand wall and the vehicle, allowing the driver to predict the distance between the wall and the vehicle by simply hearing the alert sounds. Alternatively, the alarm  133  may allow the driver to predict the distance between the wall and the vehicle by performing control so that the duration that the alert sound goes off is changed, e.g., shortened, as the distance between the wall and the vehicle decreases. 
     The collision prevention system  200  may be connected with an external speaker (not shown) to alert another following vehicle to the vehicle in front being close to the wall so that the other vehicle can slow down. 
     The alert controllers placed one-by-one per section may mutually communicate with each other via wired or wireless communication. When an alert signal is generated, the alert controller may transmit the generated alert signal to a nearby alert controller(s), and the nearby alert controller(s) may output an alert sound(s) through the external speaker. 
     While the present invention has been shown and described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments are merely an example and that various changes in form and detail may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. The scope of the present invention should be construed by the following claims, and all technical spirits within equivalents thereof should be interpreted to belong to the scope of the present invention.