Automated parking system

• US 20110182703A1
• Filed: 01/18/2011
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Auto Parkit LLC
• Original Assignee: Auto Parkit LLC
• Inventors: Alan, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,632,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/231
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 6/183 without transverse movement of the car after leaving the transfer means
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 6/282 turntables, rotary elevators or the like on which the cars are not permanently parked
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 6/422 Automatically operated car-parks

Abstract

An automated parking system for a parking structure includes a controller which receives a vehicle loading request from a vehicle customer. A loading bay accepts the vehicle and transfers to the parking system. Equipment is provided for transferring the vehicle horizontally and vertically through the parking system. The vehicle parking system includes a rack structure that is integrated as part of the parking structure.

Claims

1. An automated parking system for a parking structure, comprising:

a controller that receives a vehicle loading request from a vehicle customer;

a loading bay for accepting of the vehicle and transfer to the parking system;

equipment for transferring the vehicle horizontally and vertically through the parking system;

wherein the automated parking system includes a rack structure that is integrated as part of the parking structure.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein elements of the automated parking system are integrated with the rack structure.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the parking structure includes parking cell structures that are part of the automated parking system.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a powered chain driven roller system that transfers vehicles through the automated parking system and the parking structure.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the automated parking system further includes an empty pallet associated with an open parking cell.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the automated parking system further includes one or more shuttles and lifts.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

garage doors.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

sensors coupled to the garage doors to detect motion in the loading bay.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an alarm.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the lift is integrated with the loading bay.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the lift is separate from the loading bay

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the shuttle moves the vehicle horizontally from the lift to the parking cell for storage, and from that parking cell back to the lift for departure.

14. The system of claim 6, wherein the shuttle transfers the vehicle from the loading bay to a lift or parking cell for storage.

15. The system of claim 6, wherein the powered chain driven roller system includes powered rollers that traverse a shuttle carriage.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the powered chain driven roller system moves the vehicle off the shuttle and into a parking cell or onto the lift.

17. The system of claim 6, wherein powered chain driven roller system transfers the vehicle to a parking cell or lift.

18. The system of claim 6, wherein powered chain driven roller includes a parasitic drive motor that engages a parasitic cell and drives a conveyor to transfer the vehicle off the shuttle and into the parasitic cell.

19. A vehicle parking control system for a parking structure, comprising:

a controller that receives a vehicle loading request from a vehicle customer;

a loading bay at the parking structure for receiving a customer vehicle;

sensors positioned to determine one or more dimensions of the customer vehicle; and

an electronic verification device that verifies a customer ID.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the parking control system is integrated with the parking structure.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a shuttle that is rotatable to rotate the vehicle before the vehicle is parked in a parking cell.

22. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a lift to remove the shuttle to a selected floor of the parking structure.

23. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

an RFID tag to verify that the parking cell is empty.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the RFID tag includes a code to represent at least one of, an empty parking cell, pallet loaded, vehicle loaded and vehicle ID.

25. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a buffer cell used prior to positioning the customer vehicle in the parking cell.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the parking cells are arranged in stackable configurations.