CONTROL COMPUTER AND METHOD FOR MONITORING SAFETY OF PARKING UNITS

• US 20130050433A1
• Filed: 06/12/2012
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, HOU-HSIEN, LEE, CHANG-JUNG, LO, CHIH-PING
• Application Number:
  US13/494,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20130050433A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/47
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/142 using image capturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons

Abstract

A method for monitoring safety of a moving parking unit in a mechanical parking system using a control computer, digital images are captured by one or more image capturing devices positioned on the moving parking unit. The method detects a three dimensional (3D) figure area in each digital image, and controls area safety device to cut of power suppliers of the moving parking unit if the 3D figure area has been detected. The method further outputs alarm messages by lighting one or more signal lamps of the mechanical parking system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for monitoring safety of a moving parking unit in a mechanical parking system using a control computer comprising a processor, the method comprising execution of the steps comprising:

obtaining digital images captured by one or more image capturing devices positioned on the moving parking unit;

detecting a three dimensional (3D) figure area in each of the digital images; and

cutting off power supplies of the moving parking unit using a safety device of the mechanical parking system upon the condition that the 3D figure area has been detected.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

outputting alarm messages by lighting one or more signal lamps of the mechanical parking system.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

outputting alarm messages using one or more buzzers or speakers of the mechanical parking system.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

creating a 3D figure template that stores an allowable range of a pixel value of a character point according to a distance information in a plurality of 3D figure images captured by the image capturing devices.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the 3D figure template is created by:

reading a distance between a lens of an image capturing device and each character point of a subject of a pre-captured 3D figure image;

converting each distance into a pixel value, and storing the pixel value of each character point into a character matrix of the pre-captured 3D figure image; and

aligning all character matrices of the pre-captured 3D figure images based on a predetermined character point, and recording pixel values of same character points in different character matrices as the allowable range of the pixel value of the same character points.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the 3D figure area is detected by:

converting a distance between a lens of the image capturing device and each point in the digital image into a pixel value of the point, and creating a character matrix of the digital image;

comparing a pixel value of each point in the character matrix with a pixel value of a corresponding character point in a 3D figure template;

determining an image sub-area in the digital image being the 3D figure area upon the condition that the image sub-area has a first specified number of points existing in the digital image, a pixel value of each point in the image sub-area being within an allowance range of a corresponding character point in the 3D figure template; and

determining that the 3D figure area has been detected in the digital image.

7. A control computer, comprising:

a storage device;

at least one processor; and

one or more modules that are stored in the storage device and are executed by the at least one processor, the one or more modules comprising;

an image obtaining module that obtains digital images captured by one or more image capturing devices positioned on a moving parking unit of a mechanical parking system;

a person detection module that detects a three dimensional (3D) figure area in each of the digital images; and

a power management module that cuts off power supplies of the moving parking unit using a safety device of the mechanical parking system upon the condition that the 3D figure area has been detected.

8. The control computer according to claim 7, wherein the one or more modules further comprise:

an alarm message generation module that outputs alarm messages by lighting one or more signal lamps of the mechanical parking system.

9. The control computer according to claim 7, wherein the one or more modules further comprise:

an alarm message generation module that outputs alarm messages using one or more buzzers or speakers of the mechanical parking system.

10. The control computer according to claim 7, wherein the one or more modules further comprise:

a template creation module that creates a 3D figure template that stores an allowable range of a pixel value of a character point according to a distance information in a plurality of 3D figure images captured by the image capturing devices.

11. The control computer according to claim 10, wherein the 3D figure template is created by:

reading a distance between a lens of an image capturing device and each character point of a subject of a pre-captured 3D figure image;

converting each distance into a pixel value, and storing the pixel values of each character point into a character matrix of the pre-captured 3D figure image; and

aligning all character matrices of the pre-captured 3D figure images based on a predetermined character point, and recording pixel values of same character points in different character matrices as the allowable range of the pixel value of the same character points.

12. The control computer according to claim 10, wherein the 3D figure area is detected by:

converting a distance between a lens of the image capturing device and each point in the digital image into a pixel value of the point, and creating a character matrix of the digital image;

comparing a pixel value of each point in the character matrix with a pixel value of a corresponding character point in a 3D figure template;

determining an image sub-area in the digital image being a 3D figure area upon the condition that the image sub-area has a first specified number of points existing in the digital image, a pixel value of each point in the image sub-area being within an allowance range of a corresponding character point in the 3D figure template; and

determining that the 3D figure area has been detected in the digital image.

13. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor of a control computer, causes the control computer to perform a method for monitoring safety of a moving parking unit in a mechanical parking system, the method comprising:

obtaining digital images captured by one or more image capturing devices positioned on the moving parking unit;

detecting a three dimensional (3D) figure area in each of the digital images; and

cutting off power supplies of the moving parking unit using a safety device of the mechanical parking system upon the condition that the 3D figure area has been detected.

14. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

outputting alarm messages by lighting one or more signal lamps of the mechanical parking system.

15. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

outputting alarm messages using one or more buzzers or speakers of the mechanical parking system.

16. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

creating a 3D figure template that stores an allowable range of a pixel value of a character point according to a distance information in a plurality of 3D figure images captured by the image capturing devices.

17. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the 3D figure template is created by:

reading a distance between a lens of an image capturing device and each character point of a subject of a pre-captured 3D figure image;

converting each distance into a pixel value, and storing the pixel value of each character point into a character matrix of the pre-captured 3D figure image; and

aligning all character matrices of the pre-captured 3D figure images based on a predetermined character point, and recording pixel values of same character points in different character matrices as the allowable range of the pixel value of the same character points.

18. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the 3D figure area is detected by:

converting a distance between a lens of the image capturing device and each point in the digital image into a pixel value of the point, and creating a character matrix of the digital image;

comparing a pixel value of each point in the character matrix with a pixel value of a corresponding character point in a 3D figure template;

determining an image sub-area in the digital image being the a 3D figure area upon the condition that the image sub-area has a first specified number of points existing in the digital image, a pixel value of each point in the image sub-area being within an allowance range of a corresponding character point in the 3D figure template; and

determining that the 3D figure area has been detected in the digital image.

19. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the medium is selected from the group consisting of a hard disk drive, a compact disc, a digital video disc, and a tape drive.