METHODS, SYSTEMS AND PROCESSOR-READABLE MEDIA FOR PARKING OCCUPANCY DETECTION UTILIZING LASER SCANNING

• US 20150116134A1
• Filed: 10/30/2013
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conduent Business Services, LLC (Conduent, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wang, Yao Rong, Cummins, David, Darst, Matthew, Pennington, Graham
• Granted Patent: US 9,330,568 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/141 with means giving the indication of available parking spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/147 where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre

Abstract

Parking occupancy detection methods, systems and processor-readable media. A laser device unit includes a laser range finder, and a programmable pan-tilt unit is deployable on site to monitor one or more parking spaces. A laser emitting and receiving unit associated with the laser range finder determines the distance of an object by estimating a time difference between an emitted laser and a received laser. The laser range finder is controllable by the programmable pan-tilt unit and scans the parking spaces. A signal-processing unit can convert the measured distance profile to a parking occupancy data to provide continuous parking space estimation data for use in parking occupancy detection.

Claims

1. A parking occupancy detection method, comprising:

determining a distance profile via a laser ranger with respect to an object by estimating a time difference between an emitted laser and a received laser with respect to monitoring at least one parking space;

scanning said at least one parking space and generating a measured distance profile via a programmable pan-tilt unit that communicates electronically with said laser ranger finder and controls said laser range finder to scan said at least one parking space and generate said measured distance profile; and

converting via a signal processing unit, said measured distance profile based on data provided by said laser ranger finder to generate parking occupancy data and thereby provide parking space estimates for use in compiling parking occupancy data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said laser range finder and said programmable pan-tilt unit are associated with a laser device deployed on-site for monitoring said at least one parking space.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said laser range finder further comprises a laser emitting and receiving unit that emits said emitted laser and receives said received laser.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said laser range finder provides a difference between a parked space and an un-parked space with respect to said measured distance profile as said laser range finder scans said at least one parking space.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said laser range finder counts a vehicle located in said at least one parking space and estimates a size of said at least one parking space.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a wireless transmission unit for transmitting said parking occupancy data to a central processing unit, wherein said wireless transmission unit communicates electronically and/or wirelessly with said processing unit.

7. The system of claim 2 further comprising providing a wireless transmission unit for transmitting said parking occupancy data to a central processing unit, wherein said wireless transmission unit communicates electronically and/or wirelessly with said processing unit.

8. A parking occupancy detection system, comprising:

a laser range finder that determines a distance profile with respect to an object by estimating a time difference between an emitted laser and a received laser with respect to monitoring at least one parking space;

a programmable pan-tilt unit that communicates electronically with said laser ranger finder and controls said laser range finder to scan said at least one parking space and generate a measured distance profile; and

a signal processing unit that converts said measured distance profile based on data provided by said laser ranger finder to generate parking occupancy data to thereby provide parking space estimates for use in compiling parking occupancy data.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said laser range finder and said programmable pan-tilt unit are associated with a laser device deployed on-site for monitoring said at least one parking space.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said laser range finder further comprises a laser emitting and receiving unit that emits said emitted laser and receives said received laser.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said laser range finder provides a difference between a parked space and an un-parked space with respect to said measured distance profile as said laser range finder scans said at least one parking space.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein said laser range finder counts a vehicle located in said at least one parking space and estimates a size of said at least one parking space.

13. The system of claim 8 further comprising a wireless transmission unit for transmitting said parking occupancy data to a central processing unit, wherein said wireless transmission unit communicates electronically and/or wirelessly with said processing unit.

14. The system of claim 9 further comprising a wireless transmission unit for transmitting said parking occupancy data to a central processing unit, wherein said wireless transmission unit communicates electronically and/or wirelessly with said processing unit.

15. A processor-readable medium storing computer code representing instructions to cause a process for parking occupancy detection, said computer code further comprising code to:

determine a distance profile via a laser ranger with respect to an object by estimating a time difference between an emitted laser and a received laser with respect to monitoring at least one parking space;

scan said at least one parking space and generating a measured distance profile via a programmable pan-tilt unit that communicates electronically with said laser ranger finder and controls said laser range finder to scan said at least one parking space and generate said measured distance profile; and

convert via a signal processing unit, said measured distance profile based on data provided by said laser ranger finder to generate parking occupancy data and thereby provide parking space estimates for use in compiling parking occupancy data.

16. The processor-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said laser range finder and said programmable pan-tilt unit are associated with a laser device deployed on-site for monitoring said at least one parking space.

17. The processor-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said laser range finder further comprises a laser emitting and receiving unit that emits said emitted laser and receives said received laser.

18. The processor-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said laser range finder provides a difference between a parked space and an un-parked space with respect to said measured distance profile as said laser range finder scans said at least one parking space.

19. The processor-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said laser range finder counts a vehicle located in said at least one parking space and estimates a size of said at least one parking space.

20. The processor-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said code further comprises code to instruct said wireless transmission unit to transmit said parking occupancy data to a central processing unit, wherein said wireless transmission unit communicates electronically and/or wirelessly with said processing unit.