Architecture for presenting and managing information in an automated parking and storage facility

• US 6,662,077 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2002
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robotic Technology Administrat
• Original Assignee: Gerhard Haag
• Inventors: Haag, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi H.
• Application Number:
  US10/252,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20030069665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 700/213, 700/217, 414/227, 414/231, 414/232.R, 414/234-264, 340/932.2, 345/810, 345/905, 345/700
• US Class Current: 700/217
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 6/422 Automatically operated car-parks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/146 where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space

Abstract

Architecture for management of an automated parking and storage facility. A management system provides interactive interface capability to access, monitor, and control the parking and storage facility locally and remotely, as well as to provide limited access locally and remotely to a patron for obtaining facility products and services. In support of operator interaction, the interface includes graphic objects displayed in relation to facility components such as a facility floor thereby representing the state of the floor, which graphic objects are associated with facility components allowing the operator to monitor, control and perform diagnostics therewith. In support of patron interaction, the interactive interface includes web page capability to a patron node wherein the patron can obtain occupancy information and transact to reserve or secure a storage space.

Claims

1. A method of managing an automated parking and storage facility using a graphical user interface (GUI), comprising the steps of:

displaying a graphical representation of a floor of the automated parking and storage facility; and

presenting a plurality of graphical objects in relation to the floor, thereby representing the state of the floor, the plurality of graphical objects including the representation of an entry/exit station (EES) for ingress and egress of the automated parking and storage facility of a vehicle or item, a transport module for transporting the vehicle or item within the automated parking and storage facility, and a plurality of storage racks for storing the vehicle or item.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of accessing a database of stored garage and storage facility data via a database access screen of the GUI to view at least one of driver information, retrieve log information, retrieve cycle information, and store cycle information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation in the step of displaying includes a plurality of floor representations, and each floor representation includes a graphical object that is associated with a system component that operates in at least one of an x-axis direction, a y-axis direction, and a z-axis direction.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the transport module graphical object is associated with a vertical lift component when the system component operates in the z-axis direction, and with a carrier transport module when the system component operates in at least one of the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein each graphical object has associated therewith unique diagnostic information that is viewable via a diagnostic screen by selecting the respective transport module graphical object.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the graphical object in the step of presenting has associated therewith boundary limit graphics that allow a user to limit the range of travel of a corresponding system component of the garage and storage facility by positioning via the GUI the boundary limit graphics in relation to the transport module graphical object.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically moving one graphical object of the plurality of graphical objects in relation to the movement of a system component to which the graphical object is associated.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of changing the graphical object from a first color to a second color in response to a corresponding change in operating status of an associated system component.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying at least one of vehicle or item dimension information and vehicle or item image information via the GUI.

10. An apparatus for managing an automated parking and storage facility using a GUI, comprising:

a displayed graphical representation of a floor of an automated parking and storage facility; and

a plurality of graphical objects presented in relation to the floor, thereby representing the state of the floor, the plurality of graphical objects including the representation of an EES for ingress and egress of the automated parking and storage facility of a vehicle or item, a transport module for transporting the vehicle or item within the automated parking and storage facility, and a plurality of storage racks for storing the vehicle or item within the automated parking and storage facility.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a database of stored garage data is accessed via a database access screen of the GUI to view at least one of driver information, retrieve log information, retrieve cycle information, and store cycle information.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the graphical representation includes a plurality of floor representations, and each floor representation includes a transport module graphical object that is associated with a system component that operates in at least one of an x-axis direction, a y-axis direction, and a z-axis direction.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the transport module graphical object is associated with a vertical lift component when the system component operates in the z-axis direction, and with a carrier transport module when the system component operates in at least one of the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each transport module graphical object has associated therewith unique diagnostic information that is viewable via a diagnostic screen by selecting the respective transport module graphical object.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the transport module graphical object has associated therewith boundary limit graphics that allow a user to limit the range of travel of a corresponding system component of the garage and storage facility by positioning via the GUI the boundary limit graphics in relation to the transport module graphical object.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the graphical object is moved automatically in relation to the movement of a system component to which the graphical object is associated.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the graphical object is changed from a first color to a second color in response to a corresponding change in operating status of an associated system component.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one of vehicle or item dimension information and vehicle or item image information is displayed via the GUI.

19. A method of managing an automated parking and storage facility via an interactive interface, comprising the steps of:

providing a management system of the automated parking and storage facility adapted to operate the interactive interface;

displaying a graphical representation of a facility component via the interactive interface, the graphical representation including a graphical object assigned to the facility component; and

communicating a component signal of the facility component between the management system and the interactive interface.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the facility component in the step of displaying is the graphical representation of a floor of the automated parking and storage facility.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the floor is represented graphically as including a plurality of the graphical objects in relation to the floor, thereby representing a state of the floor, the plurality of graphical objects representing one of an entry/exit station for ingress and egress of a vehicle or item of the automated parking and storage facility, a transport module for transporting the vehicle or item within the automated parking and storage facility, and a plurality of storage racks for storing the vehicle or item within the automated parking and storage facility.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the management system in the step of providing operatively communicates with an interactive node that is local to the parking garage and storage facility such that an operator at the interactive node accesses the management system via the interactive interface to monitor and control operation of the automated parking and storage facility.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the management system in the step of providing operatively communicates with an interactive node remotely disposed on a global communication network such that an operator at the interactive node remotely accesses the management system via the interactive interface to monitor and control operation of the automated parking and storage facility.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the interactive interface of the management system in the step of providing further includes a parking and storage facility web page such that a user at an interactive node accesses the parking and storage facility web page to obtain parking and storage facility information.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the parking and storage facility information includes at least one of occupancy information and rate structure information.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the parking and storage facility information facilitates a transaction by the user to secure a vehicle or item storage rack of the parking and storage facility.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein an operator at an interactive node in operative communication with the management system views a vehicle or item identification number via the interactive interface that is automatically sensed by the management system.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the component signal is an alarm signal that is communicated to an operator in the step of communicating via at least one of display through the interactive interface, wireless transmission to a personal device, to a facsimile device and an e-mail address.

29. A system for managing an automated parking and storage facility via an interactive interface, comprising:

a management system of the automated parking and storage facility adapted to operate the interactive interface;

means for displaying a graphical representation of a facility component via the interactive interface, the graphical representation including a graphical object assigned to the facility component; and

means for communicating a component signal of the facility component between the management system and the interactive interface.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the facility component is the graphical representation of a floor of the automated parking and storage facility.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the floor is represented graphically as including a plurality of the graphical objects in relation to the floor, thereby representing a state of the floor, the plurality of graphical objects representing one of an entry/exit station for ingress and egress of a vehicle or item of the automated parking and storage facility, a transport module for transporting the vehicle or item within the automated parking and storage facility, and a plurality of storage racks for storing the vehicle or item within the automated parking and storage facility.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the management system operatively communicates with an interactive node that is local to the parking garage and storage facility such that an operator at the interactive node accesses the management system via the interactive interface to monitor and control operation of the automated parking and storage facility.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the management system operatively communicates with an interactive node remotely disposed on a global communication network such that an operator at the interactive node remotely accesses the management system via the interactive interface to monitor and control operation of the automated parking and storage facility.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein interactive interface of the management system further includes a parking and storage facility web page such that a user at an interactive node accesses the parking and storage facility web page to obtain parking and storage facility information.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the parking and storage facility information includes at least one of occupancy information and rate structure information.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the parking and storage facility information facilitates a transaction by the user to secure a vehicle or item storage rack of the parking and storage facility.

37. The system of claim 29, wherein an operator at an interactive node in operative communication with the management system views a vehicle or item identification number via the interactive interface that is automatically sensed by the management system.

38. The system of claim 29, wherein the component signal is an alarm signal that is communicated to an operator via at least one of display through the interactive interface, wireless transmission to a personal device, to a facsimile device and an e-mail address.

39. The system of claim 29, wherein the management system further includes a dynamic garage management display external to the facility for remote management thereof.

40. A method of managing an automated parking and storage facility using a GUI, comprising the steps of:

displaying a graphical representation of a structure of the automated parking and storage facility; and

presenting a plurality of graphical objects in relation to the structure, thereby representing the state of the structure, the plurality of graphical objects including the representation of an EES for ingress and egress of the automated parking and storage facility of an item, a transport module for transporting the item within the automated parking and storage facility, and a plurality of storage racks for storing the item.