Parking management system and method using lighting system

• US 8,723,689 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LeddarTech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: LeddarTech, Inc.
• Inventors: Mimeault, Yvan
• Primary Examiner(s): Vernal, Brown
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORTELL, JOHN F
• Application Number:
  US12/809,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20100309024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,971 Days
• Field of Search: 340/932.2
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/87 Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/497 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

A system and a method for detecting availability of a parking space in a parking facility are provided. A first method has the steps of providing a lighting system having at least one visible-light source for illumination of at least part of the parking space. Providing an available space time-of-flight trace. Providing an availability threshold value. Illuminating the at least part of the parking space using the at least one visible-light source. Emitting a status visible-light signal from the visible-light source in the predetermined direction toward the predetermined target in the parking space. Capturing a status reflection trace at the visible-light source. Determining a time-of-flight difference value by comparing the status reflection trace to the available space time-of-flight trace. Comparing the time-of-flight difference value with the availability threshold value and determining a status of the parking space to be one of available and not available. Another method has the steps of providing a lighting system having at least one visible-light source for illumination of at least part of the parking space. Providing a camera. Providing an available space region value. Providing an availability threshold value. Illuminating the at least part of the parking space using the at least one visible-light source. Emitting visible light from the visible-light source in the predetermined direction to the predetermined target in the parking space. Capturing a reflection of the emitted visible light at the camera and determining a status region value. Determining a region difference value by comparing the status region value to the available space region value. Comparing the region difference value with the availability threshold value and determining a status of the parking space to be one of available and not available.

Claims

1. A method for detecting availability of an individual parking space in a parking facility having a plurality of parking spaces, comprising:

providing a lighting system having at least one visible-light Light-Emitting-Diode (LED) source for at least partial illumination of at least two of said parking spaces in an illumination zone;

providing an available space time-of-flight trace for each of said at least two parking spaces in said illumination zone, said available space time-of-flight trace being a trace, captured by a sensor of said visible-light source, of a reflection of an available space visible-light signal emitted from said visible-light source in said illumination zone, when a corresponding parking space is available;

providing an availability threshold value, said availability threshold value being a difference value from said available space time-of-flight trace at which said corresponding parking space is determined to be available;

at least partly illuminating said at least two of said parking spaces in said illumination zone using said at least one visible-light source, said at least two of said parking spaces including said individual parking space, said at least partly illuminating having a purpose of assisting human vision in said illumination zone;

emitting a status visible-light signal from said visible-light source in said illumination zone while maintaining said at least partly illuminating said at least two parking spaces;

capturing a status reflection trace at said visible-light source, said status reflection trace being a trace, captured by said sensor at said visible-light source, of a reflection of said status visible-light signal emitted from said visible-light source;

determining a time-of-flight difference value by comparing said status reflection trace to said available space time-of-flight trace for said individual parking space;

comparing said time-of-flight difference value with said availability threshold value and determining a status of said individual parking space to be one of available and not available.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said available space time-of-flight trace includes a trace of a reflection of an obstacle located in said illumination zone and said determining a time-of-flight difference value includes considering said trace of said reflection of said obstacle.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said lighting system comprises a status indicator for said parking space;

and

wherein said method further comprises activating said status indicator to indicate said status of said parking space.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

activating at least one of said visible-light source to signal said status of said parking space.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

sensing environment conditions in said parking facility, said environment conditions being at least one of a temperature of at least a part of said parking facility, a natural light intensity in at least a part of said parking facility, a presence of a pedestrian in at least a part of said parking facility;

determining a preferred lighting output of said lighting system using said sensed environment conditions;

wherein said at least partly illuminating said at least two of said parking spaces in said illumination zone comprises controlling said lighting system to generate said preferred lighting output.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

triggering a timer when said status is determined;

providing a status update delay;

after said timer has reached said status update delay, repeating said steps of emitting, capturing, determining, comparing, triggering and repeating.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

providing a pedestrian time-of-flight trace for each of said at least two parking spaces in said illumination zone, said pedestrian time-of-flight trace being a trace, captured by said sensor of said visible-light source, of a reflection of a pedestrian visible-light signal emitted from said visible-light source, in said corresponding parking space, when a pedestrian is located in said corresponding parking space;

providing a pedestrian threshold value, said pedestrian threshold value being a difference value from said pedestrian time-of-flight trace at which a pedestrian is determined to be present in said corresponding parking space;

determining a pedestrian time-of-flight difference value by comparing said status reflection trace to said pedestrian time-of-flight trace for said individual parking space; and

comparing said pedestrian time-of-flight difference value with said pedestrian threshold value and determining a status of said individual parking space to be one of having a pedestrian present in said individual parking space and not having a pedestrian present in said individual parking space.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said illuminating and said emitting comprise modulating said at least one visible-light source at a frequency higher than 100 Hz.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lighting system further comprises an auxiliary light source, said auxiliary light source being one of a visible-light source and a non-visible light source.

10. A method for detecting availability of an individual parking space in a parking facility having a plurality of parking spaces, comprising:

providing a lighting system having at least one visible-light Light-Emitting-Diode (LED) source for at least partial illumination of at least two of said parking spaces in an illumination zone;

providing a camera;

providing an available space region value for each of said at least two parking spaces in said illumination zone, said available space region value being a value of shape of a region detected by said camera when visible light emitted from said visible-light source has traveled from said visible-light source in said parking illumination zone when a corresponding parking space is available, has been reflected, has traveled back to said camera and has been captured by said camera;

providing an availability threshold value, said availability threshold value being a difference value from said available space region value at which said corresponding parking space is determined to be available;

at least partly illuminating said at least two parking spaces in said illumination zone using said at least one visible-light source, said at least two of said parking spaces including said individual parking space, said at least partly illuminating having a purpose of assisting human vision in said illumination zone;

emitting visible light from said visible-light source in said illumination zone while maintaining said at least partly illuminating said at least two parking spaces;

capturing a reflection of said emitted visible light at said camera and determining a status region value;

determining a region difference value by comparing said status region value to said available space region value for said individual parking space; and

comparing said region difference value with said availability threshold value and determining a status of said individual parking space to be one of available and not available.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said available space region value includes an obstacle value of a shape of an obstacle located in said illumination zone and said determining said region difference value includes considering said obstacle value.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10,

wherein said lighting system comprises a status indicator for said parking space;

and

wherein said method further comprises activating said status indicator to indicate said status of said parking space.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

activating at least one of said visible-light source to signal said status of said parking space.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

triggering a timer when said status is determined;

providing a status update delay;

after said timer has reached said status update delay, repeating said steps of emitting, capturing, comparing, comparing, triggering and repeating.

15. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said lighting system further comprises an auxiliary light source, said auxiliary light source being one of a visible-light source and a non-visible light source.

16. A system for detecting availability of an individual parking space in a parking facility having a plurality of parking spaces, comprising:

a powered lighting module having;

at least one visible-light Light-Emitting-Diode (LED) source driven by an illumination driver, for at least partly illuminating at least two of said parking spaces and emitting a status visible light signal from said visible-light source in a illumination zone, said at least two of said parking spaces including said individual parking space;

an optical detector for capturing a status reflection trace at said lighting module, said status reflection trace being a trace of a reflection of said status visible-light signal emitted from said visible-light source;

a lighting module processor for controlling said illumination driver and said optical detector and receiving said status reflection trace;

a powered central unit having;

a memory for

storing an available space time-of-flight trace for each of said at least two parking spaces in said illumination zone, said available space time-of-flight trace being a trace, captured by said optical detector, of a reflection of an available space visible-light signal emitted from said visible-light source, when a corresponding parking space is available; and

storing an availability threshold value, said availability threshold value being a difference value from said available space time-of-flight trace at which said corresponding parking space is determined to be available;

a central unit processor for

receiving said status reflection trace from said lighting module processor;

retrieving said available space time-of-flight trace and said availability threshold value from said memory,

determining a time-of-flight difference value by comparing said status reflection trace to said available space time-of-flight trace for said individual parking space; and

comparing said time-of-flight difference value with said availability threshold value and determining a status of said individual parking space to be one of available and not available;

a network for communicating information between said processor and said central unit.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said optical detector includes a lens.

18. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said lighting module further comprises:

a status indicator for said parking space driven by an indicator controller controlled by said lighting module processor, said lighting module processor activating said status indicator to indicate said status of said parking space.

19. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said lighting module further comprises:

a modulation driver for modulating said light source to emit a status visible light signal from said visible-light source in said illumination zone.

20. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said lighting module further comprises:

an auxiliary light source, said auxiliary light source being one of a visible-light source and a non-visible light source;

a modulation driver for modulating said auxiliary light source.

21. The system as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

sensors for sensing environment conditions in said parking facility, said sensors being at least one of a thermometer for sensing a temperature of at least a part of said parking facility, a light intensity detector for measuring a natural light intensity in at least a part of said parking facility, an infrared detector for detecting a presence of a pedestrian in at least a part of said parking facility;

said lighting module processor controlling said illumination driver to generate a preferred lighting output using said sensed environment conditions.

22. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said modulation driver modulates said light source at a frequency higher than 100 Hz.