Method and apparatus for operating a parking facility containing a plurality of controllable infrastructure elements

• US 10,713,949 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2016
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Nordbruch, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Louie, Wae L
• Application Number:
  US15/773,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20180322786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/146 where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/149 coupled to means for restricting the access to the parking space, e.g. authorization, access barriers, indicative lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles

Abstract

A method for operating a parking facility containing a plurality of controllable infrastructure elements, one or more of the infrastructure elements being controlled in such a way that traffic is able to be prevented from coming close to a vehicle moving without a driver within the parking facility. In addition, a corresponding apparatus, a corresponding parking facility, as well as a computer program, are also described.

Claims

1. A method for operating a parking facility containing a plurality of controllable infrastructure elements, the method comprising:

controlling at least one of the infrastructure elements so that in mixed traffic, a vehicle having a driver is prevented from operating in a same area as a driverless vehicle moving, which is without a driver, within the parking facility;

wherein the at least one of the infrastructure elements includes an elevator door of an elevator installation, and the controlling includes not opening the elevator door of the elevator installation until the vehicle moving without a driver has driven past the elevator door, and

wherein the at least one infrastructure element includes a light signaling system, and the controlling includes controlling the light signaling system so that a signal generator of the light signaling system emits a stop signal to signal to the traffic that it is to stop, so as to prevent the vehicle having the driver from operating in the same area as the driverless vehicle moving, which is without the driver, within the parking facility.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one infrastructure element includes a barrier, and the controlling includes closing the barrier.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one infrastructure element includes a door, and the controlling includes closing the door.

4. An apparatus for operating a parking facility containing a plurality of controllable infrastructure elements, comprising:

a control device to control at least one of the infrastructure elements so that in mixed traffic, a vehicle having a driver is able to be prevented from operating in a same area as a driverless vehicle moving, which is without a driver, within the parking facility;

wherein the at least one of the infrastructure elements includes an elevator door of an elevator installation, and the controlling includes not opening the elevator door of the elevator installation until the vehicle moving without a driver has driven past the elevator door, and

wherein the at least one infrastructure element includes a light signaling system, and the controlling includes controlling the light signaling system so that a signal generator of the light signaling system emits a stop signal to signal to the traffic that it is to stop, so as to prevent the vehicle having the driver from operating in the same area as the driverless vehicle moving, which is without the driver, within the parking facility.

5. A parking facility for vehicles, comprising:

a plurality of controllable infrastructure elements and

an apparatus for operating the parking facility, the apparatus including a control device to control at least one of the infrastructure elements so that in mixed traffic, a vehicle having a driver is able to be prevented from operating in a same area as a driverless vehicle moving, which is without a driver, within the parking facility;

wherein the at least one of the infrastructure elements includes an elevator door of an elevator installation, and the controlling includes not opening the elevator door of the elevator installation until the vehicle moving without a driver has driven past the elevator door, and

wherein the at least one infrastructure element includes a light signaling system, and the controlling includes controlling the light signaling system so that a signal generator of the light signaling system emits a stop signal to signal to the traffic that it is to stop, so as to prevent the vehicle having the driver from operating in the same area as the driverless vehicle moving, which is without the driver, within the parking facility.

6. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, on which is stored a computer program, comprising:

a program code arrangement having program code for operating a parking facility the parking facility containing a plurality of controllable infrastructure elements, by performing the following;

controlling, via a control device, at least one of the infrastructure elements so that in mixed traffic, a vehicle having a driver is prevented from operating in a same area as a driverless vehicle moving, which is without a driver, within the parking facility;

wherein the at least one of the infrastructure elements includes an elevator door of an elevator installation, and the controlling includes not opening the elevator door of the elevator installation until the vehicle moving without a driver has driven past the elevator door, and

wherein the at least one infrastructure element includes a light signaling system, and the controlling includes controlling the light signaling system so that a signal generator of the light signaling system emits a stop signal to signal to the traffic that it is to stop, so as to prevent the vehicle having the driver from operating in the same area as the driverless vehicle moving, which is without the driver, within the parking facility.