System and method for parking vehicles

Abstract

Set forth are systems and methods for moving objects in a modular structure, and particularly to parking vehicles within a parking structure. A system may include a pallet configured to receive an object, e.g., a vehicle; a structure including a plurality of modules configured to receive the pallet with the object, wherein the modules include multi-directional pallet transfer systems, the pallet transfer systems configured to transfer the pallet with the object to adjacent modules in any one of four orthogonal directions. The modules including sensing and control, may be remotely constructed, and assembled as units on site.

1 . A system, comprising:
 a pallet configured to receive an object; and   a structure including a plurality of modules configured to receive the pallet with the object,   wherein each of the modules includes a drive unit that includes a wheel arranged to move the pallet to adjacent modules in any one of a first forward direction and a second rear direction when the wheel is in a first orientation and in any one of a third side direction and a fourth side direction when the wheel is in a second orientation, the wheel being rotatable about a vertical axis between the first orientation and the second orientation.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the object is a vehicle. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the structure is a parking structure. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the structure is a multi-level parking structure. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4 , further comprising a multi-level lift configured to travel between levels of the parking structure. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the lift also includes a drive unit that includes a wheel arranged to move the pallet to adjacent parking modules in any one of a first forward direction and a second rear direction when the wheel is in a first orientation and in any one of a third side direction and a fourth side direction when the wheel is in a second orientation, the wheel being rotatable about a vertical axis between the first orientation and the second orientation. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the parking structure includes posts that support parking modules including truss support arrangements that are configured to receive the pallet with the vehicle. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each wheel is configured to rotate about its vertical axis between the first orientation and the second orientation while the wheel is in load-bearing contact with a bottom surface of the pallet. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each drive unit includes an actuator arranged to drive the wheel. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the actuator is an electric motor. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the drive units are situated within truss support arrangements. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the structure has a modular construction. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one turntable module that is configured to rotate a pallet in plan having the object thereon, the turntable module including a drive unit that includes a wheel arranged to move the pallet to adjacent parking modules in any one of a first direction and a second direction when the wheel is in a first orientation and in any one of a third direction and a fourth direction when the wheel is in a second orientation, the wheel being rotatable about a vertical axis between the first orientation and the second orientation. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a control and sensing system configured to control the actuation of the drive units. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the control system includes software and a user interface. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the user interface is configured to provide data corresponding to a desired retrieval of a stored object. 
   
   
       17 . A method for moving an object in a structure, comprising:
 positioning the object on a pallet; and   transferring the pallet and the object from a first module to a second module that is orthogonally located relative to the first module via drive units of the first module and the second module, each of the drive units including a wheel arranged to contact a bottom surface of the pallet, rotation of the wheels about respective horizontal axes causing the object and the pallet to move in any one of a first direction and a second direction when the wheels are in a first orientation and in any one of a third direction and a fourth direction when the wheels are in a second orientation, the wheels being rotatable about respective vertical axes between the first orientation and the second orientation.   
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising the steps of:
 sensing the position of the pallet; and   communicating data between the first module and the second module.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of controlling the drive units via a sensing and control system. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the sensing and control system is configured to sense the position, direction, and speed of the pallet. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of rotating the object and the pallet in plan by rotating the wheels about the vertical axes to a position perpendicular in plan to a radius from the center of a turntable position and rotating the wheels about their horizontal axes.