Automated parking system and method for the operation thereof

Abstract

An automated parking system having pallets movable within a parking deck in the longitudinal and transverse directions for vehicles to be stored thereon, and having transport modules permanently installed on the parking deck for receiving the pallets, which are at least partially arranged adjoining one another in rows and columns, and are designed for alternately transporting the pallets in the longitudinal and transverse directions and for transfer to the respective adjacent transport module in the transport direction. The number of the pallets movable in the system is dynamically adapted to the utilization of the system in that, using a pallet pickup device, pallets are collected from the transport modules or additional pallets are provided. Unused pallets can be grouped using a stacking device into pallet stacks, which remain movable on the transport modules in the longitudinal and transverse directions, and pallet stacks can be broken up to provide additional pallets.

1 . An automated parking system, comprising:
 a plurality of pallets ( 11 ) movable within a parking deck in longitudinal and transverse directions for vehicles to be stored thereon;   a plurality of transport modules ( 10 ) permanently installed on the parking deck for picking up the pallets ( 11 ), the plurality of transport modules are at least partially arranged adjoining one another in rows and columns, and are designed for alternately transporting the pallets ( 11 ) in the longitudinal and the transverse directions and transferring the pallets ( 11 ) to an adjacent one of the respective transport modules ( 10 ) in the transport direction; and   a pallet pickup device that is adapted to collect individual unoccupied ones of the pallets ( 11 ) from the transport modules ( 10 ) or to provide additional ones of the pallets ( 11 ) to adapt the parking system based on utilization.   
     
     
         2 . The parking system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the pallet pickup device comprises a stacking device ( 15 ), which collects the unoccupied ones of the pallets ( 11 ), groups them into pallet stacks, which remain movable on the transport modules ( 10 ) in the longitudinal and the transverse directions, and breaks up existing pallet stacks to provide additional ones of the pallets ( 11 ) on the transport modules ( 10 ). 
     
     
         3 . The parking system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the stacking device ( 15 ) is installed above one of the transport modules ( 10 ) on a ceiling of the parking system. 
     
     
         4 . The parking system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the stacking device ( 15 ) includes a vertically movable gripping or coupling device for the pallets ( 11 ), to pick up pallets ( 11 ) for stacking or unstacking, to lift the pallets, and to lower one of the pallets onto another one of the pallets or an existing one of the pallet stacks. 
     
     
         5 . The parking system as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a controller ( 20 ) for controlling the transport modules ( 10 ), which is configured by programming, in order to store a vehicle, to move one of the pallets ( 11 ) having the vehicle parked thereon from a transfer space ( 30 ) to a free transport module, with at least the transport modules ( 10 ) located on a first trajectory between the transfer space ( 30 ) and the free transport module being controlled to transport the pallet ( 11 ), and, in order to retrieve a vehicle, to move the pallet ( 11 ) loaded with the vehicle from the transport module ( 10 ) to the transfer space ( 30 ), with at least the transport modules ( 10 ) located on a second trajectory between the transport module having the pallet ( 11 ) loaded with the vehicle and the transfer space ( 30 ) being controlled to transport the pallet ( 11 ). 
     
     
         6 . The parking system as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the controller ( 20 ) is further configured by programming to ascertain the first and/or second trajectory according to one of two or more storage and retrieval strategies, which is selected depending on a current occupancy status of the parking system or a number of the pallets ( 11 ) movable in the parking system. 
     
     
         7 . The parking system as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the controller ( 20 ) is further configured by programming to ascertain the first and/or second trajectory for each said pallet ( 11 ) and for each of the storage and retrieval strategies beforehand and to call the previously ascertained first and/or second trajectory for the case of a retrieval request. 
     
     
         8 . The parking system as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the controller ( 20 ) is further configured by programming, in order to change the storage and retrieval strategy currently being used, to control the pallet pickup device in order to adapt the number of the pallets ( 11 ) that are adapted to be occupied in the parking system to the new storage and retrieval strategy by collecting unoccupied ones of the pallets ( 11 ) or providing additional ones of the pallets ( 11 ). 
     
     
         9 . The parking system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein a number of X times Y ones of the transport modules ( 10 ) are arranged in X of the columns and Y of the rows, and the controller ( 20 ) is further configured by programming, in a first one of the storage and retrieval strategies, to make the number of pallets ( 11 ) movable in the parking system less by at least the number of X(Y/2−1) than the number of the transport modules ( 10 ) and in this case to arrange the pallets ( 11 ) in a waiting status so that transport modules ( 10 ) in one row and in half a column do not carry any of the pallets ( 11 ). 
     
     
         10 . The parking system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein a number of X times Y ones of the transport modules ( 10 ) are arranged in X of the columns and Y of the rows, and the controller ( 20 ) is configured by programming, in a second one of the storage and retrieval strategies, to make the number of pallets ( 11 ) movable in the parking system less by at least the number of X than the number of the transport modules ( 10 ) and in this case to arrange the pallets ( 11 ) in a waiting status so that transport modules ( 10 ) in an entire one of the rows do not carry any of the pallets ( 11 ). 
     
     
         11 . The parking system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein a number of X times Y ones of the transport modules ( 10 ) are arranged in X of the columns and Y of the rows, and the controller ( 20 ) is configured by programming, in a third one of the storage and retrieval strategies, to make the number of pallets ( 11 ) movable in the parking system less by at least the number of X/2 than the number of the transport modules ( 10 ) and in this case to arrange the pallets ( 11 ) in a waiting status so that transport modules ( 10 ) in half of one of the rows do not carry any of the pallets ( 11 ). 
     
     
         12 . The parking system as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the controller ( 20 ) is configured by programming, upon a storage or retrieval request, to ascertain the first and/or second trajectory of the one of the pallets ( 11 ) to be stored or retrieved by a rule-based optimization algorithm as the trajectory in which a fewest number of displacement procedures have to be carried out. 
     
     
         13 . A method for operating an automated parking system having a plurality of pallets ( 11 ) movable within a parking deck in longitudinal and transverse directions for vehicles to be stored thereon, and having a plurality of transport modules ( 10 ) permanently installed on the parking deck for receiving the pallets ( 11 ), which are at least partially arranged adjoining one another in rows and columns, and are designed for alternately transporting the pallets ( 11 ) in the longitudinal and the transverse directions and for transferring the pallets ( 11 ) to a respective adjacent one of the transport modules ( 10 ) in a transport direction,
 the method comprising:
 adapting a number of the pallets ( 11 ) movable in the parking system based on a utilization of the parking system, by using a pallet pickup device and collecting the pallets ( 11 ) from the transport modules ( 10 ) or providing additional ones of the pallets ( 11 ) using a stacking device ( 15 ); 
 grouping unused ones of the pallets ( 11 ) into pallet stacks, which remain movable in the longitudinal and the transverse directions on the transport modules ( 10 ); and 
 breaking up existing ones of the pallet stacks on the transport modules ( 10 ) to provide additional ones of the pallets ( 11 ). 
   
     
     
         14 . The method as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising:
 to store a vehicle, moving one of the pallets ( 11 ) having the vehicle parked thereon from a transfer space ( 30 ) to a free one of the transport modules, and controlling at least the transport modules ( 10 ) located on a first trajectory between the transfer space ( 30 ) and the free transport module to transport the pallet ( 11 ); and,   to retrieve a vehicle, moving the pallet ( 11 ) loaded with the vehicle from the transport module ( 10 ) where it is stored to the transfer space ( 30 ), and controlling at least the transport modules ( 10 ) located on a second trajectory between the transport module where the pallet ( 11 ) with the vehicle is stored and the transfer space ( 30 ) to transport the pallet ( 11 ), wherein   the first and/or second trajectory is ascertained according to one of two or more storage and retrieval strategies, which is selected depending on a current occupancy status of the parking system or a number of the pallets ( 11 ) movable in the parking system.   
     
     
         15 . The method as claimed in  claim 14 , further comprising ascertaining and storing the first and/or second trajectory beforehand for each said pallet ( 11 ) for each of the storage and retrieval strategies, and calling up a stored one of the first and/or second trajectory upon a retrieval request. 
     
     
         16 . The method as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein, to change a currently used one of the storage and retrieval strategies, controlling the pallet pickup device in order to adapt the number of the pallets ( 11 ) that are adapted be occupied in the parking system to the new storage and retrieval strategy by collecting unoccupied ones of the pallets ( 11 ) or providing additional ones of the pallets ( 11 ).