Literature Review
This chapter is literature review of
parking system in public areas. Three studies regarding the application of the
parking guidance system are also explained here.
BACKGROUND
STUDY OF PARKING GUIDANCE IN CAR PARK
Parking
guidance system is systems that obtains information about available parking
spaces, process it and then present it to drivers by means of variables message
signs. This system can be implemented in two ways, which are to guide drivers
in congested areas to the nearest parking facility with empty parking lots. The
latter guidance system addresses driver’s need for information about the
position and number of the parking lots that are actually available within a
parking structure. This system reduces time and fuel while searching for empty
parking lots and helps the car park to operate efficiently.
Car
park inside a building is become popular because it is user friendly and
prevent vehicle from exposing to the sunlight, especially in the place where
parking lots are high demand. This type of car park poses a parking guidance
system that primarily based on the use of message signs to give drivers
information regarding parking availability inside the car park. The
availability of parking lot inside car park normally is obtained from the
sensors that count the number of cars entering and exiting or, in other cases,
by comparing the ticket issued at machines. This information is sent to a computer
that processes it and availability is generally expressed in terms of “full” or
“empty”. In some cases the actual numbers of parking lots are given.
Every
car park owners have their different parking guidance system. The wider use
high technology like sensor and wireless communication in some parking guidance
systems have successfully attract and meet the requirement of customers. Three
car parks and parking guidance system are list as followed:
Case
1: The Baltimore/Washington Airport Car Park
Smart Park, Baltimore/Washington
Airport parking system is one of example of parking system to guide car drivers
within parking facilities to empty parking lots. It is an automated parking
guidance system intended to make finding a parking lit quick and hassle free at
the Baltimore/Washington Airport. This system is currently available in all
parking lots in the new Daily A Garage and on Level 2 of Hourly Garage.
At
car park entrance, ultrasonic sensors mounted over each parking lot are used to
monitor the vacancy status of each parking lot and a display board is used to
display the number of parking lots available in car park.
![Baltimore Washington BWI airport parking map](file:///C:/Users/MYPC~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.jpg)
After
entering the car park, car drivers will see a green arrow as shown in figure
below is used direct them to lanes with vacant parking lot.
![](file:///C:/Users/MYPC~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image003.jpg)
Figure: Green Arrow Indicator to Direct
Car Driver to Empty Parking Lot
At
the same time, to prevent car drivers enter the lane that does not has empty
parking lot, red light indicates lanes where no parking lots are available.
Once parking spaces are fully deployed, electronic signs at both hourly and
daily entrance plazas will reflect the status of vacant parking spaces on each
level.
Case
2: Plaza Low Yat Car Park System
Plaza Low Yat parking system is one of example of local
in-door car park in Kuala Lumpur that guide car driver to available car park.
![](file:///C:/Users/MYPC~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image005.jpg)
![](file:///C:/Users/MYPC~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image007.jpg)
Figure: message sign board to guide
car driver to park their car
At
the same time, to easy car drivers remember where locations of their car, a
message board which indicates the zone and row of parking lot inside car park
as shown below is else can be found here.
![](file:///C:/Users/MYPC~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image009.jpg)
Figure: message sign board indicates
the zone and row of parking lot
When car drivers want to go out from
this car park, a message board is used to prevent the congestion inside car
park and ways car drivers find out the exit of car park. Message sign boards
that indicate KELUAR as shown in figure below will guide car divers go out from
this car park.
![](file:///C:/Users/MYPC~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image011.jpg)
Figure: message sign board to guide
car driver go out the car park
Case
3: Plaza Singapore car park system
Plaza
Singapore has introduced ST Electronics’ user friendly parking guidance system.
With the multiple space display boards positioned at the strategic locations,
drivers can get real time information guiding them to the areas where parking
lots are available.
With
this system, even when car park is full, car drivers need not wait at the car
park entrance and be allowed entry the car park anytime. This is because
whenever a car park lots is vacated, a sensor will automatically signal the car
parking management system allow another vehicle to enter. This will prevent a
long queue of car from forming at the entrance point. Figure below shows at the
entrance to the car park, a main parking lot display board indicates the
availability of parking lots for the various levels within the car park. This
display board allows car drivers to know the total parking lot at each level of
car park.
![](file:///C:/Users/MYPC~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image013.jpg)
Figure: main parking lot display board
at the entrance car park
This car park also uses vehicle
detection bar located at the entrance and exit of each level.
![](file:///C:/Users/MYPC~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image015.jpg)
Figure: vehicle detection bar
Therefore,
whenever a vehicle enters a particular level, another sub-display board as
shown in figure below will immediately update the display board at the level
even before the vehicle park into the parking lot. With this way, the driver of
the next vehicle will not be misled into entering that level, only to find the
lot being taken.
![](file:///C:/Users/MYPC~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image016.jpg)
Figure: display board at the entrance
to each level
The
comparison of parking guidance system in car park case studies
The
comparison of parking guidance system in car park case studies is shown in
table below. This table clearly shows some foreign car parks already improve
the parking guidance system inside car park by applying sensor to detect the
availability of parking lot inside car park and display the availability of
parking lots inside car park in message display board to help car drivers to
easily locate the empty parking lot. Therefore, these foreign car parks are
more user friendly than some local car parks.
![](file:///C:/Users/MYPC~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image018.jpg)