Literature Review

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.

             

Figure: Parking Lot at Baltimore/Washington Airport.

            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.

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.

                                                                                                            

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.

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.

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.

           

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.

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.

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.