Parking space management method and communication apparatus
A parking space management method by a communication apparatus comprises transmitting, a radio signal beamformed in a specific direction, determining that a parking space associated with the specific direction is in a state of being vacant when the communication apparatus receives a response signal in response to the radio signal, and determining that the parking space is in a state of being occupied by a vehicle parked therein when the communication apparatus does not receive the response signal.
1 . A parking space management method by a communication apparatus, which communicates via wireless local area network (LAN), the method comprising:
transmitting a radio signal beamformed in a plurality of directions which are registered in advance;
determining that a parking space associated with a first direction in which a response signal is received, is in a state of being vacant when the communication apparatus receives the response signal in response to the radio signal; and
determining that the parking space is in a state of being occupied by a vehicle parked therein when the communication apparatus does not receive the response signal,
wherein the non-reception of the response signal includes not receiving by the communication apparatus the response signal within a predetermined time since the transmission of the radio signal due to shielding by a shielding object of a terminal for transmitting the response signal.
2 . The parking space management method according to claim 1 , wherein transmitting the radio signal includes transmitting the radio signal in a frequency band ranging from 28 GHz to 300 GHz bands.
3 . The parking space management method according to claim 1 , wherein the reception of the response signal includes receiving the response signal transmitted by a terminal that has received the radio signal in the vacant parking space.
4 . The parking space management method according to claim 1 , further comprising updating information indicating a state of the parking space to the state of being vacant or the state of being occupied, obtained through the determination, with the information being stored in association with a direction of the plurality of directions in which the radio signal is transmitted.
5 . The parking space management method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
storing the first direction in which the response signal is returned in response to the radio signal, the first direction being associated with the state of being vacant.
6 . The parking space management method according to claim 1 , further comprising outputting information indicating the state of being vacant or the state of being occupied, based on the determination.
7 . The parking space management method according to claim 6 , wherein the outputting includes transmitting the information by using a radio signal in a second frequency band different from a first frequency band used for the transmission of the radio signal.
8 . The parking space management method according to claim 6 , wherein the outputting includes transmitting the information through broadcasting.
9 . The parking space management method according to claim 6 , wherein the outputting includes transmitting the information toward a vehicle that is desired to be parked.
10 . A communication apparatus, which communicates via wireless local area network (LAN), comprising:
a wireless transmitter/receiver configured to transmit a radio signal beamformed in a plurality of directions which are registered in advance; and
control circuitry configured to:
determine that a parking space associated with a first direction in which a response signal is received, is in a state of being vacant when the wireless transmitter/receiver receives the response signal in response to the radio signal; and
determine that the parking space is in a state of being occupied by a vehicle parked therein when the wireless transmitter/receiver does not receive the response signal,
wherein the non-reception of the response signal includes not receiving by the communication apparatus the response signal within a predetermined time since the transmission of the radio signal due to shielding by a shielding object of a terminal for transmitting the response signal.
11 . The communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the radio signal is a radio signal in a frequency band ranging from 28 GHz to 300 GHz bands.
12 . The communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the wireless transmitter/receiver is configured to receive the response signal transmitted by a terminal that has received the radio signal in the vacant parking space.
13 . The communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine whether or not the wireless transmitter/receiver has received the response signal within a predetermined time since the transmission of the radio signal.
14 . The communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein, when the determining is performed, the control circuitry is configured to update information indicating a state of the parking space to the state of being vacant or the state of being occupied, obtained through the determination, with the information being stored in association with a direction of the plurality of directions in which the radio signal is transmitted.
15 . The communication apparatus according to claim 14 ,
the control circuitry is configured to store the first direction in which the response signal is returned in response to the radio signal, the first direction being associated with information indicating the state of the parking space.
16 . The communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to output information indicating the state of being vacant or the state of being occupied, based on the determination.
17 . The communication apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the wireless transmitter/receiver is configured to transmit information indicating the state of being vacant or the state of being occupied, by using a radio signal in a second frequency band different from a first frequency band used for the transmission of the radio signal.
18 . The communication apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the wireless transmitter/receiver is configured to transmit the information indicating the state of being vacant or the state of being occupied through broadcasting.
19 . The communication apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the wireless transmitter/receiver is configured to transmit the information indicating the state of being vacant or the state of being occupied toward a vehicle that is desired to be parked.