B4R Tutorial Car parking position detector

Hi everyone,

This project is a parking detector. It is not my idea and it exists already in Stavros Niarchos Foundation Parking already materialized but it has been a great pleasure analyzing it, understanding it and materializing myself (in a CAD oriented materialization at least). One may wonder why do they have used two detectors and not only one over the car. I suppose they have done this for debugging each parking position sensors because if you check regularly 2000 parking positions in a 4-stores parking then you have to employ a lot of personnel but with this materialization the parking position's sensors say to you "we are ill - come and cure us").

Here is the schematic:

The parking position sensors are located almost 2,40m (8 ft.) over the floor and have a distance between them of about 1,80m (6 ft.) in the x-axis of the parking position and are located in the middle of the y-axis in each related position. We have something like this:

There is a timer and triggers each sensor in regular time distances and if the space distance of a sensor to the closest object is less than 120cm (4 ft.) (in my materialization) then it sets its state to true else it sets each state to false. When the car is out S1=False and S2=False. When it is just entering then S1=True and S2=False. When it is half in the parking position S1=True and S2=True. When the car is full in the parking then S1=False and S2=True. By getting the sequence of the states we understand if the car was parked or the car was unparked. If none of this has happened (the sequence of the states do not correspond to none of "has parked" or "has unparked" statuses) and it hasn't got in a known status within two minutes then the personnel is being notified (I suppose).

Here are the states of the sensors with related meanings and the result statuses:

When the car is unparked the Green LED lights indicating an empty position and when the car is parked the Red LED lights indicating a non empty position.


Possible Ideas of extra Materialization:

1. In conjunction with an arduino, a GSM shield and a MOSFET cirquit in your car you can cut off the power of the car and halt it if it exits your garage without your authorization (being stolen f.e.)
2. In conjunction with a relay light up a bulb (let's say for 4 minutes) when your car is parked in the Garage.
3. In conjunction with an ESP8266 report the result status ("Car was parked"/"Car was unparked") in an on-line database to know when your wife left the garage and got in the garage if you have suspicions that she is cheating on you (let's get the b*tch)

Here is the code:

#Region Project Attributes
    #AutoFlushLogs: True
    #CheckArrayBounds: True
    #StackBufferSize: 300
#End Region

Sub Process_Globals
    'These global variables will be declared once when the application starts.
    'Public variables can be accessed from all modules.
    Public Serial1 As Serial
 
    Public triggerpin1 As Pin
    Public echopin1 As Pin
    Public pulseduration1 As Double
 
    Public triggerpin2 As Pin
    Public echopin2 As Pin
    Public pulseduration2 As Double

    Dim pinRed As Pin
    Dim pinGreen As Pin
 
    Dim bCurrentState1 As Boolean
    Dim bCurrentState2 As Boolean
    Dim bPreviousState1 As Boolean = False
    Dim bPreviousState2 As Boolean = False
 
    Dim iPointer As Int
    Dim States1Logged(4), States2Logged(4) As Boolean
    Dim Parking1(4) As Boolean, UnParking1(4) As Boolean
    Dim Parking2(4) As Boolean, UnParking2(4) As Boolean
 
    Dim tm As Timer
    Dim tm2 As Timer
 
End Sub

Private Sub AppStart
    Serial1.Initialize(115200)
    Log("AppStart")
    iPointer = 0
    tm.Initialize("tm_Tick", 500)
    tm.Enabled = True
    tm2.Initialize("tm2_Tick", 120000)
    triggerpin1.Initialize(4, triggerpin1.MODE_OUTPUT)
    triggerpin2.Initialize(6, triggerpin2.MODE_OUTPUT)
    echopin1.Initialize(5, echopin1.MODE_INPUT)
    echopin2.Initialize(7, echopin2.MODE_INPUT)

    pinRed.Initialize(8, pinRed.MODE_OUTPUT)
    pinGreen.Initialize(9, pinRed.MODE_OUTPUT)
 
   
    'First sensor parking sequence
    Parking1(0) = False: Parking1(1) = True: Parking1(2) = True: Parking1(3) = False
    'Second sensor parking sequence
    Parking2(0) = False: Parking2(1) = False: Parking2(2) = True: Parking2(3) = True
 
    'First sensor unparking sequence
    UnParking1(0) = False: UnParking1(1) = True: UnParking1(2) = True: UnParking1(3) = False
    'Second sensor unparking sequence
    UnParking2(0) = True: UnParking2(1) = True: UnParking2(2) = False: UnParking2(3) = False
 
End Sub


Private Sub tm_Tick
    LogSensor1
    LogSensor2
    LogStateAndLightProperPIN
End Sub

Private Sub tm2_Tick
    If LightUpProperLED = False Then
        'Inform me that the sensors have a problem
        tm.Enabled = False
    End If
End Sub



Private Sub LogSensor1
    Dim distance1 As Double
    'Begin trigger
    triggerpin1.DigitalWrite(True)

    Log("Begin trigger 1")

    'Trigger Off
    triggerpin1.DigitalWrite(False)

    'Distance proportional to pulse duration received on echo1 Pin
    RunNative("pulseins1",echopin1.PinNumber)
    'distance=(0.5*pulsduration)/29.1
    Log("Pulse duration: ", pulseduration1)
    distance1=(0.0340*0.5*pulseduration1)
 
      bCurrentState1 = (distance1<120)
End Sub


#if C
void pulseins1 (B4R::Object* o) {
   b4r_main::_pulseduration1 = pulseIn(o->toULong(),HIGH);
}
#End if

Private Sub LogSensor2
    Dim distance2 As Double
    'Begin trigger
    triggerpin2.DigitalWrite(True)

    Log("Begin trigger 2")

    'Trigger Off
    triggerpin2.DigitalWrite(False)

    'Distance proportional to pulse duration received on echo2 Pin
    RunNative("pulseins2",echopin2.PinNumber)
    'distance=(0.5*pulsduration)/29.2
    Log("Pulse duration: ", pulseduration2)
    distance2=(0.0340*0.5*pulseduration2)
 
      bCurrentState2 = (distance2<120)
End Sub


#if C
void pulseins2 (B4R::Object* o) {
   b4r_main::_pulseduration2 = pulseIn(o->toULong(),HIGH);
}
#End if

Sub LogStateAndLightProperPIN
    'If the states have not changed do not log anything
    If bPreviousState1 = bCurrentState1 And bPreviousState2 = bCurrentState2 Then Return
    States1Logged(iPointer) = bCurrentState1
    States2Logged(iPointer) = bCurrentState2
    bPreviousState1 = bCurrentState1
    bPreviousState2 = bCurrentState2
    iPointer = iPointer + 1
    If iPointer = 4 Then iPointer = 0
    LightUpProperLED
End Sub

Private Sub LightUpProperLED As Boolean
    Dim iCheck1 As Int = 0
    Dim iParking2 As Int = 0
    Dim iUnparking2 As Int = 0
    Dim bParked As Boolean = False
    Dim bUnparked As Boolean = False
    For ii = 0 To 3
        'We do not need actually the Unparking1 as it is actually the same
        If Parking1(ii) = States1Logged((iPointer + ii) Mod 4) Then
            iCheck1 = iCheck1 + 1
        End If
        If Parking2(ii) = States2Logged((iPointer + ii) Mod 4) Then
            iParking2 = iParking2 + 1
        End If
        If UnParking2(ii) = States2Logged((iPointer + ii) Mod 4) Then
            iUnparking2 = iUnparking2 + 1
        End If
    Next
 
    If iCheck1 = 4 Then
        'It has pakred or unparked
        If iParking2 = 4 Then bParked = True
        If iUnparking2 = 4 Then bUnparked = True
    Else
        'Give the sensors a 2 minutes grace period and then inform me that they are malfunctioning
        'The sub is triggered only on a different state logged so the timer will not be constantly enabled and restart
        tm2.Enabled = True
    End If

    Select Case True
        Case bParked = False And bUnparked = True
            tm2.Enabled = False
            pinGreen.DigitalWrite(True)
            pinRed.DigitalWrite(False)
        Case bParked = True And bUnparked = False
            tm2.Enabled = False
            pinGreen.DigitalWrite(False)
            pinRed.DigitalWrite(True)
        Case Else
            'Give the sensors a 2 minutes grace period and then inform me that they are malfunctioning
            'The sub is triggered only on a different state logged so the timer will not be constantly enabled and restart
            tm2.Enabled = True
    End Select
 
    Return (bParked Or bUnparked)
End Sub

For measuring the distance of each sensor in the code I've got advantage of a code created already in the forum by inakigram who has done it himself (thanks a lot).



Have fun

 

[JohnC]

I did a project like this for an airport parking lot in New Jersey about 17 years ago.

I used only one pair of sonic sensors and used a PIC microcontroller back then to keep costs down because we had to install this for 40 parking spaces.

I was even able to find that old PIC-Basic source code!

' Space Finder detection PIC code
'(c) 2002-2003 OMNISOFT

    DEFINE    OSC 20

    A    VAR BYTE
    U    VAR WORD
    D    VAR WORD       'measured distance of sound reflection
    LD   VAR WORD       'last distance measured
    C     VAR BYTE         'the number of distnace readings obtained
    P     VAR WORD       'value of var pot resistor (used to set threshold if car detected or not)
 
    TRISA = 0

    CMCON = 7
 
    High PORTB.3            'turn off RED led
    High PORTB.4            'turn off Green led

    C = 0
    LD = 0
 
Scan:
    Pot PORTA.0, 255, P     'get pot reading (this is a variable resistor used to set the "threshold" distance = car present if distance is less then this value)
    P = P * 10

    GoSub    Send40      'send a 40khz burst of ultrasonic signal
 
    Low PORTB.7         'turn off receiving sensor so wont false trigger too soon
    Pause 5            '5ms
    High PORTB.7        'turn on receiving sensor
 
    For D = 1 TO 2500   'start measuring how long it takes for sound reflection to be detected (D = ~ time)
        A = PORTB.6     'see if reflected sound was detected
        IF A > 0 Then    'if heard, then report and check distance (in value of D)
            SerOut2 PORTB.2, 32, [DEC D, 10, 13]     'report to external serial terminal the measured distance
            Goto Check      'no calc if car present or not based on measured distance and pot value
        EndIF
    Next D

Check:
 
    If ABS(D - LD) < 100 then    'if difference between last detected distance and this detect is less then 50, then reading is stable
            C = C + 1       'increment reading count

            if C > 2 then   'if got 3 readings of roughly the same value, then

                       IF D < P Then 'if distance is less then pot value - there is a car present in spot
                              High PORTB.4    'turn off green leds
                              Low PORTB.3     'turn on red leds
                              SerOut2 PORTB.2, 32, ["CAR (P=",dec P,")",10,13]    'report that there is a car present

                       Else             'since reflection distance is greater then pot value = no car present in spot
                               Low PORTB.4    'turn on green leds
                               High PORTB.3   'turn off red leds
 
                               if D > 2500 then  'if distance overflow, then timeout (car windshield probably deflecting audio signal away from receiver)
                                      SerOut2 PORTB.2, 32, ["TIMEOUT (P=",dec P,")",10,13]

                                else    'distance is greater then pot, so no car
                                       SerOut2 PORTB.2, 32, ["NO-CAR (P=",dec P,")",10,13]
                                endif
                        EndIF
            endif

        else
            C = 0
        endif
 
        LD = D        'last distance = current distance
 
    Pause 500    'wait .5 seconds
 
    GoTo scan      'retake another measurement

Send40:
    'sends 40khz pulse for .5ms
    'the NOP statements were inserted to produce a perfect 40khz signal at 50% duty cycle

    For U = 1 TO 20
        High PORTA.6
        For A = 1 TO 5
@            NOP
        Next A
@       NOP
@       NOP
@       NOP

        Low PORTA.6
        For A=1 TO 1
@                  NOP
         Next A
@       NOP
@       NOP
     Next U
 
    Return