Abstract: An automated parking system has a parking entrance unit, a vehicle transport shuttle, shuttle trail means, plurality of parking locations and a controller. The controller is adapted to establish communication with an autonomous vehicle (AV) to be parked in the parking system, to receive signal from the AV indicating that the AV is ready to be controlled by the controller, to receive signal indicating that the parking system is ready to receive and park the AV, to control the movement of the AV toward the vehicle transport shuttle, to control the movement of the vehicle transport shuttle toward a designated parking location and to control the movement of the AV toward the designated parking location.

Abstract: A vehicle shuttle car operable to travel in linear and lateral directions includes a low profile cart including a steerable front section and a rear section, the front section operable to turn left and right relative to the rear section. The rear section is operable to raise and support at least one tire of a vehicle off the ground.

Abstract: A system of shuttle cars for transporting a vehicle in an automated parking facility. Each shuttle car includes an x-shuttle that supports two z-shuttles. The z-shuttles move from the x-shuttle and under the vehicle for transport. The z-shuttles locate and engage the front and rear tires of a vehicle to lift the vehicle from the floor. Once the z-shuttles have engage the vehicle tires, the z-shuttles return to the x-shuttle so that the x-shuttle can transport the vehicle (and the z-shuttles) to and from the appropriate parking space.

Abstract: An autonomous transporting tool is adapted to travel along a guiding line. The tool comprises two transporting elements. Each of the transporting elements comprise autonomous propulsion means, a control system and an optical system. The optical system comprises two cameras and two lighting units. The system is adapted to identify the location of the image of a guiding line within a received image of the floor and to provide steering commands adapted to steer the transporting tool so that the image of the guiding line is located substantially in the center of the received image.

Abstract: An automated vehicle positioning system for use with a transport mechanism of an automated vehicle conveying system comprising one or more position sensors for detecting a position of a vehicle on a rotatable platform; and a controller adapted to control a travel distance of the rotatable platform for directionally aligning the vehicle to a conveying direction of the transport mechanism and for aligning a centerline of the vehicle with a centerline of the transport mechanism.

Abstract: An automated parking system comprising a multi-level vehicle parking structure including multiple parking spaces arranged in one or more rows on each level of said structure; and an automatic vehicle positioning system configured to position and retrieve vehicles in said one or more rows of parking spaces, and further configured to shift a parking space of one or more vehicles in one row for retrieving one or more other vehicles in said row.