Parking assistance device

• US 10,055,994 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2016
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Tomozawa, Motokatsu, Imai, Norio
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jelani A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez Borrero, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US15/223,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20170032679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23, 701 25, 701 1, 701408
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/027 Parking aids, e.g. instruction means
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/028 Guided parking by providing commands to the driver, e.g. acoustically or optically
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

A parking assistance device includes: a route determination unit that determines a route from an initial position of a vehicle to a target parking position when assisting the vehicle to be parked in a parking area, and includes, a first generation unit generating a first circumference tangent to a line passing though the initial position and extending along a forward direction of the vehicle, and a second generation unit generating a second circumference having a tangent line passing through a rear position of the vehicle at a rear direction of the target parking position in the forward direction and extending along the forward direction, and having a radius of minimum turning of the vehicle, a part of the first circumference functions as a part of the route, and a part of a third circumference functions as the route subsequent to the first circumference.

Claims

1. A parking assistance device comprising:

a route determination unit that determines a route from an initial position of a vehicle to a target parking position at a time of assisting the vehicle to be parked in a parking area,

wherein the route determination unit includes,

a first generation unit that generates a first circumference which is tangent to a straight line passing though the initial position and extending along a forward direction of the vehicle, and

a second generation unit that generates a second circumference having a tangent line which is a line passing through a rear position of a vehicle positioned at a rear direction of the target parking position in the forward direction of the vehicle and extending along the forward direction of the vehicle, and having a radius as a turning radius equal to a minimum turning radium of the vehicle,

wherein a part of the first circumference functions as a part of the route, and

wherein a part of a third circumference resulting from moving the second circumference along the forward direction of the vehicle until the second circumference is tangent to the first circumference functions as a route subsequent to a movement taken along the first circumference.

2. The parking assistance device according to claim 1,

wherein the second generation unit generates the third circumference resulting from moving the second circumference until an avoidance circle having a center at a corner portion of an obstacle disposed in the front direction of the parking area and having a radius as a predetermined distance and an outer circumference circle through which an end portion of the vehicle moving along the third circumference passes, become tangent to each other.

3. The parking assistance device according to claim 2,

wherein the first generation unit regenerates the first circumference which is tangent to the third circumference.

4. The parking assistance device according to claim 3,

wherein the first generation unit generates the first circumference in which an inner circumference circle through which an end portion of the vehicle moving along the first circumference passes is separated from the avoidance circle.

5. The parking assistance device according to claim 1,

wherein the first generation unit generates the first circumference resulting from moving the first circumference until an avoidance circle having a center at a corner portion of an obstacle disposed in the front direction of the parking area and having a radius as a predetermined distance and an inner circumference circle through which the end portion of the vehicle moving along the first circumference passes, become tangent to each other.

6. The parking assistance device according to claim 5,

wherein the second generation unit generates the third circumference resulting from moving the second circumference until the second circumference becomes tangent to the first circumference.

7. The parking assistance device according to claim 6,

wherein the second generation unit generates the third circumference in which an outer circumference circle through which the end portion of the vehicle moving along the third circumference passes is separated from the avoidance circle.