Night detection of side-by-side parked vehicles

• US 10,075,590 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2017
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ChengDu HaiCun IP Technology LLC, Guobiao Zhang
• Original Assignee: ChengDu HaiCun IP Technology LLC, Guobiao Zhang
• Inventors: Zhang, Guobiao
• Primary Examiner(s): Mullen, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/628,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20170289351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 340435, 3409322, 348148, 348149, 705 13
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/586 of parking space
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26

Abstract

To detect side-by-side parked vehicles at night, the present invention discloses a night-detection device and method. The night-detection device comprises a moving-vehicle sensor and a parked-vehicle sensor. It uses the light beam from a passing-by vehicle to extract at least a reflection of at least a head-light or at least a portion of a front bumper.

Claims

1. A night-detection device for side-by-side parked vehicles, comprising:

a parked-vehicle sensor for determining whether a parking space in a parking area is occupied; and

a moving-vehicle sensor for sensing a moving vehicle within a pre-determined range of said parking area;

wherein said parked-vehicle sensor extracts at least a reflection of at least a head-light or at least a portion of a front bumper when said moving-vehicle sensor detects said moving vehicle.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said moving-vehicle sensor is an audio sensor, an optical sensor, or an electromagnetic sensor.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said moving-vehicle sensor is located at the same location as said parked-vehicle sensor.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said moving-vehicle sensor is located at a different location from said parked-vehicle sensor.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein said moving-vehicle sensor communicates with said parked-vehicle sensor using a wireless means.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein said parked-vehicle sensor comprises an optical detector, a processor and a memory.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein said optical detector comprises at least a camera.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein said camera operates more frequently at night than during the day.

9. The device according to claim 6, wherein said memory stores a parked vehicle detection algorithm.

10. The device according to claim 6, wherein said memory stores a passing-by vehicle detection algorithm.

11. A night-detection method for side-by-side parked vehicles, comprising the steps of:

A) sensing a moving vehicle within a pre-determined range of a parking area by a moving-vehicle sensor;

B) extracting at least a reflection of at least a head-light or a front bumper by a parked-vehicle sensor when said moving-vehicle sensor detects said moving vehicle;

C) processing said reflection to determine whether a parking space in said parking area is occupied.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said step of processing said reflection is performed when said moving vehicle is within said pre-determined range.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said step of processing said reflection is performed after said moving vehicle is out of said pre-determined range.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein said step of processing said reflection includes the step of processing at least a region of interest (ROI) for each parking space.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein said parked-vehicle sensor comprises a camera.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said camera operates more frequently at night than during the day.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein said parked-vehicle sensor comprises a memory for storing a parked vehicle detection algorithm.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein said moving-vehicle sensor is located in a same location as said parked-vehicle sensor.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein said moving-vehicle sensor is located in a different location from said parked-vehicle sensor.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said moving-vehicle sensor communicates with said parked-vehicle sensor using a wireless means.