Method and computer program product for processing measurement data of a vehicle in order to determine the start of a search for a parking space

• US 10,107,644 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2017
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Belzner, Heidrun, Kotzor, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Paige, Tyler D
• Application Number:
  US15/448,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20170176211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 701410
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/10 Interpretation of driver requests or demands
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3446 Details of route searching algorithms, e.g. Dijkstra, A*, arc-flags, using precalculated routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

A method is provided for processing measurement data of a vehicle in order to determine the start of a search for a parking space. The method is characterized in that an estimate of a parking target point is carried out, that an earliest start of a search for a parking space is determined and that a driving analysis is performed between these two points for determining the start of the search for a parking space using map data. Furthermore, a related computer program product is disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for processing measurement data of a vehicle in order to determine a beginning of traffic searching by a driver of the vehicle for a parking space, the method comprising the acts of:

estimating a parking destination;

determining an earliest point that the driver can begin to search for a parking space along a route to the estimated parking destination;

performing journey analysis, using map data, between the estimated parking destination and the determined earliest point of beginning to search for the parking space; and

determining the beginning of the traffic searching by the driver for the parking space.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the journey analysis involves use of exclusively captured position data and map data.

3. The method as claimed claim 1, wherein a difference between the map data and an airline difference are computed, wherein the airline difference comprises a distance between GPS points.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a relationship of an increase in distance from the parking destination and an interval between successive position data are used as an insufficiency function.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein a discrete integral is computed over the insufficiency function.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the discrete integral is computed only if an error increase has been identified.

7. The method as claimed claim 5, wherein

when a threshold value of the discrete integral is exceeded, traffic searching for a parking space is deemed to have been identified.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein

the journey analysis considers two threshold values for the discrete integral, and traffic searching for a parking space is deemed to have been identified only if both threshold values are exceeded.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the journey analysis is performed from the earliest point of beginning to search for a parking space in the direction of the parking destination.

10. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon program code sections that, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to:

estimate a parking destination;

determine an earliest point that a driver of a vehicle can begin to search for a parking space along a route to the estimated parking destination;

perform journey analysis, using map data, between the estimated parking destination and the determined earliest point of beginning to search for the parking space; and

determine the beginning of the traffic searching by the driver for the parking space.