Method for automatically parking a vehicle and associated control device

• US 10,166,978 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2014
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Lorenz, Stephan
• Primary Examiner(s): Paige, Tyler D
• Application Number:
  US15/116,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20180194343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/02 related to ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0282 generated in a local control room
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/146 where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

Method for automatically parking a vehicle in a parking area having a multiplicity of parking spaces, comprising the following steps:

• • allocating a specific parking space for the motor vehicle by means of the control device;
  • automatic driving, or driving under the control of the control device, of the vehicle to the specific parking space; characterized by the following steps:
  • making available at least one item of environmental information for the control device;
  • evaluating the parking spaces on the basis of the at least one item of environmental information; and
  • if appropriate, re-parking a vehicle located in a parking space which is evaluated as being less than optimum to a parking space which is evaluated as being optimum by the control device.

Claims

1. A method for automatically parking a vehicle on a parking area having a plurality of parking spaces, said method comprising:

assigning a designated parking space for the vehicle by a control device, which serves as a central control point, includes sensors for detecting environmental impacts and receives environmental information via an Internet connection;

automatically driving or controlling by the control device driving of the vehicle to the designated parking space;

providing at least one environmental information for the control device;

rating the parking spaces repeatedly at specified time intervals on the basis of the at least one environmental information, with a parking space being rated suboptimal, when sunlight is intense enough to cause heat-up which exceeds a specified limit value for a vehicle interior temperature; and

re-parking by the control device a vehicle located in a parking space rated as suboptimal to a parking space rated as optimal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one environmental information is selected from the group consisting of intensity of sunlight, direction of sunlight incident angle of sunlight, air temperature, and hail.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is re-parked as a function of a known or estimated pick-up time, with the vehicle being re-parked at a specified point in time prior to the pick-up time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is re-parked as a function of a known or estimated pick-up time, and further comprising turning on a ventilation device of the vehicle at a specified time prior to the pick-up time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a vehicle parked on an unprotected parking space is re-parked in a covered parking space, when hail is predicted or encountered.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising charging a fee, when the vehicle is re-parked in the optimal parking space.

7. A control device, configured for executing the method of claim 1.

8. A control device for automatically parking a vehicle on a parking area having a plurality of parking spaces, said control device serving as a central control point, including sensors for detecting environmental impacts, receiving environmental information via an Internet connection, and being constructed to:

assign a designated parking space for the vehicle;

move the vehicle to the designated parking space;

rate the parking spaces repeatedly at specified time intervals on the basis of at least one environmental information, with a parking space being rated suboptimal, when sunlight is intense enough to cause heat-up which exceeds a specified limit value for a vehicle interior temperature, and

re-park a vehicle located in a parking space rated as suboptimal to a parking space rated as optimal.

9. The control device of claim 8, wherein the at least one environmental information is selected from the group consisting of intensity of sunlight, direction of sunlight incident angle of sunlight, air temperature, and hail.

10. The control device of claim 8, constructed to re-park the vehicle as a function of a known or estimated pick-up time, with the vehicle being re-parked at a specified point in time prior to the pick-up time.

11. The control device of claim 8, constructed to re-park the vehicle as a function of a known or estimated pick-up time, and to turn on a ventilation device of the vehicle at a specified time prior to the pick-up time.

12. The control device of claim 8, constructed to re-park a vehicle, parked on an unprotected parking space, in a covered parking space, when hail is predicted or encountered.