Vehicle remote park assist with occupant detection

• US 10,308,243 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2016
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lavoie, Erick Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Antonucci, Anne M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taveras, Kenny A.
• Application Number:
  US15/220,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20180029591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/54 Audio sensitive means, e.g. ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/30 Longitudinal distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/027 Parking aids, e.g. instruction means
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for vehicle remote park assist with occupant detection. An example disclosed vehicle includes range detection sensors and a remote parking unit. The example range detection sensors determine whether a target parking space is narrow. The example remote parking unit, in response to a request from a mobile device external to the vehicle, when the target parking space is narrow, scans, with occupant detection sensors, the interior of the vehicle. Additionally, the example remote parking unit, in response to detecting an occupant in the vehicle, sends a first notification to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

range detection sensors to determine whether a target parking space is narrow; and

a remote parking unit to;

responsive to a request from a mobile device external to the vehicle;

when the target parking space is narrow;

scan, with occupant detection sensors, an interior of the vehicle; and

responsive to detecting no occupants in the vehicle, send, to the mobile device, a first notification indicating that the target parking space is narrow.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the range detection sensors include at least one of a plurality of ultrasonic sensors, a RADAR, a LiDAR, an infrared sensors, or a camera.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the occupant detection sensors include at least one of an ultrasonic sensor, a weight sensor, a camera, a heartbeat sensor, or an RFID reader.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the target parking space is narrow when a width of the target parking space is less than a width of the vehicle with doors of the vehicle open to facilitate entering and exiting the vehicle.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein when the target parking space is not narrow, the remote parking unit is to determine a likelihood that the target parking space will become narrow.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the remote parking unit is to, when the target parking space is likely to become narrow, scan, the with occupant detection sensors, the interior of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the remote parking unit is to determine the likelihood at least in part by receiving navigation data from an external server, the navigation data indicating one or more locations with a narrow parking space.

8. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the remote parking unit is to determine the likelihood at least in part by scanning, via the range detection sensors:

one or more parking spaces that are similar to the target parking space; and

one or more objects surrounding the one or more parking spaces.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the remote parking unit is to, in response to detecting an occupant in the vehicle, activate a warning produced by the vehicle.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the warning includes at least one of activating a horn in a short burst pattern, flashing lights of the vehicle, or activating hazard light of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the remote parking unit is to, when the target parking space is narrow, send a second notification to the mobile device.

12. A method to remotely park a vehicle comprising:

determining, with range detection sensors, whether a target parking space is narrow;

in response to a request from a mobile device external to the vehicle;

when the target parking space is narrow;

scanning, with occupant detection sensors, an interior of the vehicle; and

in response to detecting no occupants in the vehicle, sending, via a processor, to the mobile device, a first notification indicating that the target parking space is narrow.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the range detection sensors include at least one of a plurality of ultrasonic sensors, a RADAR, a LiDAR, an infrared sensors, or a camera.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the occupant detection sensors include at least one of an ultrasonic sensor, a weight sensor, a camera, a heartbeat sensor, or an RFID reader.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the target parking space is narrow when a width of the target parking space is less than a width of the vehicle with doors of the vehicle open to facilitate entering and exiting the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 12, including, when the target parking space is not narrow, determining a likelihood that the target parking space will become narrow.

17. The method of claim 16, including, when the target parking space is likely to become narrow, scanning, the with occupant detection sensors, the interior of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 12, including, in response to detecting an occupant in the vehicle, activating a warning produced by the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein activating the warning includes at least one of activating a horn in a short burst pattern, flashing lights of the vehicle, or activating hazard light of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 12, including, when the target parking space is narrow, sending a second notification to the mobile device.

21. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instruction that, when executed, cause a vehicle to:

determine, with range detection sensors, whether a target parking space is narrow;

in response to a request from a mobile device external to the vehicle;

when the target parking space is narrow;

scan, with occupant detection sensors, an interior of the vehicle; and

in response to detecting no occupants in the vehicle, send, to the mobile device, a first notification indicating that the target parking space is narrow.