Vehicle presence detection system
First Claim
1. A vehicle presence detection system, comprising:
- a LIDAR device comprising a light emitter configured to emit pulsed laser light, and a light sensor configured to receive reflections of the pulsed laser light emitted by the light emitter, wherein the LIDAR device is directed in the direction of a parking spot;
a memory unit; and
a processing unit configured to;
use the LIDAR device to determine a measured distance that correlates to the distance travelled by reflections of the pulsed laser light from the LIDAR device;
store a measured distance in the memory unit as a baseline vacant distance, wherein the baseline vacant distance corresponds to the distance between the LIDAR device and a surface corresponding to the parking spot when the parking spot is vacant; and
determine whether the parking spot is vacant or occupied based on a plurality of measured distances.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle presence detection system for determining whether a parking space is vacant or occupied and utilizing this information to guide vehicles to available parking spaces. generally includes a LIDAR device, a cloud-based processing unit, a database, and a guidance light. The LIDAR device generally includes a light emitter, a light sensor, a CPU, a memory unit, and a communications device. The LIDAR device determines the distance between itself and a parking spot or a vehicle parked in that parking spot using an algorithm that accounts for variances in the ambient conditions. This status information can be communicated to a cloud-based processing unit, which can store this information in a database and/or use this information to send parking status indications to an autonomous vehicle dynamic sign, mobile device, or guidance light.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A vehicle presence detection system, comprising:
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a LIDAR device comprising a light emitter configured to emit pulsed laser light, and a light sensor configured to receive reflections of the pulsed laser light emitted by the light emitter, wherein the LIDAR device is directed in the direction of a parking spot; a memory unit; and a processing unit configured to; use the LIDAR device to determine a measured distance that correlates to the distance travelled by reflections of the pulsed laser light from the LIDAR device; store a measured distance in the memory unit as a baseline vacant distance, wherein the baseline vacant distance corresponds to the distance between the LIDAR device and a surface corresponding to the parking spot when the parking spot is vacant; and determine whether the parking spot is vacant or occupied based on a plurality of measured distances. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A vehicle presence detection system, comprising:
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a LIDAR device comprising a light emitter configured to emit pulsed laser light, and a light sensor configured to receive reflections of the pulsed laser light emitted by the light emitter, wherein the LIDAR device is directed in the direction of a parking spot; a memory unit; and a processing unit configured to; use the LIDAR device to determine a measured distance that correlates to the distance travelled by reflections of the pulsed laser light from the LIDAR device; store a baseline occupied distance corresponding to the distance between the LIDAR device and a vehicle parked in the parking spot, wherein the baseline occupied distance corresponds to the distance between the LIDAR device and the vehicle positioned in the parking spot when the parking spot is occupied; and determine whether the parking spot is vacant or occupied based on a plurality of measured distances. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of detecting the presence of a vehicle in a parking spot comprising:
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directing a LIDAR device in a downwardly angle toward a parking spot, wherein the LIDAR device comprises a light emitter configured to emit pulsed laser light and a light sensor configured to receive a reflection of the pulsed laser light emitted by the light emitter; determining a baseline occupied distance corresponding to the distance between the LIDAR device and a vehicle parked in the parking spot; using the LIDAR device to determine a measured distance that correlates to the distance travelled by reflections of pulsed laser light from the LIDAR device; determining that the parking spot is occupied, if the measured distance is less than or equal to the baseline occupied distance; and determining that the parking spot is vacant, if the measured distance is greater than the baseline occupied distance. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of detecting the presence of a vehicle in a parking spot comprising:
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directing a LIDAR device in a downwardly angle toward a parking spot, wherein the LIDAR device comprises a light emitter configured to emit pulsed laser light and a light sensor configured to receive a reflection of the pulsed laser light emitted by the light emitter; determining a baseline occupied distance corresponding to the distance between the LIDAR device and a vehicle parked in the parking spot; using the LIDAR device to determine a consecutive plurality of measured distances that correlate to the distance travelled by reflections of pulsed laser light from the LIDAR device during consecutive measurements; determining that the parking spot is vacant, if the consecutive plurality of measured distances are all greater than the baseline occupied distance; and determining that the parking spot is occupied, if the consecutive plurality of measured distances are all less than or equal to the baseline occupied distance. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. A vehicle presence detection system, comprising:
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a LIDAR device comprising a light emitter configured to emit pulsed laser light, and a light sensor configured to receive reflections of the pulsed laser light emitted by the light emitter; a memory unit; and a processing unit configured to; use the LIDAR device to determine a measured distance that correlates to the distance travelled by reflections of the pulsed laser light from the LIDAR device; store a measured distance in the memory unit as a baseline vacant distance, wherein the baseline vacant distance corresponds to the distance between the LIDAR device and a surface corresponding to the parking spot when the parking spot is vacant; and determine whether the parking spot is occupied based on a measured distance; wherein the LIDAR device is configured to alter its direction towards each of a plurality of parking spots; wherein the processing unit is configured to store a measured distance as a baseline vacant distance for each of the plurality of parking spots, wherein each baseline vacant distance corresponds to the distance between the LIDAR device and the surface corresponding to one of the plurality of parking spots when that parking spot is vacant; and wherein the processing unit is configured to determine whether each of the plurality of parking spots is occupied based on a measured distance for each of the plurality of parking spots.
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32. A vehicle presence detection system, comprising:
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a LIDAR device comprising a light emitter configured to emit pulsed laser light, and a light sensor configured to receive reflections of the pulsed laser light emitted by the light emitter, wherein the LIDAR device is directed towards a parking spot; a memory unit; and a processing unit configured to; use the LIDAR device to determine a measured distance that correlates to the distance travelled by reflections of the pulsed laser light from the LIDAR device; store a measured distance in the memory unit as a baseline vacant distance, wherein the baseline vacant distance corresponds to the distance between the LIDAR device and a surface corresponding to the parking spot when the parking spot is vacant; and determine whether the parking spot is occupied based on a measured distance.
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33. A vehicle presence detection system, comprising:
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a LIDAR device comprising a light emitter configured to emit pulsed laser light, and a light sensor configured to receive reflections of the pulsed laser light emitted by the light emitter, wherein the LIDAR device is directed towards a parking spot; a memory unit; and a processing unit configured to; use the LIDAR device to determine a measured distance that correlates to the distance travelled by reflections of the pulsed laser light from the LIDAR device; store a measured distance in the memory unit as a baseline vacant distance, wherein the baseline vacant distance corresponds to the distance between the LIDAR device and a surface corresponding to the parking spot when the parking spot is vacant; determine whether the parking spot is occupied based on a measured distance; store a baseline occupied distance corresponding to the distance between the LIDAR device and a vehicle parked in the parking spot, wherein the baseline occupied distance of the parking spot is less than the baseline vacant distance for the parking spot; and determine if the parking spot is occupied by determining if the measured distance is less than the baseline occupied distance.
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34. A vehicle presence detection system, comprising:
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a LIDAR device comprising a light emitter configured to emit pulsed laser light, and a light sensor configured to receive reflections of the pulsed laser light emitted by the light emitter, wherein the LIDAR device is directed towards a parking spot; a memory unit; and a processing unit configured to; use the LIDAR device to determine a measured distance that correlates to the distance travelled by reflections of the pulsed laser light from the LIDAR device; store a measured distance in the memory unit as a baseline vacant distance, wherein the baseline vacant distance corresponds to the distance between the LIDAR device and a surface corresponding to the parking spot when the parking spot is vacant; determine whether the parking spot is occupied based on a measured distance; store a baseline occupied distance corresponding to the distance between the LIDAR device and a vehicle parked in the parking spot, wherein the baseline occupied distance for the parking spot is less than the baseline vacant distance for the parking spot; store a minimum vehicle distance, wherein the minimum vehicle distance for the parking spot is less than the baseline occupied distance for the parking spot; and determine that the parking spot is occupied if the measured distance is less than the baseline vehicle baseline and greater than the minimum vehicle distance.
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35. A vehicle presence detection system, comprising:
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a LIDAR device comprising a light emitter configured to emit pulsed laser light, and a light sensor configured to receive reflections of the pulsed laser light emitted by the light emitter, wherein the LIDAR device is directed toward a surface of a parking spot; a memory unit; and a processing unit configured to; use the LIDAR device to determine a measured distance that correlates to the distance travelled by reflections of the pulsed laser light from the LIDAR device; store a measured distance in the memory unit as a baseline vacant distance, wherein the baseline vacant distance corresponds to the distance between the LIDAR device and the surface of the parking spot when the parking spot is vacant; and determine if the parking spot is vacant or occupied by determining if the measured distance is less than the baseline vacant distance.
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Specification