Vehicle parking assist

• US 10,384,718 B1
• Filed: 03/26/2018
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zoox Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Zoox Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kentley-Klay, Timothy David
• Primary Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US15/936,148
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/48 for parking purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/5035 electronic displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/507 specific to autonomous vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/005 automatically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/004 using wave sensors radar designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicles and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/006 using a distance sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/007 providing information about the distance to an obstacle, e.g. varying sound
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/028 Guided parking by providing commands to the driver, e.g. acoustically or optically
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/143 inside the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

Vehicle parking assist is described. In an example, computing system(s) associated with a first vehicle can receive, from sensor(s) associated with the first vehicle, sensor data associated with a second vehicle. Additionally, the computing system(s) can receive an indication that a second vehicle is proximate the first vehicle and can determine, based at least partly on the sensor data, that the second vehicle is moving toward a location proximate the first vehicle (e.g., to park). Based at least partly on the sensor data, the computing system(s) associated with the first vehicle can determine a position, an orientation, and/or a velocity of the second vehicle and based at least partly on determining the position, the orientation, and/or the velocity, can determine instruction(s) for guiding the second vehicle, for example to park. The instruction(s) can be output via light emitter(s), sound emitter(s), and/or a remote user interface associated with the second vehicle.

Claims

1. A system associated with an autonomous vehicle for providing parking assistance to a parking vehicle, the system comprising:

one or more sensors on the autonomous vehicle;

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions executable by the one or more processors, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform actions comprising;

receiving sensor data from the one or more sensors, wherein at least a portion of the sensor data is associated with the parking vehicle;

determining, based at least in part on the sensor data, the parking vehicle is moving toward a parking location proximate the autonomous vehicle;

tracking, based at least in part on the sensor data, a position, an orientation, or a velocity of the parking vehicle with respect to the parking location; and

causing, based at least in part on tracking the position, the orientation, or the velocity, an indication to be output via one or more visual or audio outputs associated with the autonomous vehicle, the indication providing one or more instructions for guiding the parking vehicle into the parking location, wherein the indication comprises at least one of;

a light beam output via a light emitter associated with the autonomous vehicle, the light beam forming a visual indication associated with the one or more instructions;

or

an acoustic beam that is output via a speaker associated with the autonomous vehicle.

2. The system as claim 1 recites, wherein the one or more sensors include at least a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor, a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) sensor, a sound navigation and ranging (SONAR) sensor, a location sensor, an inertial sensor, a camera, a microphone, or an environment sensor.

3. The system as claim 1 recites, the actions further comprising:

determining a region around the autonomous vehicle, wherein the region corresponds to a minimum intended distance between the parking vehicle and the autonomous vehicle;

determining, based at least in part on the position or the orientation of the parking vehicle, that the parking vehicle enters the region; and

causing the indication to be output responsive to determining that the parking vehicle enters the region.

4. The system as claim 1 recites, wherein the indication is the light beam, and wherein the light emitter is a projector and the light beam is projected onto at least a portion of the parking vehicle or a surface proximate the parking vehicle.

5. The system as claim 1 recites, the actions further comprising:

receiving a signal indicative of a request for parking assistance; and

causing, based at least in part on receiving the signal, the indication to be output via the one or more visual or audio outputs associated with the autonomous vehicle.

17. The system as claim 1 recites, the action further comprising:

receiving second sensor data from one or more second sensors on a second vehicle, wherein at least a portion of the second sensor data is associated with the parking vehicle;

determining, based at least in part on the second sensor data, that the parking vehicle is moving toward the parking location;

tracking, based at least in part on the second sensor data, a second position, a second orientation, or a second velocity of the parking vehicle with respect to the parking location; and

causing, based at least in part on tracking the second position, the second orientation, or the second velocity, a second indication to be output via one or more second visual or audio outputs associated with the second vehicle, the second indication providing one or more second instructions for guiding the parking vehicle into the parking location.

18. The system as claim 17 recites, wherein the second vehicle is a second autonomous vehicle.

19. The system as claim 17 recites, the action further comprising:

causing the one or more second instructions to be output via a user interface associated with an application executing on a device operated by at least one of a driver or a passenger of the parking vehicle.

20. The system as claim 17 recites, the action further comprising:

causing the one or more second instructions to be output via a user interface associated with an application executing on a computing system of the parking vehicle.

6. A method comprising:

receiving first sensor data from one or more sensors associated with the first vehicle, the first sensor data associated with a second vehicle;

receiving an indication that the second vehicle is proximate the first vehicle;

determining, based at least in part on the first sensor data, that the second vehicle is moving toward a location proximate the first vehicle;

determining, based at least in part on the first sensor data, a position, an orientation, or a velocity of the second vehicle;

causing, based at least in part on determining the position, the orientation, or the velocity, one or more instructions for guiding the second vehicle to be output via a user interface;

determining, based at least in part on the first sensor data, a second position, a second orientation, or a second velocity of the second vehicle; and

causing, based at least in part on determining the second position, the second orientation, or the second velocity, one or more additional instructions for guiding the second vehicle to be output via the user interface.

7. The method as claim 6 recites, further comprising:

receiving second sensor data from the one or more sensors, the second sensor data associated with an environment within which the first vehicle and the second vehicle are positioned; and

determining, based at least in part on the second sensor data, a parking location proximate the first vehicle.

8. The method as claim 7 recites, further comprising:

determining, based at least in part on the position, the orientation, or the velocity of the second vehicle, that the second vehicle is moving toward the parking location; and

causing, based at least in part on tracking the position, the orientation, or the velocity of the second vehicle, the one or more instructions to be output via the user interface.

9. The method as claim 8 recites, further comprising:

training a data model based at least in part on previously collected sensor data associated with parking vehicles; and

determining that the second vehicle is moving toward the parking location based at least in part on analyzing the first sensor data with the data model.

10. The method as claim 7 recites, wherein the user interface is associated with the first vehicle, and the method further comprises sending, to at least a third vehicle, an indication of the parking location proximate the first vehicle and an instruction associated with the one or more instructions.

11. The method as claim 6 recites, wherein the user interface is associated with an audio or visual output associated with the first vehicle.

12. The method as claim 6 recites, wherein the user interface is associated with an application executing on a device operated by at least one of a driver of the second vehicle, a passenger of the second vehicle, or a computing system associated with the second vehicle.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a set of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from one or more sensors associated with a first vehicle, first sensor data associated with a second vehicle;

receiving an indication that a second vehicle is proximate the first vehicle;

determining, based at least in part on the first sensor data, that the second vehicle is moving toward a location proximate the first vehicle;

determining, based at least in part on the first sensor data, a position, an orientation, or a velocity of the second vehicle;

sending, based at least in part on determining the position, the orientation, or the velocity, a signal configured to cause one or more instructions for guiding the second vehicle to be output via a user interface;

receiving, from the one or more sensors, second sensor data associated with an environment within which the first vehicle and the second vehicle are positioned;

determining, based at least in part on the second sensor data or map data associated with the environment, a parking location proximate the first vehicle;

determining, based at least in part on the position, the orientation, or the velocity of the second vehicle, that the second vehicle is moving toward the parking location; and

sending the signal configured to cause the one or more instructions to be output via the user interface based at least in part on determining that the second vehicle is moving toward the parking location.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claim 13 recites, the operations further comprising:

training a data model based at least in part on previously collected sensor data associated with parking vehicles; and

determining that the second vehicle is moving toward to the parking location based at least in part on analyzing the first sensor data with the data model.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claim 13 recites, the operations further comprising:

receiving a request for parking assistance; and

sending the signal configured to cause the one or more instructions to be output via the user interface is further based at least in part on receiving the request for parking assistance.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claim 13 recites, wherein the user interface is associated with at least one of an audio output associated with the first vehicle or a visual output associated with the first vehicle, or a remote device associated with the second vehicle.