Method and apparatus for operating a motor vehicle parked at a first position

• US 10,429,837 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2018
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Nordbruch, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US15/859,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20180196420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/00 Steering controls, i.e. means for initiating a change of direction of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00

Abstract

A method for operating a motor vehicle parked at a first position, using a mobile terminal, including monitoring a surrounding field of the parked motor vehicle and/or a route from a present position of the mobile terminal to the parked motor vehicle, transmission of monitoring data, based on the monitoring, via a wireless communication network to a mobile terminal, after the transmission of the monitoring data, reception of a move command, sent from the mobile terminal via the wireless communication network, for moving the motor vehicle away from the first position, transferring the motor vehicle from the first position to a second position in response to the reception of the move command transmitted from the mobile terminal via the wireless communication network. A corresponding apparatus and a computer program are also described.

Claims

1. A method for operating a motor vehicle parked at a first position, using a mobile terminal, comprising:

monitoring, using at least one sensor, at least one of a surrounding field of the parked motor vehicle and a route from a present position of the mobile terminal to the parked motor vehicle;

transmitting monitoring data, based on the monitoring, via a wireless communication network to the mobile terminal;

computerized ascertaining of a second position, the second position being ascertained using a computer based on the second position satisfying one or more predetermined conditions;

after transmitting the monitoring data, receiving a move command, sent from the mobile terminal via the wireless communication network, for moving the motor vehicle away from the first position; and

operating the motor vehicle in a driverless manner to move the motor vehicle from the first position to the ascertained second position in response to the reception of the move command sent from the mobile terminal via the wireless communication network;

wherein the one or more predetermined conditions include at least one of the following;

(i) that the second position is illuminated with a predetermined brightness, and/or (ii) that traffic in an area surrounding the second position exhibits a predetermined minimum density, and/or (iii) that the second position is located on a roadway, and/or (iv) that the second position is located at an exit of a parking facility.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the surrounding field of the motor vehicle and the route is monitored and the corresponding monitoring data is transmitted during the transfer.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transfer operating of the motor vehicle includes operating the motor vehicle by remote control, or by autonomous driving of the motor vehicle.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via the wireless communication network, a driving route from the first position to the ascertained second position, sent from the mobile terminal via the wireless communication network, so that the driving route is specified by way of the mobile terminal, with the result that the motor vehicle is guided along the driving route from the first position to the ascertained second position.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving position data corresponding to the ascertained second position and transmitted from the mobile terminal via the wireless communication network, so that the ascertained second position is specified by way of the mobile terminal.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the ascertained second position is set apart a predetermined minimum distance at least 50 m from the first position.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions includes that the second position is illuminated with the predetermined brightness.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions includes that the traffic in the area surrounding the second position exhibits the predetermined minimum density.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions includes that the second position is located on the roadway.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions includes that the second position is located at the exit of the parking facility.

7. An apparatus for operating a motor vehicle parked at a first position, using a mobile terminal, the apparatus designed to:

monitor, using at least one sensor, at least one of a surrounding field of the parked motor vehicle and a route from a present position of the mobile terminal to the parked motor vehicle;

transmit monitoring data, based on the monitoring, via a wireless communication network to the mobile terminal;

computerized ascertainment of a second position, the second position being ascertained using a computer based on the second position satisfying one or more predetermined conditions;

after transmitting the monitoring data, receive a move command, sent from the mobile terminal via the wireless communication network, for moving the motor vehicle away from the first position; and

operate the motor vehicle is a driverless manner to move the motor vehicle from the first position to the ascertained second position in response to the reception of the move command sent from the mobile terminal via the wireless communication network;

wherein the one or more predetermined conditions include at least one of the following;

(i) that the second position is illuminated with a predetermined brightness, and/or (ii) that traffic in an area surrounding the second position exhibits a predetermined minimum density, and/or (iii) that the second position is located on a roadway, and/or (iv) that the second position is located at an exit of a parking facility.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions includes that the second position is illuminated with the predetermined brightness.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions includes that the traffic in the area surrounding the second position exhibits the predetermined minimum density.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions includes that the second position is located on the roadway.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions includes that the second position is located at the exit of the parking facility.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program including program code for operating a motor vehicle parked at a first position, using a mobile terminal, the computer program, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform:

monitoring, using at least one sensor, at least one of a surrounding field of the parked motor vehicle and a route from a present position of the mobile terminal to the parked motor vehicle;

transmitting monitoring data, based on the monitoring, via a wireless communication network to the mobile terminal;

computerized ascertaining of a second position, the second position being ascertained using a computer based on the second position satisfying one or more predetermined conditions;

after transmitting the monitoring data, receiving a move command, sent from the mobile terminal via the wireless communication network, for moving the motor vehicle away from the first position; and

operating the motor vehicle in a driverless manner to move the motor vehicle from the first position to the ascertained second position in response to the reception of the move command sent from the mobile terminal via the wireless communication network;

wherein the one or more predetermined conditions include at least one of the following;

(i) that the second position is illuminated with a predetermined brightness, and/or (ii) that traffic in an area surrounding the second position exhibits a predetermined minimum density, and/or (iii) that the second position is located on a roadway, and/or (iv) that the second position is located at an exit of a parking facility.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions includes that the second position is illuminated with the predetermined brightness.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions includes that the traffic in the area surrounding the second position exhibits the predetermined minimum density.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions includes that the second position is located on the roadway.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions includes that the second position is located at the exit of the parking facility.