Automotive vehicle navigation using low power radios
First Claim
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1. A navigation system for a parking area comprising a plurality of parking spaces and a plurality of waypoints, deployed in a waypoint array over the parking area, each waypoint comprising an identifier value for a location in the parking area, the system comprising:
- a plurality of parking area nodes, deployed in a node array over the parking area, each node comprising;
a camera; and
a low power radio transmitting a unique radio signal;
a cellular device, wherein a parking request and a walking destination from a user are each input on the cellular device; and
a parking assist server in communication with the nodes and the cellular device, wherein the server;
analyzes images of the parking area captured by the cameras to detect an availability status of the parking spaces, the availability status being occupied or unoccupied;
receives the parking request from the cellular device;
in response to the request, sends to the user a proposed parking space from the parking spaces having the unoccupied availability status;
provides a vehicle arrival sequence of the waypoints leading from a parking entrance of the parking area to the proposed parking space, wherein each of the waypoints further comprises a fixed signal strength value for strength of the radio signals at the location of the waypoint and a fixed time of flight value for relative timing of the radio signals at the location of the waypoint, wherein the plurality of waypoints is a plurality of radio waypoints; and
provides a walking arrival sequence of the waypoints leading from the proposed parking space to the walking destination.
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Abstract
A navigation system for a parking area comprises a plurality of nodes and a server communicating with the nodes. Each node comprises a camera capturing images of the parking area and a low power radio transmitting a radio signal. The server analyzes the images to propose a parking space and provides an arrival sequence of waypoints to the parking space. Each of the waypoints comprises strength and time of flight values of the radio signals.
12 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A navigation system for a parking area comprising a plurality of parking spaces and a plurality of waypoints, deployed in a waypoint array over the parking area, each waypoint comprising an identifier value for a location in the parking area, the system comprising:
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a plurality of parking area nodes, deployed in a node array over the parking area, each node comprising; a camera; and a low power radio transmitting a unique radio signal; a cellular device, wherein a parking request and a walking destination from a user are each input on the cellular device; and a parking assist server in communication with the nodes and the cellular device, wherein the server; analyzes images of the parking area captured by the cameras to detect an availability status of the parking spaces, the availability status being occupied or unoccupied; receives the parking request from the cellular device; in response to the request, sends to the user a proposed parking space from the parking spaces having the unoccupied availability status; provides a vehicle arrival sequence of the waypoints leading from a parking entrance of the parking area to the proposed parking space, wherein each of the waypoints further comprises a fixed signal strength value for strength of the radio signals at the location of the waypoint and a fixed time of flight value for relative timing of the radio signals at the location of the waypoint, wherein the plurality of waypoints is a plurality of radio waypoints; and provides a walking arrival sequence of the waypoints leading from the proposed parking space to the walking destination. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A navigation system for a parking area comprising:
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a plurality of nodes, each node comprising; a camera capturing images of the area; and a low power radio transmitting a radio signal; a cellular device, wherein a parking request and a walking destination from a user are each input on the cellular device; and a server communicating with the nodes and the cellular device, wherein the server; analyzes the images to propose a parking space; receives the parking request from the cellular device; provides an arrival sequence of radio waypoints to the parking space, each of the waypoints comprising fixed strength and time of flight values of the radio signals; and provides a walking arrival sequence of the waypoints leading from the proposed parking space to the walking destination. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A method of navigating a parking area comprising a plurality of parking area nodes, deployed in a node array over the parking area, each node comprising a camera and a low power radio transmitting a radio signal and a plurality of waypoints, deployed in a waypoint array over the parking area, each waypoint comprising fixed values of strength and relative timing of the radio signals, the method comprising:
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capturing images of the parking area using the plurality of cameras; transmitting the images to a parking assist server; analyzing the images to detect an availability status of a plurality of parking spaces in the parking area, the availability status being occupied or unoccupied; receiving a parking request from a cellular device, wherein the parking request and a walking destination from a user are each input on the cellular device; proposing, in response to the request, a proposed parking space from the parking spaces having the unoccupied availability status; transmitting, from the server, a vehicle arrival sequence of the waypoints leading to the proposed parking space, wherein the waypoints of the vehicle arrival sequence include the fixed values of strength and relative timing of the radio signals, wherein the plurality of waypoints is a plurality of radio waypoints; and transmitting, from the server, a walking arrival sequence of the waypoints leading from the proposed parking space to the walking destination. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A navigation system for a parking area comprising a plurality of parking spaces and a plurality of waypoints, deployed in a waypoint array over the parking area, each waypoint comprising an identifier value for a location in the parking area, the system comprising:
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a plurality of parking area nodes, deployed in a node array over the parking area, each node comprising; a camera; and a low power radio transmitting a unique radio signal; a parking assist server in communication with the nodes, wherein the server; analyzes images of the parking area captured by the cameras to detect an availability status of the parking spaces, the availability status being occupied or unoccupied; receives a parking request from a user; in response to the request, sends to the user a proposed parking space from the parking spaces having the unoccupied availability status; and provides a vehicle arrival sequence of the waypoints leading from a parking entrance of the parking area to the proposed parking space, wherein each of the waypoints further comprises a signal strength value for strength of the radio signals at the location of the waypoint and a time of flight value for relative timing of the radio signals at the location of the waypoint; and a cellular device, wherein the cellular device transmits to the server a vehicle arrival time at key off of a vehicle that has followed the vehicle arrival sequence to the proposed parking space, the cellular device transmits to the server a vehicle departure time at subsequent key on and departure of the vehicle from the proposed parking space, and the server calculates an occupancy duration of the vehicle in the proposed parking space.
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Specification