System and method for generating a parking alert

• US 10,518,698 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2018
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Pal, Pralay Kumar, Chintalapoodi, Pramod, Tanaka, Sho
• Primary Examiner(s): Flores, Leon
• Application Number:
  US16/128,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20190009713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/48 for parking purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/005 automatically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/149 coupled to means for restricting the access to the parking space, e.g. authorization, access barriers, indicative lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking

Abstract

A system and method to generate a parking alert. The system comprises one or more circuits controlled by an electronic control unit (ECU) in a first vehicle. The one or more circuits detect a second vehicle within a predetermined distance with respect to the first vehicle. A parking violation alert is communicated to the second vehicle and one or more users associated with the second vehicle. The communication of the parking violation alert is based on the detection of the second vehicle within the predetermined distance with respect to the first vehicle.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an electronic control unit of a first vehicle, wherein said electronic control unit includes one or more circuits configured to;

detect a second vehicle within a threshold distance with respect to said first vehicle, wherein said threshold distance is set based on;

a margin to open a vehicle door of said first vehicle, and

a lane marking on a surface at a location of said first vehicle; and

communicate, based on said detection, a parking violation alert to said detected second vehicle and at least one user associated with said detected second vehicle.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said parking violation alert comprises information associated with at least one of an identification of said first vehicle, said threshold distance, a notification that corresponds to a violation of parking alert, a direction that corresponds to said threshold distance, or a distance by which said threshold distance is breached.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said threshold distance is set further based on at least one of a size of said first vehicle or a direction of said first vehicle.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein

said one or more circuits are further configured to communicate, based on a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication channel established between said first vehicle and said detected second vehicle, at least one of a parking alert to said second vehicle, said parking violation alert to said second vehicle, or a parking acknowledgement notification to said detected second vehicle, and

said V2V communication channel is established based on Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC).

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said one or more circuits are further configured to:

communicate said parking violation alert to said detected second vehicle based on a remote access of a Digital Information Console (DIC) of said second vehicle; and

control said DIC to display said parking violation alert.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said one or more circuits are further configured to communicate said parking violation alert to said detected second vehicle based on at least one of a honk operation by said first vehicle, a laser beam from said first vehicle, a transmission operation of alert information, or a blinking operation of indicators of said first vehicle.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one user corresponds to at least one of an owner of said first vehicle, an authority that manages a parking environment associated with a parking area of said first vehicle, or an owner of said detected second vehicle.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said one or more circuits are further configured to communicate:

a parking alert to said detected second vehicle, wherein said parking alert corresponds to an assistance to said detected second vehicle to park within said threshold distance; and

a parking acknowledgement notification to said detected second vehicle that is one of parked at said threshold distance or parked beyond said threshold distance.

9. A first vehicle, comprising:

a battery unit;

a display device configured to receive power supply from said battery unit; and

an electronic control unit (ECU) that includes one or more circuits configured to;

detect a second vehicle within a threshold distance with respect to said first vehicle, wherein said threshold distance is set based on;

a margin to open a vehicle door of said first vehicle, and

a lane marking on a surface at a location of said first vehicle;

communicate, based on said detection, a parking violation alert to said detected second vehicle and at least one user associated with said detected second vehicle; and

control, said display device, to display parking status information corresponding to said detected second vehicle.

10. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a first vehicle, a second vehicle within a threshold distance with respect to said first vehicle, wherein said threshold distance is set based on;

a margin to open a vehicle door of said first vehicle; and

a lane marking on a surface at a location of said first vehicle; and

communicating, by said first vehicle, a parking violation alert to said detected second vehicle and at least one user associated with said detected second vehicle, wherein said communication is based on said detection.