Parking assist apparatus for vehicle

• US 20050264432A1
• Filed: 04/27/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Iwata, Yoichi, Satonaka, Hisashi, Sugiyama, Toru, Endo, Tomohiko, Iwakiri, Hideyuki, Itoh, Takuya, Tanaka, Yuu
• Granted Patent: US 7,486,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/932.200
• 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: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/028 Guided parking by providing commands to the driver, e.g. acoustically or optically
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

A parking assist apparatus for a vehicle includes a recognizing apparatus for recognizing a target position for parking the vehicle, a calculating apparatus for calculating a course for parking the vehicle from a current vehicle position to the target position recognized by the recognizing apparatus during the vehicle being moving and an informing apparatus for informing a user of the vehicle that the vehicle can be parked at the recognized target position when the course of the vehicle has been correctly calculated by the calculating apparatus.

Claims

1. A parking assist apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a recognizing means for recognizing a target position for parking the vehicle;

a calculating means for calculating a course for parking the vehicle from a current vehicle position to the target position recognized by the recognizing means during the vehicle being moving; and

an informing means for informing a user of the vehicle that the vehicle is permitted to be parked at the recognized target position when the course for parking the vehicle has been calculated by the calculating means.

2. A parking assist apparatus for a vehicle, comprising;

a vehicle speed-detecting means for detecting a vehicle speed;

a steering angle-detecting means for detecting a steering angle of the vehicle;

a recognizing means for recognizing a target position for parking the vehicle;

a calculating means for calculating a current vehicle position on the basis of information collected from the vehicle speed-detecting means and the steering angle-detecting means, and calculating a course for parking the vehicle on the basis of the calculated current vehicle position and the target position recognized by the recognizing means, during the vehicle being moving; and

an informing means for informing a user of the vehicle that the vehicle is permitted to be parked at the recognized target position when the course for parking the vehicle has been calculated by the calculating means.

3. The parking assist apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

the calculating means subsequently calculates a course for parking the vehicle by every predetermined distance from a position of the vehicle where the target position of the vehicle has been recognized by the recognizing means.

9. The parking assist apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

the recognizing means recognizes a predetermined relative position to a vehicle position which is a vehicle stop position detected by the vehicle speed-detecting means as the target position for parking the vehicle.

10. The parking assist apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a judging means for judging whether or not the informing means is allowed to inform the user of the vehicle that the vehicle can be parked at the recognized target position,

wherein the judging means permits the informing means to perform informing when the judging means judges that the vehicle is in a process of parking the vehicle.

11. The parking assist apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein

the judging means performs judging on the basis of a moving condition of the vehicle after the target position for parking the vehicle is recognized by the recognizing means.

12. The parking assist apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein

the judging means judges on the basis of a map data of a navigation system.

13. The parking assist apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein

the judging means judges on the basis of a signal fed from a switch for setting whether or not to permit informing operable by the user of the vehicle.

14. The parking assist apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a display means for displaying a taken picture image of vehicle surroundings, wherein

the target position for parking the vehicle recognized by the recognizing means is displayed over the taken picture image.

15. The parking assist apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 14, wherein

the target position for parking the vehicle recognized by the recognizing means is displayed over the taken picture image when the course for parking the vehicle is calculated by the calculating means.

16. The parking assist apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 14, wherein

the target position for parking the vehicle recognized by the recognizing means displayed over the taken picture image is changeable on the display means by an operation of the user of the vehicle.

4. A parking assist apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a recognizing means for recognizing a target position for parking the vehicle;

a calculating means for calculating a parking starting position for parking the vehicle at the target position for parking the vehicle recognized by the recognizing means; and

an assistance means for guiding the vehicle to the parking starting position.

5. The parking assist apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein

the assistance means includes an informing means for informing a user of the vehicle that a current vehicle position corresponds to the parking starting position for parking the vehicle.

6. The parking assist apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein

the assistance means instructs a mode of operation to a user of the vehicle for moving the vehicle to the parking starting position.

7. The parking assist apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein

the assistance means automatically guides the vehicle to the parking starting position for parking the vehicle.

8. The parking assist apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein

the assistance means acoustically or visually informs a user of the vehicle of the parking starting position.

17. The parking assist apparatus for a vehicle according to claims 5, further comprising:

a judging means for judging whether or not the informing means is allowed to perform informing, wherein

the judging means permits the informing means to perform informing when the judging means judges that the vehicle is in a process of parking the vehicle.