Cooperative Parking

• US 20070282489A1
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, Andrew R., Hamilton, Rick Allen, McConnell, Kevin C., Boss, Gregory Jenson
• Granted Patent: US 7,498,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically

Abstract

A system, a method, and a service for cooperative parking between vehicles. A parking vehicle has a transmitter to send a parking signal to parked vehicles in proximity to a parking space. A parked vehicle receives the parking signal, activates one or more position sensors mounted on the parked vehicle, activates its engine or auxiliary motor, disengages any locking mechanism such as brakes or the transmission, and moves itself away from the parking space. Once the parking vehicle has parked successfully or after a predetermined time delay, the parked vehicle may move to a position closer to the parking vehicle but still far enough away to avoid collision as determined by the position sensor and turn off its engine or auxiliary motor and re-engage its locking mechanism. The cooperative parking system may include a switch and a transmitter, either contained within a hand-held programmable device or within the parking vehicle. Preferably, all vehicles have the transmitter and the receiver to activate and respond to parking requests.

Claims

1. A cooperative parking system, comprising:

a switch to initiate the cooperative parking system; and

a transmitter connected to the switch, the transmitter to transmit a park signal to a receiver.

3. The cooperative parking system of claim 1 wherein the switch is physically located in a parking vehicle, the switch causing the transmitter to transmit the park signal to a parked vehicle indicating that the driver wishes the parked vehicle to accommodate the parking vehicle.

4. The cooperative parking system of claim 3 wherein the switch is manually operated by a driver of the parking vehicle.

5. The cooperative parking system of claim 3 wherein the switch is integrated into an on-board computer within the parking vehicle.

6. The cooperative parking system of claim 1 wherein the switch and transmitter are situated on a portable device.

7. The cooperative parking system of claim 3 wherein the portable device has a microprocessor.

8. The cooperative parking system of claim 1 wherein the switch can be automatically operated by an ignition within a parking vehicle.

9. The cooperative parking system of claim 1 wherein the park signal indicates that a parked vehicle will be removed from a parking space and the park signal requests other parked vehicles to move to accommodate removal of the requesting parked vehicle.

10. The cooperative parking system of claim 1 wherein the park signal is transmitted from a parking vehicle to the closest parked vehicles within range of the parking vehicle.

11. The cooperative parking system of claim 10 wherein the closest parked vehicles transmit a park signal to the next closest parked vehicles within range of the closest parked vehicles.

12. The cooperative parking system of claim 1 wherein the park signal is transmitted from a parking vehicle to a plurality of parked vehicles within a range of a parking space in which the parking vehicle desires to park, indicating that the plurality of parked vehicles within the range should move to accommodate parking of the parking vehicle.

2. A cooperative parking system in a parked vehicle, comprising:

a receiver to receive a park signal;

a position sensor connected to the receiver;

a motor capable of moving the parked vehicle without a driver to a position determined by the position sensor in response to the park signal.

13. A method of cooperative parking, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a park signal;

at least one parked vehicle receiving the park signal;

activating a position sensor in the at least one parked vehicle;

activating a motor in the at least one parked vehicle;

the motor in the at least one parked vehicle moving its respective parked vehicle away from a source of the transmitted signal until the position sensor indicates there is no further room.

14. The method of cooperative parking of claim 13, further comprising:

parking a parking vehicle in proximity to the at least one parked vehicle.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting a second park signal;

the motor in the at least one parked vehicle moving its respective vehicle closer to the source of the transmitted signal until the position sensors of the at least one parked vehicle indicates there is sufficient space;

turning off the motor in the at least one parked vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting a third park signal;

the motor in the at least one parked vehicle moving its respective vehicle away from the source of the third park signal until the position sensor of the at least one parked vehicle indicates there is no more room.

17. A computer program product in a computer-readable medium, for encoding a processing device within a vehicle to enable cooperative parking, comprising:

instructions to receive a parking signal emitted from a transmitter;

instructions to activate a position sensor in response to the parking signal;

instructions to disengage a parking brake on the vehicle, if engaged;

instructions to disengage a transmission on the vehicle, if engaged;

instructions to move the vehicle away from a source of the parking signal until the position sensor indicates there is no more room;

instructions to wait;

instructions to move the vehicle toward the source of the parking signal until the position sensor indicates to stop movement;

instructions to engage a parking brake, if any;

instructions to engage the transmission into a parked gear.

18. The computer program product in a computer-readable medium, for encoding a processing device within a vehicle to enable cooperative parking of claim 17, wherein the instructions to wait further comprises waiting a timed delay.

19. The computer program product in a computer-readable medium, for encoding a processing device within a vehicle to enable cooperative parking of claim 17, wherein the instructions to wait further comprises waiting to receive a parked signal from the source of the parking signal.

20. The computer program product in a computer-readable medium, for encoding a processing device within a vehicle to enable cooperative parking of claim 17, further comprising:

instructions to receive a parking signal emitted from a transmitter;

instructions to activate a position sensor in response to the parking signal;

instructions to disengage a parking brake on the vehicle, if engaged;

instructions to disengage a transmission on the vehicle, if engaged;

instructions to move the vehicle from its original position away from a source of the parking signal until the position sensor indicates there is no more room;

instructions to wait;

instructions to return the vehicle to its original position;

instructions to engage a parking brake, if any; and

instruction to engage the transmission into a parked gear.

21. A method for providing a parking service, comprising:

responding to a request to park a vehicle into a parking space;

transmitting a park signal to at least one parked vehicle closest to the parking space;

activating a position sensor;

communicating to the at least one parked vehicle to move away from the parking space in response to the park signal until the position sensor indicates there is sufficient room to park the vehicle in the parking space.

22. The method for providing a parking service of claim 21, further comprising:

communicating to the at least one parked vehicle to idle while the vehicle is parked in the parking space; and

communicating to the at least one parked vehicle to move towards the parking space until the position sensor indicates there is adequate room between the at least one parked vehicle and the vehicle in the parking space.