Parking support method and parking support apparatus

• US 20080122654A1
• Filed: 11/14/2007
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakakibara, Seiji
• Granted Patent: US 7,812,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0275 by overlaying a vehicle path based on present steering angle over an image without processing that image
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

Parking support systems and methods for use with a vehicle obtain image data from an imaging device provided on the vehicle. The systems and methods output an image on a display on the basis of the image data, generate a predicted course line on the basis of a steering angle of the vehicle on the image, and generate a vehicle width guide line indicating a vehicle width on the image. The systems and methods determine whether the vehicle is in an enter-starting state in which the vehicle is about to enter a parking target area and, when it is determined that the vehicle is in the enter-starting state, extend the vehicle width guide line in a rearward direction of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A parking support apparatus for use with a vehicle, comprising:

a controller that;

obtains image data from an imaging device provided on the vehicle;

outputs an image on a display on the basis of the image data;

generates a predicted course line on the basis of a steering angle of the vehicle on the image;

generates a vehicle width guide line indicating a vehicle width on the image;

determines whether the vehicle is in an enter-starting state in which the vehicle is about to enter a parking target area; and

when it is determined that the vehicle is in the enter-starting state, extends the vehicle width guide line in a rearward direction of the vehicle.

2. The parking support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

determines that the vehicle is in the enter-starting state when a cumulative distance from an initial position where the vehicle starts to move forward or backward is determined to be equal to or greater than a predetermined distance.

3. The parking support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

deletes the predicted course line when it is determined that the vehicle is in the enter-starting state.

4. The parking support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the controller calculates a course of the vehicle based on the steering angle; and

the predicted course line comprises at least one position indicator line rendered perpendicular to the calculated course of the vehicle.

5. The parking support apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the predicted course line comprises a plurality of position indicator lines rendered at a predetermined interval starting from an initial position where the vehicle starts to move forward or backward.

6. The parking support apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the controller:

for each of the plurality of position indicator lines, deletes the position indicator line from the display as the vehicle'"'"'s position reaches the position indicator line.

7. The parking support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

regenerates the predicted course line each time the vehicle'"'"'s steering angle changes.

8. The parking support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

obtains image data of a parking area;

performs image recognition on the image data of the parking area to calculate a location of the parking area; and

determines that the vehicle is in the enter-starting state when the vehicle'"'"'s position is within a predetermined distance of the parking area.

9. The parking support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein prior to extension of the vehicle guide line, the vehicle guide line terminates at the vehicle'"'"'s rear axle.

10. A parking support method for outputting an image on a display on the basis of image data obtained from an imaging device provided on a vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining the image data from the imaging device;

outputting an image on the display on the basis of the image data;

generating a predicted course line on the basis of a steering angle of the vehicle on the image;

generating a vehicle width guide line indicating a vehicle width on the image;

determining whether the vehicle is in an enter-starting state in which the vehicle is about to enter a parking target area; and

when it is determined that the vehicle is in the enter-starting state, extending the vehicle width guide line in a rearward direction of the vehicle.

11. The parking support method according to claim 10, further comprising:

determining that the vehicle is in the enter-starting state when a cumulative distance from an initial position where the vehicle starts to move forward or backward is determined to be equal to or greater than a predetermined distance.

12. The parking support method according to claim 10, further comprising:

deleting the predicted course line when it is determined that the vehicle is in the enter-starting state.

13. The parking support method according to claim 10, further comprising:

calculating a course of the vehicle based on the steering angle;

wherein the predicted course line comprises at least one position indicator line rendered perpendicular to the calculated course of the vehicle.

14. The parking support method according to claim 13, wherein the predicted course line comprises a plurality of position indicator lines rendered at a predetermined interval starting from an initial position where the vehicle starts to move forward or backward.

15. The parking support method according to claim 14, further comprising:

for each of the plurality of position indicator lines, deleting the position indicator line from the display as the vehicle'"'"'s position reaches the position indicator line.

16. The parking support method according to claim 10, further comprising:

regenerating the predicted course line each time the vehicle'"'"'s steering angle changes.

17. The parking support method according to claim 10, further comprising:

obtaining image data of a parking area;

performing image recognition on the image data of the parking area to calculate a location of the parking area; and

determining that the vehicle is in the enter-starting state when the vehicle'"'"'s position is within a predetermined distance of the parking area.

18. The parking support method according to claim 10, wherein prior to extension of the vehicle guide line, the vehicle guide line terminates at the vehicle'"'"'s rear axle.

19. A parking support apparatus for use with a vehicle, comprising:

means for obtaining image data from an imaging device provided on the vehicle;

means for outputting an image on a display means on the basis of the image data;

means for generating a predicted course line on the basis of a steering angle of the vehicle on the image;

means for generating a vehicle width guide line indicating a vehicle width on the image;

means for determining whether the vehicle is in an enter-starting state in which the vehicle is about to enter a parking target area; and

means for extending the vehicle width guide line in a rearward direction of the vehicle when it is determined that the vehicle is in the enter-starting state.