Parking support systems, parking support methods, and parking support programs

• US 20090088959A1
• Filed: 09/10/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ooshita, Yuuichi, Mori, Toshihiro, Kubota, Tomoki
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/118
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

Parking support systems, methods, and programs store road information and obtain information regarding a vacant space on a road. The systems, methods, and programs calculate parking availability in a predetermined area specified by the stored road information based on the obtained information; and provide notification of the calculated parking availability.

Claims

1. A parking support system for a vehicle, comprising:

a memory that stores road information; and

a controller that is specifically configured to;

obtain information regarding a vacant space on a road;

calculate parking availability in a predetermined area specified by the stored road information based on the obtained information; and

provide notification of the calculated parking availability.

2. The parking support system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is specifically configured to:

specify a length of the predetermined section based on the stored road information;

specify a length of each vacant space in the predetermined section based on the obtained information; and

calculate the parking availability based on the specified length of the predetermined section and the specified length of each vacant space.

3. The parking support system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a position detector that detects the vehicle position;

wherein the controller is specifically configured to display on a display unit the notification of the calculated parking availability within a predetermined range of the vehicle position based on the detected vehicle position.

4. The parking support system according to claim 3, wherein the controller is specifically configured to:

obtain traffic volume in the predetermined section; and

correct the calculated parking availability based on the obtained traffic volume.

5. The parking support system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position detector that detects the vehicle position;

wherein the controller is specifically configured to display on a display unit the notification of the calculated parking availability within a predetermined range of the vehicle position based on the detected vehicle position.

6. The parking support system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is specifically configured to:

obtain traffic volume in the predetermined section; and

correct the calculated parking availability based on the obtained traffic volume.

7. A probe information management server comprising the parking support system according to claim 1.

8. A navigation apparatus comprising the parking support system according to claim 1.

9. A parking support method for a vehicle, comprising:

storing road information;

obtaining information regarding a vacant space on a road;

calculating parking availability in a predetermined area specified by the stored road information based on the obtained information; and

providing notification of the calculated parking availability.

10. The parking support method according to claim 9, further comprising:

specifying a length of the predetermined section based on the stored road information;

specifying a length of each vacant space in the predetermined section based on the obtained information; and

calculating the parking availability based on the specified length of the predetermined section and the specified length of each vacant space.

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

detecting the vehicle position; and

displaying on a display unit the notification of the calculated parking availability within a predetermined range of the vehicle position based on the detected vehicle position.

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

obtaining traffic volume in the predetermined section; and

correcting the calculated parking availability based on the obtained traffic volume.

13. The parking support method according to claim 9, further comprising:

detecting the vehicle position;

displaying on a display unit the notification of the calculated parking availability within a predetermined range of the vehicle position based on the detected vehicle position.

14. The parking support method according to claim 9, further comprising:

obtaining traffic volume in the predetermined section; and

correcting the calculated parking availability based on the obtained traffic volume.

15. The parking support method according to claim 9, wherein at least a part of the method is implemented by a probe information management server.

16. The parking support method according to claim 9, wherein at least a part of the method is implemented by a navigation apparatus.

17. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program usable to support parking, the program comprising:

instructions for storing road information;

instructions for obtaining information regarding a vacant space on a road;

instructions for calculating parking availability in a predetermined area specified by the stored road information based on the obtained information; and

instructions for providing notification the calculated parking availability.