MOTOR VEHICLE HAVING A PARKING ASSISTANCE SYSTEM

• US 20100289670A1
• Filed: 05/05/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Bald, Heiko, Boehme, Aiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,493,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• 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: G01S 15/86 Combinations of sonar systems with lidar systems; Combinations of sonar systems with systems not using wave reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees

Abstract

A motor vehicle is equipped with a parking assistance system for monitoring a vehicle environment for the presence of obstructions, a horizontal longitudinal extension of a mobile vehicle part protruding beyond a vehicle body being able to be considered. In order to reliably avoid damage to the mobile vehicle part, a complete pivot area of the mobile vehicle part can be monitored for the presence of an obstruction. Furthermore, a corresponding method is disclosed.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a horizontal longitudinal extension of a mobile vehicle part protruding beyond a body of the motor vehicle and pivotable within a pivot area;

a parking assistance system comprising a sensor in a rear area of the motor vehicle, the parking assistance system adapted to monitor the pivot area and detect a presence of an obstruction within the pivot area; and

an output device adapted to generate a warning upon detection of the obstruction by the parking assistance system.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the parking assistance system further comprising an optical acquisition unit and an image processing system adapted to monitor a vehicle environment for the presence of the obstruction.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the optical acquisition unit is situated in the mobile vehicle part.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the mobile vehicle part is pivoted up, monitoring of the pivot area is executable for the pivoting in.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the mobile vehicle part is a rear hatch

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the mobile vehicle part is a door.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the mobile vehicle part is a convertible top \.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the mobile vehicle part has a pivot limiter.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a clearance can be predefined in a case of a self-parking parking assistance system.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a leveling system can be activated to achieve a sufficient clearance.

11. A method for monitoring a vehicle environment of a motor vehicle equipped with a parking assistance system for a presence of an obstruction, a horizontal longitudinal extension of a mobile vehicle part protruding beyond a body of the motor vehicle and pivotable within a pivot area, comprising the steps of:

monitoring the pivot area of the mobile vehicle part for the presence of the obstruction; and

generating a warning if during the monitoring the obstruction is detected within the pivot area.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the pivot area is monitored using an image acquisition system.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of monitoring of the pivot area when the mobile vehicle part is pivoted.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the mobile vehicle part is a rear hatch.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the mobile vehicle part is a door

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the mobile vehicle part is a convertible top.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of limiting a pivot of the mobile vehicle part.

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of predefining a required clearance in a case of a self-parking parking assistance system.

19. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of activating a leveling system to achieve a sufficient clearance.