SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ASSISTING A VEHICLE OPERATOR TO PARALLEL PARK A VEHICLE
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for assisting a vehicle operator to parallel park a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:
- determining parallel parking space requirements based on a travel path defined by a vehicle length, a vehicle width, a minimum turning radius, and a minimum arc radius of a front corner of the vehicle;
providing a single proximity sensor configured to output a clearance signal indicative of a clearance distance beside the vehicle; and
providing a controller configured perform the steps ofstoring the parallel parking space requirements;
receiving the clearance signal from the single proximity sensor;
detecting a parallel parking space suitable for parallel parking the vehicle based on the clearance signal;
indicating when to start a first backing maneuver;
indicating when to start a second backing maneuver; and
indicating when to end the second backing maneuver.
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Abstract
A method and a system for assisting a vehicle operator to parallel park a vehicle. The method and system use only a single proximity sensor to detect a suitable parallel parking space and monitor the position of the vehicle when backing into the parallel parking space. Assistance to parallel park the vehicle may be as little as providing indications or warning to a vehicle operator while the vehicle operator backs the vehicle into the parallel parking space, or may be as much as taking complete control of the vehicle away from the vehicle operator, and autonomously parallel parking the vehicle.
113 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for assisting a vehicle operator to parallel park a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:
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determining parallel parking space requirements based on a travel path defined by a vehicle length, a vehicle width, a minimum turning radius, and a minimum arc radius of a front corner of the vehicle; providing a single proximity sensor configured to output a clearance signal indicative of a clearance distance beside the vehicle; and providing a controller configured perform the steps of storing the parallel parking space requirements; receiving the clearance signal from the single proximity sensor; detecting a parallel parking space suitable for parallel parking the vehicle based on the clearance signal; indicating when to start a first backing maneuver; indicating when to start a second backing maneuver; and indicating when to end the second backing maneuver. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A vehicle parallel parking system for assisting a vehicle operator to parallel park a vehicle, said system comprising:
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a single proximity sensor configured to output a clearance signal indicative of a clearance distance beside the vehicle; and a controller configured to store parallel parking space requirements based on a vehicle length, a vehicle width, a minimum turning radius, and a minimum arc radius of a front corner of the vehicle; receive the clearance signal from the single proximity sensor; detect a parallel parking space suitable for parallel parking the vehicle based on the clearance signal; indicate when to start a first backing maneuver; indicate when to start a second backing maneuver; and indicate when to end the second backing maneuver. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A controller for a vehicle parallel parking system that assists a vehicle operator to parallel park a vehicle, said controller comprising:
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a memory device to store parallel parking space requirements based on a vehicle length, a vehicle width, a minimum turning radius, and a minimum arc radius of a front corner of the vehicle; an input configured to receive the clearance signal from the single proximity sensor configured to output a clearance signal indicative of a clearance distance beside the vehicle; and a processor configured to detect a parallel parking space suitable for parallel parking the vehicle based on the clearance signal, indicate when to start a first backing maneuver, indicate when to start a second backing maneuver, and indicate when to end the second backing maneuver.
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Specification