CROWD SOURCING PARKING MANAGEMENT USING VEHICLES AS MOBILE SENSORS

• US 20130057686A1
• Filed: 06/19/2012
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens Corp. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Corp. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Genc, Yakup, Zhu, Ying, Dejori, Mathus, Dierkes, Frank
• Application Number:
  US13/527,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20130057686A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/54 of traffic, e.g. cars on the road, trains or boats
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/143 inside the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/144 on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/147 where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring parking spots are disclosed. A system includes at least one vehicle and a remote computer that are in communication with each other. A vehicle includes a camera that generates image data, a location device that generates geographic coordinates of the vehicle, a computing device that receives the image data from the camera and the geographic coordinates of the vehicle and optionally data from a laser scanner that is calibrated with the camera and is connected to a smartphone that transmits data to the remote computer. Image data generated by the camera is processed with a reference image and data from the laser scanner to determine an occupation status of the parking spot. The occupation status is transmitted by the remote computer to a second vehicle.

Claims

1. A system to monitor a parking spot, comprising:

a remote computer to receive data related to the parking spot;

a first vehicle comprising;

a camera to generate image data of a parking spot;

a location device that generates geographic coordinates of the vehicle;

a computing device that receives the image data generated by the camera and the geographic coordinates of the vehicle and provides a time stamp and a compass heading of the camera; and

a communication device that transmits data related to the parking spot to the remote system; and

wherein

the remote computer is enabled to inform a second computing device of an occupation status of the parking spot based on a reference image characterized by the geographic coordinates of the first vehicle and the compass heading of the camera and the image data generated by the camera.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a laser scanner range finder on the first vehicle oriented to scan the parking spot and wherein the laser scanner is calibrated with the camera.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein a scan generated by the laser scanner range finder indicates that an area of an image generated by the camera contains pixels representing an object taller than 50 cm located at the parking spot.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein a scan generated by the laser scanner range finder indicates that an area of an image generated by the camera contains no pixels representing an object taller than 20 cm located at the parking spot.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein a scan generated by the laser scanner range finder is compared with a reference scan of the parking spot.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication device is a smartphone.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a public transportation vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a car.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the image data generated by the camera is registered to the reference image.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the second computing device is located on a second vehicle.

11. A method to monitor a parking spot, comprising:

a first vehicle sending data related to the parking spot by a communication device on the vehicle to a remote computer, the data being sent by the communication device is based on data collected by a first computing device located on the vehicle from a camera to generate image data of the parking spot and a location device that generates geographic coordinates of the vehicle, and

the remote computer sending data related to an occupation status of the parking spot based on the data received from the first vehicle to a second computing device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

a laser scanner range finder on the first vehicle generating a scan of the parking spot, wherein the laser scanner is calibrated with the camera.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the image data generated by the camera of the parking spot is processed with a reference image of the parking spot.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein a scan generated by the laser scanner range finder indicates that an area of an image generated by the camera contains pixels representing an object taller than 50 cm located at the parking spot.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein a scan generated by the laser scanner range finder indicates that an area of an image generated by the camera contains no pixels representing an object taller than 20 cm located at the parking spot.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the communication device is a smartphone.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle is a public transportation vehicle.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle is a car.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the image data generated by the camera is registered to a reference image.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the second computing device is located on a second vehicle.