USING LIGHTING AND OTHER STREETSIDE DEVICES TO INDICATE PARKING SPACE AVAILABILITY AND NAVIGATION INFORMATION

• US 20140320318A1
• Filed: 04/25/2014
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron Networked Solutions, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Silver Spring Networks, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Inventors: Victor, Dalton Theebaraj, Howarth, James Alexander, Flammer, George
• Granted Patent: US 10,096,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/84 Mapping; Conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/142 external to the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/146 where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/147 where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre

Abstract

A method for directing a vehicle to a parking space within an environment is disclosed. The method includes selecting a parking space from a collection of parking spaces within the environment, further selecting one or more lighting devices within the environment based at least on a location of the selected parking space, and sending a signal to the one or more lighting devices to generate a lighting pattern visible to a driver of the vehicle, where the lighting pattern directs the driver to navigate the vehicle toward the parking space. In addition, the vehicle may be navigated using radio navigation algorithms based on beacon signals broadcasted from streetside devices, such as lighting devices or parking meters.

Claims

1. A method for directing a vehicle to a parking space within an environment, comprising:

selecting, from a plurality of parking spaces within the environment, a parking space based on a pre-determined algorithm;

further selecting, from a plurality of lighting devices within the environment, one or more lighting devices based at least on a location of the parking space; and

sending a signal to the one or more lighting devices to generate a lighting pattern visible to a driver of the vehicle, wherein the lighting pattern directs the driver to navigate the vehicle toward the parking space.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a parking reservation associated with a destination of the vehicle,

wherein the parking space is selected based at least on proximity of the parking space to the destination.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the parking space being vacated within a densely parked portion of the environment,

wherein the parking space is selected based at least on detecting the parking space being vacated.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the parking space being vacated within a pre-determined time period prior to the vehicle entering the environment,

wherein the parking space is selected based at least on detecting the parking space being vacated.

5. A method for directing a vehicle to a destination within an environment, comprising:

broadcasting, from at least one streetside device of a plurality of streetside devices within the environment, a beacon signal identifying a location of the at least one streetside device, wherein the plurality of streetside devices comprises a lighting device and a parking meter;

determining, by a positioning device onboard the vehicle and using a triangulation algorithm, a current location of the vehicle based at least on the beacon signal; and

generating a direction to the destination based at least on the current location of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

selecting, from a plurality of parking spaces within the environment and by a parking space selector separate from the vehicle, a parking space based on the destination of the vehicle,

wherein the direction directs the vehicle to the parking space.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, by the parking space selector, a parking reservation associated with the destination of the vehicle,

wherein the parking space is selected further based on proximity of the parking space to the destination.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

detecting, by the parking space selector, the parking space being vacated within a densely parked portion of the environment,

wherein the parking space is selected further based on detecting the parking space being vacated.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

detecting, by the parking space selector, the parking space being vacated within a pre-determined time period prior to the vehicle entering the environment,

wherein the parking space is selected further based on detecting the parking space being vacated.

10. The method of claim 5,

wherein the vehicle comprises a driverless vehicle.

11. A system for directing a vehicle to a parking space within an environment, comprising:

a parking space selector executing on a computer system configured to select, from a plurality of parking spaces within the environment, a parking space based on a pre-determined algorithm; and

a lighting server communicatively coupled to the parking space selector and configured to;

select, from a plurality of lighting devices within the environment, one or more lighting devices based at least on a location of the parking space; and

send a signal to the one or more lighting devices to generate an lighting pattern visible to a driver of the vehicle, wherein the lighting pattern directs the driver to navigate the vehicle toward the parking space.

12. The system of claim 11, the parking space selector further configured to:

receive a parking reservation associated with a destination of the vehicle, wherein the parking space is selected based at least on proximity of the parking space to the destination.

13. The system of claim 11, the parking space selector further configured to:

detect the parking space being vacated within a densely parked portion of the environment,

wherein the parking space is selected based at least on the detecting.

14. The system of claim 11, the parking space selector further configured to:

detect the parking space being vacated within a pre-determined time period prior to the vehicle entering the environment,

wherein the parking space is selected based at least on the detecting.

15. A system for directing a vehicle to a destination within an environment, comprising:

a plurality of streetside devices within the environment, wherein at least one streetside device of the plurality of streetside devices is configured to broadcast a wireless beacon signal identifying a location of the at least one streetside device, wherein the plurality of streetside devices comprises a lighting device and a parking meter; and

a positioning device onboard the vehicle and configured to;

receive the wireless beacon signal within a broadcast range of the wireless beacon signal;

determine, using a multilateration algorithm, a current location of the vehicle based at least on the beacon signal; and

generate a direction to the destination based at least on the current location of the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a parking space selector separate from the vehicle and configured to select, from a plurality of parking spaces within the environment, a parking space based on the destination of the vehicle,

wherein the direction directs the vehicle to the parking space.

17. The system of claim 16, the parking space selector further configured to:

receive a parking reservation associated with the destination of the vehicle,

wherein the parking space is selected further based on proximity of the parking space to the destination.

18. The system of claim 16, the parking space selector further configured to:

detect the parking space being vacated within a densely parked portion of the environment,

wherein the parking space is selected further based on detecting the parking space being vacated.

19. The system of claim 16, the parking space selector further configured to:

detect the parking space being vacated within a pre-determined time period prior to the vehicle entering the environment,

wherein the parking space is selected further based on detecting the parking space being vacated.

20. The system of claim 15,

wherein the vehicle comprises a driverless vehicle.