PARKING ASSISTANCE DEVICE AND PARKING ASSISTANCE METHOD

• US 20150078624A1
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukuda, Hisaya
• Granted Patent: US 9,547,796 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/104
• 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 1/27 providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/586 of parking space
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09626 where the origin of the information is within the own vehicle, e.g. a local storage device, digital map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

A vehicle-in-question position detection unit (41) detects the position of the vehicle in question on the basis of GPS data acquired from a GPS receiver (3). An aerial photograph recording unit (43) records aerial photographs corresponding to the position of the vehicle in question. A peripheral object detection unit (42) produces a distance map on the basis of distance measurement data indicating the distance between a peripheral object and the vehicle in question obtained by a distance measurement sensor (2) mounted in the vehicle in question scanning the periphery. A peripheral map generation unit (44) updates past aerial photographs obtained from the aerial photograph recording unit (43) on the basis of the distance map, producing the latest peripheral map. The display device (5) displays the latest peripheral map at a screen.

Claims

1. A parking assistance apparatus for providing parking assistance for a self-vehicle using image information displayed inside the self-vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a self-vehicle position detecting section that detects a position of the self-vehicle;

an aerial photograph storing section that stores therein an aerial photograph corresponding to the position of the self-vehicle detected by the self-vehicle position detecting section;

a peripheral object detecting section that creates a distance map on a basis of distance measurement data acquired by scanning a periphery of the self-vehicle using a distance measurement sensor mounted on the self-vehicle, the distance measurement data indicating a distance between the self-vehicle and a peripheral object;

a peripheral map generating section that updates the aerial photograph acquired from the aerial photograph storing section, on a basis of the distance map created by the peripheral object detecting section, and that generates a latest peripheral map; and

a display section that displays, on a screen, the peripheral map generated by the peripheral map generating section.

3. The parking assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the distance measurement sensor detects a moving object, the peripheral object detecting section creates the distance map on a basis of the distance measurement data and detection information of the moving object.

4. The parking assistance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a camera that takes an image of a peripheral area of the self-vehicle, wherein the peripheral map generating section updates the aerial photograph acquired from the aerial photograph storing section with reference to a photograph image taken by the camera, and generates the latest peripheral map.

5. The parking assistance apparatus according to claim 4, wherein,

when no parked vehicle exists in a zone surrounded by a parking line on a basis of the photograph image taken by the camera, the peripheral map generating section superimposes an image representing an empty space onto an inside of the zone surrounded by the parking line of the empty space, and

when a parked vehicle exists in the zone surrounded by the parking line on a basis of the photograph image taken by the camera, the peripheral map generating section superimposes an image representing the existence of the parked vehicle onto an inside of a profile of the parked vehicle.

6. The parking assistance apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image representing the empty space is one of an image including a texture of a color substantially identical to that of a road surface in a periphery of the parking line, and an image including character information representing that the space is an empty space.

7. The parking assistance apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image representing the existence of the parked vehicle is one of an image including a profile of the parked vehicle, and an image obtained by filling the image including the profile with a color substantially identical to that of the parked vehicle.

8. The parking assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral map generating section interpolates a pseudo-image formed by folding back an image along a central line in a width direction or a length direction of a parked vehicle, as a region that is not sensed as a result of scanning of the parked vehicle by the distance measurement sensor.

9. The parking assistance apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, when the self-vehicle is entering the empty space, the peripheral map generating section displays a profile of an outer edge of the self-vehicle during movement of the self-vehicle.

2. A parking assistance apparatus for providing parking assistance for a self-vehicle using image information displayed inside the self-vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a self-vehicle position detecting section that detects a position of the self-vehicle on a basis of GPS data acquired from a GPS;

an aerial photograph acquiring section that acquires an aerial photograph corresponding to the position of the self-vehicle detected by the self-vehicle position detecting section, from an outside via a communication section;

a peripheral object detecting section that creates a distance map on a basis of distance measurement data acquired by scanning a periphery of the self-vehicle using a distance measurement sensor mounted on the self-vehicle, the distance measurement data indicating a distance between the self-vehicle and a peripheral object;

a peripheral map generating section that, on a basis of the distance map created by the peripheral object detecting section, updates the aerial photograph acquired from the aerial photograph acquiring section, and that generates a latest peripheral map; and

a display section that displays, on a screen, the latest peripheral map generated by the peripheral map generating section.

10. A parking assistance apparatus for providing parking assistance for a self-vehicle, the apparatus comprising a display section that superimposes an image in accordance with existence or non-existence of another vehicle in a periphery of the self-vehicle onto an aerial photograph corresponding to a position of the self-vehicle, and that displays the superimposed image.

11. A parking assistance method for providing parking assistance for a self-vehicle using image information displayed inside the self-vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting a position of the self-vehicle;

storing an aerial photograph corresponding to the position of the self-vehicle;

creating a distance map on a basis of distance measurement data acquired by scanning a periphery of the self-vehicle using a distance measurement sensor mounted on the self-vehicle, the distance measurement data indicating a distance between the self-vehicle and a peripheral object;

updating the aerial photograph on a basis of the distance map, and generating a peripheral map; and

displaying the peripheral map on a display apparatus.

13. The parking assistance method according to claim 11, wherein the creating the distance map includes creating, when the distance measurement sensor detects a moving object, the distance map on a basis of the distance measurement data and detection information of the moving object.

12. A parking assistance method for providing parking assistance for a self-vehicle using image information displayed inside the self-vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting a position of the self-vehicle on a basis of GPS data acquired from a GPS;

acquiring an aerial photograph corresponding to the position of the self-vehicle, from an outside via a communication section;

creating a distance map on a basis of distance measurement data acquired by scanning a periphery of the self-vehicle using a distance measurement sensor mounted on the self-vehicle, the distance measurement data indicating a distance between the self-vehicle and a peripheral object;

updating the aerial photograph on a basis of the distance map, and generating a latest peripheral map; and

displaying the latest peripheral map on a display apparatus.