PARKING ASSISTANCE APPARATUS AND PARKING ASSISTANCE METHOD FOR VEHICLE

• US 20150179075A1
• Filed: 10/16/2014
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Seong Soo
• Granted Patent: US 9,361,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

Disclosed are a parking assistance apparatus and a parking assistance method for a vehicle. The parking assistance apparatus for a vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include: a parking line detecting unit which detects a left parking line and a right parking line of a parking space based on an image; an obstacle sensing unit which detects an obstacle existing within a predetermined distance based on a sensor; and a route creating unit which combines information about positions of the left parking line, the right parking line, and the obstacle, and creates a parking route.

Claims

1. A parking assistance apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a parking line detecting unit which detects a left parking line and a right parking line of a parking space based on an image;

an obstacle sensing unit which detects an obstacle existing within a predetermined distance based on a sensor; and

a route creating unit which combines information about positions of the left parking line, the right parking line, and the obstacle, and creates a parking route.

2. The parking assistance apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

an automatic parking assistance unit which controls automatic parking of a vehicle in accordance with the parking route.

3. The parking assistance apparatus of claim 1, wherein the parking line detecting unit includes:

an image acquiring module which acquires images photographed by a plurality of cameras;

an image compositing module which composites the acquired images and creates a composite image in the form of an around view; and

a parking line detecting module which extracts the left parking line and the right parking line by image processing the composite image.

4. The parking assistance apparatus of claim 1, wherein the route creating unit creates a parking guide line in a region which is positioned between the left parking line and the right parking line and spaced apart from the obstacle at a predetermined first distance or more.

5. The parking assistance apparatus of claim 4, wherein the route creating unit creates the parking route based on the current position of the vehicle and a position of the parking guide line.

6. The parking assistance apparatus of claim 4, wherein the route creating unit sets a first virtual line, which is positioned at the same distance from the left parking line and the right parking line, as the parking guide line, when the obstacle is not detected by the obstacle sensing unit.

7. The parking assistance apparatus of claim 4, wherein when a first obstacle, which exists in any one region of a region within a predetermined second distance in a left direction from the left parking line and a region within the second distance in a right direction from the right parking line, is detected by the obstacle sensing unit, the route creating unit sets a virtual line, which is further spaced apart from the obstacle between a first virtual line, which is positioned at the same distance from the left parking line and the right parking line, and a second virtual line, which is spaced apart from the obstacle at a predetermined first distance, as the parking guide line.

8. The parking assistance apparatus of claim 4, wherein when a second obstacle existing in a region within a predetermined second distance in a left direction from the left parking line, and a third obstacle existing in a region within the second distance in a right direction from the right parking line is detected are detected by the obstacle sensing unit, the route creating unit sets a third virtual line, which is positioned at the same distance from the second obstacle and the third obstacle, as the parking guide line.

9. The parking assistance apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an obstacle map creating unit which creates an obstacle map using information about positions of the left parking line, the right parking line, and the obstacle.

10. The parking assistance apparatus of claim 9, wherein the obstacle map creating unit stores information about the positions of the left parking line and the right parking line, which are initially detected, in the obstacle map.

11. The parking assistance apparatus of claim 10, wherein the obstacle map creating unit estimates the current position of the vehicle using odometry, stores information about the left parking line and the right parking line, which are currently detected, in the obstacle map based on the current position of the vehicle, and calibrates the left parking line and the right parking line, which are currently detected, based on the information about the left parking line and the right parking line which are initially detected.

12. A method of operating a parking assistance apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

detecting a left parking line and a right parking line of a parking space, and an obstacle; and

creating a parking route by combining information about positions of the left parking line, the right parking line, and the obstacle,

wherein the left parking line and the right parking line are detected based on an image, and

the obstacle is detected based on a sensor.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

controlling automatic parking of a vehicle in accordance with the parking route.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the detecting of the left parking line, the right parking line, and the obstacle includes:

acquiring images photographed by a plurality of cameras;

compositing the acquired images and creating a composite image in the form of an around view; and

extracting the left parking line and the right parking line by image processing the composite image.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the creating of the parking route creates a parking guide line in a region which is positioned between the left parking line and the right parking line and spaced apart from the obstacle at a predetermined first distance or more.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the creating of the parking route creates the parking route based on the current position of the vehicle and the position of the parking guide line.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the creating of the parking route sets a first virtual line, which is positioned at the same distance from the left parking line and the right parking line, as the parking guide line, when no obstacle is detected in the detecting of the left parking line, the right parking line, and the obstacle.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein when a first obstacle, which exists in any one region of a region within a predetermined second distance in a left direction from the left parking line and a region within the second distance in a right direction from the right parking line, is detected in the detecting of the left parking line, the right parking line, and the obstacle, the creating of the parking route sets a virtual line, which is further spaced apart from the obstacle between a first virtual line, which is positioned at the same distance from the left parking line and the right parking line, and a second virtual line, which is spaced apart from the obstacle at a predetermined first distance, as the parking guide line.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein when a second obstacle existing in a region within a predetermined second distance in a left direction from the left parking line, and a third obstacle existing in a region within the second distance in a right direction from the right parking line is detected are detected in the detecting of the left parking line, the right parking line, and the obstacle, the creating of the parking route sets a third virtual line, which is positioned at the same distance from the second obstacle and the third obstacle, as the parking guide line.