PARKING ASSISTANCE FOR A VEHICLE

• US 20150302750A1
• Filed: 04/17/2014
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: CHOI, BRIAN, OCHMANSKI, ANDREW, STEMPNIK, VERN RICHARD, SHAFFER, ARIC DAVID
• Granted Patent: US 9,384,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/141 with means giving the indication of available parking spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/143 inside the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/147 where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

Parking assistance for a vehicle includes various elements directed to assessing whether a motion or position of a vehicle is conducive to detecting an available parking slot. In one instance, a signal is received, and the signal is used to calculate a movement parameter. For example, the movement parameter might include a distance between the driven vehicle and one or more objects or a passing angle of the driven vehicle relative to the one or more objects. The movement parameter is then compared to a movement parameter threshold, and a notification is transmitted when the movement parameter is violated.

Claims

1. Computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, provide a method of assessing whether motion of a vehicle is conducive to detecting an available parking slot, the method comprising:

receiving one or more signals usable to calculate a distance of the vehicle from one or more objects;

determining whether the distance exceeds a first distance threshold; and

transmitting a notification when the first distance threshold is exceeded indicating that the distance threshold is exceeded.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the signal includes an ultrasonic signal.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein the first distance threshold is in a range of about one meter to about two meters.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein the notification triggers an alert, which suggests that the vehicle be driven closer to the one or more objects.

5. The media of claim 1 further comprising, starting a counter when a first object is detected at a first position using the one or more signals, and determining whether a second object is detected within a second threshold distance from the first position.

6. The media of claim 5, wherein the distance of the vehicle from the one or more objects is calculated when the second object is detected within the second threshold distance, and wherein the counter is reset to zero when the second object is not detected within the second threshold distance, such that calculating the distance of the vehicle from the one or more objects is conditioned on satisfaction of the second threshold.

7. The media of claim 5, wherein relative positions of the first object and the second object are used to calculate the distance.

8. The media of claim 7, wherein the distance includes an average of distances measured between the vehicle and the first object and the second object.

9. Computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, provide a method of assessing whether motion of a vehicle is conducive to detecting an available parking space, the method comprising:

obtaining a passing angle at which the vehicle is being driven relative to one or more objects;

determining whether the passing angle satisfies an angle threshold; and

transmitting a notification when the angle fails to meet the angle threshold indicating that the angle threshold is not met.

10. The media of claim 9, wherein the angle threshold at least about five degrees, and wherein the angle threshold is satisfied when the passing angle is less than the angle threshold.

11. The media of claim 9, wherein the notification triggers an alert, which suggests adjusting a path of the vehicle.

12. A parking-assistance device for detecting an available parking slot for a vehicle comprising:

a sensor that receives one or more signals;

a computing device configured to;

calculate a movement parameter that is based on the one or more signals and that describes a state of the vehicle respective to one or more objects,

compare the movement parameter to a movement-parameter threshold, and

transmit a notification when the movement parameter fails to satisfy the movement-parameter threshold; and

a presentation device that receives the notification and provides an alert suggesting that the state of the vehicle be changed.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the sensor includes an ultrasonic sensor.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the movement parameter includes a distance between the vehicle and the one or more objects.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the distance is an average of distances measured between the vehicle and the one or more objects.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the movement threshold is a distance threshold in a range of about 1 meter to about 2 meters, and wherein the distance fails to satisfy the distance threshold when the distance exceeds the distance threshold.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the alert suggests that the vehicle be driven closer to the one or more objects.

18. The device of claim 12, wherein the movement parameter includes an angle of a path along which the vehicle is moving relative to the one or more objects.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the movement-parameter threshold at least about five degrees, and wherein the angle fails to satisfy the movement-parameter threshold when the angle exceeds the movement-parameter threshold.

20. The device of claim 12 further comprising a counter that is started when a first object is detected at a first position using the one or more signals, wherein the computing device is configured to:

determine whether a second object is detected within a second threshold distance from the first position;

calculate the distance of the vehicle from the one or more objects when the second object is detected within the second threshold distance; and

p1 reset the counter to zero when the second object is not detected within the second threshold distance, such that calculating the distance of the vehicle from the one or more objects is conditioned on satisfaction of the second threshold.