PARKING ASSISTANCE SYSTEM

• US 20150329110A1
• Filed: 05/14/2015
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: STEFAN, Frederic
• Granted Patent: US 9,505,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/12 responsive to conditions relating to doors or doors locks, e.g. open door
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/002 for parking purposes, e.g. for warning the driver that his vehicle has contacted or is about to contact an obstacle warning arrangements in garages E04H6/42
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/186 Status of parking brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically

Abstract

A parking assistance system for supporting a parking maneuver of a motor vehicle, during which the motor vehicle is automatically moved into a parked position. The parking assistance system has an unloading mode that can be activated by a user to enable the unloading of an object and/or to enable the disembarkation of a passenger before completion of the parking maneuver, wherein a temporary stop of the motor vehicle in an unloading position is automatically caused before reaching the parked position in response to the activation of said unloading mode.

Claims

1. A method of operating a parking assistance system to park a vehicle in a parked position, comprising:

accepting a user selection of an unloading region of the vehicle and a user activation of an unloading mode;

moving the vehicle to and stopping the vehicle in an unloading position before reaching the parked position, the unloading position determined by the system to facilitate access to the unloading region of the vehicle; and

upon a second user activation, automatically resuming movement to the parked position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the parking assistance system determines the unloading position based on a distance to be left between the vehicle and an adjacent edge of a parking space.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the distance is selectable by a user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising an automatic check of a state of a vehicle system prior to resuming movement to the parked position.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the vehicle system comprises a vehicle door and/or a gearshift selector.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising providing an indication to a user if the state of the vehicle system is not appropriate for resuming movement to the parked position.

7. A method of operating a parking assistance system of a vehicle, comprising:

in response to a first activation, starting an automatic parking maneuver moving the vehicle to a parked position;

in response to a second activation, stopping the vehicle in an unloading position before reaching the parked position; and

in response to a third activation, resuming the automatic parking maneuver.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the parking assistance system determines the unloading position based on an unloading region of the vehicle selectable by a user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the unloading region is selectable by the user before the automatic parking maneuver is started.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the parking assistance system determines the unloading position based on a distance to be left between the vehicle and an adjacent edge of a parking space.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the distance is selectable by a user.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the second activation occurs after the start of the automatic parking maneuver and causes the vehicle to stop in the unloading position.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising an automatic check of a state of a vehicle system prior to resuming the parking maneuver.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the vehicle system comprises a vehicle door and/or a gearshift selector.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing an indication to a user if the state of the vehicle system is not appropriate for resuming the parking maneuver.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein while the vehicle is in the unloading position, the parking assistance system remains in a condition wherein the automatic parking maneuver is not aborted by at least one of exceeding a time in the unloading position, operation of a parking brake, and operation of a gearshift selector.

17. A method of operating a parking assistance system to park a vehicle in a parked position, comprising:

moving the vehicle to and stopping the vehicle in an unloading position prior to reaching the parked position, the unloading position determined by the system to provide improved access, as compared with the parked position, to an unloading region of the vehicle; and

after a user activation, completing movement to the parked position.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the unloading region is selectable by the user.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the parking assistance system determines the unloading position based on a distance to be left between the unloading region and an adjacent edge of a parking space.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the distance is selectable by a user.