METHOD TO IMPROVE PARKING SPACE IDENTIFICATION IN AUTONOMOUS DRIVING

• US 20160125736A1
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Shaik, Faizan Mohammed
• Granted Patent: US 9,508,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/146 where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space

Abstract

A method for parking an autonomous vehicle in a parking lot. The method comprises receiving primary data from a first source and receiving secondary data from a second source. The primary data may include information sufficient to identify a location for one or more of a plurality of parking spaces within the parking lot. The secondary data may include status identifier information for at least one of the plurality of parking spaces. The method includes using the primary data and the secondary data to identify at least one vacant parking space in the plurality of parking spaces, and occupying the at least one vacant parking space.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a vacant parking space in a parking lot, the method comprising:

receiving map data sufficient to identify a location of a plurality of parking spaces within the parking lot;

receiving occupancy status information for at least one of the plurality of parking spaces;

identifying a vacant parking space; and

creating a trajectory for a vehicle directed to the vacant parking space.

2. A method for parking an autonomous vehicle in a parking lot, the method comprising:

receiving primary data from a first source, the primary data including information sufficient to identify a location for a plurality of parking spaces within the parking lot;

receiving secondary data from a second source, the secondary data including status identifier information for at least one of the plurality of parking spaces;

using the primary data and the secondary data to identify at least one vacant parking space in the plurality of parking spaces; and

occupying the at least one vacant parking space.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of occupying the vacant parking space comprises:

electing a selected vacant parking space from a plurality of vacant parking spaces identified using the primary data and the secondary data;

creating a trajectory to the selected vacant parking space; and

parking the autonomous vehicle in the selected vacant parking space.

4. The method according to claim 3, comprising:

electing the selected vacant parking space based on a proximity of one or more of the plurality of vacant parking spaces to an existing planned path of the autonomous vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the status identifier information comprises at least one of an occupancy status and a priority status for the plurality of parking spaces.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the priority status comprises at least one of a handicap status, a reserved status, and a limited parking time status, and the step of using the primary data and the secondary data to identify at least one vacant parking space further comprises determining whether the autonomous vehicle is eligible for a parking space having the priority status.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein the primary data comprises geographical map information indicating one or more parking space location within the parking lot.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein the primary data further comprises destination or points of interest information proximate to the plurality of parking spaces, and the step of using the primary and secondary data to identify at least one vacant parking space comprises locating a vacant parking space in close proximity to a predetermined destination or point of interest.

9. The method according to claim 2, further comprising communicating with at least one other vehicle within the parking lot.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one other vehicle occupying one of the plurality of parking spaces.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one other vehicle is also searching for a vacant parking space.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

coordinating entitlement to a vacant parking space with the at least one other vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the entitlement is based on at least one of priority arrival information, the status identifier information of the parking space, and a status of an autonomous vehicle passenger.

14. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

using one or more sensors to communicate with vehicles occupying a parking space or moving vehicles within the parking lot; and

communicating with the second source to provide supplemental status identifier information for at least one of the plurality of parking spaces.

15. A method for coordinating parking between a plurality of autonomous vehicles in a parking lot, the method comprising:

determining a number and location of parking spaces within the parking lot;

receiving occupancy information for a plurality of the parking spaces; and

coordinating an entitlement for at least one vacant parking space based on at least one of priority arrival information, status identifier information of the at least one vacant parking space, and a status of an autonomous vehicle passenger.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a priority status for at least one of the plurality of the parking spaces.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the priority status comprises at least one of a handicap status, a reserved status, and a limited parking time status, and the step of coordinating the entitlement for at least one vacant parking space comprises determining whether one or more autonomous vehicle is eligible for a parking space having the priority status.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of coordinating the entitlement for at least one vacant parking space comprises:

determining a time each autonomous vehicle arrived in the parking lot, and

assigning each autonomous vehicle with a priority rank,

wherein the entitlement is based on a combination of the priority status of the parking space and the priority rank of the autonomous vehicle.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the autonomous vehicles communicate directly with one another.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the autonomous vehicles communicate with a remote server, and the step of coordinating the entitlement is performed on the remote server.