VEHICLE, MOBILE TERMINAL AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20160284217A1
• Filed: 01/20/2016
• Published: 09/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jeongjun, Shin, Eunyoung, Ryu, Samin, Shin, Eunhei
• Granted Patent: US 10,431,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/30 for sway control , e.g. stabilising or anti-fishtail devices; Sway alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/176 Camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/566 Mobile devices displaying vehicle information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/573 Mobile devices controlling vehicle functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/143 inside the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/144 on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/146 where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space
• 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

Disclosed is a mobile terminal for assisting parking of a vehicle, the mobile terminal including a camera, a display unit, and a controller for finding parkable areas matching an overall width of the vehicle by detecting a distance between a plurality of objects in an image obtained by the camera, providing parkable area information corresponding to the parkable areas on the image through the display unit, and selecting one of the parkable areas.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a camera;

a display; and

a controller configured to;

find parkable areas based on an overall width of a vehicle and a distance between a plurality of objects in an image received via the camera;

cause the display to display parkable area information corresponding to the parkable areas on the image; and

select one of the parkable areas.

2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

enter a parking assist mode in response to detection of a graphic parking sign or a text parking sign in the image; and

determine a parking situation based on the detected graphic or text parking sign.

3. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the camera comprises a first camera configured to receive an inside image of the vehicle, and

wherein the controller is further configured to acquire passenger information based on the inside image.

4. The mobile terminal according to claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to display a selectable parking menu based on the passenger information, allowing a user to select one item from the parking menu.

5. The mobile terminal according to claim 4, wherein:

the controller is further configured to determine whether a passenger side door of the vehicle needs to be opened based on the passenger information; and

the parking menu comprises a menu item for enabling opening of the passenger side door after parking is completed when it is determined that the passenger side door needs to be opened.

6. The mobile terminal according to claim 4, wherein the parking menu comprises a menu item for enabling opening of a trunk after parking is completed.

7. The mobile terminal according to claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to display estimated parking time information on a partial region of the parking menu.

8. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to find the parkable areas based on vehicle information related to parking in response to a user input received via the display.

9. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of objects comprise a first parked vehicle and a second parked vehicle, and the controller is further configure to:

obtain a distance between the first parked vehicle and the second parked vehicle; and

find the parkable areas based on whether the detected distance between the first parked vehicle and the second parked vehicle is greater than the overall width of the vehicle by at least a threshold value.

10. The mobile terminal according to claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to display the parkable area information corresponding to each of the parkable areas using an indicator.

11. The mobile terminal according to claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to display distance information near the indicator, the distance information indicating a distance from the vehicle to the parkable area.

12. The mobile terminal according to claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to display the parkable area information using text when the indicator is not displayable on the image due to movement of the vehicle.

13. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

the controller is further configured to cause the display to display distance information using a vehicle image, the distance information including the distance between the plurality of objects; and

the vehicle image includes an opening degree of each door differently based on the distance information.

14. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to indicate a recommended parking area among the parkable areas.

15. The mobile terminal according to claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to display the recommended parking area based on user-preferred parking space information in response to the user-preferred parking space information received by user input.

16. The mobile terminal according to claim 14, further comprising a memory configured to store a parking route or a parking pattern, wherein the controller is further configured to provide the recommended parking area based on the parking route or the parking pattern.

17. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the display to display a predicted trajectory of wheels corresponding to a route for parking the vehicle in one area selected among the parkable areas.

18. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to provide space information for double parking when no parkable area is found.

19. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a wireless communication unit configured to communicate with an external server, another mobile terminal, or another vehicle, wherein the controller is further configured to:

cause the wireless communication unit to receive a 3-dimensional (3D) map of a parking lot from one of the external server, the other mobile terminal, or the other vehicle; and

cause the display to display the parkable area information and location information of the vehicle on the 3D map.

20. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a motion sensor configured to generate motion information by sensing motion of the mobile terminal, wherein the controller is further configured to:

generate a 3D map for a space corresponding to the image by matching the motion information to the image; and

cause the display to display the parkable area information and location information of the vehicle on the 3D map.