SENSOR APPARATUS, METHOD FOR ASCERTAINING A PARKING POSITION, AND METHOD FOR CREATING A DIGITAL PARKING AREA MAP

• US 20170236417A1
• Filed: 02/03/2017
• Published: 08/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Carrara, Manuel
• Application Number:
  US15/424,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20170236417A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/141 with means giving the indication of available parking spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/147 where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre

Abstract

A sensor apparatus for a parking space for motor vehicles. The sensor apparatus includes a parking occupancy sensor for detecting an occupancy state of a parking space for motor vehicles, and at least one sensor for measuring an environmental property of the parking space. A method for creating a digital parking area map and a method for ascertaining a parking position for a motor vehicle, as also described. An apparatus and a computer program are also described.

Claims

1. A sensor apparatus for a parking space for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a parking occupancy sensor to detect an occupancy state of a parking space for a motor vehicle; and

at least one sensor to measure an environmental property of the parking space.

2. The sensor apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor to measuring the environmental property being an element selected from the following group of sensors:

a temperature sensor, a moisture sensor, a pressure sensor, a brightness sensor, an acoustic sensor, a gas sensor, an ozone sensor, a fine dust sensor, a precipitation sensor, and a slickness sensor.

3. The sensor apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a communication interface configured to transmit at least one of a detected occupancy state and a measured environmental property, via a communication network, to at least one subscriber of the communication network.

4. The sensor apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the at least one subscriber includes at least one of:

i) a motor vehicle, and ii) a parking area management server for managing a parking area encompassing the parking space.

5. A method for ascertaining a parking position for a motor vehicle within a parking area encompassing several parking spaces, using several sensor apparatuses, each of the sensor apparatuses including a parking occupancy sensor to detect an occupancy state of a parking space for a motor vehicle, and at least one sensor to measure an environmental property of the parking space, the method comprising:

detecting a respective occupancy state of the parking spaces by way of the parking occupancy sensors;

m

measuring a respective environmental property of the parking spaces by way of the sensors to measure the environmental property; and

selecting one of the several parking spaces, as a function of the detected occupancy states and of the measured environmental properties, as a parking position for the motor vehicle.

6. A method for creating a digital parking area map of a parking area for motor vehicles encompassing several parking spaces, using several sensor apparatuses, each of the sensor apparatuses including a parking occupancy sensor to detect an occupancy state of a parking space for a motor vehicle, and at least one sensor to measure an environmental property of the parking space, the method comprising:

detecting a respective occupancy state of the parking spaces by way of the parking occupancy sensors;

measuring a respective environmental property of the parking spaces by way of the sensors to measure the environmental property; and

creating the digital parking area map based on the detected occupancy states and on the measured environmental properties.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the sensors to measure the environmental property encompass temperature sensors so that the measured environmental properties encompass temperatures, the measured temperatures being differentiated over time in order to ascertain at least one of:

i) a respective shading of the parking spaces, and ii) a respective weather protection for the parking spaces.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the at least one of the respective ascertained shading and the respective ascertained weather protection being reconciled with geographic data for a plausibility check, the geographic data encompassing geographic positions of at least one of:

i) buildings, ii) trees, and iii) bushes.

9. The method as recited in one of claim 7, wherein a respective time-related temperature profile of the temperature measured by way of the temperature sensors are monitored to at least one of:

i) detect a fire within the parking area, and ii) track propagation of a detected fire within the parking area.

10. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the sensors to measure the environmental property encompass moisture sensors so that the measured environmental properties encompass moisture values, a determination being made based on the measured moisture values as to at least one of:

i) whether a puddle is located on the parking space, and ii) whether it is currently raining.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein a respective time-related moisture profile of the moisture values measured by way of the moisture sensors is ascertained, a drainage behavior of at least one of the puddle and the rain, on the corresponding parking space being determined based on the time-related moisture profiles.

12. An apparatus designed to ascertain a parking position for a motor vehicle within a parking area encompassing several parking spaces, using several sensor apparatuses, each of the sensor apparatuses including a parking occupancy sensor to detect an occupancy state of a parking space for a motor vehicle, and at least one sensor to measure an environmental property of the parking space, the apparatus designed to:

detect a respective occupancy state of the parking spaces by way of the parking occupancy sensors;

m

measure a respective environmental property of the parking spaces by way of the sensors to measure the environmental property; and

select one of the several parking spaces, as a function of the detected occupancy states and of the measured environmental properties, as a parking position for the motor vehicle.

13. An apparatus designed to create a digital parking area map of a parking area for motor vehicles encompassing several parking spaces, using several sensor apparatuses, each of the sensor apparatuses including a parking occupancy sensor to detect an occupancy state of a parking space for a motor vehicle, and at least one sensor to measure an environmental property of the parking space, the apparatus designed to:

detect a respective occupancy state of the parking spaces by way of the parking occupancy sensors;

measure a respective environmental property of the parking spaces by way of the sensors to measure the environmental property; and

create the digital parking area map based on the detected occupancy states and on the measured environmental properties.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program to ascertain a parking position for a motor vehicle within a parking area encompassing several parking spaces, using several sensor apparatuses, each of the sensor apparatuses including a parking occupancy sensor to detect an occupancy state of a parking space for a motor vehicle, and at least one sensor to measure an environmental property of the parking space, the computer program, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform:

detecting a respective occupancy state of the parking spaces by way of the parking occupancy sensors;

m

measuring a respective environmental property of the parking spaces by way of the sensors to measure the environmental property; and

selecting one of the several parking spaces, as a function of the detected occupancy states and of the measured environmental properties, as a parking position for the motor vehicle.