METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING A PARKING SEARCH ROUTE WITHIN A GEOFENCE

• US 20200132482A1
• Filed: 10/26/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: BEAUREPAIRE, Jerome, DOUSSE, Olivier
• Application Number:
  US16/172,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20200132482A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3446 Details of route searching algorithms, e.g. Dijkstra, A*, arc-flags, using precalculated routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09685 where the complete route is computed only once and not updated
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• 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 1/148 Management of a network of parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

An approach is provided for generating an optimized parking search route based on prioritizing self-contained driving paths within a geofenced area. The approach involves designating a geofenced area around a destination. The approach also involves calculating one or more routes that are contained within the geofenced area. The approach further involves providing the one or more routes as the parking search route for a vehicle to find a parking space when reaching the destination.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating a parking search route comprising:

designating a geofenced area around a destination;

calculating one or more routes that are contained within the geofenced area; and

providing the one or more routes as the parking search route for a vehicle to find a parking space when reaching the destination.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying road links that lead to exiting the geofenced area;

wherein the one or more routes are calculated to avoid the identified road links.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining internal road links within the geofenced area,

wherein the internal road links do not cross a boundary of the geofenced area, and wherein the one or more routes are calculated from the internal road links.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining that the vehicle has traveled the internal road links during a parking search without finding the parking space; and

calculating another route that guides the vehicle to exit the geofenced area and then to return back to the geofenced area.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the geofenced area based on a route covered by the vehicle during a parking search.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the geofenced area based on parking availability data associated with the destination, the geofenced area, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the geofenced area based on traffic data associated with the destination, the geofenced area, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing data for generating a user interface depicting the geofenced area, a boundary of the geofenced area, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user interface is an interactive user interface to explore or virtually navigate the geofenced area.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the user interface depicts one or more road links to avoid, and wherein the one or more road links lead to exiting the geofenced area.

11. An apparatus for generating a parking search route comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

designate a geofenced area around a destination;

identify one or more road links that lead to exiting the geofenced area;

determine one or more internal road links within the geofenced area that avoid the one or more road links and do not cross a boundary of the geofenced area; and

providing the one or more internal road links as the parking search route for a vehicle to find a parking space when reaching the destination.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine that the vehicle has traveled the internal road links during a parking search without finding the parking space; and

calculate another route that guides the vehicle to exit the geofenced area and then to return back to the geofenced area.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

adjust the geofenced area based on a route covered by the vehicle during a parking search.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

adjust the geofenced area based on parking availability data associated with the destination, the geofenced area, or a combination thereof.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

adjust the geofenced area based on traffic data associated with the destination, the geofenced area, or a combination thereof.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

provide data for generating a user interface depicting the geofenced area, a boundary of the geofenced area, or a combination thereof.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to perform:

designating a geofenced area around a destination;

calculating one or more routes that are contained within the geofenced area; and

providing the one or more routes as the parking search route for a vehicle to find a parking space when reaching the destination.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform:

identifying road links that lead to exiting the geofenced area;

wherein the one or more routes are calculated to avoid the identified road links.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform:

determining internal road links within the geofenced area,

wherein the internal road links do not cross a boundary of the geofenced area, and wherein the one or more routes are calculated from the internal road links.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform:

determining that the vehicle has traveled the internal road links during a parking search without finding the parking space; and

calculating another route that guides the vehicle to exit the geofenced area and then to return back to the geofenced area.