Method and device for maneuvering a motor vehicle out of a parking space

• US 5,587,938 A
• Filed: 01/29/1996
• Issued: 12/24/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Hoetzel, Juergen
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ASSOUAD, PATRICK J
• Application Number:
  US08/593,593
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• Field of Search: 364/578, 340/901, 340/904, 340/932.2, 340/933, 340/943, 340/424.01, 340/424.02, 395/88, 901/1
• US Class Current: 703/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/823 Obstacle sensing
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/00 Indexing codes relating to the type of sensors based on the principle of their operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/222 during collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/242 Obstacle avoidance manoeuvre
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/70 Estimating or calculating vehicle parameters or state variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/006 using a distance sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/10 Automatic or semi-automatic parking aid systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/878 wherein transceivers are operated, either sequentially or simultaneously, both in bi-static and in mono-static mode, e.g. cross-echo mode
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9314 Parking operations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/935 for measuring the contour, e.g. a trajectory of measurement points, representing the boundary of the parking space

Abstract

A method and a device for maneuvering a motor vehicle out of a parking space, in the case of which neither the size nor the clearance of obstacles is known. By means of sensors mounted on the motor vehicle, the clearance between the motor vehicle and surrounding obstacles and the position and steering angle of the motor vehicle are determined, and continuously updated. On the basis of this data, an up-to-date, local map of the surroundings is placed in a computer module. A polyline is used to connect the detected obstacles to form a barrier. From this data, a model of the surroundings is produced, with which a driving strategy for maneuvering the motor vehicle out of the parking space is determined. Driving-direction pointers indicate the appropriate driving direction to the driver of the motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for maneuvering a vehicle out of a parking space, comprising the steps of:

measuring, with at least one sensor mounted on the vehicle, a clearance of an obstacle in a driving direction of the vehicle;

producing a local map of a surrounding area of the vehicle as a function of the measured clearance and motor vehicle position data;

producing a model of the surrounding area as a function of the local map;

determining, in an open-loop control system coupled to the at least one sensor, a driving strategy for maneuvering the vehicle out of the parking space as a function of the model; and

displaying, for a driver of the vehicle, information indicative of the driving strategy for maneuvering the vehicle out of the parking space.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of updating, while maneuvering the vehicle out of the parking space, the model of the surrounding area as a function of the motor vehicle position data and data signals emitted by the at least one sensor such that a polyline is produced for the model of the surrounding area as a function of connections between segmental edges of detected obstacles.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of adapting, in the control system, the driving strategy as a function of the updated model of the surrounding area from a start of maneuvering until an end of maneuvering the vehicle out of the parking space.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is started to be maneuvered out of the parking space in the case of an incomplete description of obstacles in the model.

5. A device for maneuvering a motor vehicle out of a parking space, comprising:

at least one sensor to detect an obstacle relative to a position of the vehicle;

an open-loop control system coupled to the at least one sensor for producing a local map of a surrounding area of the vehicle as a function of the detected obstacle and vehicle position data, for producing a model of the surrounding area as a function of the local map, and for determining a driving strategy for maneuvering the vehicle out of the parking space as a function of the model; and

a display device coupled to the open-loop control system for displaying, for a driver of the vehicle, information indicative of the driving strategy.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the information indicative of the driving strategy includes at least one of an optical warning signal and an acoustic warning signal provided to the driver when a clearance between the vehicle and the obstacle falls below a minimum value.