Arrangement for guiding steering to assist parallel parking

• US 6,825,880 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Asahi, Goro, Shimazaki, Kazunori, Kuriya, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Ngoc-Yen, VU, NGOC YEN T
• Application Number:
  US09/750,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20010030688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 Days
• Field of Search: 348/61, 348/113, 348/118, 348/119, 348/143, 348/148, 348/207.99, 348/333.01, 348/333.02, 340/435, 340/436, 340/437, 340/438, 340/901, 340/903, 340/932.2, 180/199, 180/204, 180/271, 700/61, 700/255, 701/23-26, 701/36, 701/41
• US Class Current: 348/333.02
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/005 using a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/10 Automatic or semi-automatic parking aid systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0275 by overlaying a vehicle path based on present steering angle over an image without processing that image
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/028 Guided parking by providing commands to the driver, e.g. acoustically or optically

Abstract

When a vehicle is located in a predetermined position M, a steering amount guide mark is moved on a steering start guide line as a steering angle is increased by turning a steering wheel. The steering amount guide mark has a size according to the steering angle of the steering wheel at that time. When the steering angle becomes suitable, the steering amount guide mark has the same size as a target parking space T. Thus, a driver can more instinctively recognize the suitable steering angle of the steering wheel. Further, the driver can easily judge by observing the locus line of a left-hand forward corner portion of the vehicle whether or not the left-hand forward corner portion of the self-vehicle that particularly needed to be known in column parking on the left-hand side of a road interferes with a certain obstacle during a path until the target parking space T.

Claims

1. A steering assist device comprising:

a camera for photographing a backward portion of a vehicle;

a monitor arranged in a driver'"'"'s seat of the vehicle;

a steering angle sensor for detecting the steering angle of a steering wheel; and

display control means for displaying a picture image provided by said camera on said monitor at a retreating time of the vehicle, and superposing and displaying a guide display for supporting driving of the vehicle at a parking time on a screen of said monitor,

the steering assist device being characterized in that said guide display including;

a steering start guide line fixedly displayed in a predetermined position on the screen of said monitor for guiding a steering start spot for parking;

an eye mark fixedly displayed in a predetermined position on the screen of said monitor for guiding a turning-back spot of the steering wheel; and

a steering amount guide mark moved and displayed along said steering start guide line on the screen of said monitor in accordance with the steering angle of the steering wheel detected by said steering angle sensor,

said steering amount guide mark including a predicting parking area when the vehicle retreats and parking is completed with maintaining the steering angle of the steering wheel detected by said steering angle sensor,

said steering amount guide mark being changed in size on the basis of far and near sense according to the steering angle.

2. A steering assist device according to claim 1, wherein said guide display further includes a locus line of a specific portion of the vehicle at a retreating time of the vehicle.

3. A steering assist device according to claim 2, wherein said steering amount guide mark or the locus line expresses a height.

4. A steering assist device according to claim 2, wherein said specific portion of the vehicle is a left-hand forward corner portion of the vehicle in case of a column parking on the left-hand side of a road, and is a right-hand forward corner portion of the self-vehicle in case of the column parking on the right-hand side of the road.

5. A steering assist device according to claim 1, wherein said steering amount guide mark shows a first parking necessary area of a square shape in which an intersection point of a locus line of a specific portion of the vehicle at a retreating time of the vehicle and a side line on a road central side of said predicting parking area is a vertex.

6. A steering assist device according to claim 1, wherein said steering amount guide mark shows a second parking necessary area in which an outer shape of the second parking necessary area includes a portion of a locus line extending from an intersection point of the locus line of a specific portion of the vehicle at a retreating time of the vehicle and a side line on a road central side of said predicting parking area to the side line on a road shoulder side of said predicting parking area.

7. A steering assist device according to claim 1, wherein said steering amount guide mark is displayed on the monitor by turning the steering wheel in a predetermined vehicle position, and is automatically erased from the monitor after a predetermined time has passed after the display.