Parking assistance system for vehicles and corresponding method

• US 7,205,905 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2003
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Jecker, Nicolas, Gotzig, Heinrich, Lill, Anton, Hurtado, Miguel
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Previl; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US10/490,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20050035879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,532 Days
• Field of Search: 340/932.2, 340/936, 340/938, 340/943, 340/903, 340/435, 340/436, 340/437, 340/444, 340463-467, 340/425.5, 340/901, 340/902, 340/933, 180/204, 180/446, 414/253, 414/259, 414/260, 414/261
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• 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 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9314 Parking operations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9324 Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles
• 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

The invention relates to a method for operating a parking assistance system for a vehicle, comprising at least one distance sensor that detects at least sections of the lateral immediate vicinity of the vehicle and at least one path sensor that detects the path travelled by the vehicle. According to the method, a control device determines the length and/or width of a parking space from the values measured by the sensors as the vehicle drives past said parking space. The invention is characterised in that the measured length and/or width of the parking space is/are corrected by a correction value and/or that depending on the speed of the vehicle as it drives past the parking space, the measurement is taken by means of the distance sensor at different time intervals.

Claims

1. A method for operating a parking assistance system for a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

a) moving the vehicle past a parking space;

b) measuring, during step a), distances within a lateral region proximate the vehicle using at least one distance sensor;

c) measuring, during step a), a path length travelled by the vehicle using at least one path sensor;

d) determining at least one of a length and width of the parking space using results of steps b) and c); and

e) correcting the results of step d) by a correction value which is dependent on the measurements of at least one of step b) and step c), step b) being repeatedly carried out as the vehicle passes by the parking space, wherein a time interval between successive executions of step b) is decreased in response to an increase in the speed of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said correction value depends on a lateral distance between the vehicle and objects delimiting the parking space.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said distance sensor has non-cylindrical radiation lobes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said correction value depends on a geometry of a lobe of said distance sensor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said correction value depends linearly on a radial distance between a main radiation direction and a surface of a lobe of the distance sensor at a point of exit and entry of an object delimiting the parking space into and out of the lobe.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said correction value is a constant value for a given range of distances from objects delimiting the parking space.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said correction value is 0.5 m when a lateral distance between the vehicle and objects delimiting the parking space is less than 1 m.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said correction value is 0.2 m when a lateral distance between the vehicle and objects delimiting the parking space is between 1 m and 1.2 m.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said correction value is zero when a lateral distance between the vehicle and objects delimiting the parking space is more than 1.2 m.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein step b) is carried out by said distance sensor at time intervals of 20 ms when a vehicle speed is more than 19 km/h.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein step b) is carried out by said distance sensor at time intervals of 40 ms when a vehicle speed is between 10 km/h and 19 km/h.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein step b) is carried out by said distance sensor at time intervals of 100 ms when a vehicle speed is less than 10 km/h.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said distance sensor is at least one of an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a radar sensor, and an optical sensor.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said path sensor receives input values as at least one of ABS signals, transmission signals, and speedometer signals.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said path sensor is part of one of an ABS system, a transmission system, and a speedometer system.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising means for quantitative or qualitative communication to a driver as to whether or not parking of the vehicle into the parking space is possible.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said distance sensor is operated in different modi.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said distance sensor is operated to prevent collisions during parking.

19. A parking assistance system for carrying out the method of claim 1.

20. A vehicle comprising the parking assistance system of claim 19.