Parking aid

• US 7,602,312 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2003
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Noll, Martin, Schick, Jens, Gauger, Christoph, Danz, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFSASS, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US10/538,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20060139181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,219 Days
• Field of Search: 340/932.2, 348/148, 348/149
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/006 using a distance sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/007 providing information about the distance to an obstacle, e.g. varying sound
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/10 Automatic or semi-automatic parking aid systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

A parking aid for a vehicle used for detecting parking spaces as the vehicle travels past the parking spaces. Properties of the parking spaces are stored in a memory and information on the parking spaces is output in an output unit.

Claims

1. A parking aid for a vehicle, comprising:

a measuring unit configured to detect spatial dimensions of parking spaces as the vehicle travels past the parking spaces;

a memory unit to store the spatial dimensions of multiple parking spaces detected by the measuring unit; and

an output unit to output information about the parking spaces;

wherein the spatial dimensions of multiple parking spaces are shown simultaneously in the output unit.

2. The parking aid as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of a length, a width, a relationship to dimensions of the vehicle, and a distance of the vehicle to at least one parking space, are displayed in the output unit.

3. The parking aid as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

an analyzing unit configured to manage the memory unit, stored spatial dimensions of parking spaces in the memory unit being deleted by the analyzing unit after a predefinable distance of the vehicle to the parking spaces.

4. The parking aid as recited in claim 1, wherein the parking aid is activated when a speed of the vehicle falls below a predefined level and is deactivated when a predefined speed is exceeded.

5. The parking aid as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one operating element situated in the vehicle, a display of the spatial dimensions of the parking space being triggered by operating at least one of the operating elements in the vehicle.

6. The parking aid as recited in claim 1, wherein the output unit is configured to display information about the parking spaces which the vehicle has traveled past.

7. A parking aid for a vehicle, comprising:

a measuring unit configured to detect spatial dimensions of parking spaces as the vehicle travels past the parking spaces;

a memory unit to store the spatial dimensions of multiple parking spaces detected by the measuring unit;

an output unit to output information about the parking spaces; and

an analyzing unit configured to manage the memory unit, stored spatial dimensions of parking spaces in the memory unit being deleted by the analyzing unit after a predefinable distance of the vehicle to the parking spaces;

wherein;

at least one of a length, a width, a relationship to dimensions of the vehicle, and a distance of the vehicle to at least one parking space, are displayed in the output unit,

the spatial dimensions of multiple parking spaces are shown simultaneously in the output unit, and

the parking aid is activated when a speed of the vehicle falls below a predefined level and is deactivated when a predefined speed is exceeded.

8. The parking aid as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

at least one operating element situated in the vehicle, a display of the spatial dimensions of the parking space being triggered by operating at least one of the operating elements in the vehicle, wherein the output unit is configured to display information about the parking spaces which the vehicle has traveled past.