Auto-parking device

US 7,737,866 B2
Filed: 09/27/2007
Issued: 06/15/2010
Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
Status: Active Grant

First Claim

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1. An auto-parking device installed on a vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle status sensing unit for detecting a state of the vehicle,an image acquisition unit for capturing the vehicle outside image,a range sensing unit for measuring a parking space,a processing unit for receiving states of the vehicle from the vehicle status sensing unit, receiving the surrounding information of the vehicle from the image acquisition unit and the range sensing unit, and calculating a parking path, the parking path including a first turn starting from an initial position to a reverse point and a second turn starting from the reverse point to an ending point, the parking path calculated according to a lateral distance between the initial position of the vehicle and an obstacle in front of the measured parking space and a longitudinal distance between the initial position of a vehicle tail and the obstacle in front of the measured parking space, such that the vehicle is unnecessary to stop at a specific initial position, the processing unit connected to a display unit,wherein in parallel parking, following parameters are used,a vehicle length L,a wheelbase l,a vehicle width W;

a steering ratio N being the ratio of the steering wheel angle to the front wheel turning angle,a distance from the rear axle to the vehicle tail c,a maximum steering wheel angle φ

_max,a length margin of the parking space b₀,a width margin of the parking spaces b₁,a width of the parking space D,the lateral distance between the initial position of the host vehicle and the obstacle in front of the target parking space m,the longitudinal distance between the initial position of the host vehicle tail and the obstacle in front of the target parking space n;

formulas for computing the parallel parking path expressed as follows;

$H = \sqrt{{(L - c)}^{2} + 2 R_{min_out} (D - b_{1}) - {(D - b_{1})}^{2}} + c$ $R_{s} = [l \cdot \cot (\frac{ϕ_{s}}{N}) - \frac{W}{2}]$ $R_{min_out} = [l \cdot \cot (\frac{ϕ_{\max}}{N}) + \frac{W}{2}]$ $ϕ_{s} = N \times \cot^{- 1} {\frac{[\frac{{(H + n + b_{0})}^{2} - 2 R_{min_out} (m + D - b_{1}) + {(m + D - b_{1})}^{2}}{2 (m + D - b_{1})}]}{l} + \frac{W}{2}}$ $α = \sin^{- 1} (\frac{H + n + b_{0}}{R_{min_ou t} + R_{s}})$ $S_{1} = R_{s} \times α = R_{s} \times \sin^{- 1} (\frac{H + n + b_{0}}{R_{min_ou t} + R_{s}})$ $S_{2} = R_{min_out} \times α = R_{min_out} \times \sin^{- 1} (\frac{H + n + b_{0}}{R_{min_out} + R_{s}})$ where H is the length of the parking space needed, R_s, is the turning radius of the inner rear wheel for the first turn, R_min_—_outis the minimum turning radius of the outer rear wheel of the vehicle for the second turn, φ

_sis the rotation angle of the steering wheel for the first turn, S₁is the moving length of the inner rear wheel for the first turn, S₂is the moving length of the inner rear wheel for the second turn and α

is the included angle between the initial position and the reversing point, for the second turn the vehicle moving at the maximum steering wheel angle θ

_max; and

the processing unit calculating the parking path based on the formulas and then controlling a vehicle steering, a throttle and a brake to automatically park the vehicle from the initial position into the parking space according to the planned parking path;

during the parking process, if any obstacles invading the planned path are detected, the auto-parking operation will be suspended and hand over the control priority to the user;

upon elimination of the obstacle, the user can reactivate the device to complete the auto-parking operation.

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Abstract

An auto-parking device installed on a vehicle comprises a vehicle status sensing unit for detecting a state of a vehicle, an image acquisition unit for capturing vehicle outside image, a range sensing unit for measuring the space, a processing unit for receiving states of the vehicle from the vehicle status sensing unit, receiving environmental states from the image acquisition unit and range sensing unit, calculating a parking path based on parallel parking or back-in parking and then controlling the vehicle steering, throttle and brake via a driving control unit to automatically park the car into the space as per the planned parking path.

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15 Claims

1. An auto-parking device installed on a vehicle, comprising:
- a vehicle status sensing unit for detecting a state of the vehicle,an image acquisition unit for capturing the vehicle outside image,a range sensing unit for measuring a parking space,a processing unit for receiving states of the vehicle from the vehicle status sensing unit, receiving the surrounding information of the vehicle from the image acquisition unit and the range sensing unit, and calculating a parking path, the parking path including a first turn starting from an initial position to a reverse point and a second turn starting from the reverse point to an ending point, the parking path calculated according to a lateral distance between the initial position of the vehicle and an obstacle in front of the measured parking space and a longitudinal distance between the initial position of a vehicle tail and the obstacle in front of the measured parking space, such that the vehicle is unnecessary to stop at a specific initial position, the processing unit connected to a display unit,wherein in parallel parking, following parameters are used,a vehicle length L,a wheelbase l,a vehicle width W;
  
  a steering ratio N being the ratio of the steering wheel angle to the front wheel turning angle,a distance from the rear axle to the vehicle tail c,a maximum steering wheel angle φ
  
  _max,a length margin of the parking space b₀,a width margin of the parking spaces b₁,a width of the parking space D,the lateral distance between the initial position of the host vehicle and the obstacle in front of the target parking space m,the longitudinal distance between the initial position of the host vehicle tail and the obstacle in front of the target parking space n;
  
  formulas for computing the parallel parking path expressed as follows;
  
  $H = \sqrt{{(L - c)}^{2} + 2 R_{min_out} (D - b_{1}) - {(D - b_{1})}^{2}} + c$ $R_{s} = [l \cdot \cot (\frac{ϕ_{s}}{N}) - \frac{W}{2}]$ $R_{min_out} = [l \cdot \cot (\frac{ϕ_{\max}}{N}) + \frac{W}{2}]$ $ϕ_{s} = N \times \cot^{- 1} {\frac{[\frac{{(H + n + b_{0})}^{2} - 2 R_{min_out} (m + D - b_{1}) + {(m + D - b_{1})}^{2}}{2 (m + D - b_{1})}]}{l} + \frac{W}{2}}$ $α = \sin^{- 1} (\frac{H + n + b_{0}}{R_{min_ou t} + R_{s}})$ $S_{1} = R_{s} \times α = R_{s} \times \sin^{- 1} (\frac{H + n + b_{0}}{R_{min_ou t} + R_{s}})$ $S_{2} = R_{min_out} \times α = R_{min_out} \times \sin^{- 1} (\frac{H + n + b_{0}}{R_{min_out} + R_{s}})$ where H is the length of the parking space needed, R_s, is the turning radius of the inner rear wheel for the first turn, R_min_—_outis the minimum turning radius of the outer rear wheel of the vehicle for the second turn, φ
  
  _sis the rotation angle of the steering wheel for the first turn, S₁is the moving length of the inner rear wheel for the first turn, S₂is the moving length of the inner rear wheel for the second turn and α
  
  is the included angle between the initial position and the reversing point, for the second turn the vehicle moving at the maximum steering wheel angle θ
  
  _max; and
  
  the processing unit calculating the parking path based on the formulas and then controlling a vehicle steering, a throttle and a brake to automatically park the vehicle from the initial position into the parking space according to the planned parking path;
  
  during the parking process, if any obstacles invading the planned path are detected, the auto-parking operation will be suspended and hand over the control priority to the user;
  
  upon elimination of the obstacle, the user can reactivate the device to complete the auto-parking operation.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- - 2. The auto-parking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit is connected to an adjusting unit for setting and adjustment.
  - 3. The auto-parking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle status sensing unit includes a reverse sensing unit, an angle sensing unit and a displacement sensing unit;
    - the reverse sensing unit is connected to a vehicle shift mechanism to detect whether the shift is switched to reverse gear;
      
      the angle sensing unit is connected to a vehicle steering mechanism to detect the steering angle of the vehicle; and
      
      the displacement sensing unit is connected with the vehicle speed so as to calculate the moving distance of the vehicle.
  - 4. The auto-parking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit controls the vehicle steering, the throttle and the brake via a driving control unit to automatically park the vehicle into the parking space according to the planned parking path.
  - 5. The auto-parking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit detects whether the length of the parking space measured achieves a required minimum value of H+2b₀for performing the auto-parking.
  - 6. The auto-parking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit calculates a predicted parking spot and superimposed onto the image of actual parking vacancy, and then shown on the display unit;
    - the position of the predicted parking spot can be fine-adjusted through the display unit or the adjusting unit.
  - 7. The auto-parking device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the display unit is a touch panel for setting and adjustment.

8. An auto-parking device installed on a vehicle, comprising:
- a vehicle status sensing unit for detecting a state of the vehicle,an image acquisition unit for capturing the vehicle outside image,a range sensing unit for measuring a parking space,a processing unit for receiving states of the vehicle from the vehicle status sensing unit, receiving the surrounding information of the vehicle from the image acquisition unit and the range sensing unit, and calculating a parking path, the parking path including a first turn starting from an initial position to a reverse point and a second turn starting from the reverse point to an ending point, the parking path calculated according to a lateral distance between the initial position of the vehicle and an obstacle in front of the measured parking space and a longitudinal distance between the initial position of a vehicle tail and the obstacle in front of the measured parking space, such that the vehicle is unnecessary to stop at a specific initial position, the processing unit connected to a display unit,wherein in back-in parking, following parameters are used;
  
  a vehicle length L,a wheelbase l,a vehicle width W,a steering ratio N being the ratio of the steering wheel angle to the front wheel turning angle,a distance from the rear axle to the vehicle tail c,a maximum steering wheel angle φ
  
  _max,a length margin of the parking space b₀,a width margin of the parking spaces b₁,a width of the parking space is D,a length of the parking space is Z,the lateral distance between the initial position of the host vehicle and an obstacle in front of the target parking space m,the longitudinal distance between the initial position of the host vehicle tail and the obstacle in front of the target parking space n,formulas for computing the back-in parking path expressed as follows, $R_{min_in} = [l \cdot \cot (\frac{ϕ_{\max}}{N}) - \frac{W}{2}]$ $R_{min_out} = [l \cdot \cot (\frac{ϕ_{\max}}{N}) + \frac{W}{2}]$ $S_{1} = R_{min_in} \times \frac{π}{2}$ $S_{2} = Z - (R_{min_in} - m) - c - b_{2}$ where R_min_—_inis the minimum turning radius of the inner rear wheel of the vehicle, R_min_—_outis the minimum turning radius of the outer rear wheel of the vehicle, S₁is the moving length of the inner rear wheel before the reversing point is, and S₂is the moving length of the inner rear wheel after the reversing point, for the first turn the vehicle moving at the maximum steering wheel angle max φ
  
  _max, and the processing unit calculating the parking path based on the formulas and then controlling a vehicle steering, a throttle and a brake to automatically park the vehicle from the initial position into the parking space according to the planned parking path;
  
  during the parking process, if any obstacles invading the planned path are detected, the auto-parking operation will be suspended and hand over the control priority to the user;
  
  upon elimination of the obstacle, the user can reactivate the device to complete the auto-parking operation.
- View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- - 9. The auto-parking device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processing unit is connected to an adjusting unit for setting and adjustment.
  - 10. The auto-parking device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the vehicle status sensing unit includes a reverse sensing unit, an angle sensing unit and a displacement sensing unit;
    - the reverse sensing unit is connected to a vehicle shift mechanism to detect whether the shift is switched to reverse gear;
      
      the angle sensing unit is connected to a vehicle steering mechanism to detect the steering angle of the vehicle; and
      
      the displacement sensing unit is connected with the vehicle speed so as to calculate the moving distance of the vehicle.
  - 11. The auto-parking device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processing unit controls the vehicle steering, the throttle and the brake via a driving control unit to automatically park the vehicle into the parking space according to the planned parking path.
  - 12. The auto-parking device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processing unit detects whether the parking space is greater than a required minimum value of W+2b₁.
  - 13. The auto-parking device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processing determines whether the measured value m is greater than a required minimum value of R_min_—
    - _in−
      
      √
      
      {square root over (R_min_—_in²−
      
      (R_min_—_out−
      
      W−
      
      b₁)²)}+b₀and whether n is equal to the value of R_min_—_out−
      
      W−
      
      c−
      
      b₁; and
      
      only if these conditions are conformed completely, the auto-parking maneuver can be performed.
  - 14. The auto-parking device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processing unit calculates a predicted parking spot and superimposed onto the image of actual parking vacancy, and then shown on the display unit;
    - the position of the predicted parking spot can be fine-adjusted through the display unit or the adjusting unit.
  - 15. The auto-parking device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the display unit is a touch panel for setting and adjustment.

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Current Assignee
Automotive Research & Testing Center
Original Assignee
Automotive Research & Testing Center
Inventors
Lee, Wang-Shuan, Wu, Jui-Hung, Liu, Jing-Fu
Primary Examiner(s)
BLOUNT, ERIC

Application Number

US11/862,206
Publication Number

US 20090085771A1
Time in Patent Office

992 Days
Field of Search

340/932.2, 340/435, 340/943, 340/937, 348/148, 701/49, 701/36, 180/204
US Class Current

340/932.2
CPC Class Codes

B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatic...

Auto-parking device

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Auto-parking device

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