Parking guidance device and method thereof

• US 7,920,070 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2008
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Chen, Long-Tai, Li, Wei-Min, Chang, Yen-Shu, Cheng, Kuo-Hsiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins; Davetta W
• Application Number:
  US12/265,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20090167564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 340/932.2, 340/435, 340/937, 348/118, 348/148, 701/300, 701/301
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically

Abstract

A parking guidance device storing the information of length and width of a car is disclosed, which comprises: a central controller, a distance detector electrically connecting to said central controller for detecting the distances from obstacles, an image detector electrically connecting to said central controller for detecting the shape of a parking space, a two-axis rotating detector electrically connecting to said central controller for detecting the direction of said car, a human-machine operation interface electrically connecting to said central controller for inputting signals, and a car controller area network bus interface electrically connecting to said central controller for controlling wheel, engine and braking system, wherein said central controller integrates the information of distances and shape of said parking space, compares the same to the information of length and width of said car to gain a parking track, and makes the moving track of said car correspond with said parking track by controlling wheel, engine and braking system through the car controller area network bus interface.

Claims

1. A parking guidance device, adapted for mounted on a car to be used as parking assistant while having information relating to the length and width of the car to be stored therein, comprising:

a central controller;

a distance detector, electrically connecting to said central controller for detecting distances between obstacles surrounding the car;

an image detector, electrically connecting to the central controller for detecting the shape of a parking space;

a two-axis rotating detector, electrically connecting to the central controller for detecting information relating to the locality of the car;

a human-machine operation interface, electrically connecting to the central controller for inputting signals; and

a car controller area network bus interface, electrically connecting to the central controller for controlling the wheel, engine and braking system of the car;

wherein, the central controller integrates the information of distances and shape of the parking space while comparing the integrated information with the information of length and width of the car as well as it locality information so as to gain a parking track, and then directs the car to move in a moving track conforming to the parking track by controlling the wheel, engine and braking system through the car controller area network bus interface;

wherein the car length is L_C the car width is W_C the parking distance at the lateral side of a car is α

which is a distance large enough for the car doors to open, the buffering distance at the lateral side of a car is β

, the buffering distance relating to the length of the car is γ and

the length of a detected parking space is L_X and the width thereof is W_X;

wherein if the detected length L_X and the width W_X satisfy the following conditions;

L_C+γ

≦

L_X and W_C+α

+β

≦

W_X≦

L_C+γ

, the parking guidance device determines that the detected parking space is suitable for parallel parking, as soon as the locality relationship information between the car and the parking space is obtained by its distance detector, the parking guidance device is able to perform a calculation according to the wheel'"'"'s turning angle and the Ackerman theory to generate a parking trajectory for directing the car to perform a parallel parking operation; and

if the detected length L_X and the width W_X satisfy the following conditions;

L_C+γ

≦

W_X and W_C+α

+β

≦

L_X≦

L_C+γ

, the parking guidance device determines that the detected parking space is suitable for garage parking, as soon as the locality relationship information between the car and the parking space is obtained by its distance detector, the parking guidance device is able to perform a calculation according to the wheel'"'"'s turning angle and the Ackerman theory to generate a parking trajectory for directing the car to perform a garage parking operation.

2. The parking guidance device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit, electrically connecting to the central controller.

3. The parking guidance device of claim 2, wherein the display unit is enabled to display the information relating to the distances between obstacles, the shape of the parking space and the locality of the car.

4. The parking guidance device of claim 2, wherein the display unit is enabled to display in a real time manner.

5. The parking guidance device of claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle signal processing interface, electrically connecting to the central controller for detecting a signal relating to the movement of the car, a signal relating to the ignition of the car, a signal relating to the turn signal lamps of the car, a signal relating to the braking lamps of the car, a speed signal of the car, and a braking signal of the car.

6. The parking guidance device of claim 1, further comprising:

an alarm unit, electrically connecting to the central controller.

7. The parking guidance device of claim 6, wherein the alarm unit is enabled to issue a sound for alerting.

8. The parking guidance device of claim 6, wherein the alarm unit is enabled to emit light for alerting.

9. The parking guidance device of claim 6, wherein the two-axis rotating detector is substantially a gyroscope.

10. The parking guidance device of claim 1, wherein the distance detector includes four sets of distance sensors while arranging two of the four sets at the right side of the car and the other two sets at the left side of the car.

11. The parking guidance device of claim 1, wherein the image detector includes two sets of image sensors to be arranged respectively at the left and the right sides of the car.

12. The parking guidance device of claim 1, wherein the central controller further comprises:

a main calculation unit, for controlling the image detector with regard to the performing of image processing, image identification, and data fusion upon the images acquired thereby, and for managing a car controller area network, for controlling a system flow of the parking guidance device, for controlling the processing of the human-machine operation interface, and the controlling of the signal outputting of the alarm unit; and

an auxiliary calculation unit, for controlling the operation of the distance detector and the processing of a vehicle signal.

13. A parking guidance method, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a parking guidance device, being comprised of a central control, a distance detector, an image detector, a two-axis rotating detector, a human-machine operation interface, and a car controller area network bus interface, being electrically connected to the central control in respective;

(b) activating the parking guidance device for enabling the two-axis rotating detector to acquire information relating to the locality of a car;

(c) using an image detector to detect images from the two lateral sides of the car while using a distance detector to detect distances measured between obstacles located at the two lateral sides of the car;

(d) enabling a central controller to make an evaluation by the use of the obtained images for determining whether there is a parking space available for parking;

if so, the flow proceeds to step (e);

otherwise, the flow proceeds back to step (c);

(e) enabling the central controller to make an evaluation for determining whether the size of the available parking space is larger than that of the car;

if so, the flow proceeds to step (f);

otherwise, the flow proceeds to step (c);

(f) enabling the central controller to generate a relative position information between the car and the parking space according to the distances measured between obstacles surrounding the car and the locality information of the car;

(g) enabling the central controller to perform a calculation for gaining a parking track according to the relative position information; and

(h) enabling the central controller to direct the car to move in a moving track conforming to the parking track by controlling the wheel, engine and braking system through the car controller area network bus interface;

wherein the car length is L_C the car width is W_C the parking distance at the lateral side of a car is α

which is a distance large enough for the car doors to open, the buffering distance at the lateral side of a car is β

, the buffering distance relating to the length of the car is γ and

the length of a detected parking space is L_X and the width thereof is W_X;

wherein if the detected length L_X and the width W_X satisfy the following conditions;

L_C+γ

≦

L_X and W_C+α

+β

≦

W_X≦

L_C+γ

, the parking guidance device determines that the detected parking space is suitable for parallel parking, as soon as the locality relationship information between the car and the parking space is obtained by its distance detector, the parking guidance device is able to perform a calculation according to the wheel'"'"'s turning angle and the Ackerman theory to generate a parking trajectory for directing the car to perform a parallel parking operation; and

if the detected length L_X and the width W_X satisfy the following conditions;

L_C+γ

≦

W_X and W_C+α

+β

≦

L_X≦

L_C+γ

, the parking guidance device determines that the detected parking space is suitable for garage parking, as soon as the locality relationship information between the car and the parking space is obtained by its distance detector, the parking guidance device is able to perform a calculation according to the wheel'"'"'s turning angle and the Ackerman theory to generate a parking trajectory for directing the car to perform a garage parking operation.

14. The parking guidance method of claim 13, wherein the parking guidance device further comprises:

a display unit, electrically connecting to the central controller.

15. The parking guidance method of claim 14, wherein the display unit is enabled to display the information relating to the distances between obstacles, the shape of the parking space and the locality of the car.

16. The parking guidance method of claim 14, wherein the display unit is enabled to display in a real time manner.

17. The parking guidance method of claim 13, wherein the parking guidance device further comprises:

a vehicle signal processing interface, electrically connecting to the central controller for detecting a signal relating to the movement of the car, a signal relating to the ignition of the car, a signal relating to the turn signal lamps of the car, a signal relating to the braking lamps of the car, a speed signal of the car, and a braking signal of the car.

18. The parking guidance method of claim 13, wherein the parking guidance device further comprises:

an alarm unit, electrically connecting to the central controller.

19. The parking guidance method of claim 18, wherein the alarm unit is enabled to issue a sound for alerting.

20. The parking guidance method of claim 18, wherein the alarm unit is enabled to emit light for alerting.

21. The parking guidance method of claim 13, wherein the two-axis rotating detector is substantially a gyroscope.

22. The parking guidance method of claim 13, wherein the distance detector includes four sets of distance sensors while arranging two of the four sets at the right side of the car and the other two sets at the left side of the car.

23. The parking guidance method of claim 13, wherein the image detector includes two sets of image sensors to be arranged respectively at the left and the right sides of the car.

24. The parking guidance method of claim 13, wherein the central controller further comprises:

a main calculation unit, for controlling the image detector with regard to the performing of image processing, image identification, and data fusion upon the images acquired thereby, and for managing a car controller area network, for controlling a system flow of the parking guidance device, for controlling the processing of the human-machine operation interface, and the controlling of the signal outputting of the alarm unit; and

an auxiliary calculation unit, for controlling the operation of the distance detector and the processing of a vehicle signal.