Device for a motor vehicle

• US 8,244,457 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2005
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Milark, Andreas, Chlosta, Sven, Rohlfs, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US11/659,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20080033647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,587 Days
• Field of Search: 701/91, 701/93, 701200-226, 701300-302, 701400-541, 123/349, 180/170
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/12 wherein the pulse-recurrence frequency is varied to provide a desired time relationship between the transmission of a pulse and the receipt of the echo of a preceding pulse
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/18 wherein range gates are used
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9314 Parking operations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9315 Monitoring blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9324 Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93274 on the side of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93275 in the bumper area
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/934 for measuring the depth, i.e. width, not length, of the parking space
• 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

A device for a motor vehicle includes at least one distance sensor for recording a predominantly lateral clearance between the motor vehicle and objects, and a control device for controlling the distance sensor, the distance sensor emitting measuring signals during an activation time, and receiving measuring signal reflected by at least one object during a measurement receiving time. In the process, the measurement receiving time of the distance sensor is modifiable by the control device.

Claims

1. A method of measuring a potential parking slot by a motor vehicle driving past the parking slot, comprising:

modifying a measurement receiving time to measure a parking slot length;

determining the length of the parking slot by a detection device in the motor vehicle;

emitting measuring signals by a distance sensor during an activation time; and

recording the measuring signals reflected by objects by the distance sensor during the measurement receiving time;

wherein the measurement receiving time is an entire time duration between activation times of the emitted measuring signals.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measurement receiving time is at least one of (a) increased and (b) set to a maximum value after a beginning of the parking slot is detected.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measurement receiving time is at least one of (a) reduced and (b) set to a minimum value while at least one of (a) driving past the parking slot, (b) in front of a minimally required parking slot length and (c) in a range of the minimally required parking slot length.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, after reaching an additional length adjoining the minimally required parking slot length, the measurement receiving time is increased only if no object is detected in a potential parking area of the motor vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, following a further additional length adjoining the minimally required parking slot length, the measurement receiving time is increased if by then no object is detected in the potential parking area.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measurement receiving time is modified in a variable manner for object detection.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein an alignment of the distance sensor in the motor vehicle is selected to detect a curb as an object when the measurement receiving time is set to high.

8. A method of measuring a potential parking slot by a motor vehicle driving past the parking slot, comprising:

modifying the measurement receiving time to measure a parking slot length;

determining the length of the parking slot by the detection device in the motor vehicle;

emitting measuring signals by the distance sensor during an activation time; and

recording the measuring signals reflected by the objects by the distance sensor during the measurement receiving time;

wherein the measurement receiving time is an entire time duration between activation times of the emitted measuring signals

wherein the method is performed using a device including;

at least one distance sensor configured to record a predominantly lateral clearance between the motor vehicle and the objects, the distance sensor configured to emit measurement signals during the activation time and to receive the measurement signal reflected by at least one object during a reception time; and

a control device configured to control the distance sensor;

wherein the measurement reception time of the distance sensor is modifiable by the control device.