Parking guidance method for vehicle

• US 8,258,933 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2007
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Son, Jin Woo
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): POINT, RUFUS C
• Application Number:
  US11/982,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20080266137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: 340/32.1, 340/932.2, 340/934, 340/935, 340/936, 340/939, 340/941, 340/942, 340/943
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0275 by overlaying a vehicle path based on present steering angle over an image without processing that image

Abstract

The present invention provides parking guidance methods for a vehicle, which comprises: calculating an estimated backward track of the vehicle from a current steering angle detected by a steering angle sensor; calculating an estimated parking space from the estimated backward track and a relative angle inputted by a driver through an input means; converting coordinates of the calculated estimated backward track and estimated parking space into image coordinates; synthesizing the converted image coordinates with an image acquired by a camera provided at the rear of the vehicle; and displaying the synthesized image on a monitor of the vehicle. The methods enhances driver'"'"'s convenience and safety in the event of back-in perpendicular parking.

Claims

1. A parking guidance method for a vehicle comprising:

calculating an estimated backward track of the vehicle from a current steering angle detected by a steering angle sensor;

calculating an estimated parking space from the estimated backward track and a relative angle inputted by a driver through an input means;

converting coordinates of the calculated estimated backward track and estimated parking space into image coordinates;

synthesizing the converted image coordinates with an image acquired by a camera provided at the rear of the vehicle; and

displaying the synthesized image on a monitor of the vehicle,

wherein the relative angle is an angle formed by a longitudinal axis of the vehicle which stops to park and a longitudinal axis of the vehicle which is placed in the estimated parking space,

wherein as the driver adjusts the relative angle by the driver operating the input means the estimated parking space is rotationally moved so as to fit the estimated backward track with respect to the current steering angle and the estimated parking space after the rotational movement is further displayed on the monitor, and

wherein when the driver adjusts a steering wheel angle by operation of the steering wheel the estimated parking space is moved in parallel so as to fit an estimated backward track with respect to an adjusted steering angle and the estimated parking space after the parallel movement is further displayed on the monitor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the driver adjusts the steering wheel angle by operation of steering wheel, the estimated parking space is moved in parallel so as to fit an estimated backward track with respect to an adjusted steering angle and the estimated parking space after the parallel movement is further displayed on the monitor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated parking space is a space placed on the estimated backward track at a position that satisfies the relative angle, the longitudinal direction of the space being in the direction tangential to the estimated backward track.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the estimated parking space comprises:

two side guide lines which are in a direction tangential to the estimated backward track and are parallely spaced from each other with a distance that can receive a vehicle; and

a front guide line which is in a direction perpendicular to the two side guide lines with a predetermined offset distance from the rear wheel axle toward the front of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the estimated parking space is calculated from the estimated backward track and a relative angle manually inputted by a driver through an input means.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the relative angle manually inputted through the input means is supplied to an estimation unit.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the relative angle manually inputted through the input means is supplied to an estimation unit through a controller unit.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein estimation unit calculates an estimated parking space based on the relative angle manually input by the driver.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the estimation unit outputs a signal representing the estimated parking space to the controller.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein the input means comprises a key pad.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein the input means comprises a knob.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the relative angle inputted through the input means is supplied to an estimation unit.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the relative angle inputted through the input means is supplied to an estimation unit through a controller unit.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein estimation unit calculates an estimated parking space based on the relative angle.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the estimation unit outputs a signal representing the estimated parking space to the controller.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the input means comprises a key pad.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the input means comprises a knob.

18. A parking guidance method for a vehicle comprising:

calculating an estimated backward track of the vehicle from a current steering angle detected by a steering angle sensor;

calculating an estimated parking space from the estimated backward track and a relative angle inputted by a driver through an input means;

converting coordinates of the calculated estimated backward track and estimated parking space into image coordinates;

synthesizing the converted image coordinates with an image acquired by a camera provided at the rear of the vehicle; and

displaying the synthesized image on a monitor of the vehicle,

wherein the relative angle is an angle formed by (i) a reference line which at a stop position before moving, connects a point, the first point a rotating center point of the vehicle as it is moved backward based on the angle of the steering wheel, to a current vehicle position and (ii) a straight line which at a position generated as a result of the backward movements, and

wherein when the driver adjusts a steering wheel angle by operation of the steering wheel, the estimated parking space is moved in parallel so as to fit the estimated backward track with respect to an adjusted steering angle and the estimated parking space after the parallel movement is further displayed on the monitor.