Parking assist system

• US 8,319,663 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2008
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bosch Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Bosch Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Von Reyher, Alexander, Naya, Masafumi, Chiba, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): CROSLAND, DONNIE L
• Application Number:
  US12/741,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20100259420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,532 Days
• Field of Search: 340/932.2, 180/199
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/028 Guided parking by providing commands to the driver, e.g. acoustically or optically
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

A parking assist system which, after a vehicle has passed the side of a parking area formed between parked vehicles, assists parking of the vehicle from a stopped position of the vehicle to the parking area, the parking assist system comprising: a distance sensor that emits radio waves or ultrasonic waves and detects the distance to the parked vehicles on the basis of the reflected waves; parking area detecting apparatus that measures, when the vehicle passes the parked vehicles and the side of the parking area, the distance to the parked vehicles with the distance sensor and detects, after the vehicle has passed the side of the parking area, the parking area on the basis of the measurement result; parking target position calculating apparatus that calculates a parking target position of the vehicle on the basis of the parking area that has been detected by the parking area detecting apparatus; and vehicle trajectory calculating apparatus that calculates, on the basis of the parking target position of the vehicle that has been calculated by the parking target position calculating apparatus, vehicle trajectories from a stopped position where the vehicle has stopped to the parking target position.

Claims

1. A parking assist system which, after a vehicle has passed the side of a parking area formed between parked vehicles, assists parking of the vehicle from a stopped position of the vehicle to the parking area, the parking assist system comprising:

a distance sensor that emits radio waves or ultrasonic waves and detects a distance to the parked vehicles based on reflected waves;

parking area detecting means that measures, when the vehicle passes the parked vehicles and a side of the parking area, the distance to the parked vehicles with the distance sensor and detects, after the vehicle has passed the side of the parking area, the parking area based on a measurement result from the distance sensor;

parking target position calculating means that calculates a parking target position of the vehicle based on the parking area that has been detected by the parking area detecting means; and

vehicle trajectory calculating means that calculates, based on the parking target position of the vehicle that has been calculated by the parking target position calculating means, vehicle trajectories from a stopped position where the vehicle has stopped to the parking target position.

2. The parking assist system according to claim 1, wherein the parking area detecting means detects, based on the measurement result resulting from the distance sensor, first and second corner portions positioned on the parking area side of two parked vehicles located on both sides of the parking area and detects the parking area based on the positions of the first and second corner portions.

3. The parking assist system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle trajectory calculating means calculates vehicle trajectories on which the vehicle is moved directly backward from the stopped position and is then guided to the parking target position.

4. The parking assist system according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle trajectory calculating means calculates vehicle trajectories on which the vehicle is moved directly backward from the stopped position and is then guided to the parking target position.

5. The parking assist system according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle trajectory calculating means calculates vehicle trajectories on which the vehicle is moved directly backward from the stopped position, is then moved forward in a direction away from the parking area, and is then moved backward and guided to the parking target position.

6. The parking assist system according to claim 4, wherein the vehicle trajectory calculating means calculates vehicle trajectories on which the vehicle is moved directly backward from the stopped position, is then moved forward in a direction away from the parking area, and is then moved backward and guided to the parking target position.

7. The parking assist system according to claim 1, wherein the parking assist system calculates vehicle operations, by which the vehicle travels on the calculated vehicle trajectories, and gives vehicle operation instructions to the driver based on the vehicle operations.

8. The parking assist system according to claim 1, wherein the parking assist system calculates a vehicle control procedure, by which the vehicle travels on the calculated vehicle trajectories, and automatically guides the vehicle to the parking target position based on the vehicle control procedure.

9. The parking assist system according to claim 1, further comprising wheel stop detecting means disposed in a side portion of the vehicle and which detects wheel stops disposed inside the parking area, wherein the parking target position calculating means calculates the parking target position of the vehicle based on the parking area that has been detected by the parking area detecting means and positions of the wheel stops that have been detected by the wheel stop detecting means.

10. A parking assist system which, while a vehicle is passing or after the vehicle has passed a side of a parking area formed between parked vehicles, assists parking of the vehicle from a stopped position of the vehicle to the parking area, the parking assist system comprising:

parking area detecting means that detects, while the vehicle is passing the parking area, the parking area by receiving from a driver a position of at least one of first and second corner portions positioned on inner sides of two parked vehicles located on both sides of the parking area;

parking target position calculating means that calculates a parking target position of the vehicle based on the parking area that has been detected by the parking area detecting means; and

vehicle trajectory calculating means that calculates, based on the parking target position of the vehicle that has been calculated by the parking target position calculating means , vehicle trajectories on which the vehicle is moved directly backward from a stopped position where the vehicle has stopped and is then guided to the parking target position.

11. The parking assist system according to claim 10, further comprising a distance sensor that emits radio waves or ultrasonic waves and detects a distance to the parked vehicles based on reflected waves, wherein the parking area detecting means receives from the driver the position of the first corner portion, detects the position of the second corner portion based on a measurement result resulting from the distance sensor, and detects the parking area based on the positions of the first and second corner portions.

12. The parking assist system according to claim 10, wherein the parking area detecting means receives from the driver the positions of the first and second corner portions and detects the parking area based on the positions of the first and second corner portions.

13. The parking assist system according to claim 10, wherein the vehicle trajectory calculating means calculates vehicle trajectories on which the vehicle is moved directly backward from the stopped position, is then moved forward in a direction away from the parking area, and is then guided to the parking target position.

14. The parking assist system according to claim 11, wherein the vehicle trajectory calculating means calculates vehicle trajectories on which the vehicle is moved directly backward from the stopped position, is then moved forward in a direction away from the parking area, and is then guided to the parking target position.

15. The parking assist system according to claim 12, wherein the vehicle trajectory calculating means calculates vehicle trajectories on which the vehicle is moved directly backward from the stopped position, is then moved forward in a direction away from the parking area, and is then guided to the parking target position.

16. A parking assist system which, after a vehicle has passed a side of a parking area formed between parked vehicles, assists parking of the vehicle from a stopped position of the vehicle to the parking area, the parking assist system comprising:

parking area detecting means that detects the parking area while the vehicle is passing or after the vehicle has passed the side of the parking area;

parking target position calculating means that calculates a parking target position of the vehicle based on the parking area that has been detected by the parking area detecting means; and

vehicle trajectory calculating means that calculates, based on the parking target position of the vehicle that has been calculated by the parking target position calculating means, vehicle trajectories on which the vehicle is moved directly backward from a stopped position where the vehicle has stopped and is then guided to the parking target position.

17. The parking assist system according to claim 16, wherein the vehicle trajectory calculating means calculates vehicle trajectories on which the vehicle is moved directly backward from the stopped position, is then moved forward in a direction away from the parking area, and is then moved backward and guided to the parking target position.

18. A control method of a parking assist system which, after a vehicle has passed a side of a parking area formed between parked vehicles, assists parking of the vehicle from a stopped position of the vehicle to the parking area, the method comprising:

a parking area detecting step where parking area detecting means measures, when the vehicle passes the parked vehicles and the side of the parking area, a distance to the parked vehicles with a distance sensor and detects, after the vehicle has passed the side of the parking area, the parking area based on a measurement result of the distance sensor;

a parking target position calculating step where parking target position calculating means calculates a parking target position of the vehicle based on the parking area that has been detected by the parking area detecting means; and

a vehicle trajectory calculating step where vehicle trajectory calculating means calculates, based on the parking target position of the vehicle that has been calculated by the parking target position calculating means, vehicle trajectories from a stopped position where the vehicle has stopped to the parking target position.

19. A control method of a parking assist system which, while a vehicle is passing or after the vehicle has passed a side of a parking area formed between parked vehicles, assists parking of the vehicle from a stopped position of the vehicle to the parking area, the method comprising:

a parking area detecting step where parking area detecting means detects, while the vehicle is passing the parking area, the parking area by receiving from a driver a position of at least one of first and second corner portions positioned on inner sides of two parked vehicles located on both sides of the parking area;

a parking target position calculating step where parking target position calculating means calculates a parking target position of the vehicle based on the parking area that has been detected by the parking area detecting means; and

a vehicle trajectory calculating step where vehicle trajectory calculating means calculates, based on the parking target position of the vehicle that has been calculated by the parking target position calculating means, vehicle trajectories on which the vehicle is moved directly backward from a stopped position where the vehicle has stopped and is then guided to the parking target position.

20. A control method of a parking assist system which, after a vehicle has passed a side of a parking area formed between parked vehicles, assists parking of the vehicle from a stopped position of the vehicle to the parking area, the method comprising:

a parking area detecting step where parking area detecting means detects the parking area while the vehicle is passing or after the vehicle has passed the side of the parking area;

a parking target position calculating step where parking target position calculating means calculates a parking target position of the vehicle based on the parking area that has been detected by the parking area detecting means; and

a vehicle trajectory calculating step where vehicle trajectory calculating means calculates, based on the parking target position of the vehicle that has been calculated by the parking target position calculating means, vehicle trajectories on which the vehicle is moved directly backward from a stopped position where the vehicle has stopped and is then guided to the parking target position.