Method and system for parking assistance for a vehicle

• US 9,111,450 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2014
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Stefan, Frederic, Arndt, Christoph, Gussen, Uwe
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US14/446,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20150039211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• Field of Search: 705/418, 705/13, 340/932.2, 403/33, 455/456.1, 455/422.1, 455/456.3, 701/117, 701/408
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/143 inside the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/144 on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/147 where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/148 Management of a network of parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/149 coupled to means for restricting the access to the parking space, e.g. authorization, access barriers, indicative lights

Abstract

A method and system for parking assistance for a vehicle, wherein the parking of said vehicle on a parking space at least partly occupied by a second vehicle is enabled by transmitting a maneuver request to the second vehicle. The method includes the steps of: allocating a priority to the driver of the first vehicle, wherein said priority implements a classification of said driver with respect to the extent to which the driver is entitled to the prioritized use of the parking space; and transmitting the maneuver request to the second vehicle based on said priority.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

assigning a priority to a vehicle based on an extent to which the vehicle is entitled to use a parking space;

receiving information related to a second vehicle occupying the parking space; and

based on the priority and the information, transmitting a request for the second vehicle to vacate the parking space.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is received via a vehicle-to-vehicle data exchange between the vehicle and the second vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information comprises an ability of the second vehicle to depart the parking space independently and to seek another parking space.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the information comprises an energy cost for the second vehicle to seek another parking space.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the information comprises a remaining fuel supply and or energy supply of the second vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the parking space is selected from a plurality of occupied parking spaces.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the assignment of the priority is based upon a classification of a driver of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the classification is based on information relating to a state of health of the driver of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a current condition of a driver of the vehicle, and further basing the request on the current condition.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying via wireless communication a driver of the second vehicle that the second vehicle has left the parking space.

11. A method comprising:

assigning a parking priority to a vehicle within a geographical area;

receiving information related to a plurality of already-parked vehicles in the geographical area; and

based on the priority and the information, determining that the vehicle is entitled to prioritized use of a parking space occupied by a one of the already-parked vehicles; and

transmitting a request for the one of the already-parked vehicles to leave the parking space.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the parking priority is based upon a classification of a driver of the vehicle.

13. A parking assistance system, comprising:

a driver identification module determining a parking priority of a driver of a first vehicle;

a vehicle location module determining whether the first vehicle is in an area in which the driver is entitled to prioritized parking;

a parking space selection module analyzing a spatial arrangement of already-parked vehicles in the area and determining a suitable parking space for the first vehicle; and

a vehicle communications module communicating with at least one of the already-parked vehicles and requesting that the at least one already-parked vehicle vacate the suitable parking space.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the parking space selection module receives information from the at least one already-parked vehicle via a vehicle-to-vehicle data exchange.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the information comprises an ability of the at least one already-parked vehicle to depart the parking space independently and to seek a different parking space.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the information comprises an energy cost for the at least one already-parked vehicle to seek a different parking space.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the information comprises a remaining energy supply and/or fuel supply of the at least one already-parked vehicle.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the parking priority is based upon a classification of the driver.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the classification is based on information relating to a state of health of the driver.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the vehicle communication module is further operative to notify a driver of the at least one already-parked vehicle that the at least one already-parked vehicle has left the suitable parking space.