Method and apparatus for providing parking availability detection based on vehicle trajectory information

• US 9,558,664 B1
• Filed: 08/13/2015
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Gaebler, Frank, Dousse, Olivier
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US14/825,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20170046956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/056 with provision for distinguishing direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0968 Systems involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas
• 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: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

An approach is provided for parking availability detection based on vehicle trajectory information. A trajectory processing platform processes and/or facilitates a processing of trajectory data associated with at least one journey of at least one vehicle to determine at least one portion of the at least one journey that is associated at least one parking search by the at least one vehicle. The trajectory processing platform also determines one or more street segments associated with the at least one portion of the at least one journey. The trajectory processing platform further causes, at least in part, a classification of the one or more street segments as associated with the at least one parking search. The trajectory processing platform further determines parking availability information for the one or more street segments based, at least in part, on the trajectory data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

processing and/or facilitating a processing of trajectory data associated with at least one journey of at least one vehicle to determine at least one deviation from at least one reference route calculated for the at least one journey;

determining an initiation of at least one parking search based on the at least one deviation;

determining at least one portion of the at least one journey that is associated with the at least one parking search by the at least one vehicle;

determining one or more street segments associated with the at least one portion of the at least one journey;

causing, at least in part, a classification of the one or more street segments as associated with the at least one parking search; and

determining parking availability information for the classified one or more street segments based, at least in part, on the trajectory data.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the parking availability information comprises:

causing, at least in part, a designation of the parking availability information for the one or more street segments associated with a beginning of the at least one parking search and up to a last one of the one or more street segments associated with an ending of the at least one parking search as unavailable.

3. A method of claim 2, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a designation of the parking availability information for the last one of the one or more street segments as available.

4. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining timestamp information indicating at which time the one or more street segments were traveled by the at least one vehicle during the at least one parking search; and

causing, at least in part, an association of the parking availability information with the timestamp information.

5. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting at least one previously traveled track from the trajectory data;

determining the at least one reference route for the at least one previously driven track; and

causing, at least in part, a comparison of a length of the at least one reference route and an actual traveled length of the at least one previously traveled track to determine the at least one deviation.

6. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing and/or facilitating a processing of the trajectory data to determine one or more parking search behaviors; and

determining an initiation of the at least one parking search based, at least in part, on the one or more parking search behaviors.

7. A method of claim 6, wherein the one or more parking search behaviors include, at least in part, one or more self-intersections of at least one driven track, driving multiple times over the one or more street segments, a slower speed profile, travel in an urban area or area with known parking spaces, driving next to one or more known parking lanes, or a combination thereof.

8. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining fluctuation information of the parking availability information over time; and

determining a sequence of the one or more street segments to search, to recommend, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the fluctuation information.

9. A method of claim 1, wherein the at least one journey is delineated within the trajectory data by one or more parking events.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

process and/or facilitate a processing of trajectory data associated with at least one journey of at least one vehicle to determine at least one deviation from at least one reference route calculated for the at least one journey;

determine an initiation of at least one parking search based on the at least one deviation;

determine at least one portion of the at least one journey that is associated with at least one parking search by the at least one vehicle;

determine one or more street segments associated with the at least one portion of the at least one journey;

cause, at least in part, a classification of the one or more street segments as associated with the at least one parking search; and

determine parking availability information for the classified one or more street segments based, at least in part, on the trajectory data.

11. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the determination of the parking availability information further causes the apparatus to:

cause, at least in part, a designation of the parking availability information for the one or more street segments associated with a beginning of the at least one parking search and up to a last one of the one or more street segments associated with an ending of the at least one parking search as unavailable.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a designation of the parking availability information for the last one of the one or more street segments as available.

13. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine timestamp information indicating at which time the one or more street segments were traveled by the at least one vehicle during the at least one parking search; and

cause, at least in part, an association of the parking availability information with the timestamp information.

14. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process and/or facilitate a processing of the trajectory data to determine one or more parking search behaviors; and

determine an initiation of the at least one parking search based, at least in part, on the one or more parking search behaviors.

15. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine fluctuation information of the parking availability information over time; and

determine a sequence of the one or more street segments to search, to recommend, or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the fluctuation information.

16. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

select at least one previously traveled track from the trajectory data;

determine the at least one reference route for the at least one previously driven track; and

cause, at least in part, a comparison of a length of the at least one reference route and an actual traveled length of the at least one previously traveled track to determine the at least one deviation.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

processing and/or facilitating a processing of trajectory data associated with at least one journey of at least one vehicle to determine at least one deviation from at least one reference route calculated for the at least one journey;

determining an initiation of at least one parking search based on the at least one deviation;

determining at least one portion of the at least one journey that is associated with the at least one parking search by the at least one vehicle;

determining one or more street segments associated with the at least one portion of the at least one journey;

causing, at least in part, a classification of the one or more street segments as associated with the at least one parking search; and

determining parking availability information for the classified one or more street segments based, at least in part, on the trajectory data.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the determining of the parking availability information further causes the apparatus to perform:

causing, at least in part, a designation of the parking availability information for the one or more street segments associated with a beginning of the at least one parking search and up to a last one of the one or more street segments associated with an ending of the at least one parking search as unavailable; and

causing, at least in part, a designation of the parking availability information for the last one of the one or more street segments as available.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform:

determining timestamp information indicating at which time the one or more street segments were traveled by the at least one vehicle during the at least one parking search; and

causing, at least in part, an association of the parking availability information with the timestamp information.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform:

selecting at least one previously traveled track from the trajectory data;

determining the at least one reference route for the at least one previously driven track; and

causing, at least in part, a comparison of a length of the at least one reference route and an actual traveled length of the at least one previously traveled track to determine the at least one deviation.