Method and central processing unit for the unmanned control of a vehicle

• US 9,599,482 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2015
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Maise, Timo, Herdeg, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nga X
• Application Number:
  US14/680,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20150285645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23- 25, 701 36- 37, 701/51
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/148 Management of a network of parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• 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

A method is provided for unmanned control of at least one vehicle by a central processing unit. The central processing unit controls the at least one vehicle on a route determined by the central processing unit from a first location on the route to at least one second location on the route. The second location on the route is a parking site. The central processing unit further controls the vehicle so that the vehicle, after a parking operation at the second location, is provided automatically to a user for acceptance at a retrieval location as further location on the route. The route is calculated by the central processing unit dynamically depending on information concerning further routes for further vehicles managed by the central processing unit.

Claims

1. A method for unmanned control of a first vehicle of a plurality of vehicles, the method comprising:

transferring operational control of the first vehicle of the plurality of vehicles from a user of the first vehicle to a central processing unit when the user exits the first vehicle at a first location;

operating the central processing unit to control unmanned movement of the first vehicle along a first route of a plurality of routes determined by the central processing unit from the first location to a parking site where the first vehicle is to remain at rest for a period of time;

after the period of time, operating the central processing unit to retrieve the first vehicle from the parking site and to control unmanned movement of the first vehicle from the parking site along a second route of the plurality of routes chosen by the central processing unit to a retrieval location; and

transferring operational control of the first vehicle back to the user at the retrieval location;

wherein the first and second routes are calculated by the central processing unit depending on information concerning at least one other route of the plurality of routes for at least one other vehicle of the plurality of vehicles managed by the central processing unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieval location is determined depending on a position of a communication device carried by the user and the retrieval location is communicated by the central processing unit to the communication device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the central processing unit communicates a message to the communication device carried by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second routes are determined by the central processing unit based on a destination location provided in advance by the user so that a distance to be covered on foot for the user is minimal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second routes are determined by the central processing unit depending on a current capacity utilization of respective roads and parking sites.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second routes are determined by the central processing unit depending on a capacity utilization of respective roads expected at a handover time to be provided in advance by the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first route is determined by the central processing unit so that the parking site is closest to the first location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first route is determined by the central processing unit so that the parking site is the closest parking site to the first location having parking charges that lie within a budget predefined by the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of operating the central processing unit to retrieve the first vehicle from the parking site and to control unmanned movement of the first vehicle from the parking site along the second route to the retrieval location is controlled so that the vehicle is provided at the retrieval location at a time defined by the user.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising operating the central processing unit for temporarily parking the vehicle at a suitable location chosen by the central processing unit until it is possible for the vehicle to be accepted by the user at the retrieval location.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving the user of the vehicle by a second vehicle driven by a second user at a selected location and transporting the user to the first vehicle, wherein both the user of the first vehicle and the second user are informed of the transport beforehand by the central processing unit.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle is selected from all vehicles of a brand, all vehicles of a corporation, all vehicles on a specific road, or all vehicles in a specific region.

13. A system for controlling movement of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a central processing unit configured to control unmanned movement of a first vehicle along a first route from a first location to a second location;

a first wireless communication device associated with the first vehicle;

a relay station configured to enable wireless communication between the central processing unit and the first wireless communication device;

wherein, at the first location, a user of the first vehicle transfers operational control of the first vehicle to the central processing unit;

wherein the second location is a parking site;

wherein the central processing unit determines the first route based on a plurality of routes for a plurality of vehicles and based on current traffic conditions on respective roads to be used; and

wherein the central processing unit determines a second route from the second location to a retrieval location where operation control of the first vehicle is transferred back to the user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the central processing unit is configured to control unmanned movement of the first vehicle from the second location to the retrieval location.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the retrieval location is identical to the first location.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the central processing unit is configured to control the plurality of vehicles to enable users of the vehicles to accept the respective vehicle as quickly as possible.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising a second wireless communication device associated with the user, wherein the retrieval location is determined by the central processing unit based on the location of the second wireless communication device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first vehicle remains at the second location for a period of time until the central processing unit receives a retrieval request from the user via the second wireless communication device.

19. A method for unmanned control of a plurality of vehicles, comprising:

transferring control of a first of the vehicles from a user of the first vehicle to a central processing unit at a first location;

operating the central processing unit to control unmanned movement of the first vehicle along a first route determined by the central processing unit from the first location to at least one parking site;

operating the central processing unit to retrieve the first vehicle from the parking site and to control movement of the first vehicle from the parking site along a second route chosen by the central processing unit to a retrieval location; and

transferring control of the first vehicle back to the user at the retrieval location;

retrieving the user of the vehicle by a second vehicle driven by a second user at a selected location and transporting the user to the first vehicle, wherein both the user of the first vehicle and the second user are informed of the transport beforehand by the central processing unit;

wherein the first and second routes are calculated by the central processing unit dynamically depending on information concerning further routes for further vehicles of the plurality of vehicles managed by the central processing unit.