Controlling a parking lot sensor

• US 9,852,623 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2016
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Nordbruch, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US15/176,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20160371974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 3409322, 340933, 340937, 340941, 348148, 348149, 705 13
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/042 using inductive or magnetic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/146 where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space
• 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 parking lot sensor includes a sensor for scanning a parking space for a vehicle. A method for controlling the parking lot sensor includes steps of determining an activity of vehicles in the parking lot, of determining a scanning frequency on the basis of the activity and of controlling, as a function of the scanning frequency, the sensor respectively for carrying out a scan.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a parking lot sensor for scanning a parking space for a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining an activity of vehicles in a parking lot;

determining a scanning frequency based on the activity; and

controlling, as a function of the scanning frequency, the sensor for performing a scan.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the activity is determined based on signals of an infrastructure device for scanning vehicles in a traffic area of the parking lot.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the infrastructure device is designed to determine a speed of a vehicle in a traffic area and to determine the activity on the basis of the speed.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the infrastructure device is designed to determine a waiting time of a vehicle in a traffic area and to determine the activity on the basis of the waiting time.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the parking lot includes multiple parking spaces, to each of which one parking lot sensor is assigned, and the scanning frequency for an individual parking lot sensor is determined.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the parking lot includes multiple parking spaces, to each of which one parking lot sensor is assigned, and the scanning frequency of a group of parking lot sensors is determined.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the parking lot includes multiple parking spaces, to each of which one parking lot sensor is assigned, and the scanning frequency of all parking lot sensors is determined.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing program code for controlling a parking lot sensor for scanning a parking space for a vehicle, the program code, when executed by a processing device, causing the processing device to perform:

determining an activity of vehicles in a parking lot;

determining a scanning frequency based on the activity; and

controlling, as a function of the scanning frequency, the sensor for performing a scan.

9. A parking lot sensor for a parking lot, wherein the parking lot sensor is designed to receive a scanning frequency based on an activity of vehicles in the parking lot and to determine the presence of a vehicle in the area of a parking space with the scanning frequency.

10. The parking lot sensor as recited in claim 9, wherein the parking lot sensor has a limited energy reserve and is designed to switch into an energy-saving state between scans.

11. A parking system for a parking lot, the parking system comprising:

a parking lot sensor designed to receive a scanning frequency and to determine the presence of a vehicle in the area of a parking space with the scanning frequency;

an infrastructure device for detecting vehicles in a traffic area of the parking lot; and

a processing device designed to;

receive a signal from the infrastructure device;

determine, on the basis of the signal, an activity of vehicles in the traffic area of the parking lot;

determine, on the basis of the activity, a scanning frequency for the parking lot sensor; and

transmit the determined scanning frequency to the parking lot sensor.