Parallel parking system

• US 9,916,762 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2016
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Felix, Rodrigo
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Jack K
• Application Number:
  US14/990,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20170200372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 3409322
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/147 where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 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 parallel parking system may include a controller configured to generate an alert identifying a discrepancy between a permitted parking distance that is defined by local requirements and a recommended parking distance that is defined by a minimum distance between an object adjacent to an available parking place to avoid contact with the object and an open vehicle door in a parked position in response to the recommended distance exceeding the permitted distance.

Claims

1. A parallel parking system comprising:

a controller configured to generate an alert identifying a discrepancy between a permitted parking distance that is defined by local legal requirements and a recommended parking distance that is defined by a minimum distance between an object at a curb adjacent to an available parking place to avoid contact with the object and an open vehicle door in a parked position in response to the recommended distance exceeding the permitted distance.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle location module configured to transmit a vehicle location to the controller, wherein the local legal requirements are identified from the vehicle location.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the minimum distance is based on an open door distance of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the minimum distance is based on a difference between the open door distance and a distance between the object and an expected position of the vehicle in the available parking place.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert includes a visual alert.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert includes an audible alert.

7. A parking system for a vehicle comprising:

a controller configured to generate an alert identifying a discrepancy between a permitted parking distance that is defined by local legal requirements and a recommended parking distance away from a curb that is based on an open door distance associated with the vehicle and an object distance associated with an object adjacent to an available parking place for the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a vehicle location module configured to transmit a vehicle location to the controller, wherein the local legal requirements are identified from the vehicle location.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the object distance is a distance between an expected position of the vehicle in the available parking place and the object.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the alert includes a visual alert.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the alert includes an audible alert.

12. A method comprising:

recognizing an object at a curb adjacent to a parking place for a vehicle;

identifying a recommended parking distance based on an open door distance associated with the vehicle and a distance between the object and an expected position of the vehicle in the parking place; and

generating an alert in response to the recommended legal distance exceeding a permitted distance that is defined by a location of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising issuing parking instructions.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the alert includes an audible alert.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the alert includes a visual alert.