Apparatus and method for assisting parking

• US 9,959,769 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2011
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Sang Yong, Kim, Dae Seung
• Primary Examiner(s): TORRENTE, RICHARD T
• Application Number:
  US14/350,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20140285665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,353 Days
• Field of Search: 348148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0295 by overlaying a vehicle path based on present steering angle over an image without processing that image
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for assisting parking, the apparatus including: an image sensor photographing front/rear view images of a vehicle; and an estimated trace of vehicle generation and process unit generating an estimated trace of the vehicle to a parking target area using steering angle information of the vehicle, and overlaying the estimated trace of the vehicle to the photographed front/rear view images of the vehicle, wherein the estimated trace of the vehicle includes a first estimated trace of the vehicle based on a rear wheel of the vehicle and a second estimated trace of the vehicle based on a front wheel of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An apparatus for assisting parking, the apparatus comprising:

an image sensor that photographs front/rear view images of a vehicle; and

an estimated trace of vehicle generation and process unit that generates estimated traces of the vehicle to a parking target area based on steering angle information of the vehicle and overlays the estimated traces of the vehicle to the photographed front/rear view images of the vehicle, wherein the estimated traces of the vehicle include a first estimated trace of the vehicle formed by a first estimated trajectory of an inner rear wheel of the vehicle and a second estimated trajectory of an outer rear wheel of the vehicle and a second estimated trace of the vehicle formed by a third estimated trajectory of an inner front wheel of the vehicle and a fourth estimated trajectory of an outer front wheel of the vehicle; and

wherein the estimated trace of vehicle generation and process unit receives the steering angle information of the vehicle in real time through a communication network, calculates in real time estimated coordinates of the steering angle information of the vehicle in proportion to minimum steering angle and maximum steering angle, connects each coordinate, and generates the estimated traces of the vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display unit simultaneously displaying the overlaid front/rear view images of the vehicle and the estimated traces of the vehicle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second estimated traces of the vehicle are updated in real time in response to a steering angle of the vehicle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first estimated trace of the vehicle or the second estimated trace of the vehicle is displayed in mutually different colors, when an obstacle is detected based on the first estimated trace of the vehicle or the second estimated trace of the vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first estimated trace of the vehicle or the second estimated trace of the vehicle is displayed to blink, when an obstacle is detected based on the first estimated trace of the vehicle or the second estimated trace of the vehicle.

6. A method for assisting parking, the method comprising:

obtaining a front view image or a rear view image of a vehicle;

generating estimated traces of the vehicle in response to steering angle information of the vehicle;

overlaying the estimated traces of the vehicle to the obtained front view image or rear view image of the vehicle;

and simultaneously displaying the overlaid front/rear view images of the vehicle and the estimated traces of the vehicle, wherein the estimated traces of the vehicle include a first estimated trace of the vehicle formed by a first estimated trajectory of an inner rear wheel of the vehicle and a second estimated trajectory of an outer rear wheel of the vehicle and a second estimated trace of the vehicle formed by a third estimated trajectory of an inner front wheel of the vehicle and a fourth estimated trajectory of an outer front wheel of the vehicle; and

wherein the generating estimated traces of the vehicle comprises receiving the steering angle information of the vehicle in real time through a communication network, calculating in real time estimated coordinates of the steering angle information of the vehicle in proportion to minimum steering angle and maximum steering angle, connecting each coordinate, and generating the estimated traces of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first and second estimated traces of the vehicle are updated in real time in response to a steering angle of the vehicle.