User configurable vehicle parking alert system

• US 10,467,905 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2015
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lavoie, Erick Michael, Bahena, Miguel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Samson, Sara B
• Application Number:
  US15/744,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20180204464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• 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 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

A parking place alert system may include an interface, and a controller configured to generate an alert to be displayed via the interface and identifying a set of available park assist features selected in response to an indication that an available parking place is of a user identified type that defines a desired vehicle orientation and position relative to other parked vehicles.

Claims

1. A parking place alert system comprising:

an interface; and

a controller configured to present a list of parking place types that defines a desired vehicle orientation and position relative to other parked vehicles including a hyperlink for each of the parking place types configured to, when selected, display a pictorial representation of the respective parking place type, and generate an alert to be displayed via the interface and identifying a set of available park assist features selected in response to an indication that an available parking place is of a selected parking place type.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert includes a selectable option for at least one of the set of park assist features.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected parking place type is maintained within a user profile associated with a user.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising an ultrasonic sensor or camera in communication with the controller and configured to detect the available parking place.

5. A park assist system comprising:

an interface, and a controller configured to present a list of parking place types including a hyperlink for each of the parking place types configured to, when selected, display a pictorial representation of the respective parking place type, and

associate a selected parking place type defining a desired vehicle orientation and position relative to other parked vehicles with a user profile, and generate an alert via the interface in response to the user profile being active and an indication that an available parking place is of the selected parking place type.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein each of the parking place types is associated with a selection indicator configured to indicate whether the respective selectable parking place type is selected.

7. A method comprising:

presenting via an interface a list of groups each including of a plurality of parking place types each defining a desired vehicle orientation and position relative to other parked vehicles, the groups including a parallel parking group and a perpendicular parking group;

in response to receiving a selection of one of the parking place types contained within one of the groups, selecting other of the parking place types contained within the one of the groups

associating, in response to the selection of one of the parking place types, a user identifier and the selected parking place type with a user profile; and

generating an alert to be displayed via the interface in response to the user profile being active and an indication that an available parking place is of the selected parking place type.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the parking place types is associated with a selection indicator configured to indicate whether the associated parking place type is selected.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the groups includes at least one default selectable option.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the parking place types includes a hyperlink configured to, when selected, display a pictorial representation of the parking place type.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the pictorial representation includes at least one parking situation associated with the parking place type.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one parking situation includes at least one of a parallel parking situation and a perpendicular parking situation.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving the user identifier from a key fob.