Input signal management for vehicle park-assist

• US 10,683,004 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2018
• Issued: 06/16/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2018
• 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, Hassani, Ali, Chatten, Alyssa, Van Wiemeersch, John Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Soofi, Yazan A
• Application Number:
  US15/948,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20190308613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/101 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/01 operating on vehicle systems or fittings, e.g. on doors, seats or windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/245 where the antenna reception area plays a role
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/32 of vehicle dynamic parameters, e.g. speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/34 of conditions of vehicle components, e.g. of windows, door locks or gear selectors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for input signal management for vehicle park-assist. An example vehicle includes a door, an autonomy unit, a communication module, a vehicle speed sensor for monitoring a vehicle speed, and a controller. The controller is to cause the autonomy unit to perform remote parking upon receiving, via the communication module, a remote parking signal. The controller also is to receive an unlock request during performance of the remote parking and prevent unlocking of the door responsive to determining the vehicle speed is greater than a threshold speed.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a door;

an autonomy unit;

a communication module;

a vehicle speed sensor for monitoring a vehicle speed; and

a controller configured to;

cause the autonomy unit to perform remote parking upon receiving, via the communication module, a remote parking signal;

receive an unlock or open request during performance of the remote parking;

determine that the vehicle speed is greater than a threshold speed; and

disregard, based on the remote parking being performed and on the determination that the vehicle speed is greater than a threshold speed, the unlock or open request.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the autonomy unit is configured to stop performing the remote parking responsive to the controller determining the vehicle speed is greater than the threshold speed.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to unlock the door responsive to determining the vehicle speed is less than or equal to the threshold speed.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, further including a door handle and a door handle sensor of the door, wherein the controller receives the unlock request responsive to the door handle sensor detecting engagement of the door handle.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the communication module is configured to receive the remote parking signal from a mobile device of a user.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the controller enables the autonomy unit to perform the remote parking responsive to:

identifying a key fob that corresponds with the mobile device; and

determining the key fob is located within a tethering range.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the communication module communicates with the key fob via a first communication protocol and communicates with the mobile device via second communication protocol.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the first communication protocol is low frequency communication and the second communication protocol is at least one of a Bluetooth®

low-energy protocol, a Wi-Fi protocol, cellular communication, and super-high frequency communication.

9. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the controller determines that the key fob corresponds with the mobile device in response to determining that the key fob and the mobile device are spaced apart from the vehicle by distances that are within a threshold margin of each other.

10. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the controller determines that the key fob corresponds with the mobile device in response to determining that the key fob and the mobile device are located within a threshold margin of each other.

11. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the communication module is configured to receive the unlock request from the key fob of the user.

12. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the communication module is configured to receive the unlock request from a second key fob of a second user.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the controller prevents processing of the unlock request in response to determining that the second key fob is beyond a threshold range from the vehicle.

14. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to:

prevent processing of the unlock request that is received via a cellular network; and

permit processing of the unlock request that is received via a Bluetooth®

low-energy protocol.

15. A method comprising:

performing, via an autonomy unit, remote parking for a vehicle upon receiving a remote parking signal via a communication module;

receiving, via the communication module, an unlock or open request during performance of the remote parking;

determining that a vehicle speed is greater than a threshold speed via a vehicle speed sensor; and

disregarding, via a processor and based on the remote parking being performed and on the determination that the vehicle speed is greater than a threshold speed, the unlock or open request.

16. The method of claim 15, further including stop performing, via the autonomy unit, the remote parking responsive to determining the vehicle speed is greater than the threshold speed.

17. The method of claim 16, further including unlocking the vehicle door, via the processor, at a predetermined time after the vehicle has stopped.

18. The method of claim 16, further including unlocking the vehicle door, via the processor, in response to receiving, via the communication module, in response to receiving a confirmation command after the vehicle has stopped.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the confirmation command includes a second unlock request that is received after the vehicle has stopped.

20. The method of claim 15, further including unlocking the vehicle door, via the processor, responsive to determining the vehicle speed is less than or equal to the threshold speed.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication module receives the remote parking signal from a mobile device of a user.

22. The method of claim 21, further including enabling, via the processor, the autonomy unit to perform the remote parking responsive to:

identifying a key fob that corresponds with the mobile device; and

determining the key fob is located within a tethering range.

23. The method of claim 15, further including receiving the unlock request during performance of the remote parking via a door handle sensor of the vehicle door.