METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING PARKING INFORMATION

• US 20100060485A1
• Filed: 09/08/2009
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KIM, Dai Jong
• Granted Patent: US 8,217,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/932.200
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/143 inside the vehicles
• 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 1/148 Management of a network of parking areas

Abstract

A method and apparatus, where the apparatus includes: a transmitting/receiving unit for receiving location information of other vehicles existing in a limited area by communicating with the other terminals via a mesh network; a controller for identifying an available parking space by analyzing the location information of the other terminals; and a display unit for displaying the available parking space.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured to be installed in a motor vehicle and to provide parking information, comprising:

a transmitting/receiving unit configured to receive location information of other vehicles existing in a predetermined area by communicating with the other vehicles via a mesh network;

a controller configured to identify an available parking space by analyzing the location information of the other vehicles; and

a display unit configured to display the available parking space.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine that a space corresponding to a location of a specific vehicle that has not changed location for a preset time is not the available parking space.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to identify the available parking space by matching the location information to elements of a matrix.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to identify a space corresponding to an element of the matrix as being the available parking space.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein, if at least one item of the location information matches at least one element adjacent to a specific element which does not match the location information, the controller is configured to identify a space corresponding to the at least one element which does not match the location information as being the available parking space.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitting/receiving unit is configured to communicate with an external server providing traffic information, and to receive parking area information from the external server.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to identify the available parking space by referring to the received parking area information.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display unit is configured to display a graphic image that distinguishes the available parking space from other spaces.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the graphic image is a map image.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the display unit is configured to display guidance information for guiding a driver of the motor vehicle to the available parking space.

11. A method for providing parking information to a driver of a motor vehicle, comprising:

receiving location information of other vehicles existing in a predetermined area by communicating with the other vehicles via a mesh network;

identifying an available parking space by analyzing the location information of the other vehicles; and

displaying the available parking space.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying step comprises:

determining that a space corresponding to a location of a specific vehicle that has not changed location for a preset time is not the available parking space.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying step comprises:

identifying the available parking space by matching the location information to elements of a matrix.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the identifying step comprises:

identifying a space corresponding to an element which does not match the location information among the elements of the matrix as being the available parking space.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein if at least one item of the location information matches at least one element adjacent to a specific element which does not match the location information, the identifying step comprises identifying a space corresponding to the at least one element which does not match the location information as being the available parking space.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving parking area information from an external server.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the identifying step comprises:

identifying the available parking space based on the received parking area information.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the displaying step comprises:

displaying a graphic image that distinguishes the available parking space from other spaces.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the graphic image is a map image.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the displaying step comprises:

displaying guidance information for guiding a driver of the motor vehicle to the available parking space.

21. A motor vehicle, comprising:

an apparatus configured to provide parking information, including;

a transmitting/receiving unit configured to receive location information of other vehicles existing in a predetermined area by communicating with the other vehicles via a mesh network;

a controller configured to identify an available parking space by analyzing the location information of the other vehicles; and

a display unit configured to display the available parking space.