PARKING ASSIST APPARATUS

• US 20100219010A1
• Filed: 02/15/2010
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: KADOWAKI, Jun, Watanabe, Kazuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,205,704 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/204
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically

Abstract

A parking assist apparatus includes a guidance mode setting portion specifying a forward turning guidance controlling portion to perform a control when determining that a direct guidance control for driving a vehicle rearward to a target parking position without once driving the vehicle forward is unachievable. The forward turning guidance controlling portion includes an auxiliary guidance controlling device generating an auxiliary guidance path and driving the vehicle rearward by an automatic steering along the auxiliary guidance path and a guidance possibility determining device determining whether or not the vehicle is directly guided rearward to the target parking position based on a position and a steering angle of the vehicle while the vehicle is moving forward by a manual steering. The forward turning guidance controlling portion includes a final guidance controlling device guiding the vehicle to the target parking position.

Claims

1. A parking assist apparatus comprising:

a guidance mode setting portion specifying a forward turning guidance controlling portion to perform a control when determining, on a basis of a stop position of a vehicle and a positional relationship with a target parking position previously specified, that a direct guidance control for driving a vehicle rearward to the target parking position without once driving the vehicle forward is unachievable,

the forward turning guidance controlling portion including an auxiliary guidance controlling device performing a guidance control for driving the vehicle rearward from the stop position to approach the target parking position, the auxiliary guidance controlling device generating an auxiliary guidance path for guiding the vehicle to a position adjoined to the target parking position based on the stop position and the target parking position, the auxiliary guidance controlling device driving the vehicle rearward by an automatic steering along the auxiliary guidance path as the guidance control,

the forward turning guidance controlling portion including a guidance possibility determining device determining whether or not the vehicle is directly guided rearward to the target parking position based on a position and a steering angle of the vehicle while the vehicle is moving forward by a manual steering after the vehicle is stopped at the position adjoined to the target parking position, the guidance possibility determining device informing a driver for the vehicle when determining that a direct guidance of the vehicle to the target parking position is achievable,

the forward turning guidance controlling portion including a final guidance controlling device guiding the vehicle to the target parking position after the guidance possibility determining device informs the driver.

2. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guidance possibility determining device estimates, while the vehicle is moving forward by the manual steering, a case where the vehicle is guided rearward from a present position of the vehicle with a present steering angle thereof and informing the driver when the estimated case achieves the vehicle to be guided rearward to the target parking position without once driving the vehicle forward.

3. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guidance possibility determining device estimates, while the vehicle is moving forward by the manual steering, a case where the vehicle is guided rearward from a present position of the vehicle with a predetermined steering angle by which the vehicle is driven in a straight line and informing the driver when the estimated case achieves the vehicle to be guided rearward to the target parking position without once driving the vehicle forward.

4. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the guidance possibility determining device estimates, while the vehicle is moving forward by the manual steering, a case where the vehicle is guided rearward from a present position of the vehicle with a predetermined steering angle by which the vehicle is driven in a straight line and informing the driver when the estimated case achieves the vehicle to be guided rearward to the target parking position without once driving the vehicle forward.

5. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the vehicle is stopped after the guidance possibility determining device informs the driver, the final guidance controlling device specifies a final guidance path for directly guiding the vehicle rearward to the target parking position from a position where the vehicle is stopped after the guidance possibility determining device informs the driver and the vehicle is guided rearward along the final guidance path by the automatic steering.

6. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the vehicle is stopped after the guidance possibility determining device informs the driver, the final guidance controlling device specifies a final guidance path for directly guiding the vehicle rearward to the target parking position from a position where the vehicle is stopped after the guidance possibility determining device informs the driver and the vehicle is guided rearward along the final guidance path by the automatic steering.

7. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the vehicle is stopped after the guidance possibility determining device informs the driver, the final guidance controlling device specifies a final guidance path for directly guiding the vehicle rearward to the target parking position from a position where the vehicle is stopped after the guidance possibility determining device informs the driver and the vehicle is guided rearward along the final guidance path by the automatic steering.

8. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the vehicle moving forward by the manual steering is stopped in a state where the guidance possibility determining device does not inform the driver, the auxiliary guidance controlling device performs the guidance control for driving the vehicle rearward to approach the target parking position from a position where the vehicle is stopped in the state where the guidance possibility determining device does not inform the driver.

9. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the vehicle moving forward by the manual steering is stopped in a state where the guidance possibility determining device does not inform the driver, the auxiliary guidance controlling device performs the guidance control for driving the vehicle rearward to approach the target parking position from a position where the vehicle is stopped in the state where the guidance possibility determining device does not inform the driver.

10. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the vehicle moving forward by the manual steering is stopped in a state where the guidance possibility determining device does not inform the driver, the auxiliary guidance controlling device performs the guidance control for driving the vehicle rearward to approach the target parking position from a position where the vehicle is stopped in the state where the guidance possibility determining device does not inform the driver.

11. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the vehicle moving forward by the manual steering is stopped in a state where the guidance possibility determining device does not inform the driver, the auxiliary guidance controlling device performs the guidance control for driving the vehicle rearward to approach the target parking position from a position where the vehicle is stopped in the state where the guidance possibility determining device does not inform the driver.