Parking assist apparatus

• US 8,285,479 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2008
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawabata, Yukiko, Makino, Yasushi, Iwakiri, Hideyuki, Kubota, Yuichi, Endo, Tomohiko, Omori, Miyuki, Ito, Takuya, Suzuki, Daisuke, Nitta, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Application Number:
  US12/526,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20100114434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,686 Days
• Field of Search: 701/301, 701/211, 701/41, 340/436, 340/438, 180/204
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/301 combining image information with other obstacle sensor information, e.g. using RADAR/LIDAR/SONAR sensors for estimating risk of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/302 combining image information with GPS information or vehicle data, e.g. vehicle speed, gyro, steering angle data
• 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: B60T 2201/10 Automatic or semi-automatic parking aid systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0285 Parking performed automatically

Abstract

A parking assist apparatus for guiding a vehicle to a target parking position includes an initial position guiding unit configured to generate an initial position guiding path at a predetermined timing, the initial position guiding path leading from a current position of the vehicle to an initial position where vehicle guidance to the target parking position is started. The initial position guiding unit is also configured to guide the vehicle along the initial position guiding path to the initial position. The apparatus also includes an obstacle detecting unit configured to detect an obstacle around the vehicle. When the obstacle detected by the obstacle detecting unit is located along the initial position guiding path, the initial position guiding unit generates the initial position guiding path such that the obstacle detected by the obstacle detecting unit can be avoided.

Claims

1. A parking assist apparatus for guiding a vehicle to a target parking position, the apparatus comprising:

an initial position guiding unit configured to guide at a predetermined timing the vehicle to an initial position where vehicle guidance to the target parking position is started; and

an obstacle detecting unit configured to detect an obstacle around the vehicle,

wherein the initial position guiding unit varies a steering angle for guiding the vehicle depending on whether the obstacle detected by the obstacle detecting unit is located on an opposite side to the target parking position with respect to a direction of travel of the vehicle,

wherein, when the obstacle is located on the opposite side to the target parking position with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle, the initial position guiding unit guides the vehicle to the initial position with a smaller steering angle than when the obstacle is not located on the opposite side to the target parking position with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle.

2. The parking assist apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the obstacle is located on the opposite side to the target parking position with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle, the initial position guiding unit determines whether the vehicle can travel to the initial position without hitting the obstacle detected by the obstacle detecting unit,

wherein the initial position guiding unit guides the vehicle to the initial position when it determines that the vehicle can travel to the initial position without hitting the obstacle detected by the obstacle detecting unit.

4. The parking assisting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the initial position and the initial position guiding path are modified only when the obstacle detected by the obstacle detecting unit is located on an opposite side to the target parking position with respect to a direction of travel of the vehicle.

3. A parking assist apparatus for guiding a vehicle to a target parking position, comprising:

an initial position guiding unit configured to guide the vehicle at a predetermined timing to an initial position where vehicle guidance to the target parking position is started, the initial position being different from the parking position; and

an obstacle detecting unit configured to detect an obstacle around the vehicle,

wherein the initial position guiding unit guides the vehicle to the initial position when the obstacle detected by the obstacle detecting unit is not located on an opposite side to the target parking position with respect to a direction of travel of the vehicle.

5. The parking assisting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the initial position guiding unit guides the vehicle to the initial position such that the vehicle can move to the initial position while a constant steering angle is maintained.

6. A parking assist apparatus for guiding a vehicle to a target parking position, the apparatus comprising:

an initial position guiding unit configured to guide at a predetermined timing the vehicle to an initial position where vehicle guidance to the target parking position is started; and

an obstacle detecting unit configured to detect an obstacle around the vehicle,

wherein, when the obstacle detecting unit detects the obstacle located on an opposite side to the target parking position with respect to a direction of travel of the vehicle, the initial position guiding unit guides the vehicle to the initial position with a smaller steering angle than when the obstacle detecting unit does not detect the obstacle located on an opposite side to the target parking position with respect to a direction of travel of the vehicle.

7. The parking assisting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the initial position guiding unit guides the vehicle to the initial position such that the vehicle can move to the initial position while a constant steering angle is maintained.