Parking support systems, parking support methods, and parking support programs

• US 8,825,353 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2008
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ooshita, Yuuichi, Mori, Toshihiro, Kubota, Tomoki
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAPIRO, JEFFREY ALAN
• Application Number:
  US12/232,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20090088959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,183 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/118, 340/932.2, 340/934, 340/937
• US Class Current: 701/118
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

Parking support systems, methods, and programs store road information and obtain information regarding a vacant space on a road. The systems, methods, and programs calculate parking availability in a predetermined area specified by the stored road information based on the obtained information; and provide notification of the calculated parking availability.

Claims

1. A parking support system for a vehicle, comprising:

a non-transitory memory that stores road information including link data; and

a controller that is specifically programmed to;

obtain information regarding a vacant space on a road;

obtain information regarding a space necessary for parking per one vehicle;

calculate an available number of the one vehicle to park in a predetermined section specified by the link data based on the road information and the information regarding the space necessary for parking per the one vehicle;

calculate a sum of an available number of the one vehicle to park in the predetermined section specified by the link data based on the vacant space on the road and the information regarding the space necessary for parking per the one vehicle;

calculate a vacant parking space ratio in the predetermined section specified by the link data based on the calculated available number and the calculated sum;

obtain traffic volume in the predetermined section;

correct the calculated vacant parking space ratio based on the obtained traffic volume; and

provide notification of the calculated vacant parking space ratio.

2. The parking support system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is specifically programmed to:

specify a length of the predetermined section based on the stored road information;

specify a length of each vacant space in the predetermined section based on the obtained information; and

calculate the vacant parking space ratio based on the specified length of the predetermined section and the specified length of each vacant space.

3. The parking support system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a position detector that detects a vehicle position;

wherein the controller is specifically programmed to display on a display unit the notification of the calculated vacant parking space ratio within a predetermined range of the vehicle position based on the detected vehicle position.

4. The parking support system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position detector that detects a vehicle position;

wherein the controller is specifically programmed to display on a display unit the notification of the calculated vacant parking space ratio within a predetermined range of the vehicle position based on the detected vehicle position.

5. A parking support method for a vehicle, comprising:

storing road information including link data;

obtaining information regarding a vacant space on a road;

obtaining information regarding a space necessary for parking per one vehicle;

calculating an available number of the one vehicle to park in a predetermined section specified by the link data based on the road information and the information regarding the space necessary for parking per the one vehicle;

calculating a sum of an available number of the one vehicle to park in the predetermined section specified by the link data based on the vacant space on the road and the information regarding the space necessary for parking per the one vehicle;

calculating a vacant parking space ratio in the predetermined section specified by the link data based on the calculated available number and the calculated sum;

obtaining traffic volume in the predetermined section;

correcting the calculated vacant parking space ratio based on the obtained traffic volume; and

providing notification of the calculated vacant parking space ratio,

wherein the method is implemented by a controller that is specifically programmed to perform all of the steps.

6. The parking support method according to claim 5, further comprising:

specifying a length of the predetermined section based on the stored road information;

specifying a length of each vacant space in the predetermined section based on the obtained information; and

calculating the vacant parking space ratio based on the specified length of the predetermined section and the specified length of each vacant space.

7. The parking support method according to claim 6, further comprising:

detecting a vehicle position; and

displaying on a display unit the notification of the calculated vacant parking space ratio within a predetermined range of the vehicle position based on the detected vehicle position.

8. The parking support method according to claim 5, further comprising:

detecting a vehicle position;

displaying on a display unit the notification of the calculated vacant parking space ratio within a predetermined range of the vehicle position based on the detected vehicle position.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer executable program having instructions, which when executed, perform the following steps in order to operate a controller to support parking:

storing road information including link data;

obtaining information regarding a vacant space on a road;

calculating an available number of the one vehicle to park in a predetermined section specified by the link data based on the road information and the information regarding the space necessary for parking per the one vehicle;

calculating a sum of an available number of the one vehicle to park in the predetermined section specified by the link data based on the vacant space on the road and the information regarding the space necessary for parking per the one vehicle;

calculating a vacant parking space ratio in the predetermined section specified by the link data based on the calculated available number and the calculated sum;

obtaining traffic volume in the predetermined section;

correcting the calculated vacant parking space ratio based on the obtained traffic volume; and

providing notification of the calculated vacant parking space ratio.