Method and system for cloud-based communication for automatic driverless movement

• US 9,581,997 B1
• Filed: 07/02/2013
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emerging Automotive, LLC
• Original Assignee: Emerging Automotive, LLC
• Inventors: Penilla, Angel A., Penilla, Albert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): DO, THUAN V
• Application Number:
  US13/934,215
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 320/155
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/22 Standstill, e.g. zero speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0015 Prevention of collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/50 characterised by the display information being shared, e.g. external display, data transfer to other traffic participants or centralised traffic controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/70 characterised by an event-triggered choice to display a specific image among a selection of captured images
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 : Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 : Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4041 : Position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 : Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/806 : Relative heading
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/00 : Input parameters relating to data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 : of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 : Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2754/10 : Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 : Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• 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: B60W 30/09 : Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 : Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 : Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 : Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 : Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 : Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 : specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 : Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 : Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 : of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 : of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 : combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 : using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 : Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 : Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 : associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 : characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 : characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 : specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 : using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 : Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 : Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 : involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/308 : using the Internet of Things
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 : Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 : Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 : Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 : Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 : communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 : Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 : dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 : Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 : event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 : involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 : for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 : Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 : Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

Methods, computer systems, and servers are provided for navigating a vehicle automatically from a current location to a destination location with or without a human operator controlling primary navigation of the vehicle. One example method includes identifying a vehicle location and determining if the vehicle location is near a self-park location. The method accesses mapping data for the self-park location and receiving a request to initiate a self-park process for the vehicle. The method includes forwarding instructions to the vehicle to proceed with the self-park process. The self-park process acting to control the vehicle to automatically move from a current location to a destination location in the self-park location, and the current location and the destination location are updated dynamically as the current location of the vehicle changes and based on conditions of the destination location. Vehicles can be dropped off, registered for self-parking via a smartphone, and the vehicle moves to an available parking location.

Claims

1. A method for navigating a vehicle automatically from a current location to a destination location without a human operator, the method comprising:

receiving a vehicle location using global positioning system (GPS) data regarding the vehicle;

determining if the vehicle location is near a self-park location using GPS data of the self-park location;

determining if the vehicle is proximate the self-park location for a threshold period of time that is indicative of the vehicle desiring to enter the self-park location;

accessing mapping data defined for the self-park location after the threshold period of time, the mapping data identifying a path within the self-park location and coordinates of at least one physical structure within the self-park location to avoid a collision of the vehicle with the at least one physical structure when the vehicle is automatically moved within the self-park location, wherein the mapping data is made accessible to electronics of the vehicle so that when the vehicle is automatically moved collision with the at least one physical structure is avoided;

receiving a request to initiate a self-park process for the vehicle; and

instructing the electronics of the vehicle to proceed with the self-park process, the self-park process acting to instruct the vehicle to automatically move from the current location to the destination location within the self-park location, for the self-park process the electronics use as input at least part of the mapping data and sensor data of at least one vehicle sensor, the electronics are configured to process instructions for drive control of the vehicle while the vehicle is automatically moved at the self-park location, the current location and the destination location being updated dynamically as the current location of the vehicle changes and based on conditions of the destination location, the destination location being a parking location for the vehicle, the method being executed by a processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the self-park location includes a plurality of sensors, each of the sensors being associated to physical locations in the self-park location, and selected ones of the sensors monitoring a volume of space to detect changes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the changes in the volume of space include presence or lack of presence of objects in the volume space over time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the objects present in the volume of space include one of humans, pets, vehicles, or objects determined to be other than free space for the vehicle to move, park or traverse.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the sensors of the self-park location include sensors of one or more vehicles located in the self-park location.

6. A method for navigating a vehicle automatically from a current location to a destination location without a human operator controlling primary navigation of the vehicle, the method comprising:

identifying a vehicle location using global positioning system (GPS) data regarding the vehicle;

determining if the vehicle location is near a self-park location using GPS data of the self-park location;

accessing mapping data defined for the self-park location after determining that the vehicle is near the self-park location, the mapping data identifying a path within the self-park location and coordinates of at least one physical structure within the self-park location to avoid a collision of the vehicle with the at least one physical structure when automatically moved within the self-park location, wherein the mapping data is made accessible to electronics of the vehicle so that when the vehicle is automatically moved collision with the at least one physical structure is avoided;

receiving a request to initiate a self-park process for the vehicle; and

forwarding instructions to the vehicle to enable the electronics of the vehicle to proceed with the self-park process, the self-park process acting to control the vehicle to automatically move from the current location to the destination location in the self-park location, the current location and the destination location being updated dynamically as the current location of the vehicle changes and based on conditions of the destination location;

wherein the self-park location includes a plurality of sensors, each of the sensors being associated to physical locations in the self-park location, and selected ones of the sensors monitor a volume or area of parking spots to detect changes and avoid collisions, and the sensors identifying when particular ones of the parking spots in the self-park location are available for use, and the availability for use is updated from time to time to identify parking spots that become occupied or become available, wherein said changes are forwarded as an input to the electronics of the vehicle for the self-park process;

wherein the GPS data regarding the vehicle and the GPS data of the self-park location is used to process one or more instructions for drive control of the vehicle while the vehicle is automatically moved at the self-park location;

wherein the electronics of the vehicle include hardware and software on-board the vehicle and the electronics of the vehicle communicate with a server to exchange data to manage at least part of the self-park process for the automatic movement of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the self-park location is one of a parking garage, a parking lot, a private property area, a garage and drive-way, a private residence, a public location, or a combination of private and public spaces.

8. The method of claim 6,

wherein the instructions to proceed with the self-park process is initiated via a remote computing device, and the remote computing device is a computing device that is either portable or not portable and the remote computing device has access to the Internet to communicate with the server and the electronics of the vehicle, the electronics of the vehicle enabling wireless communication via one or more of a peer-to-peer communication, or Wi-Fi communication, or a near field communication (NFC), or a Bluetooth communication.