Method and system for sharing parking space availability among autonomous vehicles

• US 9,984,572 B1
• Filed: 01/16/2017
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NIO Technology Company Limited (Shanghai Anbin Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Nio Usa Inc.
• Inventors: Newman, Austin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan Q
• Application Number:
  US15/407,075
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 701408
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/586 of parking space
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• 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 1/147 where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre

Abstract

Systems of an electrical vehicle and the operations thereof are provided that identify parking spaces by on board sensors and negotiate with other currently parked vehicles for parking space access.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle interior for receiving one or more occupants;

a plurality of sensors to collect sensed information associated with the vehicle interior and exterior of the vehicle;

an automatic vehicle location system to determine a current spatial location of the vehicle;

a computer readable medium to store an autonomous driving agent to operate autonomously vehicle operations; and

a microprocessor, coupled to the plurality of sensors, automatic vehicle location system, and computer readable medium, that, while executing the autonomous driving agent operating at a full automation level, one or more of (a) identifies a parking space and forwards parking information associated with the parking space to a navigation source or nearby vehicle and (b) negotiates with another autonomous driving agent of a currently parked vehicle for access to the parking space occupied by the currently parked vehicle, the autonomous driving agent of the currently parked vehicle operating at the full automation level, wherein in the full automation level an autonomous driving agent of a vehicle, based on vehicle sensor feedback, constructs a three-dimensional map in spatial proximity to the vehicle that identifies and spatially locates nearby animate and inanimate objects and parking spaces.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor performs operation (a), wherein in the full automation level the microprocessor drives the vehicle with no human interaction, wherein the parking space is currently unoccupied, and wherein the microprocessor identifies the parking space by identifying an absence of an object in the parking space as the vehicle drives past the parking space.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the microprocessor forwards parking information related to the identified currently unoccupied parking space to a navigation source, wherein the parking information comprises the location of the currently unoccupied parking space and one or more of a required parking priority level to use the parking space, a financial cost to use the parking space, a legal requirement regarding the days and hours when parking in the parking space is permitted, a maximum time allowed for parking in the parking space, a vehicle type or size suitable for the parking space, an access limitation or requirement for the parking space, and an indication whether or not the parking space is reserved and a reservation requirement, and wherein the navigation source includes at least some of the parking information in an auxiliary data field of navigation information provided to other vehicles, wherein the autonomous driving agent combines navigation information from the navigation source with the vehicle sensor feedback to construct the three-dimensional map, wherein the three-dimensional map comprises auxiliary data attached to an entity or attribute, the auxiliary data comprising the parking information.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor performs operation (b), wherein in the full automation level the microprocessor drives the vehicle in the absence of human interaction, wherein the microprocessor sends a request to a nearby vehicle/or navigation source or control source that the vehicle requires a parking space, and wherein the request comprises one or more of a parking priority level of the vehicle, a length of time or duration that the parking space will be occupied by the vehicle, an identity of the operator or owner of the vehicle, a state of charge of an energy storage unit in the vehicle, and a purpose of or reason for the vehicle occupying the parking space.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the other autonomous driving agent of the currently parked vehicle has a lower parking priority level than the vehicle or the currently parked vehicle has a higher state of charge of an energy storage unit than the vehicle and wherein, as a result, the currently parked vehicle vacates the parking space to be occupied by the vehicle.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the autonomous driving agent agrees to compensate the owner or operator of the currently parked vehicle in exchange for the currently parked vehicle vacating the parking space to be occupied by the vehicle and wherein an level of operation of the autonomous driving agent is at least level 2 or higher.

7. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the request comprises a geographical area in which the autonomous driving agent desires a parking space, wherein the autonomous driving agent combines navigation information from the navigation source with the vehicle sensor feedback to construct the three-dimensional map, wherein the three-dimensional map comprises auxiliary data attached to an entity or attribute, the auxiliary data comprising the parking information, and wherein a flag indicates the existence of embedded parking information in the three dimensional map.

8. A method, comprising:

in a vehicle having a vehicle interior for receiving one or more occupants;

a plurality of sensors to collect sensed information associated with the vehicle interior and exterior of the vehicle;

an automatic vehicle location system to determine a current spatial location of the vehicle;

a computer readable medium to store an autonomous driving agent to operate autonomously vehicle operations; and

a microprocessor, coupled to the plurality of sensors, automatic vehicle location system, and computer readable medium, performing one or more of (a) while executing the autonomous driving agent operating at a full automation level, identifying a parking space and forwarding parking information associated with the parking space to a navigation source or nearby vehicle and (b) while executing the autonomous driving agent operating at a full automation level, negotiating with another autonomous driving agent of a currently parked vehicle for access to the parking space occupied by the currently parked vehicle, the autonomous driving agent of the currently parked vehicle operating at the full automation level, wherein in the full automation level an autonomous driving agent of a vehicle, based on vehicle sensor feedback, constructs a three-dimensional map in spatial proximity to the vehicle that identifies and spatially locates nearby animate and inanimate objects and parking spaces.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the microprocessor identifies a parking space and forwards parking information associated with the parking space to a navigation source or nearby vehicle, wherein in the full automation level the microprocessor drives the vehicle with no human interaction, wherein the parking space is currently unoccupied, and wherein the microprocessor identifies the parking space by identifying an absence of an object in the parking space as the vehicle drives past the parking space.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the microprocessor forwards parking information related to the identified currently unoccupied parking space to a navigation source, wherein the parking information comprises the location of the currently unoccupied parking space and one or more of a required parking priority level to use the parking space, a financial cost to use the parking space, a legal requirement regarding the days and hours when parking in the parking space is permitted, a maximum time allowed for parking in the parking space, a vehicle type or size suitable for the parking space, an access limitation or requirement for the parking space, and an indication whether or not the parking space is reserved and a reservation requirement, and wherein the navigation source includes at least some of the parking information in an auxiliary data field of navigation information provided to other vehicles, wherein the autonomous driving agent combines navigation information from the navigation source with the vehicle sensor feedback to construct the three-dimensional map, wherein the three-dimensional map comprises auxiliary data attached to an entity or attribute, the auxiliary data comprising the parking information.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the microprocessor negotiates with another autonomous driving agent of a currently parked vehicle for access to the parking space occupied by the currently parked vehicle, wherein in the full automation level the microprocessor drives the vehicle in the absence of human interaction, wherein the microprocessor sends a request to a nearby vehicle/or navigation source or control source that the vehicle requires a parking space, and wherein the request comprises one or more of a parking priority level of the vehicle, a length of time or duration that the parking space will be occupied by the vehicle, an identity of the operator or owner of the vehicle, a state of charge of an energy storage unit in the vehicle, and a purpose of or reason for the vehicle occupying the parking space.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the other autonomous driving agent of the currently parked vehicle has a lower parking priority level than the vehicle or the currently parked vehicle has a higher state of charge of an energy storage unit than the vehicle and wherein, as a result, the currently parked vehicle vacates the parking space to be occupied by the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the autonomous driving agent agrees to compensate the owner or operator of the currently parked vehicle in exchange for the currently parked vehicle vacating the parking space to be occupied by the vehicle and wherein an level of operation of the autonomous driving agent is at least level 2 or higher.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the request comprises a geographical area in which the autonomous driving agent desires a parking space, wherein the autonomous driving agent combines navigation information from the navigation source with the vehicle sensor feedback to construct the three-dimensional map, wherein the three-dimensional map comprises auxiliary data attached to an entity or attribute, the auxiliary data comprising the parking information, and wherein a flag indicates the existence of embedded parking information in the three dimensional map.

15. A navigation source, comprising:

a map database comprising a plurality of maps, the plurality of maps comprising an auxiliary data field;

a map database manager, coupled to the map database, to manage the map database; and

a microprocessor to execute the map database manager, wherein the map database manager receives parking information collected by autonomous vehicles while operating at a full automation level in which a microprocessor drives the vehicle with no human interaction and incorporates the parking information in the auxiliary data field in the plurality of maps for access by other vehicles, wherein in the full automation level an autonomous driving agent of a vehicle, based on vehicle sensor feedback, constructs a three-dimensional map in spatial proximity to the vehicle that identifies and spatially locates nearby animate and inanimate objects and parking spaces.

16. The navigation source of claim 15, wherein an autonomous vehicle identifies a parking space as the vehicle passes the parking space and wherein the parking space is currently unoccupied, wherein the vehicle identifies the parking space by identifying an absence of an object in the parking space and wherein the autonomous driving agent combines navigation information from the navigation source with the vehicle sensor feedback to construct the three-dimensional map, wherein the three-dimensional map comprises auxiliary data attached to an entity or attribute, the auxiliary data comprising the parking information.

17. The navigation source of claim 16, wherein in the full automation level the microprocessor drives the vehicle in the absence of human interaction, and wherein the parking information comprises the location of the currently unoccupied parking space and one or more of a required parking priority level to use the parking space, a financial cost to use the parking space, a legal requirement regarding the days and hours when parking in the parking space is permitted, a maximum time allowed for parking in the parking space, a vehicle type or size suitable for the parking space, an access limitation or requirement for the parking space, and an indication whether or not the parking space is reserved and a reservation requirement.

18. The navigation source of claim 15, wherein the autonomous driving agent combines navigation information from the navigation source with the vehicle sensor feedback to construct the three-dimensional map, wherein the three-dimensional map comprises auxiliary data attached to an entity or attribute, the auxiliary data comprising the parking information, and wherein a flag indicates the existence of embedded parking information in the three dimensional map.

19. The navigation source of claim 15, wherein a second autonomous driving agent of a currently parked second vehicle has a lower parking priority level than a first autonomous driving agent of a first vehicle or the currently parked second vehicle has a higher state of charge of an energy storage unit than the first vehicle and wherein, as a result, the navigation source commands the currently parked second vehicle to vacate the parking space to be occupied by the first vehicle.

20. The navigation source of claim 15, wherein the navigation source receives a request from a first vehicle that the first vehicle requires a parking space and wherein the request comprises one or more of a parking priority level of the first vehicle, a length of time or duration that the parking space will be occupied by the first vehicle, an identity of the operator or owner of the first vehicle, a state of charge of an energy storage unit in the first vehicle, and a purpose of or reason for the first vehicle occupying the parking space.