A parking assist apparatus includes: a map generation unit that generates an obstacle map showing a position of an obstacle existing in a surrounding of own vehicle based on a detected result of a sonar, and records data indicating existence of the obstacle on the obstacle map; a wheel-stop detection unit that divides the obstacle map generated by the map generation unit into a plurality of areas, counts a number of data pieces in each of the plurality of divided areas, and detects a position of a wheel stop based on the counted number of data pieces in each of the plurality of areas; and a parking position setting unit that sets a parking position for parking the own vehicle based on the position of the wheel stop detected by the wheel-stop detection unit.

Systems and methods are provided herein for identifying the status of an electric vehicle charging station’s (EVCS) parking space. This may be accomplished by an EVCS detecting an electric vehicle in a parking space using one or more sensors. The EVCS can use the one or more sensors to receive user information relating to the detected electric vehicle. The EVCS can then determine a status (e.g., “Occupied,” “Soon to be occupied,” “Available,” “Soon to be available,” etc.) of the parking space using the received user information. The EVCS then transmits the status to a device (e.g., server, smartphone, etc.).

A method for performing correlation-based parking availability estimation is provided. The method includes retrieving a plurality of parking availability correlation models, wherein each of the parking availability correlation models estimates parking availability for a target parking block based on parking availability for one or more other parking blocks; selecting a subset of the parking availability correlation models, wherein the subset comprises parking availability correlation models that estimate parking availability of the target parking block based on parking availability for one or more other parking blocks for which current parking availability is known; selecting a parking availability correlation model from the subset based on a model quality indicator associated with each parking availability correlation model; and estimating parking availability for the target parking block based on the selected parking availability correlation model.

Disclosed is a parking sensor device for determining occupancy of a parking space. The parking sensor device has a magnetometer sensor configured to detect a magnetic field, and a radar sensor configured to perform at least one radar scan to detect presence of an object. In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, the parking sensor device has control circuitry configured to determine occupancy of the parking space based on the magnetic field and the at least one radar scan. Utilizing this particular combination of sensor input can help to improve accuracy and reliability of determining occupancy of the parking space, especially when compared to existing approaches that utilize a single sensor such as a magnetometer sensor. The parking sensor device also has an output for conveying occupancy of the parking space.

This disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for eliminating false activation of components of a vehicle when the vehicle is parked in a garage. Example components can be a door lock, a door latch, a door activation servomotor, or a light. In an example method, a vehicle entry authorization system of a vehicle operates a sensor system to obtain dimensional information of an interior portion of the garage. The vehicle entry authorization system may then detect a presence of a mobile device (such as a phone-as-a-key or a vehicle key fob) and determines the location of the mobile device based on the dimensional information. If the mobile device is located outside the garage, the vehicle entry authorization system refrains from activating a component of the vehicle. However, if the mobile device is located inside the garage, the vehicle entry authorization system activates the component.

Various arrangements for determining that a vehicle is present in a parking space are presented. A parking sensor can make a plurality of magnetic field strength measurements using a magnetometer. A determination that the vehicle is parked proximate to the parking sensor device within the parking space can be based on a magnetic field strength measurement in relation to the selected magnetic field strength window.

Computer hardware and/or software configured to determine a plurality of parking spaces on a roadway within a pre-defined geographic location, wherein the plurality of parking spaces are available parking spaces on a side of the roadway, determine a plurality of autonomous vehicles to be parked within the pre-defined geographic location, allocate a selected parking space from the plurality of parking spaces to an autonomous vehicle of the plurality of autonomous vehicles, and transmit parking space information to the autonomous vehicle, wherein the parking space information includes the selected parking space.

Disclosed is a parking assistance method for a drive with a motor vehicle. A parking assistance device determines a navigation destination of the drive of the motor vehicle, receives occupancy state data from at least one data source external to the motor vehicle of an availability of free parking spaces at the navigation destination and ascertains at least one location of a free parking space based on the received occupancy state data. The parking assistance device examines whether the navigation destination satisfies a preset criterion, including a minimum probability of a driver-specific favoring and/or frequency, and predetermines an information content for parking space data for the drive depending on whether the navigation destination satisfies the preset favoring criterion. The parking assistance device provides parking space data with the predetermined information content and transfers the provided parking space data to an output device.

Device and methods for controlling occupation of geographic spaces. The method includes identifying, via a software application, an object for performing an action for the vehicle, the action relating to occupying a space for the vehicle, transmitting a targeted request to the object for the performing the action, receiving a notification that the space is occupied by the object in response to the transmitting the targeted request, and determining that the action is completed upon arriving at the space.

Contemporary navigation systems are often tasked with routing a vehicle to a destination, but are poorly equipped to assist with finding a vacancy of a parking opportunity in which the vehicle may be parked. Static information, such as enumeration of parking garages and curbside parking meters, may be frustrating if such parking opportunities have no vacancies. The determination of vacancies with certainty may be difficult to achieve due to the characteristic volatility of parking, in which vacancies may be taken in seconds. Presented herein are navigation device configurations involving probabilistic evaluation of parking routes in a vicinity of a destination that may be generated and compared, optionally weighted by various factors, to identify a parking route with parking opportunities that collectively present a high probability of vacancy as compared with other parking routes, which may be presented to the user and/or appended to a current route of an autonomous vehicle.