A system for selecting an optimized parking location for a vehicle includes a data processor, a plurality of sensors within the vehicle, and a user model based on historical data of parking events for the vehicle, the data processor is adapted to collect parking preferences for a driver of the vehicle, identify a destination of the vehicle, identify a current location of the vehicle, collect data from a plurality of sensors within the vehicle, collect data from external sources and create a list of potential parking spaces, access the user model, rank the potential parking spaces based on the parking preferences of the driver, the data from external sources and the user model, and provide an output based on parking preferences for the driver of the vehicle and the user model.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for cognitive parking guidance. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for cognitive parking guidance includes initially receiving in memory of a computer either an express or implied definition of a navigation waypoint for a specified vehicle. The method also includes retrieving from over a computer communications network into the memory of the computer, a set of available parking spaces within a pre-specified distance of the navigation waypoint and loading into the memory of the computer a context of the vehicle. The method yet further includes filtering the available parking spaces in the set into a subset of one or more available parking spaces in accordance with the context. Finally, the method includes displaying a location of a selected one of the parking spaces in the subset in a display of the computer.

Systems and methods are described which manage, in real time, and without impeding the natural flow of vehicles, a preferred flow of traffic within a geographic location based on prior modeling and simulation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a drive control apparatus and a drive control method for reducing time and effort of parking. A drive control apparatus according to the present invention includes a processor to execute a program and a memory to store the program which, when executed by the processor, performs processes of: acquiring a traveling information; detecting a stop position of a vehicle, which is manually driven, based on the traveling information and determining whether or not the stop position is included in a no-parking area with reference to a map data in which information of the no-parking area is described; searching for a parking area including an empty space when it is determined that the stop position is included in the no-parking area; and instructing the vehicle to perform an automatic driving from the stop position to the parking area including the empty space.

The invention includes a vehicular sensor node, circuit apparatus and their operations. Power from power source is controlled for delivery to radio transceiver and magnetic sensor, based upon a task trigger and task identifier. The radio transceiver and the magnetic sensor are operated based upon the task identifier, when the task trigger is active. The power source, radio transceiver, magnetic sensor, and circuit apparatus are enclosed in vehicular sensor node, placed upon pavement and operating for at least five years without replacing the power source components. Magnetic sensor preferably uses the magnetic resistive effect to create magnetic sensor state. Radio transceiver preferably implements version of a wireless communications protocol. The circuit apparatus may further include light emitting structure to visibly communicate during installation and/or testing, and second light emitting structure used to visibly communicate with vehicle operators. Making filled shell and vehicular sensor node from circuit apparatus.

A method for the operation of a parking assistance system of a transportation vehicle in which a parking space in a surroundings of the transportation vehicle is recognized with reference to sensor data of at least one surroundings sensor of the transportation vehicle and a predetermined parking space category is assigned to the parking space, and a parking maneuver into the parking space with the assigned parking space category is offered to a user of the transportation vehicle, wherein parking space surroundings data that describe a location of the parking space and/or a surroundings of the parking space are determined, a driving direction along which the transportation vehicle will be maneuvered into the parking space is determined with reference to the parking space surroundings data, and the parking maneuver along the determined driving direction is offered to the user.

A vehicle control apparatus loads a vehicle into a parking space of a parking lot or unloads the vehicle from the parking space, by causing the vehicle to run in a self-propelled manner. The vehicle control apparatus is equipped with a reception unit that receives, from a control center at the parking lot, map information including mark information on a plurality of marks for identifying a position of the vehicle at the parking lot, a computation unit that computes each of intervals between the marks, based on the mark information included in the map information, and a determination unit that determines whether or not each of the computed intervals is a predetermined interval.

An automated parking system for a vehicle includes a camera configured to obtain images of objects proximate the vehicle, and a controller configured to review the obtained images of objects proximate the vehicle to classify an environment proximate the vehicle, determine a type of parking lot associated with the classified location and initiate an automated parking function of the vehicle corresponding to the determined type of parking lot.

Systems and methods for multilevel parking structure utilization and reporting are disclosed herein. An example method includes obtaining a layout that identifies ramps, turns, and level portions of a multilevel parking structure, determining vehicle data gathered as the vehicle operates within the multilevel parking structure, the vehicle data including steering input, compass headings, and distance traveled, and determining a current level of a vehicle within the multilevel parking structure by tracking the vehicle's use of the ramps, the turns, and the level portions in combination with the layout.

Embodiments described herein relate to anonymization of parking events such that parking events may be used by location-based service providers without revealing a target associated with the respective parking events. Methods may include: receiving an indication of a parking event; map-matching the parking event to a parking event road segment; identifying candidate road segments, wherein the candidate road segments are connected directly or indirectly to the parking event road segment; selecting a road segment of the candidate road segments; updating the parking event to be an updated parking event associated with the selected road segment; and providing the updated parking event to a location-based service provider.