The invention relates to a method for identifying parking spaces, including emitting an ultrasonic signal and receiving a reflected signal; and providing a grid which of a region having a plurality of cells. Each cell is assigned to a partial region of the region surrounding the vehicle and an occupancy value is assigned to each cell. The reflected signal is assigned to a set of cells of the grid based on a transit time of the ultrasonic signal between emission and reception. The occupancy values of the cells to which the reflected signal is allocated are increased by a specific value. An occupancy information item is determined based on the occupancy values of the cells. The signal emitting/receiving and the reflected signal assigning are repeated multiple times. Parking space identification is performed based on an occupancy status of the cells specified using the occupancy information item determination.

A vehicle, radar system and method of detecting an object is disclosed. The radar system includes plurality of sensors a plurality of sensors, wherein a field of view of one of the plurality of sensors overlaps a field of view of at least another of the plurality of sensors at a region, and a processor. The processor is receives from the plurality of sensors a detection from the region, the detection related to an object, determines an overlap value for the region, adjusts a density parameter of a clustering criterion based on the overlap value, and determines a valid clustering of the detection with a neighboring detection using the adjusted density parameter.

A parking assistance apparatus includes a processor and a memory. The processor extracts a parking space from a surrounding image of a vehicle and generates an image in which a target parking position is in overlap with the parking space, the surrounding image being captured by an imaging apparatus provided in the vehicle. The memory stores history information associating a parking position of the vehicle with the parking space. The processor adjusts a position of the target parking position in the image on the basis of the history information.

A vehicle includes one or more laterally mounted microphones and a controller programmed to detect a signature of an unoccupied position adjacent the vehicle in outputs of the microphones. The signature may be identified using a machine learning algorithm. In response to detecting an unoccupied position, the controller may invoke autonomous parking, store the location of the unoccupied position for later use, and/or report the unoccupied position to a server, which then informs other vehicles of the available parking. The unoccupied position may be verified by evaluating whether map data indicates legal parking at that location. The unoccupied position may also be confirmed with one or more other sensors, such as a camera, LIDAR, RADAR, SONAR, or other type of sensor.

A parking assistance device includes a pair of left and right sonar devices provided in a vehicle, an obstacle detection controller for determining whether an obstacle present within a determination target distance range on a side of the vehicle is a wall or a curb by comparing a level value of a reflection wave received by one of the sonar devices with each of a first threshold value and a second threshold value that are different from each other, and an automatic parking controller for setting a guiding route for automatic parking depending on a determination result, and the automatic parking controller sets the guiding route requiring a large amount of steering of the vehicle in a case where the determination result indicates a curb, compared with a case where the determination result indicates a wall in the automatic parking in the form of parallel parking.

The invention relates to a method for identifying at least one object (9, 10) in a surrounding area (7) of a motor vehicle (1), in which the motor vehicle (1) is moved relative to at least one object (9, 10) and, while the motor vehicle (1) is moved relative to the at least one object (9, 10), a measurement cycle is performed at each of a plurality of successive times, wherein each measurement cycle involves an ultrasonic sensor (4) of the motor vehicle (1) being used to transmit an ultrasonic signal, and a feature (14) being determined that describes a position value, which describes a position of the at least one object (9, 10) and which is ascertained on the basis of a first received echo of the ultrasonic signal, and a presence of a second echo of the ultrasonic signal that is received within a predetermined period of time after the first echo, wherein the respective features (14) are associated with a cluster (13) on the basis of their position value, and the features (14) of the cluster (13) are signalled as belonging to the at least one object (9, 10) on the basis of the presence of the second echo.

Objects are sensed by a distance sensor of a vehicle. Reflected signals are received as echo signals by the driving-environment sensor. Object distance is calculable, for example, from the propagation time of the signals. Of the sensed objects, those objects are identified which, e.g., based on their spatial disposition, are parking-space-delimiting objects. It is possible to differentiate between objects delimiting a parking space to the side (e.g., parked vehicles) and lateral parking-space delimitations (e.g., a curbstone) by evaluating the echo signals. The parking-space-delimiting objects are classified through characteristic structures of the echo signals assigned to the parking-space-delimiting objects, and an object class is assigned to each parking-space-delimiting object. A parking-space quality is determined as a function of the classification, and a parking space defined by the parking-space-delimiting objects is recognized as a possible parking space if the quality of the parking space meets a threshold.

A method for aiding finding of available parking areas of a street section includes receiving data corresponding to parking areas situated in a street section, the data including information ascertained by an ascertaining vehicle driving through the street section and information received from a server, determining an instantaneous occupancy estimate of the street section based on the received data, calculating a forecasted occupancy estimate based on the instantaneous occupancy estimate using a timer series forecasting model, and generating a display representation of the calculated forecasted occupancy estimate. The method includes receiving the data and determining the occupancy estimate, for example, each time an ascertaining vehicle drives through the street.

A parking assistance apparatus includes a processor and a memory. The processor extracts a parking space from a surrounding image of a vehicle and generates an image in which a target parking position is in overlap with the parking space, the surrounding image being captured by an imaging apparatus provided in the vehicle. The memory stores history information associating a parking position of the vehicle with the parking space. The processor adjusts a position of the target parking position in the image on the basis of the history information.

A method includes receiving data corresponding to spaces situated in a street section, the data being ascertained by at least one ascertaining vehicle driving through the street section and including information corresponding to a beginning edge of at least one object and a ending edge of at least one second object, determining boundaries of at least one space in which parking is permitted based on the received data, and generating a display representation of the boundaries of the at least one space in which parking is permitted. The method includes receiving the data and determining the boundaries, for example, each time an ascertaining vehicle drives through the street.