Systems, methods, and apparatuses for locating parking spaces are disclosed. According to one method, a request is received from a user of a vehicle to locate a space; the location of the user is determined; a database comprising spaces within a geographic region is accessed; from the database, a subset of spaces within the geographic region is identified, the subset comprising user-specific spaces; a determination is made regarding the availability of the user-specific spaces; and if a user-specific space is available, a transmission is initiated, intended for the user, providing the location of at least one available space. The systems, methods, and apparatus may be used to locate free spaces, may allow users to indicate when they are vacating a space to enable other users to access the space via a “park it forward” approach, and may assign available spaces to users based on an equitable prioritization protocol.

In a motor vehicle having motor vehicle exterior lighting devices and an operator control device, the following lighting modes of the motor vehicle exterior lighting devices can be set: deactivated, parking light, daytime running light, forwarding lighting, and automatic mode in which the motor vehicle exterior lighting devices are operated by an automatic forward light controller. The operator control device has a single monostable operator control element by which the lighting modes can be set; or the operator control device has a monostable operator control element by which the deactivated, parking light, daytime running light and forward lighting lighting modes can be set. The operator control device has a pushbutton key or a toggle lever by which the automatic mode can be set.

Methods and devices assist in a parking maneuver of a vehicle. The vehicle includes a parking aid that produces a first signal. The first signal is perceptible in an interior of the vehicle during a parking maneuver. A signal property of the first signal is adapted to a currently prevailing distance of the vehicle from a parking obstruction. The first signal is converted into a second signal that is perceptible by an operator located outside the vehicle. The second signal is transmitted to the operator disposed outside the vehicle during a remotely-controlled performance of the parking maneuver.

The present invention relates to a daylight opening surround (3; 101) for a motor vehicle (1). The surround (3; 101) has a light transmitting element (15; 103) for transmitting light from a light source (19; 111). The present invention also relates to a light transmitting element (15; 103) for a surround (3; 101); a controller for a daylight opening surround (3; 101); and a motor vehicle (1).

A parking assistance system for a motor vehicle includes a monitoring unit for detecting an object in the vicinity of the vehicle and a light system connected to the monitoring unit and configured to emit light into the area surrounding the motor vehicle. The monitoring unit is configured to sense the bearing of an object and to control the distribution of the light emitted from the light system as a function of the sensed bearing.

There is provided a parking system comprising a parking lot device and a parking vehicle device configured for an enhanced management of power consumption such that the parking lot device uses self-generated energy and conducts tasks requiring a lower power consumption level and wherein the parking vehicle device uses the vehicle battery and is configured to conduct tasks requiring a higher power consumption level, where both the PLD and the PVD are configured to work in a coordinated manner to sleep and wake up only when required in order to minimize power consumption.

A method for identifying free spaces (parking not permitted) and/or permitted parking areas, vehicles transmitting pieces of information about possible parking spaces (PPS) to a central computer facility (CCF). Positions of PPS are detected with vehicle surroundings sensors, and the detected PPS are evaluated based on the data collected, a categorization being performed for recording the PPS, with positions, in a CCF database and evaluating the data using a cluster analysis. When the analysis is performed, PPS are assigned to a street portion, a function is assigned to the street portion, which is given by the quotient of the frequency of PPS detections in a certain position along the street portion and the number of vehicle passages through the street portion and a weighting factor from the evaluation. A free space is inferred when the function value is greater than a predefined second limiting value and/or a parking area is inferred when the function value is within a predefined range. Also described is a device for assisting a driver, a central computer facility, and a related computer program.

The disclosed embodiments illustrate methods and systems for predicting an availability of a parking spot in a parking area. The method includes generating a first signature for each of one or more first users. The first signature is generated based on at least a first set of data received from at least one or more first sensors in a first user-computing device associated with each of the one or more first users. The method further includes generating a second signature for each of the one or more first vehicles, based on at least a second set of data received from one or more second sensors in a first vehicle-computing device associated with each of the one or more first vehicles. Further, the method includes determining a likelihood of the availability of the one or more parking spots based on at least the first signature and the second signature.

A method for reducing a hazard to and/or by a vehicle situated on a parking lot, including the following: checking a communication link between a vehicle situated on a parking lot and a parking lot management system for operating the parking lot while the vehicle is driving at least partially assisted on the parking lot with the aid of the parking lot management system; and initiating one or multiple measures in the event of a disrupted or absent communication link to reduce a hazard to the and/or by the vehicle due to the disrupted or absent communication link. Also described is a corresponding device, a vehicle, a parking lot management system, and a computer program.

Methods, systems and computer program product for determining parking occupancy. In some embodiments, the parking occupancy is determined based on at least one distance between a parking location of a user and a destination of the user. In some embodiments, the parking occupancy is determined based on one or more parking instances in a paid parking lot and is based on the distance from the paid parking lot. In some embodiments, the parking occupancy is determined based on at least one route of a vehicle while searching for parking. In some embodiments, the parking occupancy is determined based on a parking curve. The parking occupancy can be used to compute an estimated arrival time which includes an estimated searching for parking time. The parking occupancy information can be used to rank parking areas.