Method for identifying parking areas and/or free spaces

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A method for identifying at least one of free spaces in which parking is not permitted and parking areas in which parking is permitted, in which vehicles transmit pieces of information about possible parking spaces to a central computer facility, the method comprising: detecting positions of possible parking spaces along a street with the aid of data from surroundings sensors of the vehicles; evaluating the detected possible parking spaces based on the data collected by the surroundings sensors, wherein a categorization of at least one object delimiting the detected possible parking spaces is carried out; recording the possible parking spaces, together with the positions, in a database of the central computer facility; and evaluating the data stored in the database using a cluster analysis, wherein possible parking spaces are assigned to a street portion when the cluster analysis is carried out, a function being assigned to the street portion which is given by the quotient of the frequency of the detections of a possible parking space in a certain position along the street portion and the number of passages of vehicles through this street portion and a weighting factor, formed from the evaluating, wherein at least one of: a presence of a free space in which parking is not permitted is inferred when the function value is greater than a predefined limiting value, or a presence of a parking area in which parking is permitted is inferred when the function value is within a predefined range.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the surroundings sensors of the vehicles include distance sensors, wherein possible parking spaces are detected during passing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the position of a possible parking space is determined using a position ascertained by the surroundings sensors relative to the vehicle and a vehicle position ascertained with the aid of satellite navigation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a detected possible parking space is evaluated by the vehicle which has detected the possible parking space.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a passage of a vehicle through the street portion is identified by at least one of the following: regularly ascertaining the vehicle position with the aid of satellite navigation and assigning the progression of the vehicle position to the street portion; ascertaining and evaluating intersections crossed by the vehicle, the street portion being delimited by two intersections; and the vehicle repeatedly identifying a possible parking space, during a passage through a street portion the positions of possible parking spaces being stored by the vehicle and a piece of information being transmitted to the central computer facility during a repeat passage when no possible parking space is identified in a previously stored position, the number of passages through the street portion being given by the sum of the data transmissions assigned to the street portion and the number of possible parking spaces identified in this street portion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein pieces of information about identified free spaces are provided by the central computer facility.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a position indication is transmitted to the central computer facility and the central computer facility reports back pieces of information about identified free spaces in the surroundings or in the indicated position.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having program instructions, which when executed by a processor perform a method, the method comprising: detecting positions of possible parking spaces along a street with the aid of data from surroundings sensors of the vehicles; evaluating the detected possible parking spaces based on the data collected by the surroundings sensors, wherein a categorization of at least one object delimiting the detected possible parking spaces is carried out; recording the possible parking spaces, together with the positions, in a database of the central computer facility; and evaluating the data stored in the database using a cluster analysis, wherein possible parking spaces are assigned to a street portion when the cluster analysis is carried out, a function being assigned to the street portion which is given by the quotient of the frequency of the detections of a possible parking space in a certain position along the street portion and the number of passages of vehicles through this street portion and a weighting factor, formed from the evaluating, wherein at least one of: a presence of a free space in which parking is not permitted is inferred when the function value is greater than a predefined limiting value, or a presence of a parking area in which parking is permitted is inferred when the function value is within a predefined range.

9. A central computer facility, comprising: a database; a processing unit; and a communicating arrangement to communicate with a vehicle, wherein the central computer facility is configured for identifying at least one of free spaces in which parking is not permitted and parking areas in which parking is permitted, in which vehicles transmit pieces of information about possible parking spaces to a central computer facility, by performing the following: detecting positions of possible parking spaces along a street with the aid of data from surroundings sensors of the vehicles; evaluating the detected possible parking spaces based on the data collected by the surroundings sensors, wherein a categorization of at least one object delimiting the detected possible parking spaces is carried out; recording the possible parking spaces, together with the positions, in the database of the central computer facility; and evaluating the data stored in the database using a cluster analysis, wherein possible parking spaces are assigned to a street portion when the cluster analysis is carried out, a function being assigned to the street portion which is given by the quotient of the frequency of the detections of a possible parking space in a certain position along the street portion and the number of passages of vehicles through this street portion and a weighting factor, formed from the evaluating, wherein at least one of: a presence of a free space in which parking is not permitted is inferred when the function value is greater than a predefined limiting value, or a presence of a parking area in which parking is permitted is inferred when the function value is within a predefined range.

10. A device for assisting a driver, comprising: surroundings sensors for detecting possible parking spaces along a street in the surroundings of a vehicle; a communicating arrangement to communicate with a central computer facility, wherein the device is configured for identifying at least one of free spaces in which parking is not permitted and parking areas in which parking is permitted, in which vehicles transmit pieces of information about possible parking spaces to a central computer facility, by performing the following: detecting positions of possible parking spaces along the street with the aid of data from the surroundings sensors of the vehicles; evaluating the detected possible parking spaces based on the data collected by the surroundings sensors, wherein a categorization of at least one object delimiting the detected possible parking spaces is carried out; recording the possible parking spaces, together with the positions, in the database of the central computer facility; and evaluating the data stored in the database using a cluster analysis, wherein possible parking spaces are assigned to a street portion when the cluster analysis is carried out, a function being assigned to the street portion which is given by the quotient of the frequency of the detections of a possible parking space in a certain position along the street portion and the number of passages of vehicles through this street portion and a weighting factor, formed from the evaluating, wherein at least one of: a presence of a free space in which parking is not permitted is inferred when the function value is greater than a predefined limiting value, or a presence of a parking area in which parking is permitted is inferred when the function value is within a predefined range.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the data from the surroundings sensors includes data regarding a first object that delimits a rear of the possible parking space, a second object that delimits a front of the possible parking space, and a lateral object that delimits a side of the possible parking space.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the categorization categorizes a delimitation of a rear or a front of the possible parking space as at least one of: a vehicle, no object, or unknown.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the categorization categorizes a delimitation of a side of the possible parking space as at least one of: curb, no curb, high object, or unknown.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows the identification of possible parking spaces by a vehicle.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a map including marked possible parking spaces.

(3) FIG. 3 shows possible parking spaces assigned to a street portion.

(4) FIG. 4 shows a representation of a function for the presence of a free space and/or a parking area in a street portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) FIG. 1 shows a vehicle 1 which is moving along a street 2 in a driving direction 20. Vehicle 1 includes a device 10 for assisting the driver, which in turn includes surroundings sensors 14 for detecting possible parking spaces 22 in the surroundings of vehicle 1. Surroundings sensors 14 are configured as distance sensors in the specific embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 and are oriented to the sides of vehicle 1, one surroundings sensor 14 each being situated on the left vehicle side and on the right vehicle side.

(6) When vehicle 1 passes by possible parking space 22, a rear delimitation 28, a front delimitation 26 and a lateral delimitation 24 are ascertained via surroundings sensors 14. Delimitation 28 thus corresponds to the first reference object, delimitation 26 corresponds to the second reference object, and lateral delimitation 24 corresponds to the lateral reference.

(7) In the specific embodiment of the method illustrated in FIG. 1, it is provided that the pieces of information ascertained about possible parking space 22 are initially evaluated by device 10. For this purpose, device 10 includes a control unit 12, which determines a probability of the presence of a permissible parking space. The identified delimitations 24, 26, 28 are classified for this purpose. In the situation illustrated in FIG. 1, both front delimitation 26 and rear delimitation 28 are vehicles. Furthermore, a curb was established as lateral delimitation 24. With the aid of the identified delimitations 24, 26, 28, the position of possible parking space 22 and its length and width in relation to a vehicle coordinate system are ascertained. The vehicle coordinate system is represented by axes of coordinates in the representation in FIG. 1, the X direction being situated counter to driving direction 20 and the Y direction being free toward the right side of the street. Possible parking space 22 is classified into a category corresponding to the finding.

(8) The result of the evaluation of possible parking space 22 is transmitted together with an indication about its position to a central computer facility 210 via an arrangement for communication 18. The absolute position of possible parking space 22 is determined in that initially its position relative to vehicle 1 is ascertained, and additionally the position of vehicle 1 is determined with the aid of satellite navigation. Device 10 additionally includes a GPS receiver 16 for this purpose.

(9) Central computer facility 210 includes an arrangement for communication for communicating with vehicles 216, via which the same receives the information about possible parking space 22. The information is stored in a database 212. To carry out a cluster analysis, furthermore a processing unit 214 is assigned to central computer facility 210.

(10) In further specific embodiments, the evaluation of possible parking space 22 is carried out by central computer facility 210. For this purpose, the data of surroundings sensors 14 are transmitted by vehicle 1 to central computer facility 210.

(11) FIG. 2 graphically represents the positions of possible parking spaces 22 (compare to FIG. 1). As is derivable from the representation in FIG. 2, concentrations, i.e., clusters, of possible parking spaces 22 occur in areas in which streets 2 are located, positions of possible parking spaces 22 whose probability of the presence of a permissible parking space is greater than the third limiting value being represented as open squares 34 in the representation in FIG. 2, and positions of possible parking spaces 22 whose probability is below the third limiting value being plotted as crosses 36. With the aid of a cluster analysis, it is possible to assign the positions of possible parking spaces 22 to street portions 30.

(12) FIG. 3 shows a street 2 from the representation in FIG. 2 in an enlarged manner. Street 2 includes exactly two street portions 30, one for each driving direction. In addition, permissible parking areas 32 and free spaces 38 are plotted in the representation in FIG. 3. As is derivable from the representation of FIG. 3, concentrations of ascertained possible parking spaces 22 occur in particular at the borders between permissible parking areas 32 and free spaces 38. This is due to the fact that drivers may park their vehicle at a delimitation of a permissible parking area 32.

(13) FIG. 4 shows a progression of the function of the quotient of frequency of the detection of a possible parking space and the number of vehicle passages and the weighting factor for one of the two street portions 30 of FIG. 3. The GPS position along street portion 30 is plotted on the X axis, and the quotient between 0 and 1 is plotted on the Y axis. It is derivable from the representation of FIG. 4 that the function assumes a value greater than 0.8 in areas 42. These areas correspond to free spaces 38 plotted in FIG. 3. The areas in which the function assumes a value in the range of 0.1 to 0.5 correspond to permissible parking areas 32.

(14) The present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described here and the aspects highlighted therein. Rather, a plurality of modifications are possible within the scope described by the claims, which are within the capabilities of those skilled in the art.