PARKING ASSISTANCE METHOD FOR A DRIVE WITH A MOTOR VEHICLE, PARKING ASSISTANCE DEVICE, STORAGE MEDIUM, MOBILE PORTABLE TERMINAL, SERVER DEVICE AND MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A parking assistance method for a drive with a motor vehicle, comprising: by a parking assistance device: determining a navigation destination of the drive of the motor vehicle; receiving occupancy state data from at least one data source external to the motor vehicle, wherein the occupancy state data includes information of an availability of free parking spaces for a preset perimeter around the navigation destination; ascertaining at least one location of a free parking space based on the received occupancy state data; examining whether the navigation destination satisfies a preset favoring criterion, which presets a minimum probability of a driver-specific favoring and/or frequency, with which a driver of the motor vehicle drives to the navigation destination; in response to whether the navigation destination satisfies the preset favoring criterion, predetermining an information content for parking space data for the drive; providing parking space data with the predetermined information content, which describes a proposal to the ascertained location of the free parking space related to the navigation destination; and transferring the provided parking space data to an output device to output the provided parking space data.

2. The parking assistance method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined information content presets a data content and/or an amount of data of the parking space data.

3. The parking assistance method according to claim 1, wherein by the parking assistance device: when the navigation destination satisfies the preset favoring criterion, setting an amount of data in a first preset range of values as the information content; and/or, when the navigation destination does not satisfy the preset favoring criterion, setting an amount of data in a second preset range of values as the amount of data, which sets a higher amount of data compared to the first preset range of values.

4. The parking assistance method according to claim 2, wherein by the parking assistance device: when the navigation destination satisfies the preset favoring criterion, setting an amount of data in a first preset range of values as the information content; and/or, when the navigation destination does not satisfy the preset favoring criterion, setting an amount of data in a second preset range of values as the amount of data, which sets a higher amount of data compared to the first preset range of values.

5. The parking assistance method according to claim 3, wherein by the parking assistance device, when the navigation destination satisfies the preset favoring criterion: examining whether the received occupancy state data falls below a preset expectable minimum level of an availability of free parking spaces, and upon falling below the preset minimum level, setting the amount of data of the second preset range of values as the amount of data.

6. The parking assistance method according to claim 4, wherein by the parking assistance device, when the navigation destination satisfies the preset favoring criterion: examining whether the received occupancy state data falls below a preset expectable minimum level of an availability of free parking spaces, and upon falling below the preset minimum level, setting the amount of data of the second preset range of values as the amount of data.

7. The parking assistance method according to claim 3, wherein by the parking assistance device, when the navigation destination satisfies the preset favoring criterion: predicating a period of time for the parking space search in the preset perimeter, and when the predicated period of time exceeds a preset threshold value, setting the amount of data of the second preset range of values as the amount of data.

8. The parking assistance method according to claim 4, wherein by the parking assistance device, when the navigation destination satisfies the preset favoring criterion: predicating a period of time for the parking space search in the preset perimeter, and when the predicated period of time exceeds a preset threshold value, setting the amount of data of the second preset range of values as the amount of data.

9. The parking assistance method according to claim 5, wherein by the parking assistance device, when the navigation destination satisfies the preset favoring criterion: predicating a period of time for the parking space search in the preset perimeter, and when the predicated period of time exceeds a preset threshold value, setting the amount of data of the second preset range of values as the amount of data.

10. The parking assistance method according to claim 6, wherein by the parking assistance device, when the navigation destination satisfies the preset favoring criterion: predicating a period of time for the parking space search in the preset perimeter, and when the predicated period of time exceeds a preset threshold value, setting the amount of data of the second preset range of values as the amount of data.

11. The parking assistance method according to claim 1, wherein by the parking assistance device: receiving driver behavior data, which describes a driver-specific preference with respect to a parking space location within the preset perimeter and/or a driver-specific local knowledge, and setting a data content of the provided parking space data based on the driver-specific preference.

12. The parking assistance method according to claim 2, wherein by the parking assistance device: receiving driver behavior data, which describes a driver-specific preference with respect to a parking space location within the preset perimeter and/or a driver-specific local knowledge, and setting a data content of the provided parking space data based on the driver-specific preference.

13. The parking assistance method according to claim 1, wherein by the parking assistance device, predetermining the information content for the parking space data depending on a data quality of the occupancy state data, comprising ascertaining the data quality of the occupancy state data depending on: a number of data sources external to the motor vehicle, from which the parking assistance device receives occupancy state data, and/or how significant the information to a free parking space is; and/or a timeliness of the received occupancy state data.

14. A parking assistance device which is configured to perform a method according to claim 1.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, upon execution by a parking assistance device comprising a processor device, cause the parking assistance device to execute a method according to claim 1.

16. A mobile terminal comprising: a processor; and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, upon execution by the processor, cause the mobile terminal to execute operations comprising: determining a navigation destination of a drive of a motor vehicle; receiving occupancy state data from at least one data source external to the motor vehicle, wherein the occupancy state data includes information of an availability of free parking spaces for a preset perimeter around the navigation destination; ascertaining at least one location of a free parking space based on the received occupancy state data; examining whether the navigation destination satisfies a preset favoring criterion, which presets a minimum probability of a driver-specific favoring and/or frequency, with which a driver of the motor vehicle drives to the navigation destination; in response to whether the navigation destination satisfies the preset favoring criterion, predetermining an information content for parking space data for the drive; providing parking space data with the predetermined information content, which describes a proposal to the ascertained location of the free parking space related to the navigation destination; and transferring the provided parking space data to an output device to output the provided parking space data.

17. The mobile terminal according to claim 16 further comprising a parking assistance device comprising the processor and the non-transitory computer-readable medium.

18. A server device operating in the Internet and comprising the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15.

19. A server device operating in the Internet and comprising a parking assistance device according to claim 14.

20. A motor vehicle comprising: a parking assistance device comprising: a processor; and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, upon execution by the processor, cause the parking assistance device to execute operations comprising: determining a navigation destination of a drive of a motor vehicle; receiving occupancy state data from at least one data source external to the motor vehicle, wherein the occupancy state data includes information of an availability of free parking spaces for a preset perimeter around the navigation destination; ascertaining at least one location of a free parking space based on the received occupancy state data; examining whether the navigation destination satisfies a preset favoring criterion, which presets a minimum probability of a driver-specific favoring and/or frequency, with which a driver of the motor vehicle drives to the navigation destination; in response to whether the navigation destination satisfies the preset favoring criterion, predetermining an information content for parking space data for the drive; providing parking space data with the predetermined information content, which describes a proposal to the ascertained location of the free parking space related to the navigation destination; and transferring the provided parking space data to an output device to output the provided parking space data.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] These and other aspects and advantages will become more apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

[0043] FIG. 1 is an example of an embodiment of the method and of the devices according to the invention,

[0044] FIG. 2 is an example of an embodiment of a mobile, portable terminal according to the invention, and

[0045] FIG. 3 is an example of an embodiment of a server device according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

[0047] In the explained in the following, the described components each represent individual features of the invention to be considered independently of each other, which also each develop the invention independently of each other and thereby are also to be considered as a constituent of the invention in individual manner or in a combination different from the shown one. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by further ones of the already described features of the invention.

[0048] In the figures, functionally identical elements are each provided with the same reference characters.

[0049] FIG. 1 illustrates the principle of the device according to the invention and of the method according to the invention based on a first example. Hereto, FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle 10, for example a car, the driver of which is for example on his morning drive to his worksite.

[0050] The motor vehicle 10 comprises a parking assistance device 12, which can for example be a component of an on-board computer of the motor vehicle 10. The parking assistance device 12 can for example include a navigation software, communicate with a navigation device (not shown in FIG. 1) or be part of the navigation device. For example, the parking assistance device 12 can comprise a processor device 14 and/or a data memory 16.

[0051] In the example of FIG. 1, an output device 18 is additionally shown, which can for example be configured as a display device, for example instrument cluster or center display. Such an output device 18 includes a screen. For example, the output device 18 can additionally include a loudspeaker. The communication with the parking assistance device 12 is effected via a data communication link 20, for example a data bus of the motor vehicle 10 in a wired configuration, or for example via a WLAN link or Bluetooth LE link in the configuration as a wireless data communication link 20.

[0052] The communication of the parking assistance device 12 with exemplarily multiple data sources 22 external to motor vehicle can be effected via mobile radio and/or Internet links. Therein, the data sources 22 external to motor vehicle can be communication units of other motor vehicles, which are already at the navigation destination of the motor vehicle 10. Alternatively, one or more of the data sources 22 external to motor vehicle can for example be data servers in the Internet, which provide information to free parking spaces for example from parking lot surveillance systems.

[0053] The parking assistance device 12 can for example determine (S1) the navigation destination of the drive in that the parking assistance device 12 performs a corresponding query at the navigation device. The navigation destination of the example of FIG. 1 can for example be stored in the navigation device as “home” or as another favored navigation destination. Additionally or alternatively, historic data from a user profile of the driver can for example show that the driver usually drives to this navigation destination from Monday morning to Friday morning, thus that the determined navigation destination is his worksite.

[0054] The parking assistance device 12 receives occupancy state data from the data sources 22 external to motor vehicle (S2).

[0055] In the example of FIG. 1, this exemplary number of data sources 22 external to motor vehicle can optionally serve as a basis for that the parking assistance device 12 can ascertain (S3) that this is a number which can for example associate a mean value to a data quality. In addition, the parking assistance device 12 can optionally ascertain (S3) that three of the four exemplary data sources 22 external to motor vehicle for example report two free parking spaces in the Müller street 22, which is located in the vicinity of the employer, at the current point of time. The data quality determined by the parking assistance device 12 can thereby obtain a higher value. In the example of FIG. 1, the information can also give a high significance of the information about the two free parking spaces in the Müller street.

[0056] In other words, the occupancy state data to the information “two free parking spaces at the Müller street 22” can have a high level of quality. A further aspect for the significance of the two free parking spaces in the Müller street 22 can for example be that the parking assistance device 12 recognizes for example based on the user profile, for example on historic data, that the driver preferably parks in the Müller street.

[0057] In other words, the parking assistance device 12 has ascertained (S4) the Müller street or the Müller street 22 as a location of two free parking spaces.

[0058] It was already above addressed that the navigation destination is prospectively the worksite of the driver such that it is determined in the examination S5 that the preset favoring criterion is satisfied with a very high probability. In S6, the parking assistance device 12 now determines the information content for the parking space data to be generated and to be output.

[0059] In the example of FIG. 1, thus, a low amount of data can be set (S7) since the driver obviously has good local knowledge. In case of the example of FIG. 1, it is for example a commuter, who presumably already knows where he finds a good parking space. Thus, only few information to the driver are first really helpful. Since the driver also already knows where the Müller street is, a navigation aid either does not have to be provided to him. However, if the parking assistance device 12 determines that the parking situation is unexpectedly particularly poor and/or different than usual today on this day, after such an examination S8 to the effect if it is fallen below a preset expectable minimum level of availability of free parking spaces, the parking assistance device 12 can cause the amount of data for the parking space data to be nevertheless again increased (S7). Such a correction S7 to a higher amount of data can also be effected if the parking assistance device 12 predicates (S9) that today the driver will take substantially longer for the parking space search than usual. In this case, the navigation instructions can be reasonable after all.

[0060] The driver-specific local knowledge can optionally be described by driver behavior data or be derived from it, which the parking assistance device 12 can optionally receive from for example a query of the user profile (S10).

[0061] In S11, the parking assistance device 12 provides the parking space data, for example generates it, wherein it can describe the Müller street, the predetermined amount of data and the content of the information to the parking space. The parking assistance device 12 then transfers the parking space data to the output device 18 (S12), and the output device 18 outputs the information in S13.

[0062] In another example, the data content can be individually adapted if something is exceptionally free a little closer to the office of the driver on this day. If there are exceptionally especially many free parking spaces around the worksite of the driver on this morning, for example because the school holidays have begun and many colleagues are on vacation, a proposal to the parking space situation can be completely unimportant and the output S13 can be omitted.

[0063] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary mobile terminal 24, which can for example be configured as a mobile phone in the example of FIG. 3. Therein, the parking assistance device 12 can correspond to mobile terminal 24 as the parking assistance device 12 was explained in detail in FIG. 1.

[0064] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary server device 28, for example a data server, which can include a configuration of the parking assistance device 12, and/or a storage medium 26, for example a hard disk or a memory chip. If the exemplary data server includes a storage medium 26, thus, it can comprise a program code for performing the method.

[0065] Overall, the examples illustrate how parking recommendations can be allowed depending on the assistance demand and data quality.

[0066] In a further example, a system maximizes the utility of proactive parking space proposals. It considers the data quality, data content and/or driver behavior to determine if and which type of information is most helpful in a certain situation and at a certain location.

[0067] Real-time parking space availability data is never 100 percent accurate; in reality, it is far away from it. The reliability of the data can be incorporated in a content provider (statistic safety), and/or can be derived from a fleet data analysis if multiple drivers in the region, who follow the proposals, do not park in the proposed positions, but continue their search.

[0068] If the data accuracy is high or low, is to determine if, when and how much information is presented in the notifications with the proposals. Exemplarily, it can be provided:

1. High Accuracy

[0069] Drivers, who travel to navigation destinations, which are rather unknown to them, need the most assistance. The proposal of each closest available free parking space it mostly useful, but a notification is useless if free parking spaces are not available in the vicinity at all or it is known that all of the parking spaces are occupied.

[0070] In addition, a proposal of a specific parking space is unnecessary if there is a plurality of available parking space options directly at the destination address. Then, a notification that the entire region is free or occupied or neither, is sufficient. Thereto, an active navigation is ideally advantageous.

[0071] Commuters, who travel to the same destination address almost every day, very well know the parking space availability situation and know, which parking spaces one first examines. A notification is only helpful if: [0072] a) the parking situation unexpectedly deviates from that on other days, thus if usually occupied parking spaces are for example surprisingly available today, or usually free parking spaces are temporarily closed due to construction works. [0073] b) A parking space search duration, which is longer than usual, is detected. The driver can very likely need more proposals since his own knowledge of the situation for example has obviously failed. So-called “less attractive” parking spaces, for example ones with longer walking time to the navigation destination or a more expensive public garage, and in particular information to a recently released parking space can now be very helpful. For example, a predictive navigation function can be active; a running navigation is not required.

2. Low Accuracy

[0074] With a possible medium to low data accuracy, the driver should not be intrusively notified with proposals to parking spaces, which are then nevertheless occupied. At most, a trend of the region (for example like rather empty or rather full) can be derived. For example, only this trend can be proactively presented to “foreign” drivers and not to commuters. Commuters presumably know the situation better than data with low quality could.

[0075] The utility of parking notifications depends on the data coverage in the region, the availability of free parking spaces, the data quality and the experience and the knowledge of the driver. Every day, commuters need different parking information at different times. The information can be less obtrusively presented if the driver already very well knows his drive destination. It is allowed to present an individual middle course between too much and no information. The information content and the timing of a pop-up can be adapted to the respective situation. Thereby, an increased driving safety by less distraction also arises. An increased acceptance of the users and an increased comfort also arise since the proposed system results in less unnecessary and unhelpful notifications. The optimized parking search results in less traffic in cities and less infringement by parking violation.

[0076] A description has been provided with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof and examples, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the claims which may include the phrase “at least one of A, B and C” as an alternative expression that means one or more of A, B and C may be used, contrary to the holding in Superguide v. DIRECTV, 358 F3d 870, 69 USPQ2d 1865 (Fed. Cir. 2004).

TABLE-US-00001 List of reference characters 10 Motor vehicle 12 parking assistance device 14 processor device 16 data memory 18 output device 20 data communication link 22 data source external to motor vehicle 24 mobile, portable terminal 26 storage medium 28 server device S1 - S13 method operations