Parking Assistance System for Carrying Out Automated Maneuvers of Various Types Assisted by the System, With a User Interface

Abstract

A parking assistance system for a motor vehicle includes a user interface for interaction with the user and a control unit. The control unit is configured to display various types of maneuver which can be selected on the user side in a maneuver type display. In addition, the control unit is configured to receive a selection of a maneuver type from the displayed maneuver types. In addition, the control unit is configured to display a set of available maneuver targets only for the selected maneuver type, which targets can be selected by the user via the user interface, on a maneuver target display of the user interface. The system then receives a selection of a maneuver target from the set of available maneuver targets for the selected maneuver type. The selected maneuver target is then parked with at least automated lateral guidance for the selected maneuver type.

Claims

1. to 15. (canceled)

16. A parking assistance system for a motor vehicle for carrying out automated maneuvers of various maneuver types assisted by the parking assistance system, the parking assistance system comprising: a user interface for interaction with a user of the parking assistance system; and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to: display, for selection, various maneuver types which are selectable by the user, on a maneuver type display of the user interface; receive a user-side selection of a maneuver type from the maneuver types displayed on the maneuver type display; display, on a maneuver target display of the user interface after the selection, a set of available maneuver targets, which are selectable by the user via the user interface, for the selected maneuver type, receive a user-side selection of a maneuver target from the set of available maneuver targets for the selected maneuver type, and park the selected maneuver target with at least automated lateral guidance for the selected maneuver type.

17. The parking assistance system according to claim 16, wherein the control unit is further configured to display, on the maneuver type display, the various maneuver types which are selectable by the user, in a list ordered according to a specified prioritization of the maneuver types, together on the maneuver type display.

18. The parking assistance system according to claim 17, wherein: the maneuver types comprise: rearward longitudinal parking into a longitudinal parking space; and at least one maneuver type of lateral parking into a lateral parking space, and in the prioritization: longitudinal parking has a higher priority than lateral parking, or the prioritization between longitudinal parking and lateral parking is location-dependent.

19. The parking assistance system according to claim 18, wherein the prioritization between longitudinal parking and lateral parking is dependent on a country.

20. The parking assistance system according to claim 17, wherein: the maneuver types comprise: rearward longitudinal parking into a longitudinal parking space; lateral parking into a lateral parking space with a motor vehicle which is parked in a forward direction after the end of the lateral parking; and lateral parking into the lateral parking space with the motor vehicle which is parked in a rearward direction after the end of the lateral parking; and in the prioritization: longitudinal parking has a higher priority than lateral parking with the motor vehicle which is parked in the forward direction after the end of the lateral parking, and lateral parking with the motor vehicle which is parked in the forward direction after the end of the lateral parking has a higher priority than lateral parking with the motor vehicle which is parked in the rearward direction after the end of the lateral parking.

21. The parking assistance system according to claim 17, wherein the maneuver types comprise: at least one of: rearward longitudinal parking in a longitudinal parking space, and at least one maneuver type of lateral parking into a lateral parking space, and at least one of: parking with a trailer, executing a recorded maneuver, or driving along a distance which has most recently been driven along in a driving direction which is opposed to an original driving direction.

22. The parking assistance system according to claim 16, wherein the control unit is further configured to: identify, while taking into account information on surroundings, a set of available maneuver types which are available for use in a respective situation, from the maneuver types, and display, on the maneuver type display, the set of available maneuver types, wherein maneuver types which are not available are not displayed.

23. The parking assistance system according to claim 22, wherein the control unit is further configured to: check continuously during presentation of the maneuver type display, taking into account the information on the surroundings, as to whether a maneuver type which has previously not been available, from the maneuver types, is available for use in the respective situation, and display, when availability of the maneuver type which has previously not been available is detected, the maneuver type on the maneuver type display in a list of the maneuver types according to a specified prioritization of the maneuver types.

24. The parking assistance system according to claim 16, wherein the control unit is further configured to display, on the maneuver target display: at least one of: a first available parking space and a second available parking space on a same side of a roadway behind a motor vehicle, or one or more available parking spaces per side of the roadway, on both sides of the roadway.

25. The parking assistance system according to claim 24, wherein the control unit is further configured to display, on the maneuver target display, the one or more available parking spaces per side of the roadway, on both sides of the roadway, wherein: for right-hand traffic an available parking space on the right-hand side of the roadway is pre-selected, and for left-hand traffic an available parking space on a left-hand side of the roadway is pre-selected.

26. The parking assistance system according to claim 16, wherein the control unit is further configured to: detect if there is a situation in which a parking space is being exited, and if the situation in which the parking space is being exited is detected, display only one or more parking-space-exiting maneuver types on the maneuver type display of the user interface.

27. The parking assistance system according to claim 16, wherein the control unit is further configured to: present, on the maneuver type display, the maneuver types arranged in a list, and display only a selected maneuver type at a first location on the list during execution of the maneuver, and no longer display non-selected maneuver types.

28. The parking assistance system according to claim 16, wherein the maneuver types comprise: rearward longitudinal parking in a longitudinal parking space; and at least one maneuver type of lateral parking into a lateral parking space.

29. The parking assistance system according to claim 28, wherein the at least one maneuver type of lateral parking into the lateral parking space comprises: both lateral parking into the lateral parking space with a motor vehicle which is parked in a forward direction after the end of the lateral parking, and lateral parking into the lateral parking space with the motor vehicle which is parked in a rearward direction after the end of the lateral parking.

30. The parking assistance system according to claim 16, wherein the control unit is further configured to display for each maneuver type which is selectable by the user on the maneuver type display, a maneuver type selection element which is assigned to the respective maneuver type and by which the respective maneuver type is selectable by the user.

31. The parking assistance system according to claim 16, wherein the control unit is configured to display, on the maneuver target display of the user interface after the selection, the set of available maneuver targets, which are selectable by the user via the user interface, only for the selected maneuver type.

32. A method for executing automated maneuvers of various assisted maneuver types with at least automated lateral guidance of a motor vehicle, the method comprising: displaying, for selection, various maneuver types which are selectable by a user, on a maneuver type display of a user interface; receiving a user-side selection of a maneuver type from the maneuver types displayed on the maneuver type display; displaying on a maneuver target display of the user interface after the selection, a set of available maneuver targets, which are selectable by the user via the user interface, for the selected maneuver type, receiving a user-side selection of a maneuver target from the set of available maneuver targets for the selected maneuver type, and automated parking at the selected maneuver target for the selected maneuver type with at least automated lateral guidance.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the set of available maneuver targets, which are selectable by the user via the user interface, are displayed only for the selected maneuver type.

34. A computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon program code which, when executed on a processor, a microcontroller, or a programmable hardware component, carries out the acts of: displaying, for selection, various maneuver types which are selectable by a user, on a maneuver type display of a user interface; receiving a user-side selection of a maneuver type from the maneuver types displayed on the maneuver type display; displaying on a maneuver target display of the user interface after the selection, a set of available maneuver targets, which are selectable by the user via the user interface, for the selected maneuver type, receiving a user-side selection of a maneuver target from the set of available maneuver targets for the selected maneuver type, and automated parking at the selected maneuver target for the selected maneuver type with at least automated lateral guidance.

35. The computer-program product according to claim 34, wherein the set of available maneuver targets, which are selectable by the user via the user interface, are displayed only for the selected maneuver type.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0066] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary operator control sequence for starting an automated parking process for an exemplary embodiment of the parking assistance system according to the invention; and

[0067] FIGS. 2a-2f show exemplary states of a display of the user interface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0068] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary operator control sequence for starting an automated parking process for an exemplary embodiment of the parking assistance system according to the invention. Firstly, the user carries out an operator control action for activating the display of the parking assistance system on a screen (e.g. in the center console of the cockpit), for example activating a parking pushbutton key or engaging the reverse gear. This results in the state 1, illustrated by way of example in FIG. 2a, of the display 300 which is presented on the screen. The display 300 has a camera image 301 of the surroundings in a parking direction (here the image from a rear view camera) from the ego perspective and an image 302 of a plan view of the surroundings which is composed of a plurality of camera images. In the plan-view image 302 of the surroundings, the immediate surroundings are illustrated, for example bounded by the range of the ultrasonic sensors. Instead of a camera-based presentation, a non-camera-based presentation would also be conceivable, in which non-camera-based presentation, for example, the outlines of the objects or symbols for the objects are represented. The camera image 301 from the ego perspective preferably has auxiliary lines for the steering lock. In addition, maneuver types which are available in the current driving situation, from the set of maneuver types which are assisted by the system, are presented on a maneuver type display 303 which corresponds to a vertical bar in the example. A maneuver type selection element 304 is presented for each available maneuver type on the maneuver type display 303. In the state 1 which is illustrated in FIG. 2a, for example only the “reversing assistant” maneuver type can be selected by the user (apparent from the assigned maneuver type selection element 304.1).

[0069] If the parking assistance system detects at a later point, for example during further travel, that one or more other available maneuver types are available, a corresponding maneuver type selection element is displayed for each further available maneuver type. The available maneuver types are displayed in the sequence of a specified prioritization of the maneuver types on the maneuver type display 303.

[0070] FIG. 2b illustrates an exemplary state 2 of the display, in which state 2, for example, rearward longitudinal parking (see selection element 304.2) and lateral parking with a vehicle which is parked in a rearward direction after the end of the parking maneuver (see maneuver type selection element 304.3) are presented as further available maneuver types on the maneuver type display 303. The display 301 is no longer illustrated in FIG. 2b to FIG. 2f for reasons of simplification.

[0071] A maneuver type can be selected by tilting the central operator control element (ZBE) in the direction of the maneuver type bar 303 (for example to the right if the maneuver type bar 303 is arranged on the right of the screen). Initially, the state 3 of the display, which is illustrated in FIG. 2c, occurs when the ZBE is tilted in the direction of the maneuver type bar 303. Here, the first maneuver type is pre-selected on the maneuver type bar 303. The pre-selection can be confirmed by pressing the ZBE. Alternatively, rotating the ZBE one or more times and subsequent pressing of the ZBE permits a different maneuver type to be selected.

[0072] An exemplary state 4 of the display in which a maneuver type (here the maneuver type of rearward longitudinal parking) has been selected and the speed of the vehicle is still higher than 0 km/h is illustrated in FIG. 2d. Available parking spaces for the selected maneuver type (in this case rearward longitudinal parking) are displayed in the plan-view image 302 of the surroundings. For example, in so far as they are present within a range, a first parking space and a second parking space (the first parking space is closer to the vehicle than the second parking space) behind the vehicle in question are presented for each side of the roadway 305 (marked as rectangles in FIG. 2d). In the case of right-hand traffic, the first parking space is pre-selected on the right-hand side of the roadway (visible from corresponding marking of this parking space). In order to be able to represent the parking spaces satisfactorily, the plan-view image 302 of the surroundings in FIG. 2d is in a smaller scale (zoomed out) in comparison with the previous plan view.

[0073] If the driver stops the vehicle and the driver's vehicle has entered a stationary state, the display changes into the exemplary state 5 illustrated in FIG. 2e. Here, the driver is provided with operator control instructions for activating the desired parking maneuver, specifically to take his hands away from the steering wheel and to release the brake. If it has been detected that the brake has been released, the automated parking maneuver starts. When the automated parking maneuver starts, the state 6 of the display which is illustrated in FIG. 2f is obtained. If the selected maneuver type was not already at the top of the list of maneuver types, the maneuver type is moved upward in the list. Furthermore, the maneuver types which have not been selected are no longer presented. Furthermore, an indication that the parking assistance system is active is provided (see 306 in FIG. 2f).

[0074] As an alternative to the operator control by using the ZBE, the display can be transferred directly into the state 4 by touching the desired maneuver selection element in the state 2.

[0075] In addition it is to be noted that in the state 4 the user can deselect the selected maneuver type, abort the state 4 and change into the state 3 by renewed selection of the maneuver selection element, which has already been selected, by using the ZBE (pressing the ZBE) or by touching the screen.