METHOD FOR DETERMINING AN OCCUPANCY STATE OF A PARKING SPACE

Abstract

A method for determining an occupancy state of a parking space of a parking area is described. A device that includes at least one radar sensor and a processing unit, the processing unit being configured to carry out the method, are described. Furthermore, a parking area that includes at least one parking space, the parking space including the device is described.

Claims

1-8. (canceled)

9. A method for determining an occupancy state of a parking space, comprising the following method steps: a. detecting radar measured values of multiple radar channels in each case at different points in time within a predefined time period using at least one radar sensor, each of the radar measured values being made up of a real part and an imaginary part; b. transforming the radar measured values for the different points in time into a polar coordinate system; c. determining both a first parameter and a second parameter of each of the transformed radar measured values using a linearized least-squares polynomial fit method; and d. determining the occupancy state of the parking space as a function of the first parameter.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the occupancy state is determined in step d by comparing the first parameter to a threshold value, the parking space being determined as occupied when the first parameter is greater than the threshold value.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the threshold value is 1.

12. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising the following step: e. determining a variance of the first parameters and second parameters, determined in step c, of the transformed radar measured values from radar measured values detected at one of the points in time; and f. determining a validity of the radar measured values detected at the one of the points in time as a function of the variance.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the validity of the radar measured values detected at the one of the points in time is determined in step f by comparing the variance to a further threshold value, the validity of the radar measured values being regarded as sufficient when the variance is less than the further threshold value.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the further threshold value is 10.

15. A device, comprising: at least one radar sensor; and a processing unit configured to determine an occupancy state of a parking space, the processing unit configured to: a. detect radar measured values of multiple radar channels in each case at different points in time within a predefined time period using at least one radar sensor, each of the radar measured values being made up of a real part and an imaginary part; b. transform the radar measured values for the different points in time into a polar coordinate system; c. determine both a first parameter and a second parameter of each of the transformed radar measured values using a linearized least-squares polynomial fit method; and d. determine the occupancy state of the parking space as a function of the first parameter.

16. A parking area, comprising: at least one parking space, the parking space including a device comprising: at least one radar sensor; and a processing unit configured to determine an occupancy state of the parking space, the processing unit configured to: a. detect radar measured values of multiple radar channels in each case at different points in time within a predefined time period using at least one radar sensor, each of the radar measured values being made up of a real part and an imaginary part; b. transform the radar measured values for the different points in time into a polar coordinate system; c. determine both a first parameter and a second parameter of each of the transformed radar measured values using a linearized least-squares polynomial fit method; and d. determine the occupancy state of the parking space as a function of the first parameter.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] FIG. 1 shows one exemplary embodiment of a method according to the present invention.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows one exemplary embodiment of a device according to the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows transformed radar measured values illustrated in a polar coordinate diagram.

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a diagram in which the first parameter is plotted as a function of time.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0035] FIG. 1 shows one exemplary embodiment of a method according to the present invention.

[0036] Radar measured values 22 of multiple radar channels are initially detected in each case at different points in time within a predefined time period with the aid of at least one radar sensor 20 in a method step a, each radar measured value 22 being made up of a real part and an imaginary part. Detected radar measured values 22 for the particular points in time are subsequently transformed into a polar coordinate system in a method step b, as the result of which transformed radar measured values 23 are obtained.

[0037] A first parameter and a second parameter of transformed radar measured values 23 are subsequently determined in each case with the aid of a linearized least-squares polynomial fit-method in a method step c. The first parameter and the second parameter each represent the coordinates of the center of transformed radar measured values 23. The first parameter applies in the abscissa direction, and the second parameter applies in the ordinate direction.

[0038] An occupancy state of a parking space is subsequently determined in a method step d as a function of the first parameter. For example, the first parameter may be compared to a threshold value in method step d, the parking space being determined as occupied if the first parameter is greater than the threshold value. Correspondingly, the parking space is determined as unoccupied if the first parameter is less than or equal to the threshold value.

[0039] In particular, the first parameters, which result from transformed radar measured values 23 of radar measured values 22 detected from multiple radar channels at a point in time, are averaged for determining the occupancy state, and the average value is subsequently compared to the threshold value.

[0040] The threshold value may be 1, for example.

[0041] In addition, a method step e and a method step f may optionally run, a variance of the first parameters and second parameters, determined in method step c, of transformed radar measured values 23 from radar measured values 22 detected at one of the points in time being determined in method step e, and a validity of radar measured values 22 being determined in method step f as a function of the variance determined in method step e.

[0042] The validity of radar measured values 22 may be determined in method step f, for example by comparing the variance to a further threshold value, the validity of radar measured values 22 being regarded as sufficient if the variance is less than the further threshold value.

[0043] The further threshold value may be 10, for example.

[0044] FIG. 2 shows one exemplary embodiment of a device according to the present invention.

[0045] A device 10 is illustrated. Device 10 includes a radar sensor 20 and a processing unit 30. Radar sensor 20 is connected to processing unit 30 in such a way that radar measured values that are detected by radar sensor 20 may be tapped by processing unit 30. The connection for this purpose may be hard-wired or also wireless.

[0046] Processing unit 30 is designed in such a way that it may carry out a method according to the present invention, for example as illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0047] Device 10 may be situated, for example, at a parking space of a parking area, not illustrated, and may monitor the occupancy state of the parking space.

[0048] FIG. 3 shows transformed radar measured values illustrated in a polar coordinate diagram.

[0049] A polar coordinate system is illustrated. The abscissa represents the real part, and the ordinate represents the imaginary part. Transformed radar measured values 23 are depicted which have been transformed, starting from radar measured values 22 that are detected at a shared point in time. Each of transformed radar measured values 23 includes a center, which is illustrated as a point. This center represents the first parameter as the abscissa value, and the second parameter as the ordinate value.

[0050] FIG. 4 shows a diagram in which the first parameter is plotted as a function of time.

[0051] A diagram is illustrated, the abscissa axis representing time t and the ordinate axis representing the first parameter of transformed radar measured values 23. If the first parameter is above 1, it is deduced that the parking space is occupied. In contrast, if the first parameter is below 1, it is deduced that the parking space is vacant.