VALET PARKING METHOD

Abstract

A method for the optimized use of a parking area. Vehicles which are to be parked on the parking area are each assigned a parking space, the vehicles navigating to the respective assigned parking space, in particular autonomously. Furthermore, vehicles may carry out a change of the parking space in order to enable an improved use of the available parking area or a faster availability of the vehicle, whereby overall an optimized use of the parking area is achieved. Initially, an available range of the respective vehicles is ascertained, and the assignment of the respective parking space and/or a possible change of the parking space are made dependent on the available range of the individual vehicles. The available range of a vehicle is in particular described by a residual fuel amount or a charge state of the vehicle.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A method for the optimized use of a parking area, the method comprising: assigning each of vehicles which are to be parked on the parking area a respective parking space; navigating, by the vehicles, autonomously to the respective assigned parking space; carrying out, by the vehicles, a change of the parking space to enable an improved use of the available parking area or a faster availability of a vehicle; ascertaining an available range for each of the vehicles, wherein at least one of: the assignment of the respective parking space, and a possible re-parking process, is carried out as a function of the available range of the individual vehicles.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the available range of a vehicle is described by at least one of a residual fuel amount of the vehicle and a charge state of the vehicle.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the available range of a vehicle is newly determined at least one of prior to and after, the re-parking process by a calculation model for ascertaining at least one of a fuel consumption of the vehicle and a power consumption of a vehicle, from a starting position until reaching the destination of a re-parking process of the vehicle.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the calculation model is dependent on a vehicle type.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein a planned remaining parking duration of each parked vehicle is taken into consideration.

17. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein a geometry of the parking area is taken into consideration.

18. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein a vehicle geometry of each parked vehicle is taken into consideration.

19. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein a number of re-parking processes is minimized with the aid of a calculation process, the calculation processing including one of Greedy, dynamic programming, or genetic programming.

20. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein characteristic variables of a vehicle including at least one of a vehicle type, a vehicle geometry, a residual fuel amount, and a planned parking duration, are transmitted in advance.

21. A valet parking system, designed to optimize use of a parking area, the system designed to: assign each of vehicles which are to be parked on the parking area a respective parking space; navigate, by the vehicles, autonomously to the respective assigned parking space; carry out, by the vehicles, a change of the parking space to enable an improved use of the available parking area or a faster availability of a vehicle; ascertain an available range for each of the vehicles, wherein at least one of: the assignment of the respective parking space, and a possible re-parking process, is carried out as a function of the available range of the individual vehicles.

22. The valet parking system as recited in claim 21, wherein the system includes an installation for at least one of refueling a vehicle and charging a vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a valet parking process, FIG. 1 a) showing the situation during the drop-off of the vehicle, and FIG. 1 b) showing the pick-up process.

[0026] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a re-parking process as part of the method according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a section of a parking area 20 including a plurality of parking spaces 23 in a schematic top view. The schematic illustration shows a parking area 20 as an open area, it also being possible to apply the present invention to parking garages, blocks of garages and underground parking garages.

[0028] Parking area 20 includes a transfer zone 18, in which a vehicle 10 may be transferred to the operator of parking facility 20. For this purpose, driver 15 of vehicle 10 drives his/her vehicle 10 to transfer zone 18, leaves his/her vehicle 10, and transfers his/her vehicle 10 to the operator of parking area 20.

[0029] After vehicle 10 has been transferred to the operator of parking area 20, vehicle 10 is assigned a free parking space 24 out of the possible parking spaces 23 as the parking position by a central control unit 17. Already occupied parking spaces are denoted by reference numeral 22 in FIG. 1.

[0030] After having been assigned the parking position, vehicle 10 is moved to assigned free parking space 24. Vehicle 10 is configured to carry out a driving maneuver autonomously with the aid of a parking assistance system. Central control unit 17 is granted access to the parking assistance system, so that vehicle 10 is able to autonomously move on parking lot 10 and automatically navigates to parking position 24. For example, corresponding pieces of information are transmitted from central control unit 17 to vehicle 10 so that vehicle 10 may be autonomously guided along a trajectory 40 within parking facility 20 based on the pieces of information. This situation is shown in FIG. 1 a).

[0031] If driver 15 intends to pick up his or her vehicle 10 again, the request of the driver is transmitted to the parking assistance system of vehicle 10 by central control unit 17. For this purpose, the driver may communicate, for example with the aid of a smart phone application, his or her intent to central control unit 17, which transmits a start signal and, if necessary, a trajectory 40, to vehicle 10. Additionally, further pieces of information, such as the position of the desired pick-up zone 19, may be transmitted. The vehicle thereupon automatically navigates to pick-up zone 19, moving along trajectory 40. This situation is shown in FIG. 1 b). In the depicted exemplary embodiment, transfer zone 18 and pick-up zone 19 coincide. Alternatively, for example, spatially separate transfer zones and pick-up zones may be provided.

[0032] In general, such valet parking methods are conventional. According to the present invention, it is now additionally provided that an available range is ascertained for each vehicle 10 by central control unit 17, and the assignment of respective parking space 24 and/or a possible re-parking process are carried out as a function of the available range of the individual vehicles involved in the particular process.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows a re-parking process, as it may be provided according to one embodiment of a method according to the present invention for the optimized use of parking area 20. Newly arriving vehicle 10, which hereafter is referred to as “ego-vehicle,” is to be parked in an assigned parking space 24. Parking space 24 is situated in a center position of three rows of parked vehicles. FIG. 2 a) shows the moving of ego-vehicle 10 into parking space 24, the previously parked vehicle 12 having previously been unparked to make shown parking space 24 accessible to ego-vehicle 10. One reason for positioning ego-vehicle 10 in such a way could be, e.g., that the planned parking duration of vehicle 12 elapses prior to that of ego-vehicle 10, vehicle 13 situated in front of ego-vehicle 10 being parked for even longer. After vehicle 10 has reached its assigned parking space 24 and has been parked there, vehicle 12 drives to a parking space 24′ behind vehicle 10. In particular, all re-parking processes take place autonomously. According to the present invention, the re-parking process is carried out as a function of the available range of individual vehicles 10, 13, the available range of a vehicle 10, 13 being described by a residual fuel amount and/or a charge state of the vehicle.