Assisted Parking System

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for assisted parking of a vehicle. The method includes obtaining data associated with a surrounding of the vehicle. The method includes identify in the data a set of candidate parking spaces for the vehicle that meet at least one criterion associated with the vehicle. The method includes selecting one parking space for parking the vehicle out of the set. The method includes obtaining data associated with the surrounding of the selected parking space. The method includes determining whether the selected parking space meets the at least one criterion based on the data associated with the surrounding of the selected parking space. In response to the selected parking space being determined to meet the at least one criterion, the method further includes performing a parking maneuver, or selecting another parking space out of the set.

Claims

1. A method for assisted parking of a vehicle, the method comprising: obtaining data associated with a surrounding of the vehicle; identify in the data a set of candidate parking spaces for the vehicle that meet at least one criterion associated with the vehicle; selecting one parking space for parking the vehicle out of the set; obtaining data associated with the surrounding of the selected parking space; determining whether the selected parking space meets the at least one criterion based on the data associated with the surrounding of the selected parking space; in response to the selected parking space being determined to meet the at least one criterion, performing a parking maneuver; and in response to the selected parking space being determined to fail to meet the at least one criterion, selecting another parking space out of the set.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising guiding the vehicle to the selected parking space.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein guiding includes planning a path to the selected parking space.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein planning the path is based on machine learning.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein planning the path includes: transmitting information regarding at least the one selected parking space to a remote server; and receiving guidance information indicating a preferred path for the vehicle from the remote server.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining data associated with the surrounding of the vehicle includes controlling at least one of a path or speed of the vehicle prior or during the obtaining.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the set includes generating a map based on the data associated with the surrounding of the vehicle and using the map for identifying.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the selecting the one parking space includes selecting a parking space lying ahead in a path of travel of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the another parking space includes selecting a parking space lying ahead in a path of travel of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling parking mode of the vehicle based on input from a user.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically enabling parking mode of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the data associated with at least one of the surrounding of the vehicle or the surrounding of the selected parking space are obtained from at least one of: a camera; an ultrasonic sensor; a radar sensor; a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor; or a vehicular communication system configured for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of identifying the set of candidate parking spaces, selecting one parking space, or determining whether the selected parking space meets the at least one criterion is based on a machine learning process.

14. A system comprising: a memory storing instructions; and a set of processors configured to store the instructions, wherein the instructions include: obtaining data associated with a surrounding of a vehicle; identify in the data a set of candidate parking spaces for the vehicle that meet at least one criterion associated with the vehicle; selecting one parking space for parking the vehicle out of the set; obtaining data associated with the surrounding of the selected parking space; determining whether the selected parking space meets the at least one criterion based on the data associated with the surrounding of the selected parking space; in response to the selected parking space being determined to meet the at least one criterion, performing a parking maneuver; and in response to the selected parking space being determined to fail to meet the at least one criterion, selecting another parking space out of the set.

15. A vehicle comprising the system of claim 14.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions including: obtaining data associated with a surrounding of a vehicle; identify in the data a set of candidate parking spaces for the vehicle that meet at least one criterion associated with the vehicle; selecting one parking space for parking the vehicle out of the set; obtaining data associated with the surrounding of the selected parking space; determining whether the selected parking space meets the at least one criterion based on the data associated with the surrounding of the selected parking space; in response to the selected parking space being determined to meet the at least one criterion, performing a parking maneuver; and in response to the selected parking space being determined to fail to meet the at least one citerion, selecting another parking space out of the set.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Various aspects of the present disclosure are described in more detail in the following by reference to the accompanying figures without the present disclosure being limited to the embodiments of these figures.

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a starting scenario for assisted parking.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows the scenario for assisted parking of FIG. 1 with obtaining first data.

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a schematic map representation of the first data as obtained in FIG. 2.

[0028] FIG. 4 shows the scenario for assisted parking of FIG. 1 with a selected first parking space.

[0029] FIG. 5 shows the scenario for assisted parking of FIG. 1 with a selected second parking space.

[0030] FIG. 6 shows the scenario for assisted parking of FIG. 1 with parked vehicle.

[0031] FIG. 7 shows a flow chart of the method for assisted parking according to the invention.

[0032] In the drawings, reference numbers may be reused to identify similar and/or identical elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a typically, but not limiting, starting scenario for assisted parking of vehicle 100. The scenario shows a typical road view scenario with trees on one side of the street and parked vehicles 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d, and 110e on the opposing side of the street. Between vehicles 110a and 110b a first parking space is available, and a second parking space is available between vehicles 110d and 110e. However, in the first parking space a small bush 120 is effectively blocking the first parking space.

[0034] FIG. 2 shows effectively the same situation as FIG. 1 with the parked vehicles 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d, and 110e. In the here shown example, an onboard radar sensor, not shown, of vehicle 100 has sent out radio waves 210 to obtain data associated with the surrounding of vehicle 100. It can also be said that this data is representing the long-range surrounding of the vehicle 100. As known, the radio waves 210 of a radar sensor are used to determine the distance, angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the radar sensor, i.e. relative to the vehicle 100. This first data will allow vehicle 100 to map its surrounding and identify obstacles and candidate parking spaces. Here, it can however also bee seen that from the first location the vehicle 100 is in the small bush 120 is not in the field of view of the sensor, since it is blocked by the rear portion of vehicle 110a. As such, this bush 120 will not be detectable in the first data and as such also not be identified as an obstacle obstructing the first parking space. Although in the here named example a radar sensor is used to facilitate the understanding of the invention, it is clear that also other kind of sensors can be used, which allow a representation of the surrounding of the vehicle 100. Just to name a few, a camera, a radar sensor, a Light Detection and Ranging, LiDAR, sensor cam be used, wherein this list must not be understood to be limiting. Furthermore, the data may also be obtained from vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. Which is a communication between a vehicle and any entity that may affect, or may be affected by, the vehicle. The V2X communication encompass more specific types of communication as vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-network (V2N), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P), and vehicle-to-device (V2D) communications. Thereby, use of data captured by sensors of other entities can be used to obtain the first data.

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a schematic map representation of the first data as obtained by the radar sensor as described in context of FIG. 2. The map representation may identify different obstacle types from the first data. For example, the trees on the one side of the street are identified with dots 310 in the map. The vehicles 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d, and 110e are identifies as rectangulars 320. It is not necessary to obtain the concrete shape or size of the objects from the first data, it is sufficient to detect them as obstacles 310, 320 and to be able to identify between the obstacles 310, 320 at least a distance or any other characteristic, which can be compared with the at least one criterion to identify respective free parking spaces. In the here shown example, the criterion may for example be the width needed between obstacles 320 to be able to park the vehicle 100. As can be seen, the distances between vehicles 110a and 110b has been identified to match the width requirements to park the vehicle 100 and as such, it is identified as one candidate parking space 330a. The distances between vehicles 110b and 110c and between vehicles 110c and 110d have been identified to not match the width requirements to park the vehicle 100 and as such they are not identified as candidate parking spaces. However, the distance between the vehicles 110d and 110e then has also been identified to match the width requirements to park the vehicle 100 and as such, it is identified as one further candidate parking space 330b. The set of candidate parking spaces as such encompasses parking spaces 330a and 330b.

[0036] FIG. 4 shows again the street side parking scenario of FIG. 1, but where the vehicle 100 has already started to make its way to the first identified and selected parking space 330a. After identifying the candidate free parking spaces from the map as shown in FIG. 3, the first free parking space 330a is selected. This selection can be done manually, for example by presenting the user of vehicle 100 with a selection of candidate parking spaces 330a and 330b, or the selection is done automatically, e.g. the closest one to vehicle 100 is selected. Regardless of how the parking space 330a is selected, the method according to the invention may guide the user to the respective parking space 330a, either by showing guidance information on the navigational onboard system or by guiding the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode thereto. Thereby, a path 410 may be planned, which alters the field of view of the sensors or reception capability for V2X communication in a way to better assess the first selected parking space 330a. This is shown in the here depicted example by the fact that the vehicle 100 has a different angle in respect to vehicles 110a and 110b as in FIG. 1. This different angle allows the vehicle 100 now to take a closer look at the selected parking space 330a. It is however advantageous, if the path is as such that the parking maneuver can be aborted without having to reverse the vehicle 100 and without impede the ongoing traffic.

[0037] In the here shown example, the vehicle 100 again uses a radar sensor, not shown here, and emits radio waves 420 to obtain data associated with the surrounding of the selected parking space 330a. It can also be said that the data represents the short-range surrounding of the vehicle 100. The second data allow the vehicle 100 to determine whether the selected parking space 330a really meets the at least one criterion to park the vehicle 100. In the here shown example, this is not the case, since the bush 120 obstructs the parking space 330a. The bush 120 was however not visible in the first data, since at the first position of vehicle 100 the field of view of the radar sensor was obstructed by the rear of vehicle 110a. Now in the second position of vehicle 100, the bush 120 is however in the field of view of the radar sensor and is no longer obstructed, such that it is identifiable within the second data. This allows then the determination that the selected first parking space 330a does not match the at least one criterion and is as such not valid, i.e. not useable for parking vehicle 100. The parking maneuver is then aborted. The set of candidate parking spaces however also encompasses still parking space 330b. The method according to the invention will as such select this parking space 330b as next parking space.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 5, after having discarded parking space 330a as not being valid and having selected parking space 330b as next candidate parking space, another path 510 is planned and the vehicle 100 is guided to that second parking space 330b. Again this guidance can be done by indication on the navigational onboard system or can be done by the autonomous driving mode. Also here the vehicle 100 should be positioned in a way that it can abort the parking maneuver without having to reverse vehicle 100 and without impeding ongoing traffic. In FIG. 5 it is also shown that again the radar sensor, not shown, emits radio waves 520, in order to obtain data associated with the surrounding of parking space 330b to determine whether the respective parking space is valid and can be used for parking. In the here shown example, parking space 330b is not obstructed and can be used for parking vehicle 100.

[0039] The parking of vehicle 100 is then shown in FIG. 6, where after it has been determined that the parking space 330b is useable in FIG. 5, a path 610 is planned which leads to parking the vehicle in the parking space 330b.

[0040] FIG. 7 shows a flow chart of the method for assisted parking according to the invention. The method may start once assisted parking mode is enabled. This can either be enabled by the user or automatically when for example the location of the vehicle 100 indicates that the vehicle 100 has reached the destination. It may also always automatically be enabled once a certain speed threshold is reached or a location threshold is reached around a defined location, for example home of the user, a shopping mall, workplace etc.

[0041] Once the parking mode is enabled, it starts with step 710 to obtain data associated with a surrounding of the vehicle 100. As described in context of FIG. 2, the data may originate from different onboard sensors wither alone or in combination. Furthermore, the data may originate from sources not onboard vehicle 100 but being communicated to vehicle 100. As such, obtaining data encompasses sampling data by sensors as well as receiving data from other sources.

[0042] The method then moves on to step 720 in which a set of candidate parking spaces 330a, 330b for the vehicle is identified by comparing the obtained data to at least one criterion. Thereby, the criterion may need to be matched to indicate that the parking space may be a candidate one for vehicle 100. It can also be said that the parking space is a candidate one for the vehicle 100. Candidate thereby indicates that the parking space is only a valid one with the current data at hand, i.e. it is a candidate one because it has a certain possibility to be used for the vehicle 100. It can also be said that the parking space is encompassed by the set of candidate parking spaces 330a, 330b when the possibility of it being useable to park the vehicle 100 has reached or exceeded a certain threshold probability. As such, it can also be said that a candidate parking space 330a, 330b is a possible one to park the vehicle 100.

[0043] Once the set of candidate parking spaces is identified, one parking space is selected out of the set, in step 730. This selected one may be the first of the identified parking spaces 330a, 330b or may be selected based on a different criterion.

[0044] The method of the invention optionally comprises that the vehicle 100 is then guided to the selected parking space in step 740. This step 740 of guiding the vehicle 100 may comprise that at least one path is planned in step 750 onto which the vehicle 100 is guided into the vicinity of the selected parking space. The path may include the course or trajectory the vehicle 100 has to take to move from one location to another.

[0045] Once the vehicle 100 is in the vicinity of the parking space 330a, 330b second data is obtained in step 760, wherein the data is associated with the surrounding of the selected parking space 330a 330b. This second data allows to assess whether the selected parking space 330a, 330b really meets the at least one criterion. This assessment is done in step 770 where it is determined whether the selected parking space 330a, 330b meets the at least one criterion based on the data associated with the surrounding of the selected parking space 330a, 330b. If it is determined in step 770 that the parking space 330a, 330b is valid, i.e. meets the at least one criterion, then a parking is performed in step 780. This can be an assisted or autonomous parking.

[0046] If it is determined in step 780 that the parking space 330a, 330b is not valid, i.e. does not meet the at least one criterion, then it is retuned back to step 730 and another parking space 330a, 330b is selected out of the set of candidate parking spaces 330a, 330b.

[0047] The method step 730, optionally steps 740 and 750, step 760, step 770 and step 790 are performed repeatedly until a parking space 330a, 330b is determined in step 770 to be valid and the vehicle 100 is parked in step 780.

[0048] The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims.

[0049] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be realized in any of various forms. Accordingly, in one or more example aspects, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, or any combination thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the present disclosure may be realized as a computer-implemented method, a computer-readable memory medium, or a computer system.

[0050] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium may be configured so that it stores program instructions and/or data, where the program instructions, if executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method, e.g ., any of the method embodiments described herein, or, any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or, any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or, any combination of such subsets.

[0051] In some embodiments, a computing device may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium, where the memory medium stores program instructions, where the processor is configured to read and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, where the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various method embodiments described herein (or, any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or, any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or, any combination of such subsets). The device may be realized in any of various forms.

[0052] Although specific embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, even where only a single embodiment is described with respect to a particular feature. Examples of features provided in the disclosure are intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive unless stated otherwise. The above description is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as would be apparent to a person skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0053] The scope of the present disclosure includes any feature or combination of features disclosed herein (either explicitly or implicitly), or any generalization thereof, whether or not it mitigates any or all of the problems addressed herein. In particular, with reference to the appended claims, features from dependent claims may be combined with those of the independent claims and features from respective independent claims may be combined in any appropriate manner and not merely in the specific combinations enumerated in the appended claims.

[0054] The term non-transitory computer-readable medium does not encompass transitory electrical or electromagnetic signals propagating through a medium (such as on a carrier wave). Non-limiting examples of a non-transitory computer-readable medium are nonvolatile memory circuits (such as a flash memory circuit, an erasable programmable read-only memory circuit, or a mask read-only memory circuit), volatile memory circuits (such as a static random access memory circuit or a dynamic random access memory circuit), magnetic storage media (such as an analog or digital magnetic tape or a hard disk drive), and optical storage media (such as a CD, a DVD, or a Blu-ray Disc).

[0055] The term set generally means a grouping of one or more elements. The elements of a set do not necessarily need to have any characteristics in common or otherwise belong together. The phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C. The phrase at least one of A, B, or C should be construed to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a non-exclusive logical OR.