METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO A MOTOR VEHICLE DURING A PROCESS OF EXITING A LATERAL PARKING SPACE

Abstract

Technologies and techniques for providing assistance to a motor vehicle during a process of exiting a lateral parking space. A device is configured with at least one surroundings sensor system and at least one control unit with an assigned memory to acquire successive values of distances from adjacent motor vehicles during a parking process and to store them in a map of the surroundings. The device may be designed in such a way that, before the start of the process of exiting a parking space, current values of distances from the adjacent motor vehicles are acquired and compared with the distance values stored in the map of the surroundings, wherein, when they correspond, a parking-space-exiting trajectory is made available by means of the map of the surroundings.

Claims

1-8. (canceled)

9. A method for providing assistance to a motor vehicle during an exiting process of a perpendicular parking space, comprising: detecting distance values of adjacent motor vehicles during a parking process in the perpendicular parking space via at least one environment sensor system; detecting and storing at least one further feature of adjacent motor vehicles in an area of the perpendicular parking space, wherein the further feature comprises one or more of a color, a contour, and/or a motor vehicle type; storing the distance values detected during the parking process in an environment map; storing the detected at least one further feature; detecting current distance values associated with the adjacent motor vehicles prior to starting the exiting process; detecting current at least one further feature of adjacent motor vehicles in the area of the perpendicular parking space; comparing the detected current distance values with the stored distance values; comparing the detected current at least one further feature with the stored at least one further feature; and providing an exiting trajectory via the environment map, when the comparing of the detected current distance values with the stored distance values and the comparing of the detected current at least one further feature with the stored at least one further feature are both the same.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein providing the exiting trajectory comprises providing the exiting trajectory in a fully automated manner.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising detecting a contour pointing toward the road of at least one motor vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein detecting distance values of adjacent motor vehicles comprises detecting distance values via one or more ultrasonic sensors.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting the current at least one further feature of adjacent motor vehicles in the area of the perpendicular parking space comprises detecting the at least one further feature via a camera.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the detecting of current distance values and the detecting of current at least one further feature occurs after the motor vehicle is restarted.

15. A system for providing assistance to a motor vehicle during an exiting process of a perpendicular parking space, comprising: at least one environment sensor system; at least one control unit, operatively coupled to the at least one sensor system; and a memory, operatively coupled to the control unit, wherein the at least one environment sensor system, control unit and memory are configured to: detect distance values of adjacent motor vehicles during a parking process in the perpendicular parking space via at least one environment sensor system; detect at least one further feature of adjacent motor vehicles in an area of the perpendicular parking space, wherein the further feature comprises one or more of a color, a contour, and/or a motor vehicle type; store the distance values detected during the parking process in an environment map; store the detected at least one further feature of adjacent motor vehicles in an area of the perpendicular parking space; detect current distance values associated with the adjacent motor vehicles prior to starting the exiting process; detect current at least one further feature of adjacent motor vehicles in the area of the perpendicular parking space; compare the detected current distance values with the stored distance values; compare the detected current at least one further feature with the stored at least one further feature; and provide an exiting trajectory via the environment map, when the comparing of the detected current distance values with the stored distance values and the comparing of the detected current at least one further feature with the stored at least one further feature are both the same.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one environment sensor system, control unit and memory are configured to provide the exiting trajectory by providing the exiting trajectory in a fully automated manner.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one environment sensor system, control unit and memory are configured to detect a contour pointing toward the road of at least one motor vehicle.

18. The system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one environment sensor system, control unit and memory are configured to detect distance values of adjacent motor vehicles by detecting distance values via one or more ultrasonic sensors.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one environment sensor system, control unit and memory are configured to detect the current at least one further feature of adjacent motor vehicles in the area of the perpendicular parking space by detecting the at least one further feature via a camera.

20. The system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one environment sensor system, control unit and memory are configured to detect current distance values and at least one further feature after the motor vehicle is restarted.

21. A method for providing assistance to a motor vehicle during an exiting process of a perpendicular parking space, comprising: storing detected distance values of adjacent motor vehicles associated with a previous parking process in the perpendicular parking space via at least one environment sensor system; storing at least one further feature of adjacent motor vehicles in an area of the perpendicular parking space associated with a previous parking process, wherein the further feature comprises one or more of a color, a contour, and/or a motor vehicle type; detecting current distance values associated with the adjacent motor vehicles prior to starting the exiting process; detecting current at least one further feature of adjacent motor vehicles in the area of the perpendicular parking space; comparing the detected current distance values with the stored distance values; comparing the detected current at least one further feature with the stored at least one further feature; and providing an exiting trajectory via the environment map, when the comparing of the detected current distance values with the stored distance values and the comparing of the detected current at least one further feature with the stored at least one further feature are both the same.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein providing the exiting trajectory comprises providing the exiting trajectory in a fully automated manner.

23. The method according to claim 21, further comprising detecting a contour pointing toward the road of at least one motor vehicle.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein detecting distance values of adjacent motor vehicles comprises detecting distance values via one or more ultrasonic sensors.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein detecting the current at least one further feature of adjacent motor vehicles in the area of the perpendicular parking space comprises detecting the at least one further feature via a camera.

26. The method according to claim 21, wherein the detecting of current distance values and the detecting of current at least one further feature occurs after the motor vehicle is restarted.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The present disclosure will be described in more detail hereafter based on a preferred exemplary embodiment. In the drawings:

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a schematic traffic situation prior to pulling into a perpendicular parking space, under some aspects of the present disclosure;

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a schematic traffic situation while pulling into a perpendicular parking space, under some aspects of the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG. 3 shows a schematic traffic situation after the parking process has ended, under some aspects of the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG. 4 shows a schematic traffic situation after the parking process has ended, prior to shutting off the motor vehicle under some aspects of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG. 5 shows a schematic traffic situation after the motor vehicle has been turned on, prior to starting the exiting process under some aspects of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG. 6 shows a schematic traffic situation while exiting the perpendicular parking space under some aspects of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG. 7 shows a schematic alternative traffic situation after the motor vehicle has been turned on, prior to starting the exiting process under some aspects of the present disclosure; and

[0033] FIG. 8 shows a schematic block diagram of a device for providing assistance to a motor vehicle when exiting a perpendicular parking space under some aspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] FIG. 1 schematically shows an example of a traffic situation in which a motor vehicle 1 intends to pull into a perpendicular parking space QP. The perpendicular parking space QP is delimited by two adjacent motor vehicles 2, 3. Furthermore, the sensing areas 4 of four laterally installed ultrasonic sensors are shown. As can be seen, the detectable area of the ultrasonic sensors is limited at a point in time.

[0035] When the motor vehicle 1 pulls into the perpendicular parking space QP, the ultrasonic sensor system of the motor vehicle 1 continuously detects distance values of the motor vehicle 3, thereby detecting the contour thereof in the region facing the road. This is symbolized by the crosses in FIG. 2.

[0036] When the parking process has been completed, the motor vehicle 1 has also measured the lateral distance values of the adjacent motor vehicles 2, 3, which is again symbolized by the crosses in FIG. 3. All these distance values are plotted in an environment map, or the map is compiled with the aid of the distance values. In addition, further features of the motor vehicles 2, 3 can be detected and stored.

[0037] In FIG. 4, the motor vehicle 1 has been completely pulled into the space and, prior to the motor vehicle 1 being shut off, detects the distance values d1 to d4, which can only be measured directly. Thereafter the motor vehicle 1 is shut off, and the sensor system is switched off.

[0038] FIG. 5 shows an example where the motor vehicle 1 is turned back on and is to be pulled out of the perpendicular parking space QP. Initially, the current distance values d5 to d8 are measured and compared to the distance values d1 to d4 stored prior to the vehicle being shut off. If further features were stored, these are also currently detected and compared. If the distance values are identical, that is, d1=d5, d2=d6, d3=d7, and d4=d8, it is assumed that nothing has changed, and the environment map is still valid. As a result, the motor vehicle 1 knows the exact extension of the relevant portions of the motor vehicles 2, 3 and can provide an optimal trajectory, which is schematically indicated in FIG. 6.

[0039] FIG. 7 shows that the two motor vehicles 2, 3 are no longer the same as when the vehicle was parked according to FIG. 4. Accordingly, the currently measured distance values d5 to d8 are different from the stored distance values d1 to d4, and the environment map is no longer valid.

[0040] A special case is that an adjacent motor vehicle 2, 3 is absent. In this case, an optimal trajectory can nonetheless be offered, even though the distances are not the same. However, this is not mandatory, since cases are conceivable in which objects are parked in the adjacent parking space, which are in the way of the trajectory, but not detectable by the sensor system.

[0041] FIG. 8 shows a schematic block diagram of a device 10 for providing assistance to a motor vehicle during a process of exiting a perpendicular parking space. The device 10 comprises a control unit 11, a memory 12, and an environment map 13. The device 10 furthermore comprises an environment sensor system 14, which comprises multiple ultrasonic sensors 15. Finally, the device 10 comprises at least one camera 16.

[0042] During a parking process, the device 10 continuously receives data from the ultrasonic sensors 15, and stores this data in the memory 12. Based on its own position determination, steering movement and the stored distance values, the control unit 11 compiles an environment map 13 and stores it. Furthermore, the at least one camera 16 ascertains at least one further feature of the adjacent motor vehicles 2, 3 and stores these features in the environment map 13. Before starting the exiting process, the device 10 again receives distance values d5 to d8 from the ultrasonic sensors 15, as well as the current detected features of the adjacent motor vehicles 2, 3. The control unit 11 then compares these current values to the stored values and provides an exiting trajectory if the values are identical, wherein the exiting trajectory is calculated by means of the environment map 13.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0043] 1) motor vehicle

[0044] 2, 3) neighboring motor vehicles

[0045] 4) sensing areas

[0046] 10) device

[0047] 11) control unit

[0048] 12) memory

[0049] 13) environment map

[0050] 14) environment sensor system

[0051] 15) ultrasonic sensors

[0052] 16) camera

[0053] d1-d4) distance values

[0054] d5-d6) distance values

[0055] QP) perpendicular parking space