DE102012216994A1 - Method for providing free-parking assistance for vehicle, involves receiving information about free-parking spaces in parking card by cloud computing system and providing suitable free-parking for vehicle based on vehicle dimensions - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves determining information about free-parking spaces for vehicles of road users (3,5,15,17) and transmitting the determined information about free-parking spaces to a cloud computing system (1). The information about free-parking spaces for vehicle is received in parking card by cloud computing system, and the suitable free parking for vehicle is provided by cloud computing system based on vehicle dimensions of road users, desires of road user, and characteristics of car park. Independent claims are included for the following: (1) a computer program for free-parking assistance for vehicle; and (2) a free-parking assistance system for vehicle.

Description

State of the art

The invention relates to a method for parking space switching.

The invention also relates to a computer program and a free parking assistance system, which are particularly suitable for carrying out the method.

DE 10 2004 062 021 A1 shows a system for using free parking spaces, in which road users determine the location and dimension of vacant parking spaces while driving by. The data thus collected are transmitted via a GSM or a UMTS communication connection to a server in a control center and provided with a time stamp. Parking-seeking road users are provided with this data after registration at the headquarters.

DE 10 2009 028 024 A1 and DE 10 2008 028 550 A1 Parking guidance systems for the navigation of a parking space-seeking vehicle to a free parking space, wherein information about available, free parking by vehicles in the traffic are explored and the information is transmitted directly to the parking lot looking for vehicle or indirectly via a center of the parking lot looking vehicle.

Disclosure of the invention

Advantages of the invention

In the method according to the invention for parking space switching is provided that road users determine information about free parking and transmit the information to a cloud computing system, the cloud computing system retrieves information about the free parking in a parking card retrievable.

The method according to the invention has the advantage that a large amount of data in the cloud computing system, which in the context of the invention may also be referred to as a cloud for short, is detected by means of a multiplicity of sensor nodes. A key element here is the networking of sensor information from a large number of vehicles. The vast amount of data is evaluated via intelligent data mining methods and made available to companies and / or end users in a processed form. Thanks to the merge in the cloud, the current parking situation can ideally be determined exactly. One advantage is that the cloud can be used to create a global map of the current parking situation.

A particular advantage of the cloud computing system compared to the realization as a server is the scalability. The computing instances can be extended or reduced by further instances as required. Another advantage of the cloud computing system are cost advantages over conventional systems. It can save on local resources, especially software and hardware, and achieve cost advantages, for example, when paying for the duration or use of resources.

The measures listed in the dependent claims advantageous refinements and improvements of the method specified in the independent claim are possible. In particular, further advantages of using the cloud computing system will become apparent from the embodiments of the method described below.

It is particularly advantageous if the road users are vehicles equipped with environment detection devices and communication devices, which determine the free parking spaces when driving past free parking spaces. Such systems, such. B. ultrasound systems that can recognize when driving by, whether parking spaces are occupied or free, and these gaps can possibly measure, already exist in many modern vehicles and are easily expandable software additions. In particular, semiautonomous or autonomous parking assistance systems are to be mentioned here, which navigate the driver into a parking space by engaging in the longitudinal and / or transverse control of the vehicle and therefore have to precisely measure the parking space. The vehicle acts as a mobile sensor system to determine a local map of free and occupied parking spaces while driving, without this affecting the driver or the driver must act actively. The local information about free parking is transmitted to the cloud and made available. With a corresponding number of vehicles, which are equipped with appropriate environment detection devices and communication units for transmitting the information, so arises without any additional stationary sensors a nationwide map on the free parking. Other sensors and / or information can still be included, for. B. to achieve better quality or higher coverage. It can be provided, for example, to use sensor information from remote regions, which are not measured by passing vehicles.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the location of the free parking space is determined and transmitted to the cloud computing system. The place is particularly preferably over Navigation system detected. Navigation systems, which can determine the current vehicle position in a map via GPS, are already installed as standard in many vehicles or may be present, for example, in a mobile device which is connectable to the vehicle and suitable for the purposes. These systems are easily expandable via software add-ons. The GPS system, for example, constantly records the position of the vehicle and can thus link the parking assistant's information to a local map via free parking.

In one embodiment, a size of the free parking space is also determined and transmitted to the cloud computing system. The determination of the size of the parking space is preferably carried out via an ultrasound system, which is for example part of a parking assistant. When driving past the vehicle, the lateral distance is measured to obstacles and detected by the vehicle's own motion, whether a free parking space exists and what dimension it corresponds.

In one embodiment, meta-information about free and occupied parking is generally determined and transmitted to the cloud computing system. Such meta-information can be obtained in particular from cameras. The meta-information about the parking spaces can be obtained, for example, by a sign recognition, for example by temporary stop signs or signs for identifying residents, disabled, family, women or private parking spaces are detected by a camera system and image processing and the corresponding information with the information about the parking lot are linked.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the road user in a call, d. H. On request to the cloud computing system, free parking and metadata transmitted. In this case, a pre-filtering of the parking spaces regarding various meta-information is possible. The request to the cloud computing system can be made via a connection to the cloud, e.g. Example by means of an integrated SIM card or on the vehicle, for example, via Bluetooth or USB registered mobile device, in particular a smartphone manufactured. The requesting devices need not necessarily be installed in a vehicle that is equipped with a surveying device, but can be used in any vehicles. In addition, the requesting devices do not necessarily have to be assigned to vehicles. Request options can also be provided through a web service. In addition to this, it may be provided to also convey information about occupied parking spaces and metadata about this.

The user is then via a suitable HMI (Human Machine Interface), for example via the navigation device, via a smartphone application, a head-up display or a head-down display information about free and / or occupied parking in the vicinity of a particular location displayed, for example, in the local environment of the vehicle and / or in an environment of a known navigation destination. Ideally, the information is presented to the user in such a way that the timeliness or reliability of the information provided becomes apparent, for example, before how many minutes the parking space was recognized as free by another vehicle and / or by how many vehicles the information is supported. In this case, information of different vehicles relating to a parking lot are linked together, for example, the camera detection by a vehicle and a status vacant / occupied by another vehicle.

While legacy systems have been limited to vehicle-specific information and a few features of the car park, such as its size, the cloud computing solution provides a wealth of metadata about parking and statistics. Meta data and statistics on the parking spaces that the cloud computing system transmits to the road user on a call include, for example, whether they are paid or free of charge and up-to-date or time-dependent information. Some meta information, such as parking fee information, distribution of resident, disabled, family or women's parking spaces, may also be maintained by cities and communities or extracted from the Internet via data mining methods in some embodiments of the invention.

Such retrievable metadata about the parking space may include, for example: height of a parking fee, if and when there is a resident parking space, if and when a short-term parking is available, if there is a disabled parking space, if there is a family or women parking. Further retrievable metadata about the parking lot may include, for example, information about the district, in particular whether current events take place in the vicinity and whether there is a connection to a public transport system, for example, a S-Bahn connection.

Viewable parking statistics may include: daytime, weekday, and / or season-dependent use of the parking lot and a number of break-up offenses in the area. It may be provided, for example, that information is provided that parking a certain district usually occupied in the morning and only in the evening are free again.

It is also possible to calculate the reliability of the indication "parking space free" or "occupied parking space" for an improved quality of the information. The indication is therefore not only a timestamp of when the corresponding parking space was free, but also based on the number of messages and the reliability of the reporting vehicles.

In further expansion stages, drivers can select free parking spaces in the area and let the vehicles drive autonomously or semiautonomically to these parking spaces. Advantageously, more complex navigation recommendations can be derived from the meta-information and statistics, e.g. Prefer of regions with generally many or many free parking spaces. For example, a driver can navigate to the city center and park there, but not in the parking garage. Furthermore, drivers can drive targeted streets, inner city areas, or districts, where the chance of a free parking at the present time is particularly high. For this purpose, for example, based on the collected data in the cloud calculated time-of-use usage statistics can be used.

It is particularly advantageous that the cloud computing system can determine and provide free places in a local environment of the road user or a specific location, for example a known navigation destination. The location of the vehicle can be determined for this purpose, for example by GPS and transmitted in the request with or queried by the cloud computing system in a dialogue. The particular location may be indicated to the cloud computing system via an input, such as a textual or linguistic input by the user. The navigation destination can also be transmitted, for example, by direct interaction with the navigation instrument. The size of the local environment can be specified, for example, by the road user who made the request. For example, the value for the size of the local environment in the HMI is initially preset and can be increased or decreased. Advantageously, local sections of the global map can thus be made accessible to traffic users locally again via an application for a smartphone or via a navigation device.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the cloud computing system offers suitable free parking spaces with regard to the vehicle dimensions, the wishes of the road user and / or with regard to adjustable meta information. H. For example, only those free parking spaces are displayed which are compatible with the dimensions of the vehicle of the road user. This is particularly advantageous because today's parking assistance systems can accurately measure the parking spaces.

It may be intended to offer only women's parking or women's parking, toll-free parking, parking without short-term parking, etc. Whether only suitable free parking is to be provided and / or displayed may also be specified as an option in a filter. In this case, the information of the vehicle dimensions and other wishes or preferences in the request is transmitted or queried by the cloud computing system in a dialogue.

Furthermore, it is possible to integrate existing parking garage systems with free parking spaces via the cloud. Advantageously, as much information as possible is provided about free parking spaces in the surroundings of the vehicle and these are combined from different sources. The information about the occupancy of a parking garage may be provided by the operator of the parking garage in the Internet or, for example, by means of a road user, who has a camera system, and drives past the occupancy of a parking garage indicating information board and transmits the information located thereon.

Computer programs according to which the methods described herein are performed when the computer programs are executed on programmable computer devices are also proposed according to the invention. A computer program can be, for example, a module for implementing a driver assistance system or a subsystem thereof in a vehicle or an application for driver assistance functions that can be executed on a mobile device. The mobile device may comprise, for example, a smartphone, a tablet PC, a notebook and / or a navigation device in the automobile, which has a computer, a display, an input device (HMI) and GPS. The computer program may be stored on a machine-readable storage medium, such as on a permanent or rewritable storage medium or in association with a computer device or on a removable CD-ROM, DVD or USB stick. Additionally or alternatively, the computer program may be provided for download on a computing device such as a server or a cloud computing system, e.g. via a data network such as the Internet or a communication connection such as a telephone line or a wireless connection.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a free parking assistance system comprises a cloud computing system which is adapted to receive information about free parking and to include in a parking card and which is adapted to provide the information about the free parking on request, ie on a call, to provide.

Individual vehicles provide only very limited local information. As soon as a sufficiently large number of vehicles are equipped with the corresponding software components, the limited local information within the cloud, due to their multitude, merge into a global, area-wide and up-to-date map of the parking situation in the entire area of the free parking assistance system.

One of the strengths of the Free Parking Assistance System is that the information about free parking in the cloud is most reliable and up to date where most users rely on it, especially in city centers, shopping malls, or other metropolitan areas. This is the ratio where most vehicles drive with the Free Parking Assistance System and keep the information in the cloud constantly updated.

According to a preferred embodiment, the free parking assistance system comprises at least one vehicle having an environment detection device and a communication unit, wherein the environment detection device is set up to determine free parking spaces and ideally additional meta information about free and occupied parking spaces in the surroundings of the vehicle and wherein the communication unit is set up is to transfer identified information to the cloud computing system.

The environment detection device is preferably already in series use as part of a parking assistance system. As a result, the parking assistance system becomes a mobile sensor system which can determine information about the current parking situation in the direct surroundings of the vehicle along the route selected by the driver.

The free parking assistance system preferably comprises a further unit, for example a mobile device or a navigation module, which is set up, i. H. on which, for example, a suitable application is installed in order to retrieve information about the free parking spaces from the cloud computing system, prefers to prefilter the information according to suitable criteria, and to provide a road user. The unit can, for example, control a display on a mobile device or in the vehicle or deposit a voice message or even conduct a conversation with the road user.

While in previous systems often a system requiring registration is used in vehicles equipped for this, which limits its spread, the measures of the invention can also be used to implement smart-phone apps, for example to retrieve the map information. The Smart Phone Apps may be offered for a fee or for the purpose of acceptance and distribution, for example for a first period or permanently free of charge.

Mobile devices or navigation modules can be used to gather more information and communicate it to the cloud computing system, such as vacant parking space or statistics on usage behavior. Since such a system is only successful over a wide spread, the use of these additional and widely distributed devices for starting such a service is very beneficial.

The application represents the added value for the user and can therefore be offered either for a fee, for example via the integration in a navigation device, or simply be used as an advertising measure. To use the application is not necessary that the vehicle of the road user has a parking assistance system. Business models are conceivable in which users with no environment detection device, ie no contribution to the global map in the cloud, have to pay more than users who contribute via the parking assistant to build the map in the cloud. It can also be realized a staggered cost structure.

It is also possible to offer a reservation system for a fee, which manages the parking spaces centrally in the cloud, which is realized by appropriate equipment parking.

It is also possible to continue to use statistics collected by the cloud system, for example in the traffic planning of a city.

Brief description of the drawings

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the following drawings and are explained in more detail in the following description.

It shows

1 a schematic representation of an outdoor parking assistance system.

Embodiments of the invention

1 shows a schematic representation of an outdoor parking assistance system 10 with a cloud computing system 1 , a first vehicle 3 , a second vehicle 5 , a mobile device 15 and a tablet PC 17 , The free parking assistance system 10 is suitable for carrying out the previously described methods.

The cloud computing system 1 Within the scope of the invention, at least one computer cloud is provided which offers access to use of virtualized computer hardware resources such as computers, networks and memory. Furthermore, the cloud computing system 1 also have software-on-demand structures, namely computer clouds, which provide access to use of software collections and application programs. The cloud computing system 1 is adapted to receive information about free parking and to include in a parking card and set up to provide the information on the free parking on request, ie on a call. It collects all local information of the individual networked vehicles and enters them via a suitable fusion strategy using the position information in a global map. Manually entered information, such as parking costs and identification as a resident parking space, information obtained from the Internet, such as that a car-free Sunday is announced in a city and existing stationary information systems, such as publicly available information about the occupancy of parking garages, via appropriate interfaces in the integrated global map of the cloud.

The cloud computing system 1 can via the communication interfaces of the vehicles 3 . 5 and the devices 15 . 17 Receive and transmit data from these. The cloud computing system 1 networks the vehicle with databases, the communication z. B. via a mobile phone network, built-in SIM card or via a docked mobile device such. As a smartphone or a cell phone, for example, via GSM, UMTS or LTE can be done.

The first vehicle 3 has an environment detection device 11 on, here exemplified front and rear arranged ultrasonic sensors 7 and one in the windshield of the vehicle 3 arranged front camera 9 includes.

The environment detection device 11 may comprise ultrasound systems with groups of ultrasound sensors which collectively detect a sub-environment of the vehicle, for example, the ultrasound sensors in the front area for detecting a front-side vehicle environment and / or the ultrasonic sensors in the side area for detecting a side region of the vehicle and / or the ultrasonic sensors in the rear region for detecting a Rear environment of the vehicle may be assigned to an ultrasound system. In this case, four to six sensors can be installed in a bumper, with only a maximum of four sensors are mounted with approximately the same direction of view. In particular, to also detect the area next to the motor vehicle, sensors are positioned in the front bumper, which have their detection area to the left and to the right. Additionally or alternatively, sensors can also be positioned in the rear bumper in such a way that they detect an area to the left and to the right of the motor vehicle. In addition, the ultrasound system can also include a control device assigned to the respective group and a signal processing device.

The environment detection device 11 may include other environmental sensors, such as a short-range radar system, an infrared system, PMD and / or Lidarsystem, but also several image sensors, especially front cameras, rear cameras, BSD cameras ("Blind Spot Detection" cameras), SVA cameras ("Side View Assistant "cameras), and / or SVS cameras (" Surround View System "cameras), which can be used by other driver assistance systems for other purposes, for example. The cameras can be monocular cameras or cameras of a stereo camera system.

In optical systems, a video sensor in the front region, preferably in the center, a video sensor in the rear region, also preferably in the center, and in each case a video sensor on each side of the motor vehicle, are preferably arranged in optical systems. The video sensors in the front and in the rear area can z. B. in the windshield, for example, in the holder of the inner mirror, and be positioned in the rear window. In addition, video sensors are preferably arranged in the area of the bumpers. This makes it possible to capture the entire environment around the motor vehicle. Optical sensors are known to use image processing software.

The environment detection device 11 is a part of a parking assistance system of the first vehicle 3 , which in the context of the invention may also be referred to briefly as a parking assistant and which misses parking spaces during the passage and detects their status. The environment detection device 11 is set up to find free parking in the vicinity of the vehicle.

The first vehicle 3 also has a navigation module 19 on which the position of the vehicle 3 constantly recorded. The navigation module 19 can help the parking assistance system via an existing map with regard to known parking and / or with respect to obstacles to be ignored and / or gaps such. B. Enter driveways. As a result, the parking assistance system determines and transmits only free parking space and not every free space to the side of the vehicle.

The first vehicle 3 also has a communication unit 13 on. The communication unit 13 is set up to transfer determined information about the free parking spaces to the cloud computing system.

The first vehicle 3 and the second vehicle 5 have units 23 which are arranged to retrieve information about the free parking lots from the cloud system and to provide them to a road user. The communication can z. B. via a mobile phone network, built-in SIM card or via a docked mobile device such. As a smartphone or a cell phone. The unit 13 For example, a display can be activated on a mobile device or in the vehicle, or a voice message can be sent, or a conversation can also be conducted with the road user. The second vehicle is equipped without environment detection device, so provides no contribution to the global map in the cloud, which is possible within the scope of the invention.

The unit 13 of the first vehicle 3 is with the navigation module 19 connected. About the navigation module 19 the presentation is done by the cloud 1 transmitted free parking, and preferably also the interaction with the driver of the first vehicle 3 to select a free parking space and to let the vehicles drive autonomously or semi autonomously to this parking.

The mobile device 15 and the tablet PC 17 By way of example, further units are provided which are set up to retrieve information about the free parking spaces from the cloud system and to provide it to a road user. Through a suitable app, the local sections of the global map with the free parking spaces in the cloud 1 made available to the road user.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and the aspects highlighted therein. Rather, within the scope given by the claims a variety of modifications are possible, which are within the scope of expert action.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102004062021 A1 [0003]
• DE 102009028024 A1 [0004]
• DE 102008028550 A1 [0004]

Claims (11)

Procedure for car park brokerage, whereby road users ( 3 ) Identify information about free parking and transfer the information to a cloud computing system ( 1 ), whereby the cloud computing system ( 1 ) Information about the free parking in a parking card available retrievable. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the road users ( 3 ) with environment detection devices ( 11 ) equipped vehicles, which determine the free parking spaces when driving past free parking spaces. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that location and / or size and / or further meta-information of parking spaces are determined. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the location of the free parking space via a navigation system ( 19 ) is determined. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at a call free parking a road user ( 3 . 5 . 15 . 17 ) are displayed. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cloud computing system ( 1 ) Free parking in a local environment of the road user ( 3 . 5 . 15 . 17 ) and / or in an environment of a known navigation destination and provides. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cloud computing system ( 1 ) based on vehicle dimensions of the road user ( 3 . 5 . 15 . 17 ), based on the wishes of the road user ( 3 . 5 . 15 . 17 ) and / or determined by properties of the parking lot suitable free parking and provides. A computer program for performing any of the methods of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the computer program is executed on a programmable computer device. Free Parking Assistance System ( 10 ), comprising a cloud computing system ( 1 ), which is arranged to receive information about free parking and to include in a parking card and which is adapted to provide the information on the free parking on request. Free Parking Assistance System ( 10 ) according to claim 9, comprising at least one vehicle ( 3 ) with an environment detection device ( 11 ) and a communication unit ( 13 ), wherein the environment detection device ( 11 ), free parking in the vicinity of the vehicle ( 3 ) and the communication unit ( 13 ) has provided information on the free parking space to the cloud computing system ( 1 ) transferred to. Free Parking Assistance System ( 10 ) according to claim 9 or claim 10, comprising a road user ( 3 . 5 ) associated unit ( 23 ), which is set up, information about the free parking spaces of the cloud computing system ( 1 ) and the road user ( 3 . 5 ).

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