DE102019125781A1 - Advanced valet parking service - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for advanced parking of a vehicle (12) in a desired parking area (14), comprising the steps of determining a set of parked vehicles (20), each of which has a part of a parking area (14) for parking several vehicles ( 20) occupied, monitoring of distances (26) between the parked vehicles (20) within the parking area (14), receiving a request to park the vehicle (12) within the parking area (14), determining a parking space (22) for parking the Vehicle (12) in the parking area (14) based on the distances (26) between the parked vehicles (20), confirming the parking space (22) for the vehicle (12), waiting for the receipt of a status message indicating that the Vehicle (12) is located in the vicinity of the parking area (14), autonomously moving at least one of the parked vehicles (20) to provide the parking space (22) for the vehicle (12), and parking the vehicle (12) on the Parking space (22). The present invention also relates to a parking assistance system (10) for carrying out the above method.

Description

The present invention relates to a method for advanced parking of a vehicle in a desired parking area.

The present invention also relates to a parking assistance system for advanced parking of a vehicle in a desired parking area with a communication unit for receiving and transmitting data and a processing unit for processing the received data and for providing data to be transmitted, the parking assistance system being set up to provide the above Procedure to be carried out.

Conventional driving assistance systems for parking only work if an identified parking space is suitable for a vehicle to be parked, i.e. the ego vehicle. Therefore, the parking lot must be at least the size of the vehicle with some additional headroom required to move the vehicle into and out of the parking lot. This relates to parallel parking, i.e. parking the ego vehicle parallel to a longitudinal direction of a lane or street, as well as right-angled parking of the vehicle. For example, when a parallel parking operation is carried out, the ego vehicle can drive past a possible parking space and not park on it if the parking space is of a size that is insufficient to allow the ego vehicle to fit in with a certain margin. In some cases, more space is available in the parking area, e.g. along the street, for example when vehicles are parked with more clearance than required. This can be the case, for example, when a large vehicle leaves a parking space and a small vehicle occupies the same parking space. In this case, the ego vehicle passing the small vehicle parked in the large parking lot would not recognize an available parking space. The ego vehicle would have to keep looking or look for a parking space again.

In general, a service called valet parking is becoming increasingly important. Valet parking service refers to a parking service offered by service providers in different locations such as airports or as an additional service by various establishments such as restaurants, department stores and other businesses. In contrast to normal parking or "self-parking", in which the driver of the ego vehicle is responsible for finding a parking space and maneuvering the ego vehicle into this parking space, a valet parking service enables the driver to use the ego vehicle. To leave the vehicle to a person who is typically referred to as a "valet" and who ensures that the ego vehicle is parked in a suitable parking space. This service either requires a fee to be paid by the driver of the ego vehicle, or it is offered to the driver free of charge as a specific service provided by the respective company.

In this context, the document concerns EP 2 886 420 B1 a method comprising the steps of: identifying a parking area for a vehicle; Determining that there is sufficient space within the parking area to create a parking space, the parking space being a part of the parking area which is dimensioned such that the vehicle can enter and exit the parking space; Identifying another vehicle within the parking area that is moveable based at least in part on the identity of the other vehicle; Causing a display of a representation of the parking space candidate in relation to a representation of a parking assistance interface, the representation of the parking space candidate indicating a location of the parking space in relation to the parking area; Receiving information indicative of a candidate parking space selection input associated with the candidate parking space representation; Identifying the candidate parking space as the parking lot based at least in part on the candidate parking space selection input; Determining a parking instruction based at least in part on the parking space, the other vehicle, and the identification of the parking space candidate as the parking space; and causing the parking instruction to be transmitted.

It also presents the document US 2015/0039173 A1 provide an approach to processing and / or enabling processing of sensor information associated with one or more parked vehicles to determine one or more parking conditions, wherein at least a subset of the one or more parked vehicles is configured with one or more automated motion systems . The approach includes determining at least one adjustment to the one or more parked vehicles based at least in part on the one or more parking conditions. The approach further includes that at least partially 1a) a presentation of at least one notification regarding the one or more parking conditions, the at least one adjustment or a combination thereof, 1b) an activation of the one or more automatic movement systems to carry out the at least one adjustment, or 1c) a combination of these is initiated.

The document GB 2552407 A describes a vehicle parking assistance system, the vehicle data, such as the position and the distance of neighboring objects, from one or receives several already parked autonomous vehicles within a first range of a vehicle concerned. The system then determines whether there is a space greater than a minimum parking space and, if there is no such space, instructs one or more of the autonomous vehicles to move to provide an appropriate space. If such a gap cannot be created, the system can enlarge the first area and try again. The area can be a distance or a route in front of or behind the parked vehicle. Movements that create a space in front of the parked vehicle and movements that create a gap in the shortest possible time can be given preference. The system can be implemented on the parked vehicle or on a central server.

The invention is based on the object of specifying a method and a system for parking a vehicle in a desired parking area, which enable a parking space to be easily and conveniently provided for the vehicle or its driver.

The problem is solved by the independent claims. Advantageous refinements are given in the subclaims.

In particular, the present invention provides a method for advanced parking of a vehicle in a desired parking area, including the steps of determining a set of parked vehicles each occupying part of a parking area for parking multiple vehicles, monitoring distances between the parked vehicles within of the parking area, receiving a request to park the vehicle in the parking area, determining a parking space for parking the vehicle in the parking area based on distances between the parked vehicles, confirming the parking space for the vehicle, waiting to receive a status message indicating that the Vehicle is located in the vicinity of the parking area, autonomously moving at least one of the parked vehicles to provide a parking space for the vehicle and parking the vehicle in the parking lot.

The present invention also specifies a parking assistance system for advanced parking of a vehicle in a desired parking area, which has a communication unit for receiving and transmitting data and a processing unit for processing the received data and providing data to be transmitted, the parking assistance system being set up for this purpose is to perform the above procedure.

The basic idea of the invention is to monitor vehicles located in a parking area in order - on request - to identify and provide a parking space for a user of the vehicle, also referred to as an ego vehicle. Therefore, upon request from the vehicle, the use of the parking area is optimized in order to determine a possible parking space that would not be available without active management of the vehicles within the parking area. Upon request, the parking area will be checked for possible parking spaces. This can include, for example, that only one parked vehicle has to be moved autonomously in order to make the parking space available. Depending on the distances between the parked vehicles, however, it may be necessary to move several of the parked vehicles autonomously in order to provide the parking space within the parking area. This feature can provide an additional benefit for the driver of the ego vehicle or for a company offering this service to its customers, as the search for a suitable parking space, which is typically tedious, can be eliminated or at least facilitated. Another advantage is that CO ₂ emissions can be reduced.

The parking area may comprise a separate area or just an area next to a lane or street where the vehicles can be parked. The parking area can have several such areas, which do not have to be connected to one another. The parking area is intended for parking several vehicles. The parking area is appropriately sized so that proximity to a destination to be visited is obtained. In order to enable the vehicle to be parked in the vicinity of the destination, it is therefore preferred that the parking area is limited in its extent so that the destination can be reached on foot within 5 to 10 or 15 minutes. The parking area can therefore be defined, for example, as an area with a radius of less or more than 100 meters, less or more than 200 meters, less or more than 500 meters or less or more than 1 kilometer around the vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, the parking area can have a size of less or more than 300, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10000, 100000 or 1000000 m ² . In other cases, the parking area can be defined as a specific parking zone assigned to the destination. In still other cases, the parking area may be defined based on distances to existing sidewalks, which typically results in the parking area having a smaller dimension compared to the radius of the same length around the destination. In still other cases, the parking area can be defined as a parking lane of the street where the destination is located.

Parking can be implemented as parallel parking, ie parking the ego vehicle parallel to a longitudinal direction of a lane or street, as well as vertical parking of the vehicle, in which the parked vehicles are aligned side by side next to one another. In particular, when the parking area is an area adjacent to the lane or road, a plurality of parking spaces can be provided along the parking area when there are excessively large spaces between parked vehicles, including vehicles that are not correctly parked. In order to carry out the method, it is generally sufficient that some of the vehicles can be moved autonomously in order to provide the parking space. The more of the parked vehicles are suitable for autonomous movement, the more parking spaces can be provided and the easier the parking spaces can be provided. Overall, the present invention provides an advanced parking service that provides the driver of the ego vehicle with a parking space in a selected parking area.

The determination of a set of parked vehicles includes the determination of an occupancy of the parking area as the basis for a later identification of a parking space for the vehicle. It can be advantageous to uniquely identify individual vehicles among the parked vehicles, at least if the vehicles have to be moved autonomously in order to provide the parking space. The parked vehicles therefore at least partially provide an interface that can be accessed by the parking assistance system in order to control the respective parked vehicle or to instruct it to carry out the autonomous movement process in order to provide the parking space.

Parking the ego vehicle in the parking lot preferably includes the autonomous or semi-autonomous movement of the ego vehicle. Therefore, the vehicle to be parked, i.e. the ego vehicle, can be set up to carry out such an autonomous process in order to park the vehicle within the parking lot. The ego vehicle can, however, also be parked manually by the driver of the ego vehicle.

The step of monitoring distances between parked vehicles within the parking area provides an overview of the available spaces along the parking area. This in turn enables the parking space to be determined when the spaces are accumulated. Monitoring the distances between the parked vehicles within the parking area includes monitoring distances between the parked vehicle and the boundaries of the parking area at the boundaries of the parking area.

The parking space is determined upon receipt of a request to park the vehicle in the parking area. The driver can transmit the request to the driving support system. The request can be transmitted directly from the ego vehicle, e.g. while driving. Alternatively, the request can be transmitted e.g. from a mobile communication device of the driver, e.g. a smartphone, a tablet computer or the like, which is registered for the ego vehicle.

The determination of a parking space for parking the vehicle in the parking area is based on the distances between the parked vehicles compared to the space requirements for parking the vehicle. In some cases, the parking space may be determined based on an accumulation of available distances between the parked vehicles versus the space requirements for parking the vehicle. In this case, several vehicles have to be moved to provide the parking space

Confirming the parking space for the vehicle includes transmitting a notification relating to the parking space, which typically includes a detailed destination of the parking space. The notification is transmitted from the parking assistance system and received at the device that transmitted the request to park the vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, the notification is received on the vehicle and / or on another communication device. However, if the ego vehicle is able to park autonomously, it is only necessary to confirm the request so that the ego vehicle can move towards the requested parking area. Upon arrival, the driver can leave the vehicle and the vehicle can park autonomously in the parking lot. Confirming the parking space for the vehicle includes reserving the parking space so that it is not offered to other vehicles.

Waiting to receive the status message that the vehicle is near the parking area helps keep the parking space available until the ego vehicle arrives. Before the at least one parked vehicle is moved to provide the parking space, the parking space is merely a type of virtual parking space before the ego vehicle is parked in the parking space. Therefore, the parking lot cannot be occupied by a third vehicle before the arrival of the ego vehicle. The received status message can be transmitted either by the vehicle itself or by some other device that can transmit this message, e.g. from a traffic camera that identifies the vehicle.

The expression “in the vicinity” of the parking area denotes a definition with regard to the time and / or the distance of the ego vehicle compared to the parking space. The ego vehicle is therefore sufficiently close to the parking lot so that it can occupy the parking lot upon arrival. The definition can therefore be dependent, for example, on a travel time or a travel distance that is required for the autonomous movement of the parked vehicles in order to provide the parking space. In some cases, the term "near" the parking area is defined by the travel time it takes the ego vehicle to reach the parking lot, for example the ego vehicle is less than a minute, two or five minutes from the parking lot. In other cases, the expression "in the vicinity" denotes a distance that the ego vehicle needs to reach the parking lot, for example the ego vehicle is less than 10 meters, 30 meters, 50 meters, 100 meters, 200 meters, 500 meters or one kilometer drive from the car park. The respective travel time or the travel route can be calculated, for example, based on navigation information, ie on a route calculation for reaching the parking space. In still other cases, “near” the parking area means that the ego vehicle has reached the parking lot and is ready to park. In still other cases, a reception area can be defined and the status message can be transmitted when the ego vehicle enters the reception area, ie the ego vehicle is "near" the parking area when it enters the reception area. In still other cases, the ego vehicle is “near” the parking area when it approaches the parking area, reaches the parking area, or enters the parking area.

The autonomous movement of at least one of the parked vehicles in order to provide the parking space for the vehicle enables the creation of a parking space which is large enough to park the ego vehicle. In parallel parking, the autonomous movement can only refer to a small forward or backward movement in order to provide the parking space. In other cases, however, the autonomous movement may involve completely repositioning the parked vehicle. Autonomous movement refers to the transmission of a command to carry out an autonomous movement to the respective vehicle.

The parking assistance system is a central system for providing advanced parking, in particular a valet parking service, in the desired parking area. The parking assistance system can be provided as a cloud service which is generally available to every subscriber of this service. The communication unit can be any type of communication unit for receiving and transmitting the data, in particular a data connection, preferably an Internet connection. Alternatively, the communication unit of the parking assistance system can be set up to carry out direct communication, for example with a communication device in accordance with a mobile communication standard such as GSM, UMTS, LTE, 5G or the like.

The processing unit for processing the received data and for providing data to be transmitted can be any type of physical or virtual device.

According to a modified embodiment of the invention, the determination of a set of parked vehicles includes the receipt of position information, in particular together with vehicle dimensions, for each of the parked vehicles and the monitoring of distances between the parked vehicles within the parking area includes the determination of the distances between the parked vehicles, in particular based on the position information along with the vehicle dimensions. The position information contains, for example, the position of the respective vehicle in a suitable format, e.g. in polar coordinates or Cartesian coordinates, for identifying the position. The distances between the parked vehicles can then be determined based on the positions of the vehicles by the central parking assistance system as further processing. The distances can be determined with high accuracy based on the knowledge of the dimensions of the vehicle. Alternatively, standard dimensions applicable to typical vehicles can be used. The distances can be determined inside or outside the parking assistance system. The information can e.g. be provided for the entire parking area on request by the parking assistance system or every time a vehicle is parked in a parking lot within the parking area. The dimensions of the vehicle can make it easier to determine distances between parked vehicles, in particular when a parked vehicle leaves a parking space in the parking area. Therefore, the distance between the vehicles in the vicinity of this exiting vehicle can be determined by adding the previous distances between the respective vehicles and the dimensions of the vehicle leaving the parking lot, either its length or its width. Therefore, the distance between the remaining vehicles can be easily reconstructed without the need for further information.

According to a modified embodiment of the invention, the receiving of position information, in particular together with vehicle dimensions, for each of the parked vehicles has the Receiving the position information, in particular together with the vehicle dimensions, from the parked vehicles. Therefore, each of the parked vehicles determines the position information including its position. In addition, each vehicle typically knows its dimensions, ie its length and / or its width, and can provide this information with a high degree of accuracy. The parked vehicles can in particular transmit the information to the parking assistance system for further processing using any available mobile communication connection, for example via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GSM, UMTS, LTE, 5G, to name just a few. Each vehicle can provide the information, at least in part, on request in order to determine a complete set of parked vehicles within the parking area and to monitor the distances between these vehicles. Alternatively, each of the vehicles can automatically provide information for the parking assistance system when parking in the parking area. Based on the information from the parked vehicles, the parking assistance system then determines the vehicles in the parking area and the distances between them. The dimensions together with the positions of the parked vehicles enable the distances between the parked vehicles to be determined.

According to a modified embodiment of the invention, receiving position information together with vehicle dimensions for each of the parked vehicles includes receiving the position information together with vehicle dimensions from a sensor and / or infrastructure facilities or from vehicles passing through the parking area. Infrastructure refers, for example, to cameras or other types of sensors that can be explicitly arranged to monitor the parking area and can communicate with the parking assistance system. In some cases, however, existing infrastructure facilities, e.g. for traffic monitoring, can also be used. In addition, passing vehicles that are equipped with environmental sensors such as cameras, LiDAR-based sensors, radar sensors or ultrasonic sensors can record information about the positions and dimensions of the parked vehicles. The vehicles can be part of the normal traffic passing through the parking area. However, vehicles can also only be used as special vehicles for monitoring the parking area.

According to a modified embodiment of the invention, the method has an additional step for determining boundaries of the parking area, in particular based on map information. In some cases, there may be a parking space at a boundary of the parking area where there is no adjacent vehicle. Therefore, knowing the boundaries of the parking area makes it easier to identify a possible parking space. The boundaries of the parking area cannot only be determined from the map information. Additionally or alternatively, the boundaries of the parking area can be determined using any suitable environmental sensor of the parked vehicles or by infrastructure facilities.

According to a modified embodiment of the invention, the monitoring of distances between the parked vehicles within the parking area comprises receiving distance information from the parked vehicles in relation to the distances to neighboring parked vehicles. Since most conventional vehicles are equipped with environmental sensors, e.g. ultrasonic sensors or the like, these vehicles can directly measure distances to neighboring parked vehicles and transmit this information, e.g. together with the position information. Therefore, determining the distances between the parked vehicles can be as simple as receiving this information from the respective parked vehicles. If each of two neighboring vehicles measures the distance to the other vehicle, the distance can be determined, for example, as the mean value of two measurements, which increases the accuracy. In addition, a plausibility check can be carried out, e.g. to verify whether the two measurements provide different distance values. The vehicles can provide the distance information upon request from the parking assistance system or without request. In this case too, the dimensions of the vehicle further facilitate the determination of the distances between parked vehicles. For example, if a vehicle leaves a parking lot and the neighboring vehicles are out of range of the vehicles' environment sensors, especially if ultrasonic sensors are used, the distance between the remaining vehicles can be determined based on previous distances between the respective vehicles and the dimensions of the vehicle that is driving Parking lot has to be reconstructed.

According to a modified embodiment of the invention, the method has an additional step of storing the set of parked vehicles and the distances between the parked vehicles within the parking area in a database. The database is used to provide the information regarding the parking area. Therefore, upon receiving a request to park the ego vehicle in the parking area, the parking assist system can provide the parking space, if available, easily and without unnecessary delay.

According to a modified embodiment of the invention, the step of waiting for receiving a status message indicating that the vehicle is in the vicinity of the parking area comprises receiving position information of the vehicle and determining the status that the vehicle is in the vicinity of the parking area based on the position information of the vehicle. This enables preparations to be made so that the parking space is readily available upon arrival of the vehicle that requested the parking space. Therefore, the vehicle can be parked without delay, which provides a high level of comfort for the driver of each vehicle. Furthermore, a dynamic determination of the parking space can also be carried out until the vehicle finally arrives at the allocated parking space.

According to a modified embodiment of the invention, receiving a request to park the vehicle in the parking area includes receiving dimensional information of the vehicle, and determining a parking space for parking the vehicle in the parking area includes determining the parking space with additional consideration of the received dimensional information of the vehicle . With the detailed information regarding the vehicle, a most suitable parking space for this vehicle can be determined, so that, for example, a parking space can be selected so that the vehicle can be parked at a minimal distance from neighboring vehicles. In addition to a length and / or a width of the vehicle, the dimensional information of the ego vehicle can contain information relating to possible curvatures or other mobility information which can define a margin that is required so that this particular vehicle can carry out a corresponding parking maneuver.

According to a modified embodiment of the invention, receiving a request to park the vehicle in the parking area includes receiving time information for parking the vehicle in the parking area, and determining a parking space for parking the vehicle in the parking area includes determining the parking space with additional consideration of the time information . The time information can contain an arrival time and / or a departure time for parking the vehicle in the parking area. Based on this information, a high degree of flexibility when parking can be offered. For example, if the departure time of the vehicles that have already been parked is known, a parking space that is not yet available can be compared with the arrival time of the vehicle, so that a parking space that is not yet available can be offered and reserved. In addition, it is even possible to release a parking space in the parking area when a vehicle is parked for a long time and a request for short-term parking is received. Therefore, the parked vehicle can be moved autonomously out of the parking lot to be offered to the arriving vehicle, and the other vehicle can be parked in a more distant alternative parking space until its scheduled departure time approaches.

According to a modified embodiment of the invention, determining a parking space for parking the vehicle in the parking area based on distances between the parked vehicles comprises determining multiple parking spaces, offering the multiple parking spaces to a user of the vehicle and receiving a user selection of the selected parking space. The user can therefore select a preferred parking space, e.g. under preconditions that are not apparent to the parking assistance system, e.g. if additional space is required for loading or unloading the vehicle, or if people with restricted mobility have to get into or out of the vehicle .

According to a modified embodiment of the invention, the method has an additional step for generating a user profile with regard to the selection of the parking area and receiving a request to park the vehicle in the parking area includes generating the request based on the user profile. As a result, a driver who regularly visits a certain location can automatically be provided with a parking space without an explicit request being transmitted. Such a user profile can be rather simple and only contain a combination of location and time information.

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent and illustrated in the embodiments described below. Individual features that are shown in the embodiments can form an aspect of the present invention on their own or in combination. Features of the various embodiments can be transferred from one embodiment to another embodiment.

• 1 eine schematische Ansicht eines Parkbereichs zum parallelen Parken neben einer Straße mit drei im Parkbereich geparkten Fahrzeugen mit Spielräumen zwischen den geparkten Fahrzeugen gemäß einem Verfahren einer ersten bevorzugten Ausführungsform;
• 2 eine schematische Ansicht eines Parkbereichs zum parallelen Parken neben einer Straße mit drei im Parkbereich geparkten Fahrzeugen mit Spielräumen zwischen den geparkten Fahrzeugen und einem im Parkbereich zu parkenden Fahrzeug gemäß dem Verfahren der ersten bevorzugten Ausführungsform;
• 3 eine schematische Ansicht eines Parkbereichs zum parallelen Parken neben einer Straße mit drei im Parkbereich parkenden Fahrzeugen, die im Vergleich zu den 1 und 2 bewegt worden sind, um einen Parkplatz für das zu parkende Fahrzeug bereitzustellen, gemäß dem Verfahren der ersten bevorzugten Ausführungsform;
• 4 eine schematische Ansicht eines Parkbereichs zum senkrechten Parken neben einer Straße mit drei im Parkbereich parkenden Fahrzeugen mit Spielräumen zwischen den geparkten Fahrzeugen und einem im Parkbereich zu parkenden Fahrzeug gemäß dem Verfahren der ersten bevorzugten Ausführungsform;
• 5 eine schematische Ansicht eines Parkbereichs zum senkrechten Parken neben einer Straße mit drei im Parkbereich parkenden Fahrzeugen, die im Vergleich zu 4 bewegt worden sind, um einen Parkplatz für das zu parkende Fahrzeug bereitzustellen, gemäß dem Verfahren der ersten bevorzugten Ausführungsform;
• 6 ein Ablaufdiagramm eines Verfahrens zum fortschrittlichen Parken eines Fahrzeugs in einem gewünschten Parkbereich gemäß der ersten, bevorzugten Ausführungsform; und
• 7 eine schematische Ansicht eines Parkunterstützungssystems gemäß der ersten bevorzugten Ausführungsform, wobei das Parkunterstützungssystem in Kommunikationsverbindung mit den geparkten Fahrzeugen steht.
• 7 zeigt ein Parkunterstützungssystem 10 zum fortschrittlichen Parken eines Fahrzeugs 12, das auch als Ego-Fahrzeug 12 bezeichnet wird, in einem gewünschten Parkbereich 14 gemäß einer ersten bevorzugten Ausführungsform. Das Parkunterstützungssystem 10 ist ein zentrales System zum Bereitstellen von fortgeschrittenem Parken, insbesondere eines Valet-Parkdienstes, in dem gewünschten Parkbereich 14.

Show it:

• 1 a schematic view of a parking area for parallel parking next to a street with three parked in the parking area Vehicles with margins between the parked vehicles according to a method of a first preferred embodiment;
• 2 a schematic view of a parking area for parallel parking next to a street with three vehicles parked in the parking area with clearances between the parked vehicles and a vehicle to be parked in the parking area according to the method of the first preferred embodiment;
• 3rd a schematic view of a parking area for parallel parking next to a street with three vehicles parked in the parking area, which compared to FIG 1 and 2 have been moved to provide a parking space for the vehicle to be parked according to the method of the first preferred embodiment;
• 4th a schematic view of a parking area for vertical parking next to a street with three vehicles parked in the parking area with clearances between the parked vehicles and a vehicle to be parked in the parking area according to the method of the first preferred embodiment;
• 5 a schematic view of a parking area for vertical parking next to a street with three vehicles parked in the parking area, compared to FIG 4th have been moved to provide a parking space for the vehicle to be parked according to the method of the first preferred embodiment;
• 6th a flowchart of a method for advanced parking of a vehicle in a desired parking area according to the first preferred embodiment; and
• 7th a schematic view of a parking assistance system according to the first preferred embodiment, wherein the parking assistance system is in communication with the parked vehicles.
• 7th shows a parking assistance system 10 for advanced vehicle parking 12th , also called an ego vehicle 12th is designated, in a desired parking area 14th according to a first preferred embodiment. The parking assistance system 10 is a central system for providing advanced parking, in particular a valet parking service, in the desired parking area 14th .

The parking assistance system 10 has a communication unit 16 for receiving and transmitting data and a processing unit 18th for processing the received data and for providing data to be transmitted. The communication unit 16 can be any type of communication unit 16 be for receiving and transmitting the data, in particular a data connection, preferably an Internet connection. Alternatively, the communication unit 16 of the parking assistance system 10 be able to carry out a direct communication, for example with a communication device, according to a mobile communication standard such as GSM, UMTS, LTE, 5G or the like. The processing unit 18th any type of physical or virtual device can be used to process the received data and to provide data to be transmitted. The processing unit 18th and the communication unit 18th are arranged in a cloud, as in 7th is shown so that the parking assistance system 10 with any vehicle connected to the cloud 12th can communicate. Therefore, advanced parking can generally be made available to any subscriber to this service.

The parking area 14th is for parking multiple vehicles 20th intended. The parking area 14th is of an appropriate size to maintain appropriate proximity to a destination to be visited. About parking the vehicle 12th In the vicinity of the destination, it is therefore preferable that the parking area 14th is limited in its extent, for example to a range of 5 to 10 or 15 minutes walking distance.

The parking area 14th in this embodiment, an area is next to a roadway or road 28 in which the vehicles 20th can be parked. Parking can be carried out as parallel parking, ie parking the ego vehicle 12th parallel to a longitudinal direction of the lane or road 28 as in the 1 to 3rd is shown, as well as vertical parking of the vehicle 12th , with the parked vehicles 20th are aligned side by side, as in the 4th and 5 is shown.

The parking assistance system 10 is set up to provide a method for advanced parking of the vehicle 12th in the desired parking area 14th to execute. This enables the provision of the advanced valet parking service.

The following is the procedure for advanced parking the vehicle 12th in a desired parking area 14th which is shown in the flowchart of 6th is shown, with additional reference to FIG 1 to 5 explained.

The method begins with step S100 which focuses on determining a set of parked vehicles 20th each part of the parking area 14th for parking several vehicles 20th occupied. Determining a set of parked vehicles 20th includes determining an occupancy of the parking area 14th as a basis for later identification of a parking space 22nd for the vehicle 12th . The determination is based on Position information of the parked vehicles 20th . In this embodiment, this includes determining a set of parked vehicles 20th receiving position information directly along with vehicle dimensions for each of the parked vehicles 20th of the parked vehicles 20th . The position information includes, for example, the position of the respective parked vehicle 20th in a suitable format, such as polar coordinates or Cartesian coordinates. Therefore, each of the parked vehicles determines 20th the position information including its position, which is received, for example, from a satellite navigation system such as GPS, Galileo or others. In addition, every vehicle knows 20th typically its dimensions, ie its length and / or its width, and can provide this information with high accuracy. The parked vehicles 20th in the parking area 14th are for example in the 1 and 4th shown for parallel and vertical parking.

The parked vehicles 20th transfer the information to the parking assistance system for further processing 10 using any type of available mobile communication connection, e.g. using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GSM, UMTS, LTE, 5G, to name a few. Every parked vehicle 20th provides the information automatically when it is in the parking area 14th is parked.

In addition, each of the parked vehicles transmits 20th an identification to the parking assistance system 10 so that each of the parked vehicles 20th can be clearly identified to enable autonomous control. Therefore put the parked vehicles 20th at least partially an interface ready to which the parking assistance system 10 can access to the respective parked vehicle 20th to control or instruct to carry out autonomous movement processes.

In an alternative embodiment, the position information is used along with the vehicle dimensions for each of the parked vehicles 20th determined by infrastructure facilities or vehicles that use the parking area 14th pass and the position information together with the vehicle dimensions to the parking assistance system 10 transfer. Infrastructure facilities are, for example, cameras or other types of sensors that are explicitly used to monitor the parking area 14th can be arranged and with the parking assistance system 10 to be able to communicate.

Step S110 relates to determining boundaries 24 of the parking area 14th , in particular based on map information. Additionally or alternatively, the boundaries of the parking area 14th using any suitable type of environmental sensor.

Step S120 relates to monitoring distances 26th between the parked vehicles 20th within the parking area 14th . Hence the distances 26th between the parked vehicles 20th within the parking area 14th based on the position information together with the vehicle dimensions of the parked vehicles 20th certainly. If there is a parked vehicle 20th on a border 24 of the parking area 14th located so that only an adjacent vehicle 20th is present, the distance becomes 26th to the border 24 as the distance between parked vehicles 20th certainly. The distances 26th between parked vehicles 20th are through the central parking support system 10 based on the positions of the vehicles 20th and the dimensions of the vehicles 20th certainly. In this embodiment, the distances are 26th by the processing unit 18th of the parking assistance system 10 certainly. The 1 and 4th show the distances 26th between parked vehicles 20th for parallel and vertical parking. As in the 2 and 4th are the distances 26th too small to be the ego vehicle 12th to park.

According to a modified embodiment, the monitoring of the distances 26th between the parked vehicles 20th within the parking area 14th alternatively or additionally receiving distance information in relation to the distances 26th to neighboring parked vehicles 20th of the parked vehicles 20th on. The distance information is provided by the respective parked vehicle 20th based on sensor information from an environmental sensor, for example an ultrasonic sensor, a sensor device based on LiDAR, an optical camera or the like, which generates the distances 26th to neighboring parked vehicles 20th directly measures. The parked vehicles 20th transmit this information, for example together with their position information, to the parking assistance system 10 . Therefore, in the parking assistance system 10 if each of two neighboring vehicles 20th the distance 26th to the other vehicle 20th measures the distance 26th for example, can be determined as a mean value with increased accuracy. In addition, a plausibility check can be carried out in the parking assistance system 10 carried out, e.g. to verify whether the two types of measurements provide different distance values. The parked vehicles 20th can request the distance information from the parking assistance system 10 or automatically deploy when in the parking area 14th be parked.

Step S130 relates to storing the set of parked vehicles 20th and the distances 26th between the parked vehicles 20th within the parking area 14th in a database. The Database is used to hold the information related to the parking area 14th provide. Therefore, the parking assist system 10 upon receipt of a request to park the vehicle 12th in the parking area 14th the parking lot 22nd in a simple manner and without undue delay, provided that it is available. Monitoring the distances 26th between the parked vehicles 20th within the parking area 14th gives an overview of available rooms in the parking area 14th as a basis for determining a parking space 22nd .

Step S140 relates to receiving a request to park the vehicle 12th in the parking area 14th . The driver makes the request to the driving support system 10 transfer. The request can be from the ego vehicle 12th be transmitted. Alternatively, the request can be made by someone for the vehicle 12th registered mobile communication device of the driver, for example a smartphone, a tablet computer or the like, are transmitted.

Receiving the request to park the vehicle 12th in the parking area 14th may receive dimensional information of the vehicle 12th and / or time information for parking the vehicle 12th in the parking area 14th exhibit. The dimensional information of the vehicle 12th can except a length and / or a width of the vehicle 12th contain additional information regarding possible curvatures or other mobility information relevant to that particular vehicle 12th Define the necessary leeway to carry out a parking maneuver. The time information can be a start time and / or an end time for parking the vehicle 12th in the parking area 14th contain.

Step S150 relates to determining a parking space 22nd for parking the vehicle 12th in the parking area 14th on the basis of distances 26th between the parked vehicles 20th . The car park 22nd becomes after receiving the request to park the vehicle 12th in the parking area 14th certainly. Determining a parking space 22nd for parking the vehicle 12th in the parking area is based on information from the database, the information regarding the parked vehicles 20th and the distances 26th between the parked vehicles 20th contains. The car park 22nd is based on an accumulation of available distances 26th between the parked vehicles 20th compared to the space required to park the vehicle 12th certainly.

The car park 22nd is taking into account the received dimensional information of the vehicle 12th certainly. Therefore, the parking assist system 10 based on the dimensional information of the vehicle to be parked 12th determine exactly how much space to park the vehicle 12th is required. A parking lot 22nd is chosen so that it fits the vehicle 12th with minimal clearance to neighboring vehicles 22nd is adapted.

Furthermore, the parking lot 22nd determined with additional consideration of the time information. Therefore, knowing the departure time of the vehicles that have already been parked 20th along with the time of arrival of the vehicle 12th a parking space not yet available 22nd to be adjusted so that a parking space not yet available 22nd can be offered and reserved.

In an alternative embodiment, the parking assistance system determines 10 several parking spaces 22nd and provides a driver of the vehicle 12th several parking spaces 22nd at. The driver then makes a selection of a preferred parking space 22nd from that to the parking assistance system 10 is transmitted.

Step S160 relates to confirming the parking space 22nd for the vehicle 12th . This step involves broadcasting a notification regarding the parking space 22nd having a target of the parking lot 22nd contains. Alternatively, if the vehicle is 12th is able to carry out an autonomous parking process, the request only confirms, so that the vehicle 12th towards the requested parking space 14th can move.

Step S170 relates to waiting to receive a status message indicating that the vehicle is 12th near the parking area 14th is located. Therefore, the parking assist system receives 10 Position information of the vehicle 12th from the vehicle 12th itself and determines the status of the vehicle 12th that the vehicle 12th near the parking lot 14th based on this information. Hence the parked vehicles 20th in the subsequent step S180 only moves when the vehicle 12th is about to arrive at the parking area 14th arrive, or at the parking area 14th has arrived. This is for example in the 2 and 4th shown where the ego vehicle is 12th at the parking area 14th is located, as well as in 7th , lower left part.

Step S180 relates to autonomously moving at least one of the parked vehicles 20th to provide the parking space 22nd for the vehicle 14th . Hence the distances 26th between the parked vehicles 20th set to the parking lot 22nd provide. In the case of parallel parking, the autonomous movement can only refer to a small movement forwards or backwards around the parking lot 22nd provide. Furthermore, this can happen when parking vertically autonomous movement on a lateral offset of the parked vehicles 20th Respectively. This step is for example in 7th , upper right part, shows where the two parked vehicles 20th Movements 30th run to the parking lot 22nd for the vehicle 12th to generate and provide. In other cases, however, autonomous moving may involve completely repositioning the parked vehicles 20th exhibit.

Step S190 relates to parking the vehicle 12th In the parking lot 22nd . In this embodiment, the driver comes with the vehicle 12th at the parking area 14th and leaves the vehicle 12th . The vehicle 12th then moves autonomously to the parking lot 22nd , such as in the 3rd , 5 and 7th , right lower part, is shown.

List of reference symbols

10

Parking assistance systems

12th

vehicle

14th

Parking area

16

Communication unit

18th

Processing unit

20th

parked vehicle

22nd

parking spot

24

border

26th

distance

28

Road or road

30th

Move

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant was 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.

Patent literature cited

• EP 2886420 B1 [0005]
• US 2015/0039173 A1 [0006]
• GB 2552407 A [0007]

Claims (13)

Method for advanced parking of a vehicle (12) in a desired parking area (14), comprising the steps: Determining a set of parked vehicles (20) each occupying part of a parking area (14) for parking a plurality of vehicles (20); Monitoring distances (26) between the parked vehicles (20) within the parking area (14); Receiving a request to park the vehicle (12) in the parking area (14); Determining a parking space (22) for parking the vehicle (12) in the parking area (14) based on the distances (26) between the parked vehicles (20); Confirming the parking space (22) for the vehicle (12); Waiting to receive a status message indicating that the vehicle (12) is near the parking lot (14); autonomous movement of at least one of the parked vehicles (20) to provide the parking space (22) for the vehicle (12); and Parking the vehicle (12) in the parking lot (22). Procedure according to Claim 1 characterized in that determining a set of parked vehicles (20) comprises receiving position information, in particular together with vehicle dimensions, for each of the parked vehicles (14); and the monitoring of distances (26) between the parked vehicles (20) within the parking area (14) comprises determining the distances (26) of the parked vehicles (20), in particular based on the position information together with the vehicle dimensions. Procedure according to Claim 2 characterized in that the receiving of position information, in particular together with vehicle dimensions, for each of the parked vehicles (20) comprises receiving the position information, in particular together with the vehicle dimensions, from the parked vehicles (20). Procedure according to Claim 2 , characterized in that the receiving of position information, in particular together with vehicle dimensions, for each of the parked vehicles (20) the receiving of the position information, in particular together with the vehicle dimensions, from a sensor and / or infrastructure facilities or from vehicles that use the parking area (14 ) happen. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method has an additional step for determining boundaries (24) of the parking area (14), in particular based on map information. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the monitoring of distances between the parked vehicles (20) within the parking area (14) includes receiving distance information from the parked vehicles (20) in relation to the distances to neighboring parked vehicles (20) ) having. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method has an additional step of storing the set of parked vehicles (20) and the distances (26) between the parked vehicles (20) within the parking area (14) in a database. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the step of waiting for the receipt of a status message indicating that the vehicle (12) is in the vicinity of the parking area (14) includes receiving position information of the vehicle (12) and determining the status indicating that the vehicle (12) is in the vicinity of the parking area (14) based on the position information of the vehicle (12). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that receiving a request to park the vehicle (12) in the parking area (14) comprises receiving dimensional information of the vehicle (12); and determining a parking space (22) for parking the vehicle (12) in the parking area (14) comprises determining the parking space (22) with additional consideration of the received dimensional information of the vehicle (12). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that receiving a request for parking the vehicle (12) in the parking area (14) comprises receiving time information for parking the vehicle (12) in the parking area (14); and the determination of a parking space (22) for parking the vehicle (12) in the parking area (14) comprises the determination of the parking space (22) with additional consideration of the time information. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the determination of a parking space (22) for parking the vehicle (12) in the parking area (14) based on distances (26) between the parked vehicles (20) the determination of several parking spaces (22) comprising offering a plurality of parking spaces (22) to a user of the vehicle (12) and receiving a user selection of the selected parking space (22). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method has an additional step of generating a user profile in relation to the selection of the parking area (14); and receiving a request to park the vehicle (12) in the parking area (14) comprises generating the request based on the user profile. A parking assistance system (10) for advanced parking of a vehicle (12) in a desired parking area (14), comprising: a communication unit (16) for receiving and transmitting data; and a processing unit (18) for processing the received data and for providing data to be transmitted, wherein the parking assistance system (10) is set up to implement the method according to one of the Claims 1 to 12th to execute.

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