System and method for detecting a blocked vehicle

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for systems and methods for detecting a blocked vehicle. An example vehicle includes a range detection sensor and a body control module. When the vehicle is parked, the body control module (a) scans an area surrounding the vehicle with the range detection sensor to detect an object; (b) determines, based on a location of the object, whether the vehicle can move from its current parking location; and (c) when the vehicle cannot move, sends a warning to a mobile device of a driver of the vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to vehicle parking, and more specifically, to systems and methods for detecting obstructed vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] Parking lots are often overcrowded. Poorly designed parking lots and / or improperly parked vehicles can cause vehicles to be blocked in their parking spaces. In such situations, blocked vehicles cannot leave their spaces until the obstructing vehicle moves. Traditionally, owners of blocked vehicles only discover their vehicles are blocked when they return to their vehicles and see the improperly parked car. Often, because the driver of the obstructing vehicle may be far away when the situation is discovered, the owners of blocked vehicles cannot take any corrective action. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The appended claims define this application. This disclosure outlines aspects of the embodiments and should not be construed as limiting the claims. Other implementations are contemplated based on the technology described herein, as will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon studying the following drawings and detailed description, and these implementations are intended to fall within the scope of this application.

[0004] Methods and apparatus for detecting obstructed vehicles are disclosed. An example vehicle includes a range detection sensor and a body control module. When the vehicle is parked, the body control module (a) uses the range detection sensor to scan the area around the vehicle to detect objects; (b) determines, based on the position of the objects, whether the vehicle can be moved from its current parking location; and (c) if the vehicle cannot be moved, sends a warning to the driver's movement device.

[0005] A method for detecting when a vehicle is blocked includes, when the vehicle is parked: (a) scanning an area around the vehicle using a first-type range detection sensor to detect an object; (b) determining, based on the location of the object, whether the vehicle can be moved from its current parking location; and (c) sending a warning to the vehicle driver's mobile device when the vehicle cannot be moved. Attached Figure Description

[0006] To better understand the present invention, reference can be made to the embodiments shown in the following figures. Components in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, and related elements may be omitted, or in some cases the scale may be exaggerated to emphasize and clearly illustrate the novel features described herein. Furthermore, as is known in the art, system components can be arranged in various ways. Additionally, in the figures, the same reference numerals denote corresponding parts in several views.

[0007] Figure 1 The vehicle is shown operating in accordance with the doctrines of this disclosure.

[0008] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A block diagram of the vehicle's electronic components.

[0009] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a method for detecting when a vehicle is blocked, which can be generated by... Figure 2 The electronic components are implemented. Detailed Implementation

[0010] While the invention may be embodied in various forms, some exemplary and non-limiting embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings and will be described below. It should be understood that this disclosure is intended to be illustrative of the invention and not to limit the invention to the specific embodiments shown.

[0011] When parking, the primary vehicle may be blocked by another vehicle, preventing it from leaving its position. For example, a vehicle might be parked in a poorly designed parking lot, where another vehicle parked in a valid parking spot might block the primary vehicle. As another example, another vehicle might be parked in a double lane on the street or block the primary vehicle's lane. Typically, the driver of the vehicle waits for the driver of the other vehicle to return.

[0012] As described below, when a vehicle is parked, it uses range detection sensors (e.g., ultrasonic sensors, radar, lidar, cameras, etc.) to detect when it is obstructed by another vehicle. The vehicle determines it is obstructed when there are objects in front of and behind it, and when (a) there are objects and / or curbs on the side of the vehicle leaving no space for it to move out of its current position, or (b) there is insufficient space in front of or behind the vehicle to move out of its current position (e.g., in a parking spot where the vehicle is parallel to it). When the vehicle detects that it is obstructed, it takes one or more actions to notify its own driver, notify the driver of the other vehicle, and / or request the other vehicle to move. In some examples, the vehicle sends a warning to the driver's mobile device (e.g., smartphone, smartwatch, etc.). In some examples, the vehicle generates audible or visual signals to warn the driver of the other vehicle. In some examples, when the other vehicle includes a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) system, the vehicle sends a request for the other vehicle to move and / or sends a warning to the other vehicle to notify the corresponding driver.

[0013] The primary vehicle scans the area near itself based on its type (e.g., standard fuel cell vehicle, battery electric vehicle (BEV), hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), etc.). When the primary vehicle is not relying on the battery (e.g., idling, plugged in, etc.), it scans the area near itself continuously. When the primary vehicle is powered by the battery, it scans the area near itself intermittently based on the battery charge level. For example, the scanning frequency may be more frequent when the primary vehicle's battery has a high state of charge (SoC). In some examples, the primary vehicle then uses relatively low-power range detection sensors (e.g., ultrasonic sensors, etc.) to initially determine if it is blocked. In some such examples, when the primary vehicle initially determines it is blocked, it scans another vehicle using other range detection sensors (e.g., radar, lidar, cameras, etc.) to confirm that the primary vehicle is blocked.

[0014] Figure 1 A main vehicle 100 operating according to the doctrines of this disclosure is shown. The main vehicle 100 can be a standard gasoline-powered vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, and / or any other type of mobility realization. The main vehicle 100 includes mobility-related components such as a drivetrain with an engine, a transmission, suspension, drive axles, and / or wheels. The main vehicle 100 can be non-autonomous, semi-autonomous (e.g., some conventional starting functions are controlled by the main vehicle 100), or autonomous (e.g., starting functions are controlled by the main vehicle 100 without direct driver input). In the example shown, the main vehicle 100 includes an on-board communication module (OBCM) 102, a battery management unit (BMU) 104, an engine control unit (ECU) 106, a range detection sensor 108, and a body control module (BCM) 110.

[0015] The vehicle communication module 102 includes a wired network interface or a wireless network interface for enabling communication with an external network. The vehicle communication module 102 also includes hardware (e.g., processor, memory, storage device, antenna, etc.) and software for controlling the wired network interface or wireless network interface. In the illustrated example, the vehicle communication module 102 includes one or more communication controllers for standards-based networks (e.g., Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16m); Near Field Communication (NFC); ​​Local Area Networks (including IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac or others) and Wireless Gigabit (IEEE 802.11ad), etc.). Alternatively, in some examples, the vehicle communication module 102 includes a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication controller. In some such examples, the V2V communication controller includes antennas, radios, and software for broadcasting messages and establishing connections between vehicles, between infrastructure-based modules, and between mobile device-based modules. In some such examples, the V2V communication controller implements the Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) protocol. For more information on DSRC networks and how such networks can communicate with vehicle hardware and software, please refer to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Core System Requirements Specification (SyRS) report, June 2011 (see http: / / www.its.dot.gov / meetings / pdf / CoreSystem_SE_SyRS_RevA%20(2011-06-13).pdf), the entire contents of which, along with all documents referenced on pages 11-14 of the SyRS report, are incorporated herein by reference. In some examples, the onboard communication module 102 includes a wired or wireless interface (e.g., an auxiliary port, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, etc.). Wireless nodes, etc., are coupled to communicate with mobile devices (e.g., smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, etc.). In such an example, the main vehicle 100 can communicate with an external network via the coupled mobile device. The external network can be a public network (such as the Internet), a private network (such as an intranet), or a combination thereof, and can utilize various networking protocols that are currently available or will be developed in the future, including but not limited to TCP / IP-based networking protocols.

[0016] Battery management unit 104 monitors parameters of the vehicle battery, such as battery voltage and individual cell voltages, average battery temperature, state of charge (SoC), and / or current. SoC measures the percentage of usable charge in the battery (e.g., the percentage between peak charging voltage and discharge termination voltage). Battery management unit 104 provides the current SoC to other electronics in the main vehicle 100. Additionally, battery management unit 104 protects the battery from overcurrent conditions, overvoltage conditions during charging, overheating conditions, and / or ground faults. When the main vehicle 100 is a BEV, battery management unit 104 provides the current state of charge (e.g., whether the main vehicle 100 is plugged in or not). In standard vehicles, the battery is typically a 12-volt battery. BEVs and / or HEVs may include a 12-volt battery and / or a high-voltage battery that powers the range detection sensor 108 via a 12-volt transformer.

[0017] When the main vehicle 100 is a standard fuel vehicle or a HEV, the engine control unit 106 monitors and controls engine parameters (e.g., variable camshaft timing, ignition timing, RPM limit, etc.). The engine control unit 106 provides the engine status to other electronic devices in the main vehicle 100.

[0018] The range detection sensor 108 includes one or more of ultrasonic sensors, radar, lidar, and / or cameras. The range detection sensor 108 detects objects surrounding the host vehicle 100 within a range specific to each type of range detection sensor. For example, an ultrasonic sensor may have a range of 2.5 meters (8.2 feet), and radar may have a range of 30 meters (98.4 feet). In some examples, the ultrasonic sensor is used to determine whether there are obstacles in front of and behind the host vehicle 100. Subsequently, another type of range detection sensor 108 (such as lidar) is used to confirm the presence of obstacles in front of and behind the host vehicle 100 and that there is insufficient space to move out of the parking position (e.g., when there are no obstacles on the sides of the host vehicle 100).

[0019] The body control unit 110 controls various subsystems of the main vehicle 100. For example, the body control unit 110 can control power windows, power locks, anti-theft systems, and / or power mirrors, etc. The body control unit 110 includes circuitry for driving relays (e.g., controlling windshield wiper fluid, etc.), driving brushed DC motors (e.g., controlling power seats, power locks, power windows, windshield wipers, etc.), driving stepper motors, and / or driving LEDs, etc. Additionally, in the illustrated example, the body control unit 110 includes a parking monitor 112. Alternatively, in some examples, the vehicle may include a driver assistance technology (DAT) module that includes the parking monitor 112 and other systems for performing autonomous and semi-autonomous functions (e.g., remote assisted parking, lane change assist, blind spot monitoring, etc.) using the range detection sensor 108.

[0020] Parking monitor 112 uses range detection sensors 108 to monitor the area around the primary vehicle 100 and acts autonomously when the primary vehicle 100 is blocked from leaving its current parking location. To monitor the area around the primary vehicle 100, the parking monitor determines whether the primary vehicle 100 is currently operating using battery power. When the primary vehicle 100 is a standard fuel vehicle, parking monitor 112 determines via engine control unit 106 whether the engine is idling (e.g., the primary vehicle 100 is not dependent on battery power). When the primary vehicle 100 is a BEV or plug-in HEV, parking monitor 112 determines whether the primary vehicle 100 is plugged into a charging station (e.g., the primary vehicle 100 is not dependent on battery power). When the primary vehicle 100 is using battery power, parking monitor 112 uses one or more of the range detection sensors 108 to intermittently scan the area around the primary vehicle 100. In some examples, the scanning frequency is based on the vehicle battery's SoC (System-on-Chips). For example, when the vehicle battery is above 90% SoC, the parking monitor 112 can scan the area around the main vehicle 100 every second, and when the vehicle battery is between 80% and 90% SoC, the parking monitor 112 can scan the area around the main vehicle 100 every five seconds. Additionally, in some examples, when the main vehicle 100 remains parked, the parking monitor slows down its scanning frequency over time.

[0021] Parking monitor 112 determines when the main vehicle 100 is trapped by an obstacle based on an initial scan by range detection sensor 108. The main vehicle 100 is trapped when, considering the distance to the obstacle and the size of the main vehicle 100, it cannot move from its current parking location due to the obstacle. In some examples, when one type of range detection sensor 108 (e.g., an ultrasonic sensor, etc.) determines that the main vehicle 100 may be trapped, parking monitor 112 uses another range detection sensor (e.g., lidar, etc.) to scan to confirm that the main vehicle 100 is trapped. In some examples, after parking monitor 112 determines that the main vehicle 100 is trapped, parking monitor 112 waits for a threshold time period (e.g., thirty seconds, one minute, five minutes, etc.) and then rescans to determine whether the main vehicle 100 is still trapped. In this way, parking monitor 112 can reduce the risk of false alarms when the situation causing the main vehicle 100 to be trapped is temporary.

[0022] In some examples, parking monitor 112 constructs an occupancy map around the primary vehicle 100. The occupancy map defines the area around the primary vehicle 100, indicating these areas as occupied or unoccupied based on objects detected by range detection sensor 108. In some such examples, these areas are arranged around the primary vehicle 100 such that they extend concentrically around the primary vehicle 100. In such examples, parking monitor 112 determines that the primary vehicle 100 is trapped when an area in the occupancy map is occupied such that the primary vehicle 100 cannot move from its current parking location.

[0023] When parking monitor 112 determines that the primary vehicle 100 is trapped, parking monitor 112 reacts. In some examples, parking monitor 112 triggers an auditory warning (e.g., via horn and / or alarm, etc.) or a visual warning (e.g., via headlights and / or taillights, etc.) to notify the driver of another vehicle that primary vehicle 100 is trapped. Alternatively or in addition, in some examples, parking monitor 112 sends a message (e.g., via a server on an external network) to the mobile device of the driver of primary vehicle 100 via onboard communication module 102. For example, parking monitor 112 may send Short Message Service (SMS) messages, email messages, and / or instant messages, etc. In some such examples, the message includes one or more images or data (e.g., distance, measurements, etc.) captured by range detection sensor 108. Alternatively or in addition, parking monitor 112 determines whether other vehicles around primary vehicle 100 have V2V enabled (e.g., including V2V modules broadcasting V2V messages, etc.). When other vehicles have V2V enabled, the parking monitor 112 broadcasts a message requesting one or more blocked vehicles to change position and / or sending a warning to their respective drivers.

[0024] Additionally, in some examples, the parking monitor 112, as part of a path planning system, determines whether the main vehicle is stuck. This path planning system determines a set of trajectories for navigation systems such as remote assisted parking and autonomous valet parking. Path planning is typically an algorithm that represents the vehicle trajectory as a polynomial in free space.

[0025] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A block diagram of the electronic components 200 of the main vehicle 100. In the example shown, the electronic components 200 include an onboard communication module 102, a battery management unit 104, an engine control unit 106, a range detection sensor 108, a body control unit 110, and a vehicle data bus 202.

[0026] The body control unit 110 includes a processor or controller 204 and a memory 206. In the illustrated example, the body control unit 110 is configured to include a parking monitor 112. The processor or controller 204 can be any suitable processing device or combination of processing devices, such as, but not limited to: a microprocessor; a microcontroller-based platform; a suitable integrated circuit; one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs); and / or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The memory 206 can be volatile memory (e.g., RAM, which may include non-volatile RAM, magnetic RAM, ferroelectric RAM, and any other suitable form); non-volatile memory (e.g., disk storage, flash memory, EPROM, EEPROM, non-volatile solid-state memory, etc.); immutable memory (e.g., EPROM); read-only memory; and / or mass storage devices (e.g., hard disk drives, solid-state drives, etc.). In some examples, the memory 206 includes a variety of memories, particularly volatile and non-volatile memories.

[0027] Memory 206 is a computer-readable medium on which one or more instruction sets, such as software for operating the methods of this disclosure, may be embedded. These instructions may embody one or more of the methods or logic described herein. In certain embodiments, the instructions may reside wholly or at least partially within memory 206, any one or more of the computer-readable medium, and / or reside wholly or at least partially within processor 204 during execution of the instructions.

[0028] The terms "non-transitory computer-readable medium" and "tangible computer-readable medium" should be understood to include single or multiple media such as centralized or distributed databases, and / or associated caches and servers storing one or more instruction sets. The terms "non-transitory computer-readable medium" and "tangible computer-readable medium" also include any tangible medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instruction sets for processor execution or causing a system to perform any one or more of the methods or operations disclosed herein. As used herein, the term "tangible computer-readable medium" is explicitly defined to include any type of computer-readable storage device and / or storage disk and excludes propagating signals.

[0029] The vehicle data bus 202 communicatively couples the onboard communication module 102, battery management unit 104, engine control unit 106, range detection sensor 108, and body control unit 110. In some examples, the vehicle data bus 202 includes one or more data buses. The vehicle data bus 202 can be configured according to the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus protocol, Media Oriented System Transport (MOST) bus protocol, CAN Flexible Data (CAN-FD) bus protocol (ISO 11898-7), and / or K-line bus protocol (ISO 9141 and ISO 14230-1) and / or Ethernet as defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 11898-1. TM It is implemented using bus protocols such as IEEE 802.3 (since 2002).

[0030] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a method for detecting when the main vehicle 100 is blocked. This can be achieved by... Figure 2 The electronic component 200 is implemented. Initially, at block 302, the parking monitor 112 waits until the main vehicle 100 stops. At block 304, the parking monitor 112 determines whether the main vehicle 100 is a battery electric vehicle (BEV). If the main vehicle 100 is a BEV, the method continues at block 306. Otherwise, if the main vehicle 100 is not a BEV, the method continues at block 312. At block 306, the parking monitor 112 determines whether the main vehicle 100 is plugged in. If the main vehicle 100 is plugged in, the method continues at block 308. Otherwise, if the main vehicle 100 is not plugged in, the method continues at block 310. At block 308, the parking monitor 112 continuously scans the area around the main vehicle 100 using the range detection sensor 108. At block 310, the parking monitor 112 intermittently scans the area around the main vehicle 100 using the range detection sensor 108 at a scanning frequency based on the battery SoC.

[0031] At box 312, parking monitor 112 determines whether the engine of the main vehicle 100 is idling. If the engine is idling, the method continues at box 314. Otherwise, if the engine is not idling, the method continues at box 316. At box 314, parking monitor 112 continuously scans the area around the main vehicle 100 using range detection sensor 108. At box 316, parking monitor 112 intermittently scans the area around the main vehicle 100 using range detection sensor 108 at a scanning frequency based on the battery SoC.

[0032] At box 318, based on a scan of the area surrounding the primary vehicle 100, the parking monitor determines whether the primary vehicle 100 is obstructed. If the primary vehicle 100 is obstructed, the method continues at box 320. If the primary vehicle 100 is not obstructed, the method returns to box 302. At box 320, the parking monitor 112 wakes up another type of range detection sensor 108 and scans the area surrounding the primary vehicle 100. At box 322, the parking monitor 112 determines whether a scan from the other of the range detection sensors 108 confirms that the primary vehicle 100 is obstructed. If the scan confirms that the primary vehicle 100 is obstructed, the method continues to box 324. Otherwise, if the scan does not confirm that the primary vehicle 100 is obstructed, the method returns to box 302.

[0033] At box 324, parking monitor 112 determines whether the primary vehicle 100 and the blocked vehicle have V2V enabled. For example, parking monitor 112 can determine that the blocked vehicle has V2V enabled when it periodically sends V2V messages. When the blocked vehicle has V2V enabled, the method proceeds to box 326. Otherwise, when the blocked vehicle has not enabled V2V, the method proceeds to box 328. At box 326, parking monitor 112 determines whether the blocked vehicle's transmission has shifted to a stop based on messages from the blocked vehicle. When the blocked vehicle has shifted to a stop, the method proceeds to box 330. Otherwise, when the blocked vehicle has not shifted to a stop, the method returns to box 302. At box 328, parking monitor 112 determines whether the blocked vehicle has stopped for a threshold time period (e.g., one minute, five minutes, etc.). When the blocked vehicle has stopped for the threshold time period, the method proceeds to box 330. Otherwise, when the blocked vehicle has not stopped for the threshold time period, the method returns to box 302. At box 330, the parking monitor 112 responds to the detection of a blocked vehicle by: (i) providing an audible and / or visual warning; (ii) sending a message to the driver of the host vehicle 100; and / or (iii) sending a message to the blocked vehicle via V2V.

[0034] Figure 3 The flowchart represents the storage in memory (such as...) Figure 2Machine-readable instructions in memory 206, including one or more programs, which, when executed by a processor (such as...) Figure 2 When the processor 204 executes, it causes the main vehicle 100 to achieve Figure 1 and Figure 2 Example parking monitor 112. Furthermore, although reference... Figure 3 The flowchart shown illustrates the example program, but many other methods for implementing the example parking monitor 112 can be used instead. For example, the execution order of the blocks can be changed, and / or some of the blocks described can be changed, eliminated, or combined.

[0035] In this application, the use of contrastive conjunctions is intended to include the conjunction. The use of definite or indefinite articles is not intended to indicate cardinality. Specifically, references to “the” object or “an and a kind” object are intended to also indicate one of a possible plurality of such objects. Furthermore, the conjunction “or” can be used to convey concurrent features rather than mutually exclusive alternatives. In other words, the conjunction “or” should be understood to include “and / or”. As used herein, the terms “module” and “unit” refer to hardware having circuitry typically combined with sensors to provide communication, control, and / or monitoring capabilities. “Module” and “unit” may also include firmware executed on the circuitry. The terms “includes / including / include” include the end value and have the same scope as “comprises / comprising / comprise”, respectively.

[0036] The above embodiments, especially any "preferred" embodiments, are possible examples of implementations and are only used to clearly understand the principles of the invention. Many variations and modifications can be made to the above embodiments without substantially departing from the spirit and principles of the technology described herein. All modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: Range detection sensor; The vehicle body control module is used when the vehicle is parked: The range detection sensor is used to scan the area around the vehicle to detect objects. Based on the position of the object, determine whether the vehicle can be moved from its current parking location; When the vehicle cannot be moved, a warning is sent to the driver's mobile device. The vehicle body control module is used to determine whether the vehicle is currently powered by the battery, and when the vehicle is currently powered by the battery, in order to scan the area around the vehicle, the vehicle body control module is used to intermittently scan the area at a frequency based on the state of charge of the battery.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein when the vehicle is not currently powered by the battery, the body control module is configured to continuously scan the area surrounding the vehicle in order to scan the area.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein when the body control module is used to: When the first of the range detection sensors scans the area around the vehicle to detect the object; and When an object is detected in front of and behind the vehicle, a scan is performed using a second of the range detection sensors, which is of a different type than the first of the range detection sensors.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein when the vehicle cannot be moved, the body control module waits for a threshold time period before sending the warning, and after the threshold time period, sends the warning after determining that the vehicle still cannot be moved from its current parking location.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the body control module is configured to provide perceptible auditory and visual warnings in the area surrounding the vehicle when the vehicle cannot be moved.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the body control module is configured to broadcast a message requesting one of the objects to change its own position when the vehicle cannot be moved.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the warning includes information derived from the range detection sensor.

8. A method for detecting when a vehicle is blocked, comprising: When the vehicle is parked: The area around the vehicle is scanned using a first-type range detection sensor to detect objects; Based on the position of the object, determine whether the vehicle can be moved from its current parking location; When the vehicle cannot be moved, a warning is sent to the driver's mobile device. The method further includes: Determine whether the vehicle is currently powered by a battery; as well as When the vehicle is currently powered by the battery, the area around the vehicle is scanned intermittently at a frequency based on the battery's state of charge.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising continuously scanning the area around the vehicle when the vehicle is not currently powered by the battery.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising scanning the area around the vehicle using a second type of range detection sensor when the object is detected in front of and behind the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising waiting for a threshold time period before sending the warning when the vehicle cannot be moved, and sending the warning after the threshold time period after determining that the vehicle still cannot be moved from its current parking location.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing perceptible audible and visual warnings in the area surrounding the vehicle when the vehicle cannot be moved.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising broadcasting a message requesting one of the objects to change its own position when the vehicle cannot be moved.

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