Vehicle Parking Finder Support System, Method, and Computer Program Product for Determining Whether a Vehicle is in a Reference Parking Position

Abstract

A vehicle parking finder support system (100), method and computer program product (500) for determining whether a vehicle (1) is in a reference parking position, the vehicle parking finder support system (100) comprising: at least a first imaging device (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d) configured to be able to provide an image of the surroundings of the vehicle (1); a memory (101a, 101b, 101c); and a processing circuit (102a, 102b, 102c) operatively connected to the at least first imaging device (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d) and the memory (101a, 101b, 101c) and configured to be able to cause the vehicle parking finder support system (100) to: acquire at least first image data (im1, im2, im3) of the surroundings of the vehicle (1) by means of the at least first imaging device (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d); acquire at least first reference information from the memory (101a, 101b, 101c); use the at least first reference image data (rim1, rim2, rim3) and the acquired at least first image data (im1, im2, im3) to determine a reference parking position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle parking finder support system for determining whether a vehicle is in a reference parking position, a method for determining whether a vehicle is in a reference parking position, and a computer program product. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a vehicle parking finder support system for determining whether a vehicle is in a reference parking position, a method for determining whether a vehicle is in a reference parking position, and a computer program product as defined in the preambles of claims 1, 7, and 15. Background Art

[0002] When parking a vehicle, a vehicle occupant needs to ensure that the vehicle is parked in the correct parking position. Parking in the wrong location may result in a ticket or even the vehicle being towed from the wrong parking location. Generally, a vehicle has a reserved parking space where the vehicle is allowed to be parked. In one example, a vehicle occupant may have a specific parking position at home, at the workplace, or at another location where the vehicle can be parked without violating the rules and receiving a parking ticket. Nowadays, a vehicle occupant needs to observe where the vehicle is parked. For example, the vehicle occupant checks signs and the surrounding environment to verify whether the vehicle is parked in the correct parking position. Usually, a reference number or text assigned to the correct parking position is used so that the vehicle occupant can verify that the parking position is the correct one. Even when the vehicle occupant observes the surrounding environment while parking the vehicle, it is possible that the vehicle is parked in the wrong parking position, for example, in a parking spot next to the correct parking position, which will result in parking in the wrong location.

[0003] Using the Global Positioning System to determine the geographical location of a vehicle is not always accurate, and the error may exceed the size of a normal parking position. The positioning accuracy deteriorates near or inside buildings, near trees, and underground, etc. Summary of the Invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to alleviate, mitigate, or eliminate one or more of the above deficiencies and drawbacks in the prior art and at least solve the above problems. In the case of an autonomous vehicle, when parking the autonomous vehicle, there is no vehicle occupant who can observe the surrounding environment. Therefore, there is also a need to enable an autonomous vehicle to park in the correct parking position.

[0005] According to a first aspect, there is provided a vehicle parking finder support system for determining whether a vehicle is in a reference parking position. The vehicle parking finder support system includes: at least a first imaging device configured to be capable of providing an image of the surrounding environment of the vehicle; a memory configured to be capable of storing data; and a processing circuit operably connected to the at least first imaging device and the memory and configured to be capable of causing the vehicle parking finder support system to: obtain at least first image data of the surrounding environment of the vehicle through the at least first imaging device; obtain at least first reference image data from the memory; and use the at least first reference image data and the obtained at least first image data to determine whether the vehicle is in a reference parking position.

[0006] An advantage is that the content of the reference image data can subsequently be used to compare the content of at least first image data of the surrounding environment of the vehicle to determine whether the vehicle has returned to the reference parking position.

[0007] According to some embodiments, the vehicle parking finder support system further includes a user interface operably connected to the processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to be capable of receiving a user input from a vehicle occupant, and the processing circuit is further configured to be capable of causing the vehicle parking finder support system to: receive, via the user interface, a first input from the vehicle occupant indicating that the vehicle is in a reference parking position; obtain, through the at least first imaging device, at least first image data of the surrounding environment of the vehicle when the vehicle is parked in the reference parking position; and store the at least first image data as reference image data in the memory.

[0008] An advantage is that when the vehicle is in a position that is to become the reference parking position, the vehicle occupant can then indicate to the system via the user interface such that at least first image data of the surrounding environment of the vehicle obtained when the vehicle is parked in the reference parking position can be stored in the memory as reference image data.

[0009] According to some embodiments, the vehicle parking finder support system further includes a position sensor operably connected to the processing circuit configured to be capable of determining the geographical location of the vehicle, and the processing circuit is further configured to be capable of causing the vehicle parking finder support system to: obtain, when the vehicle is parked in the reference parking position, parking position data associated with the position of the vehicle through the position sensor; and store the parking position data as reference parking position data.

[0010] The advantage of this is that when the vehicle is in a position that is to become the reference parking position, the vehicle occupant can subsequently indicate to the vehicle parking finder support system via the user interface such that the obtained parking position data can subsequently be stored in the memory as reference parking position data.

[0011] According to some embodiments, the processing circuit is further configured to enable a vehicle parking finder support system: to obtain parking position data associated with the position of the vehicle through a position sensor; to obtain reference parking position data from a memory; and to use the reference parking position data and the obtained parking position data to determine whether the vehicle is at a reference parking position.

[0012] The advantage of this is that information about the geographical location of the vehicle can thus be compared with the reference parking position data to determine whether the vehicle is at a reference parking position.

[0013] According to some embodiments, the processing circuit is further configured to enable a vehicle parking finder support system to identify the presence of at least a first object in the at least first image data through object recognition processing of at least the first image data; and to store the attributes of the identified at least first object as object attribute data in a memory.

[0014] The advantages of identifying the presence of at least the first object and storing the attributes of the identified at least first object are that the object attribute data can be used to define the content of the at least first image data. This in turn can be used, for example, when comparing the content of the at least first image data with the content of reference image data.

[0015] According to some embodiments, the processing circuit is further configured to enable a vehicle parking finder support system: to associate the object attribute data with timestamp data; and to determine the presence of at least a first object in the at least first image data based on the object attribute data and the timestamp data according to the time of day.

[0016] The advantage of the timestamp data is that, for example, historical data can be generated describing when a particular object was present in the at least first image data, that is, the relevance of a particular object in the at least first image can be determined according to the time of day.

[0017] According to a second aspect, there is provided a method for determining whether a vehicle is at a reference parking position, the method comprising: obtaining at least first image data of the surroundings of the vehicle through at least a first imaging device; obtaining at least first reference image data from a memory; and using the at least first reference image data and the obtained at least first image data to determine whether the vehicle is at a reference parking position.

[0018] An advantage is that the content of the reference image data can subsequently be used to compare the content of the at least first image data of the surroundings of the vehicle to determine whether the vehicle has returned to the reference parking position.

[0019] According to some embodiments, the method further comprises: receiving, via a user interface, a first input from the vehicle occupant indicating that the vehicle is in a reference parking position; obtaining, by the at least first imaging device, at least first image data of the surrounding environment of the vehicle when the vehicle is parked in the reference parking position; and storing the at least first image data as reference image data in a memory.

[0020] One advantage is that when the vehicle is in a position that is to become the reference parking position, the vehicle occupant can then indicate to the vehicle parking finder support system via the user interface such that at least first image data of the surrounding environment of the vehicle obtained when the vehicle is parked in the reference parking position can be stored as reference image data in the memory.

[0021] According to some embodiments, the method further comprises: identifying the presence of at least a first object in the at least first image data by object recognition processing of the at least first image data; and storing the attributes of the identified at least first object as object attribute data in the memory.

[0022] The advantage of identifying the presence of at least the first object and storing the attributes of the identified at least first object is that the object attribute data can be used to define the content of the at least first image data.

[0023] According to some embodiments, the method further comprises: associating the object attribute data with timestamp data; and determining the presence of at least a first object in the at least first image data based on the object attribute data and the timestamp according to the time of day.

[0024] The advantage of the timestamp data is that, for example, historical data can be generated that describes when a particular object was present in the at least first image data, i.e., the relevance of a particular object in the at least first image can be determined according to the time of day.

[0025] According to some embodiments, to determine whether the vehicle is in a reference parking position, the method comprises comparing the object attribute data of the at least first reference image data with the object attribute data of the obtained at least first image data.

[0026] The advantage of comparing the object attribute data of the at least first image data with the object attribute data of the reference image data is that the total amount of image data used is less, which will improve the comparison of the content of the reference image data with the content of the at least first image data and in turn save the processing capacity and processing time of the processing circuit.

[0027] According to some embodiments, when comparing with the attributes of the object attribute data of the at least first reference image data, when the attributes of the object attribute data of the acquired at least first image data are equal to or higher than a predetermined object attribute threshold, it is determined that the vehicle is in a reference parking position.

[0028] The advantage of this is that the attribute data of the acquired at least first image data does not need to be equal to the object attribute data of the at least first reference image data, but a certain deviation from the object attribute data of the at least first reference image data is allowed, and this can still determine that the vehicle is in a reference parking position.

[0029] According to some embodiments, in the case where it is determined that the vehicle is in a reference parking position, the method further includes: when the vehicle stays in the reference parking position, acquiring at least first image data of the surrounding environment of the vehicle through the at least first imaging device; and storing the at least first image data as another reference image data in a memory for providing additional reference image data to a set of reference image data of a vehicle parking finder support system.

[0030] The advantage of this is that over time, further reference image data can be generated so as to better determine whether the vehicle is in a reference parking position based on the additional reference image data. Over time, the surrounding environment of the correct parking position may change, and with the latest reference image data in the memory, additional and new object attribute data of the at least first reference image can be used.

[0031] According to some embodiments, in the case where it is determined that the vehicle is not in a reference parking position, a notification message for controlling the parking of the vehicle is generated, wherein the notification message is at least any one of the following: an output message sent via a user interface and provided to a vehicle occupant, which indicates that the vehicle is not in a reference parking position; and / or a control message sent to a vehicle operation support system for controlling the operation of the vehicle.

[0032] The advantage of this is that the vehicle occupant or the vehicle operation support system can take actions to, for example, maneuver the vehicle to the correct parking position.

[0033] According to a third aspect, there is also provided a computer program product including a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer program containing program instructions thereon, the computer program being loadable into a processing circuit and configured to be capable of causing the execution of the method according to any one of the aspects when the computer program is run by at least one processing circuit.

[0034] The effects and features of the second and third aspects are largely similar to those described above in connection with the first aspect. The embodiments mentioned in connection with the first aspect are widely compatible with the second and third aspects.

[0035] From the detailed description given below, the present disclosure will become apparent. The detailed description and specific embodiments disclose only the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure by way of example. Those skilled in the art will understand, based on the guidance in the detailed description, that changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0036] Therefore, it should be understood that the disclosure herein is not limited to the specific components of the described device or the steps of the described method, as such devices and methods can be changed. It should also be understood that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to be limiting. It should be noted that when used in the specification and the appended claims, the articles "a", "an", "the", and "said" are intended to mean that there is one or more elements, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to "a unit" or "the unit" can include several devices, etc. In addition, the words "comprising", "including", "containing", and similar expressions do not exclude other elements or steps. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be more fully understood from the following illustrative and non - limiting detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure when taken in conjunction with the drawings.

[0038] Figure 1a A general view of a vehicle parking finder support system is shown.

[0039] Figure 1b At least a first imaging device configured to be able to provide an image of the surrounding environment of the vehicle is shown.

[0040] Figures 2a - 2c A first exemplary image dataset of the surrounding environment of the vehicle is shown.

[0041] Figures 3a - 3c A second exemplary image dataset of the surrounding environment of the vehicle is shown.

[0042] Figures 4a - 4c Exemplary object attribute data according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0043] Figure 5 A flowchart of method steps according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0044] Figure 6 A computer program product according to some aspects of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed implementation manners

[0045] The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in other forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments disclosed herein. The disclosed embodiments are provided to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0046] Figure 1a A general overview diagram of a vehicle parking finder support system is shown. A first aspect of the present disclosure discloses a vehicle parking finder support system 100 for determining whether a vehicle 1 is in a reference parking position.

[0047] According to some embodiments, the reference parking position is a position within a predetermined distance from a geographical location. According to some embodiments, the reference parking position is a position defined by certain geographical boundaries. According to some embodiments, the reference parking position is a position defined by the boundaries of a parking lot. According to some embodiments, the reference parking position refers to a desired or correct parking position. According to some embodiments, the vehicle parking finder support system 100 is configured to be able to determine whether the vehicle 1 is in one of a plurality of reference parking positions. In one example, a vehicle occupant may have a specific parking position at home, a specific parking position at the workplace, and a specific parking position at another location, where the vehicle can be parked without violating the rules and receiving a parking ticket, and these parking positions are all reference parking positions.

[0048] The vehicle parking finder support system 100 includes at least first camera devices 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, which are configured to be able to provide images of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1. Figure 1b Shown are at least first camera devices 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d configured to be able to provide images of the surrounding environment of the vehicle. In an example, the at least first camera devices 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d are mounted outside or inside the vehicle 1. According to some embodiments, the at least first camera devices 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d are integrated into the body of the vehicle 1. According to some embodiments, the at least first camera devices 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d acquire at least first image data im1, im2, im3 of at least a first external view of the surrounding environment outside the vehicle 1. Figures 2a - 2c Shown is a first exemplary image data set of the surrounding environment of the vehicle. Figures 3a - 3cShows a second exemplary image dataset of the vehicle's surrounding environment. According to some embodiments, at least the first camera devices 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d obtain a wide-angle view of the surrounding environment outside the vehicle 1 through the wide-angle lenses of the at least first camera devices 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d. According to some embodiments, the at least first camera devices 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d obtain a telephoto view of the surrounding environment outside the vehicle 1 through the telephoto lenses of the at least first camera devices 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d. According to some embodiments, the vehicle parking finder support system 100 includes a combination of different camera devices 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d for providing a wide-angle view and a telephoto view of the surrounding environment outside the vehicle 1. According to some embodiments, as Figure 1b shown, the first camera device 30a and the second camera device 30b are configured to be able to acquire at least a first external view and a second external view that overlap. This is further shown in Figure 3a and 3b where the sign "D88" and the sign "P" overlap in the first image data im1 and the second image data im2.

[0049] The vehicle parking finder support system 100 further includes memories 101a, 101b, 101c configured to be able to store data. According to some embodiments, the memory 101a is the memory of an in-vehicle vehicle computer. According to some embodiments, the memory 101b is included in a portable electronic device, and the portable electronic device is connected to the vehicle parking finder support system 100 via a wireless communication network 50, as Figure 1a shown. According to some embodiments, the memory 101c is included in an electronic device, and the electronic device is connected to the vehicle parking finder support system 100 via a wireless communication network 50, as Figure 1a shown.

[0050] The vehicle parking finder support system 100 further includes processing circuits 102a, 102b, 102c. According to some embodiments, the processing circuit 102a is the processing circuit of an in-vehicle vehicle computer. According to some embodiments, the processing circuit 102b is included in a portable electronic device, and the portable electronic device is connected to the vehicle parking finder support system 100 via a wireless communication network 50, as Figure 1a shown. According to some embodiments, the processing circuit 102b is included in a portable electronic device, and the portable electronic device is connected to the vehicle parking finder support system 100 via a wired connection. According to some embodiments, the processing circuit 102c is included in an electronic device, and the electronic device is connected to the vehicle parking finder support system 100 via a wireless communication network 50, as Figure 1a shown.

[0051] In one example, as Figure 1a shown in Figure 1a , the wireless communication network 50 is a standard wireless local area network, such as a wireless local area network (WLAN), Bluetooth TM , ZigBee, ultra-wideband, near field communication (NFC), radio frequency identification (RFID), or a similar network. In one example, the wireless communication network 50 is a standard wireless wide area network, such as the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Extended GSM, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Narrowband IoT, 5G, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), or Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), or a similar network. According to some aspects, the wireless communication network 50 can also be a combination of both a local area network and a wide area network. According to some embodiments, the wireless communication network 50 is defined by the common Internet protocol.

[0052] The processing circuits 102a, 102b, 102c are operably connected to at least the first camera devices 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d and the memories 101a, 101b, 101c, and are configured to enable the vehicle parking finder support system 100 to: obtain at least first image data im1, im2, im3 of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 through the at least first camera devices 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d; obtain at least first reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 from the memories 101a, 101b, 101c; and use the at least first reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 and the obtained at least first image data im1, im2, im3 to determine whether the vehicle 1 is in a reference parking position.

[0053] One advantage is that the content of the reference image data can be used to compare the content of the at least first image data of the surrounding environment of the vehicle to determine whether the vehicle is in a reference parking position. According to some embodiments, the at least first reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 includes previously obtained image data of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1. According to some embodiments, the at least first reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 includes previously obtained image data of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 at a desired position that will be used as a reference parking position.

[0054] According to some embodiments, the at least first reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 includes video image data. According to some embodiments, when determining whether the vehicle 1 is in a reference parking position, the vehicle 1 is moving. According to some embodiments, when determining whether the vehicle 1 is in a reference parking position, the vehicle 1 is moving, and the at least first image data im1, im2, im3 acquired includes video data. According to some embodiments, when determining whether the vehicle 1 is in a reference parking position, the vehicle 1 is moving, and the at least first reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 includes video image data.

[0055] According to some embodiments, the at least first reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 is associated with orientation data. According to some embodiments, the orientation data includes the external view orientation of the at least first imaging devices 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d relative to the traveling direction of the vehicle 1. According to some embodiments, the orientation data is defined by vector data in a three-dimensional space.

[0056] In one example, the reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 is shown in Figures 2a - 2c and the acquired image data im1, im2, im3 is shown in Figures 3a - 3c Then, using the at least first reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 and the at least first image data im1, im2, im3 acquired, it is determined whether the vehicle 1 is in a reference parking position.

[0057] According to some embodiments, the vehicle parking finder support system 100 further includes user interfaces 400a, 400b. According to some embodiments, the user interface 400a is a user interface of an in-vehicle vehicle computer. According to some embodiments, the user interface 400b is included in a portable electronic device that is connected to the vehicle parking finder support system 100 via a wireless communication network 50, as Figure 1aAs shown. According to some embodiments, the vehicle parking finder support system 100 further includes at least a first display, which is configured to be able to display at least a first external view provided by the at least first camera devices 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d. According to some embodiments, the at least first display is part of the vehicle parking finder support system 100. According to some embodiments, the at least first display is integrated in the instrument panel of the vehicle. According to some embodiments, the at least first display is a head-up display visible at or on at least a first window of the vehicle 1. According to some embodiments, the at least first display is a separate display unit that can be placed by the vehicle occupant 5 at a desired position in the vehicle 1. According to some embodiments, the at least first display is a display included in a portable electronic device, and the portable electronic device is connected to the vehicle parking finder support system 100 via a wireless communication network 50. According to some embodiments, the at least first display is a touch-sensitive display configured to be able to operate as a user interface 400a, 400b.

[0058] The user interfaces 400a, 400b are operably connected to the processing circuits 102a, 102b, 102c, which are configured to be able to receive user input from the vehicle occupant 5, and the processing circuits 102a, 102b, 102c are further configured to be able to cause the vehicle parking finder support system 100 to: receive a first input from the vehicle occupant 5 indicating that the vehicle 1 is in a reference parking position via the user interfaces 400a, 400b; acquire at least first image data im1, im2, im3 of the surroundings of the vehicle 1 when the vehicle 1 is parked in the reference parking position through the at least first camera devices 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d; and store the at least first image data im1, im2, im3 as reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 in the memories 101a, 101b, 101c. According to some embodiments, the processing circuits 102a, 102b, 102c are further configured to be able to determine whether the vehicle 1 is not moving, and prompt the vehicle occupant 5 through the user interfaces 400a, 400b to indicate whether the vehicle 1 is in the reference parking position through the first input. According to some embodiments, it can be determined whether the vehicle 1 is not moving by determining at least one of the following: the vehicle is turned off; the parking brake is used; the vehicle 1 has idled for more than a predetermined time; the vehicle is traveling at a speed lower than a predetermined value. In one example, when the vehicle 1 is parked in the reference parking position, each of the camera devices 30a, 30b, and 30d simultaneously acquires image data of the surroundings of the vehicle 1. The camera devices 30a, 30b, and 30d acquire the image data as shown Figures 2a - 2c shown. In this example, the acquired image data will subsequently be stored as reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3, as shownFigures 2a - 2c as shown

[0059] One advantage is that when the vehicle 1 is in a position that is to become a reference parking position, the vehicle occupant 5 can indicate to the vehicle parking finder support system 100 via the user interfaces 400a, 400b such that at least first image data of the surroundings of the vehicle 1 obtained when the vehicle is parked in the reference parking position can be stored in the memory as reference image data.

[0060] According to some embodiments, the vehicle parking finder support system 100 further includes a position sensor 40. According to some embodiments, the position sensor 40 is a global positioning system sensor. Figure 1a and 1b The position sensor 40 as part of the vehicle is shown. According to some embodiments, the position sensor is included in a portable electronic device that is connected to the vehicle parking finder support system 100 via a wireless communication network 50. According to some embodiments, the position sensor is operatively connected to processing circuits 102a, 102b, 102c that are configured to be able to determine the geographical location of the vehicle 1, and the processing circuits 102a, 102b, 102c are further configured to be able to cause the vehicle parking finder support system 100: when the vehicle 1 is parked in the reference parking position, to obtain parking position data associated with the position of the vehicle 1 via the position sensor 40; and to store the parking position data as reference parking position data.

[0061] The advantage of this is that when the vehicle is in a position that is to become a reference parking position, the vehicle occupant can subsequently indicate to the vehicle parking finder support system 100 via the user interfaces 400a, 400b such that the obtained parking position data can subsequently be stored in the memory as reference parking position data.

[0062] According to some embodiments, the processing circuits 102a, 102b, 102c are further configured to be able to cause the vehicle parking finder support system 100: to obtain parking position data associated with the position of the vehicle 1 via the position sensor 40; to obtain reference parking position data from the memories 101a, 101b, 101c; and to use the reference parking position data and the obtained parking position data to determine whether the vehicle 1 is in the reference parking position. The advantage of this is that information about the geographical location of the vehicle can thus be compared with the reference parking position data to determine whether the vehicle 1 has returned to the reference parking position. According to some embodiments, in addition to the reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3, the reference parking position data is also used to determine whether the vehicle 1 is in the reference parking position.

[0063] According to some embodiments, the processing circuits 102a, 102b, 102c are further configured to enable the vehicle parking finder support system 100: to identify the presence of at least a first object 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d in the at least first image data im1, im2, im3 through object recognition processing of the at least first image data im1, im2, im3; and to store the attributes of the identified at least first object 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d as object attribute data in the memories 101a, 101b, 101c. The advantage of identifying the presence of the at least first object 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d and storing the attributes of the identified at least first object 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d is that the object attribute data can be used to define the content of the at least first image data im1, im2, im3. This can in turn be utilized when, for example, comparing the content of the at least first image data im1, im2, im3 with the content of reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3. According to some embodiments, the attributes of the identified at least first object 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d include at least any one of the following: color; vehicle model; vehicle brand; text; number; object category; text and number; shape; formal element; status. In one example, the identified object stores attributes such as "vehicle", "Geely", "SUV", "license plate number ABC12A", and "green". In Figure 2a the exemplary illustration, the attributes of object 5a are "road sign", "parking", "blue", and "static", and the attributes of object 5b are "number", "D88", "white", and "static". In addition, in Figure 2b the example, the attributes of object 5c are "bicycle", "vehicle", "red", and "movable". In addition, in Figure 2c the example, the attributes of object 5d are "truck", "white", and "movable".

[0064] According to some embodiments, the processing circuits 102a, 102b, 102c are further configured to enable the vehicle parking finder support system 100: to identify the presence of at least a first object 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d in the at least first image data im1, im2, im3 through object recognition processing of the at least first image data im1, im2, im3; to store the attributes of the identified at least first object 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d as object attribute data in the memories 101a, 101b, 101c; to determine an object weight value depending on the attributes of the at least first object 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d; and to store the attributes of the identified at least first object 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d together with the determined object weight value as object attribute data in the memories 101a, 101b, 101c.

[0065] According to some embodiments, object weight values are used to determine whether vehicle 1 is in a reference parking position, where the object weight values are used to give at least first objects 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d higher importance when determining whether vehicle 1 is in the reference parking position. In one example, an object having the attribute "movable" may be less important compared to another object having the attribute "static". In one example, a sign given the attribute "static" may have higher importance than a truck given the attribute "movable".

[0066] According to some embodiments, the reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 also includes personal attribute data associated with at least any one of vehicle 1 and vehicle occupant 5. In one example, the personal attribute data includes any of the following: the name of the vehicle occupant, the license plate number of vehicle 1, and the name of a company, organization, or association associated with any one of vehicle occupant 5 and vehicle 1. According to some embodiments, the personal attribute data is indicated by a personal attribute selection input by vehicle occupant 5 via user interfaces 400a, 400b, which indicates that the attribute data is personal attribute data. According to some embodiments, the processing circuits 102a, 102b, 102c are further configured to enable the vehicle parking finder support system 100: to obtain at least first reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 including the personal attribute data from memories 101a, 101b, 101c; and to use the at least first reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 including the personal attribute data and the obtained at least first image data im1, im2, im3 to determine whether vehicle 1 is in the reference parking position.

[0067] According to some embodiments, the object attribute data is based on at least a first reference point R, and the at least first reference point R is found in the image by object recognition processing of the at least first image data im1, im2, im3. Figure 4a An exemplary reference point R is shown. According to some embodiments, when storing the attributes of the at least first identified objects 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d as object attribute data in memories 101a, 101b, 101c, the object attribute data is based on a specific reference point R found in the image by object recognition processing of the at least first image data im1, im2, im3. Figure 4a An example is shown where, when storing the attributes of the at least first identified objects 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d as object attribute data in memories 101a, 101b, 101c, a specific reference point R found in the image by object recognition processing of the at least first image data im1, im2, im3 is used.

[0068] In one example, the acquired image data including the object attribute data of the identified objects 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d is stored as reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 in memories 101a, 101b, 101c. In this example, at least the first reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 and the at least first acquired image data im1, im2, im3 including the object attribute data are used to determine whether the vehicle 1 is in a reference parking position. In one example, the reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 is shown in Figures 2a - 2c and the acquired image data im1, im2, im3 is shown in Figures 3a - 3c . Then, using the at least first reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 and the at least first acquired image data im1, im2, im3, it is determined whether the vehicle 1 is in a reference parking position. When comparing the image data shown in Figure 2a and 3a , there are no changes, which indicates that the vehicle 1 seems to be in a reference parking position. However, when comparing the image data shown in Figure 2b and 3b , the object 5c, i.e., the bicycle, is missing. Furthermore, when comparing the image data shown in Figure 2c and 3c , the object 5d, i.e., the truck, is missing. Even if there are deviations in the image data, if a specific number of objects can be identified, for example, the vehicle parking finder support system 100 can still determine that the vehicle 1 is in a reference parking position.

[0069] According to some embodiments, the processing circuits 102a, 102b, 102c are further configured to enable the vehicle parking finder support system 100 to: associate object attribute data with timestamp data; and based on the object attribute data and the timestamp data, determine the presence of at least a first object 5a, 5b, 5c in the at least first image data im1, im2, im3 according to the time of day. The advantage of timestamp data is that, for example, historical data can be generated describing when a particular object was present in the at least first image data, i.e., the relevance of a particular object in the at least first image can be determined according to the time of day. For example, in one instance, there is a 95% certainty that the particular object was present between 17:30 and 07:00 over the past 20 days. If the particular object is not present at 21:00 the next day, then an indication can be generated by the vehicle parking finder support system to indicate a deviation from the normal appearance of the particular object, and this in turn can indicate that the vehicle 1 may be in the wrong parking position. According to some embodiments, the processing circuits 102a, 102b, 102c are further configured to enable the vehicle parking finder support system 100 to: associate object attribute data with timestamp data; and based on the object attribute data and the timestamp data, determine the presence of at least a first object 5a, 5b, 5c in the at least first image data im1, im2, im3 according to a certain day of the year. In one example, it is determined whether a certain day of the year is a weekday or a non - weekday, a weekday or a weekend, or a holiday. According to some embodiments, timestamp data can also be used if there is a change in the normal surroundings of the vehicle 1. For example, if the owner of a neighboring vehicle that is usually parked next to the vehicle 1 replaces the adjacent vehicle with a new adjacent vehicle, then the surroundings of the vehicle 1 change. With timestamp data, the new adjacent vehicle will become the expected vehicle next to the vehicle 1 over time. This also applies if the neighboring parking space is changing owners or users.

[0070] A second aspect of the present disclosure shows a method for determining whether a vehicle 1 is in a reference parking position. Figure 5 A flowchart showing the method steps according to the present disclosure is shown. The method includes: step S4, obtaining at least first image data im1, im2, im3 around the vehicle 1 through at least first camera devices 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d; step S5, obtaining at least first reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 from the memories 101a, 101b, 101c; and step S6, using the at least first reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 and the obtained at least first image data im1, im2, im3 to determine whether the vehicle 1 is in a reference parking position.

[0071] One advantage is that the content of the reference image data can be used to compare the content of at least first image data of the vehicle's surrounding environment to determine whether the vehicle is in a reference parking position.

[0072] According to some embodiments, the method further includes the following steps: Step S1, receiving, via user interfaces 400a, 400b, a first input indicating that the vehicle 1 is in a reference parking position input by a vehicle occupant; Step S2, acquiring, by the at least first imaging devices 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, at least first image data im1, im2, im3 of the vehicle's surrounding environment when the vehicle 1 stays in the reference parking position; Step S3, storing the at least first image data im1, im2, im3 as reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 in memories 101a, 101b, 101c.

[0073] One advantage is that when the vehicle 1 is in a position that is about to become a reference parking position, the vehicle occupant 5 can then indicate to the vehicle parking finder support system 100 via user interfaces 400a, 400b, so that at least first image data of the vehicle's surrounding environment acquired when the vehicle stays in the reference parking position can be stored as reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 in memories 101a, 101b, 101c.

[0074] According to some embodiments, when storing the at least first image data im1, im2, im3 as reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 in the memories (101a, 101b, 101c), attributes of at least first objects 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d identified in the at least first image data im1, im2, im3 are stored together with the reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 in memories 101a, 101b, 101c.

[0075] According to some embodiments, the method further includes: identifying the presence of at least first objects 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d in the at least first image data im1, im2, im3 through object recognition processing of the at least first image data im1, im2, im3; and storing the attributes of the identified at least first objects 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d as object attribute data in memories 101a, 101b, 101c.

[0076] The advantage of identifying the presence of at least first objects and storing the attributes of the identified at least first objects is that the object attribute data can be used to define the content of the at least first image data.

[0077] According to some embodiments, the method further comprises: associating object attribute data with timestamp data; and determining the presence of at least a first object 5a, 5b, 5c in the at least first image data im1, im2, im3 based on the object attribute data and the timestamp data according to the time of day.

[0078] The advantage of timestamp data is that, for example, historical data can be generated that describes when a particular object was present in the at least first image data, i.e., the relevance of a particular object in the at least first image can be determined according to the time of day.

[0079] According to some embodiments, when determining whether the vehicle 1 is in a reference parking position, the method comprises comparing the object attribute data of the at least first reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3 with the object attribute data of the acquired at least first image data im1, im2, im3.

[0080] The advantage of comparing the object attribute data of the at least first image data with the object attribute data of the reference image data is that less information is used, which will improve the comparison between the content of the reference image data and the content of the at least first image data, which in turn saves the processing capacity and processing time of the processing circuit.

[0081] The advantage of comparing the object attribute data of the at least first image data with the object attribute data of the reference image data is that less total image data is used, which will improve the comparison between the content of the reference image data and the content of the at least first image data, which in turn saves the processing capacity and processing time of the processing circuit.

[0082] According to some embodiments, when comparing the attribute data of the at least first image data with the object attribute data of the reference image data, a specific reference point of the reference image data is used to determine whether the same reference point exists in the at least first image data.

[0083] According to some embodiments, when the attributes of the object attribute data of the acquired at least first image data im1, im2, im3 are equal to or higher than a predetermined object attribute threshold when compared with the attributes of the object attribute data of the at least first reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3, it is determined that the vehicle 1 is in a reference parking position. The advantage of this is that the attribute data of the acquired at least first image data does not need to be equal to the object attribute data of the at least first reference image data, but a certain deviation from the object attribute data of the at least first reference image data is allowed, and still it can be determined that the vehicle 1 is in a reference parking position.

[0084] In as Figure 4aIn the example shown, objects are recognized in the image through object recognition processing of the image data: a stop sign 5a, a digital sign 5b, and a bicycle 5c. The attributes of the recognized objects 5a, 5b, 5c are stored as object attribute data in memories 101a, 101b, 101c. In this example, the image data is stored in memories 101a, 101b, 101c together with the attributes of the recognized objects 5a, 5b, 5c as reference image data.

[0085] According to some embodiments, the object attribute data includes at least a first reference point R recognized through object recognition processing of at least first image data im1, im2, im3. In this example, the attributes of the recognized objects 5a, 5b, 5c are based on a plurality of reference points R as Figure 4a shown. At a later time point when the vehicle is in the same position, when Figure 4b comparing the attribute data of the acquired image shown with the object attribute data of the at least first reference image, it is determined that a certain number of reference points R do not exist. Specifically, the bicycle 5c that existed when storing the at least first reference image data is no longer in that position. In this example, four reference points of the bicycle 5c exist, but the remaining reference points R have left, as Figure 4b shown. In this example, the bicycle 5c has been removed, but the reference points may also be undetectable due to, for example, the object being covered with snow. In this example, 4 out of 14 reference points are missing, which causes the attribute data of the acquired image to deviate from the object attribute data of the at least first reference image data. This deviation is based on the missing reference points shown by the reference points R with dashed lines in Figure 4c . In this example, an object attribute threshold is set to allow the object attribute data of the acquired image that matches the object attribute data of the at least first reference image data to 70% or more. In this example, 10 out of 14 reference points exist, which means 71% of the reference points seem to be correct, and in this example, it is thus determined that the vehicle 1 is in the reference parking position. According to some embodiments, multiple images and multiple reference images are used to determine whether the vehicle 1 is in the reference parking position. According to some embodiments, multiple image data associated with specific object attribute data and multiple reference image data associated with specific object attribute data are compared to determine whether the vehicle 1 is in the reference parking position. According to some embodiments, the object attribute data of multiple image data im1, im2, im3 is compared with the object attribute data of multiple reference image data rim1, rim2, rim3. In the example of comparing the acquired first image data im1 with the first reference image data rim1, as Figure 2a and Figure 2bAs shown, the object attribute data of the acquired first image data im1 matches the object attribute data of the first reference image data rim1 by 100%. In the same example, when comparing the acquired second image data im2 with the second reference image data rim2, as Figure 2b and Figure 3b shown, the object attribute data of the acquired second image im2 matches the object attribute data of the second reference image data rim2 by 67%. In the same example, when comparing the acquired third image data im3 with the third reference image data rim3, as Figure 2c and Figure 3c shown, the object attribute data of the acquired third image im3 matches the object attribute data of the third reference image data rim3 by 78%. In this example, the total match is 83%, which in this example is higher than the set object attribute threshold of 70%, so the result is that it is determined that vehicle 1 is in the reference parking position. If the matching degrees of the acquired images are different and the total matching degree is lower than the set object attribute threshold of 70%, then it will be determined that vehicle 1 is not in the reference parking position.

[0086] According to some embodiments, in the case where it is determined that vehicle 1 is in the reference parking position, the method further includes: when vehicle 1 stays in the reference parking position, acquiring at least first image data of the surrounding environment of vehicle 1 through the at least first imaging device; and storing the at least first image data as another reference image data in memories 101a, 101b, 101c for providing additional reference image data to the reference image data set of the vehicle parking finder support system 100.

[0087] The advantage of this is that over time, further reference image data can be generated to better determine whether the vehicle is in the reference parking position based on the additional reference image data. Over time, the surrounding environment of the correct parking position may change, and with the latest reference image data in the memory, additional and new object attribute data of the at least first reference image can be used.

[0088] According to some embodiments, in the case where it is determined that vehicle 1 is not in the reference parking position, a notification message for controlling vehicle parking is generated, where the notification message is at least at least any one of the following: an output message sent via user interfaces 400a, 400b and provided to the vehicle occupants, which indicates that vehicle 1 is not in the reference parking position; and / or, a control message sent to the vehicle operation support system for controlling the operation of vehicle 1.

[0089] The advantage of this is that the vehicle occupants or the vehicle operation support system can take actions to, for example, maneuver the vehicle to the correct parking position.

[0090] A third aspect of the present invention shows a computer program product. The second aspect includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer program including program instructions thereon. The computer program can be loaded into the processing circuits 102a, 102b, 102c and is configured to cause the execution of the method according to any one of the second to fourteenth aspects when the computer program is run by the at least one processing circuit 102.

[0091] Those skilled in the art will realize that the present disclosure is not limited to the above preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art also recognize that modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. In addition, by studying the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims, those skilled in the art implementing the claimed disclosure can understand and implement variations of the disclosed embodiments.

Claims

1. A vehicle parking finder support system (100) for determining whether a vehicle (1) is in a reference parking position, the vehicle parking finder support system (100) comprising: · At least a first imaging device (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d) configured to be able to provide an image of the surroundings of the vehicle (1); · Memories (101a, 101b, 101c) configured to be able to store data; and · A processing circuit (102a, 102b, 102c) operably connected to the at least first imaging device (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d) and the memories (101a, 101b, 101c) and configured to be able to cause the vehicle parking finder support system (100) to confirm that the vehicle is parked at a reference parking point, the reference parking point being a parking point for which the vehicle has obtained prior authorization to park, the confirmation comprising: Configuring parking reference data associated with the reference parking point at a first time, including: - Receiving, via a user interface (400a, 400b), a first input from a vehicle occupant indicating that the vehicle (1) is in the reference parking position; - Obtaining, by the at least first imaging device (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d), first image data (im1) of the surroundings of the vehicle (1) when the vehicle (1) is parked in the reference parking position; - Storing the first image data (im1) as first reference image data (rim1) in the memories (101a, 101b, 101c); Verifying whether the vehicle returns to the reference parking point at a second time later than the first time, including: - Obtaining second image data of the surroundings of the vehicle (1) by the at least first imaging device (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d); - Obtaining the first reference image data (rim1) from the memories (101a, 101b, 101c); and - Determining whether the vehicle (1) is in the reference parking position by comparing the first reference image data (rim1) and the obtained second image data.

2. The vehicle parking finder support system (100) according to claim 1, wherein, The vehicle parking finder support system (100) further includes a position sensor (40) operably connected to the processing circuit (102a, 102b, 102c), the processing circuit (102a, 102b, 102c) being configured to be able to determine the geographical location of the vehicle (1), and the processing circuit (102a, 102b, 102c) further being configured to be able to cause the vehicle parking finder support system (100) to: - When the vehicle (1) is parked in the reference parking position, obtain parking position data associated with the position of the vehicle (1) by the position sensor (40); And - Store the parking position data as reference parking position data.

3. The vehicle parking finder support system (100) according to claim 2, wherein, The processing circuits (102a, 102b, 102c) are further configured to enable the vehicle parking finder support system (100) to: - Obtain parking position data associated with the position of the vehicle (1) through the position sensor (40); - Obtain reference parking position data from the memories (101a, 101b, 101c); And - Use the reference parking position data and the obtained parking position data to determine whether the vehicle (1) is in the reference parking position.

4. The vehicle parking finder support system (100) according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The processing circuits (102a, 102b, 102c) are further configured to enable the vehicle parking finder support system (100) to: - Identify that at least a first object (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) exists in the at least first image data (im1, im2, im3) through object recognition processing of at least first image data (im1, im2, im3); And - Store the attributes of the identified at least first object (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) as object attribute data in the memories (101a, 101b, 101c).

5. The vehicle parking finder support system (100) according to claim 4, wherein, The processing circuits (102a, 102b, 102c) are further configured to enable the vehicle parking finder support system (100) to: - Associate the object attribute data with timestamp data; And - Based on the object attribute data and the timestamp data, determine the existence of the at least first object (5a, 5b, 5c) in the at least first image data (im1, im2, im3) according to the time of day.

6. A method for determining whether a vehicle (1) is in a reference parking point, where the reference parking point is a parking point where the vehicle has obtained prior authorization to park, the method comprising: Configure parking reference data associated with the reference parking point at a first time, including: - (S1) Receive, via a user interface (400a, 400b), a first input indicating that the vehicle (1) is in the reference parking position, input by an occupant of the vehicle; - (S2) Obtain first image data (im1) of the surrounding environment of the vehicle (1) when the vehicle (1) stays in the reference parking position through at least a first imaging device (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d); - (S3) Store the first image data (im1) as first reference image data (rim1) in a memory (101a, 101b, 101c); Verify whether the vehicle returns to the reference parking point at a second time later than the first time, including: - (S4) Obtain second image data of the surrounding environment of the vehicle (1) through the at least first imaging device (30a, 30b, 30c, 30d); - (S5) Obtain the first reference image data (rim1) from the memory (101a, 101b, 101c); and - (S6) Determine whether the vehicle (1) is in a reference parking position by comparing the first reference image data (rim1) with the acquired second image data.

7. The method according to claim 6, the method further comprising: - Identifying that at least a first object (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) exists in the at least first image data (im1, im2, im3) by performing object recognition processing on at least the first image data (im1, im2, im3); and - Storing the attributes of the identified at least first object (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) as object attribute data in the memory (101a, 101b, 101c).

8. The method according to claim 7, the method further comprising: - Associating the object attribute data with timestamp data; and - Based on the object attribute data and the timestamp data, determining the existence of the at least first object (5a, 5b, 5c) in the at least first image data (im1, im2, im3) according to the time of day.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 - 8, wherein, Determining whether the vehicle (1) is in a reference parking position includes: comparing the object attribute data of at least the first reference image data (rim1, rim2, rim3) with the object attribute data of the acquired at least first image data (im1, im2, im3).

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, When comparing with the object attribute data of at least the first reference image data (rim1, rim2, rim3), when the attributes of the object attribute data of the acquired at least first image data (im1, im2, im3) are equal to or higher than a predetermined object attribute threshold, it is determined that the vehicle (1) is in a reference parking position.

11. The method according to any one of claims 6 - 8, wherein, When it is determined that the vehicle (1) is in the reference parking position, the method further comprises: - Acquiring at least first image data of the surrounding environment of the vehicle (1) when the vehicle (1) stays in the reference parking position through the at least first imaging device; and - Storing the at least first image data as another reference image data in the memory (101a, 101b, 101c) for providing additional reference image data to the reference image data set of the vehicle parking finder support system (100).

12. The method according to any one of claims 6 - 8, wherein, When it is determined that the vehicle (1) is not in the reference parking position, a notification message for controlling the parking of the vehicle is generated, wherein the notification message is at least any one of the following: - An output message sent via the user interface (400a, 400b) and provided to the vehicle occupants, indicating that the vehicle (1) is not in the reference parking position; and / or - A control message sent to the vehicle operation support system for controlling the operation of the vehicle (1).

13. A computer program product (500) comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer program with program instructions thereon, the computer program being loadable into a processing circuit and configured to cause the method according to any one of claims 6 to 12 to be performed when the computer program is run by the processing circuit.

Images