Unsupervised manipulation of vehicles in parking lot

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to unsupervised manipulation of vehicles in a parking lot. The invention relates to a method for the unsupervised manipulation of a vehicle and to a corresponding vehicle control unit and to a vehicle. Before causing the vehicle to autonomously leave the parking location without supervision, the vehicle performs a first pre-exit movement configured to prevent endanger of the VRU in the vicinity of the vehicle. The parking position is located outside the field of view of the user. In response to receiving a command from a user of the vehicle indicating that the vehicle autonomously travels to the vehicle retrieved location, the vehicle autonomously travels to the vehicle retrieved location.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to unsupervised maneuvering of vehicles in parking facilities, and more particularly to preventing injury to vulnerable road users (VRUs) while the vehicle autonomously and unsupervisedly traverses a parking facility. Background Art

[0002] Modern vehicles are usually equipped with multiple sensors to determine the environment of the vehicle, such as by detecting VRUs near the vehicle. However, multiple sensors can determine the environment only while the vehicle is started. If the vehicle is initially parked in a parking facility, the vehicle and multiple sensors can only be started after the user summons the vehicle to the vehicle retrieval position. In this case, if the VRU is outside the capture area of ​​the multiple sensors before the vehicle and / or VRU moves, the multiple sensors may not know the VRU initially. In addition, when the vehicle is occupied by the user during the movement of the vehicle, the user may be aware of the VRU outside the capture area of ​​the multiple sensors to provide an additional layer of safety for such VRU. However, when the user summons the vehicle to the vehicle retrieval position, since the vehicle is usually parked outside the user's field of view, this additional layer of safety does not exist. Therefore, during the initial movement of the vehicle to the vehicle retrieval position, the vehicle may endanger the VRU. If children play under or near the underside of the vehicle in the parking lot, endangering the VRU during the initial movement of the vehicle may be particularly serious. The plurality of sensors typically do not include sensors on the underside of the vehicle due to the increased likelihood that the sensors on the underside of the vehicle will be covered in dirt. As a result, the area under the vehicle is always outside the capture area and may also not be within the field of view of the vehicle user. Additionally, since the user is not in the vehicle, the child may not anticipate the vehicle movement as much as the user would if he or she approached and entered the car.

[0003] It is therefore an object of the present disclosure to prevent VRUs from being injured during the initial movement of an unsupervised vehicle in a parking facility. Summary of the invention

[0004] To achieve this objective, the present disclosure provides a method for unsupervised maneuvering of a vehicle. The method includes: before causing the vehicle to autonomously leave a parking position without supervision, causing the vehicle to perform a first pre-exit movement, the first pre-exit movement being configured to prevent endangerment to a VRU near the vehicle; and in response to receiving a command from a user of the vehicle instructing the vehicle to autonomously drive to a vehicle retrieval position, causing the vehicle to autonomously drive to the vehicle retrieval position, wherein the parking position is outside the user's field of view.

[0005] The present invention also provides a vehicle control unit. The vehicle control unit includes at least one processing unit and a memory, the memory being coupled to the at least one processing unit and configured to store machine-readable instructions. The machine-readable instructions cause the at least one processing unit to cause the vehicle to perform a first pre-departure movement before causing the vehicle to autonomously leave the parking position without supervision, the first pre-departure movement being configured to prevent endangering a VRU near the vehicle; and, in response to receiving a command from a user of the vehicle instructing the vehicle to autonomously drive to a vehicle retrieval position, cause the vehicle to autonomously drive to the vehicle retrieval position, wherein the parking position is outside the user's field of view.

[0006] The present invention also provides a vehicle comprising the vehicle control unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Examples of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like elements.

[0008] Figure 1 illustrates a driver summoning a vehicle in a parking facility according to an example of the present disclosure;

[0009] Figure 2 A flow chart showing a method for unsupervised maneuvering of a vehicle according to an example of the present disclosure;

[0010] Figure 3 A vehicle according to an example of the present disclosure is illustrated;

[0011] Figure 4A and Figure 4B illustrates pre-departure movement of a vehicle according to an example of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 5 illustrates pre-departure movement of a vehicle according to an example of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 6 It illustrates that a vehicle emits an alarm sound according to an example of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 7 illustrates a vehicle flashing at least one light according to an example of the present disclosure; and

[0015] Figure 8 An automotive control unit according to an example of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0016] It should be understood that the above-mentioned drawings are by no means intended to limit the present disclosure. On the contrary, these drawings are provided to help understand the present disclosure. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that aspects of the present invention shown in one figure may be combined with aspects of another figure, or may be omitted, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The present disclosure generally provides a method, a vehicle controller, and a vehicle that ensures the safety of a VRU in the vicinity of a vehicle when the vehicle leaves a parking location within a parking facility without supervision, i.e., when the vehicle is summoned to a vehicle retrieval location by a user of the vehicle. It should be understood that in the context of the present disclosure, "without supervision" and "unsupervised" refer to the vehicle leaving the parking location without any passengers and outside the field of view of the user who summoned the vehicle. This concept is Figure 1 In the figure, Figure 1 User 301 is shown located on the west side of a building surrounded by parking facilities. User 301 summons vehicle 100, which is located on the east side of the building, to their location. Therefore, user 301 cannot see vehicle 100. Near vehicle 100, three VRUs 302 are located. Assuming that there are no passengers in vehicle 100, the three VRUs 302 may not anticipate any movement of vehicle 100 and therefore may not move out of the path of vehicle 100. This may be particularly true if vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle, as electric vehicles make no or very limited noise when turned on. Therefore, VRU 302 may be endangered by vehicle 100. In addition, assuming that VRU 302 represents a child playing near vehicle 100, there may be a situation where VRU 302 is located below or near the underside of vehicle 100, which may not include any sensors, as described above.

[0018] To ensure the safety of the VRUs 302, the vehicle performs a pre-departure movement, which may be, for example, a downward movement, which reduces the ground clearance of the vehicle 100. To prevent problems with children playing near the vehicle 100 while appearing under the vehicle 100, the downward movement may be performed when the vehicle 100 initially arrives at the parking position to ensure that the ground clearance can be safely reduced. The pre-departure movement may also be a lateral forward and backward movement, for example up to a few centimeters, to alert anyone near or even under the vehicle 100 of the imminent departure of the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may also perform these two or other types of pre-departure movements, and the pre-departure movement may be accompanied by an alarm sound or flashing of at least one light of the vehicle 100, so as to warn any VRUs 302 near the vehicle 100 of the imminent departure of the vehicle 100 from the parking position.

[0019] This general concept will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings, Figure 2 A flow chart of a method 400 for unsupervised operation of a vehicle is provided. Figure 3 A vehicle 100 is illustrated, and FIG. 4A to FIG. 7 The execution of each step of method 400 is illustrated. In addition, Figure 8 An automobile controller configured to perform method 400 is illustrated.

[0020] It should be understood that Figure 2 The dashed boxes in illustrative examples illustrate optional steps of method 400 .

[0021] The method 400 is configured to operate a vehicle without supervision, such as Figure 3 vehicle 100. In other words, the method 400 is configured to autonomously drive the vehicle 100 towards the user 301 in response to receiving a command from the user 301 instructing the vehicle 100 to travel to a vehicle retrieval location, wherein the vehicle 100 is at least initially outside the field of view of the user 301, and the vehicle retrieval location can be, for example, the location of the user 301 or a designated vehicle retrieval area of ​​the parking facility. The starting or departure point of the vehicle 100 is a parking location within the parking facility. It should be understood that the term "parking facility" can refer to any type of area or building intended to provide parking spaces for vehicles, such as open-air parking lots or parking garages located above and / or below ground. Depending on the level of autonomy provided by the vehicle 100, the term "parking facility" can also include roadside parking near the user 301.

[0022] In the context of the present disclosure, user 301 is referred to as a user rather than a driver to indicate that user 301 does not drive vehicle 100, at least for the purpose of maneuvering vehicle 100 toward a vehicle retrieval location within a parking facility. Depending on the level of autonomy provided by vehicle 100 outside of a parking facility, user 301 may drive vehicle 100 outside of a parking facility, or may rely on the autonomous driving capabilities of vehicle 100 at all times or at least during certain traffic conditions or on certain road types.

[0023] In step 401, the method 400 causes the vehicle 100 to perform a first pre-departure movement before causing the vehicle 100 to autonomously leave the parking location without supervision. The first pre-departure movement is configured to prevent endangerment to a VRU 302 near the vehicle and is performed by the vehicle 100 before leaving the parking location. Depending on the type of pre-departure movement, the first pre-departure movement may be performed when the vehicle 100 arrives at the parking location, or may be performed shortly before leaving the parking location.

[0024] For example, the first pre-exit movement may be a downward movement configured to reduce the ground clearance of the vehicle 100, such as Figure 4A and Figure 4B As shown. Figure 4A and Figure 4BAs shown, the ground clearance is reduced by moving downward from a first distance d1 between the underside of the vehicle 100 and the ground to a second distance d2 between the underside of the vehicle 100 and the ground. The method 400 can cause the vehicle 100 to perform a downward movement by instructing the height adjustable suspension of the vehicle 100 to lower the chassis of the vehicle 100 and thereby reduce the ground clearance of the vehicle 100. Reducing the ground clearance can prevent children from crawling under the vehicle while playing in a parking lot. To this end, the method 100 can perform a downward movement when the parking position is reached to prevent children from playing under or near the underside of the vehicle 100 while the vehicle 100 is parked. In order to restore the original ground clearance, as shown in FIG. Figure 4A As shown, method 400 may include step 402, in which method 402 may cause vehicle 100 to reverse the first pre-departure movement before causing the vehicle to travel to the vehicle retrieval position. Method 400 may cause vehicle 100 to reverse the first pre-departure movement by instructing the height adjustable suspension of vehicle 100 to raise the chassis of vehicle 100.

[0025] In another example, the first pre-exit movement may be a longitudinal fore-and-aft movement. The longitudinal fore-and-aft movement may be configured to cause the vehicle 100 to move forward by a warning distance d ALERT And move back the alarm distance d ALERT ,like Figure 5 As shown, or move the alarm backward by a distance d ALERT And move forward the alarm distance d ALERT . Alarm distance d ALERT The method 100 may be configured to alert a VRU 302 in the vicinity of the vehicle 100 of the impending autonomous departure of the vehicle 100 from the parking position without endangering the VRU 302 in the vicinity of the vehicle. ALERT And retreat alarm distance d ALERT To cause the vehicle 100 to move forward and backward by the alarm distance d ALERT . Alarm distance d ALERT It can be any type of distance that alerts the VRU 302 to the impending departure of the unmanned vehicle 100 without endangering the VRU 302. To this end, the warning distance d ALERT For example, the alarm distance d may be less than 10 cm. ALERT can be selected so that the VRU 302 senses that the vehicle 100 is shaking. For example, such an alarm distance d ALERT The value can prevent the hands of children playing near the tires of the vehicle 100 from being put in danger.

[0026] In another example, the first pre-departure movement may be a turning movement, i.e., a turning movement of the front wheels of the vehicle 100. The turning movement may alert VRUs 302 near the vehicle 100 of the impending autonomous departure of the vehicle 100 from the parking position and thereby prevent endangering the VRUs 302 that may not anticipate the departure of the vehicle 100 due to the absence of passengers in the vehicle 100.

[0027] It should be understood that downward movement, longitudinal fore-aft movement, and turning motion are provided only as examples of first pre-departure movement. Thus, the first pre-departure movement may be any type of vehicle 100 movement before the vehicle 100 leaves the parking location that alerts the VRU 302 of the impending departure of the vehicle 100 without endangering the VRU 302, especially children playing under or near the underside of the vehicle 100.

[0028] In addition to the first pre-departure movement, the method 400 may also cause the vehicle 100 to perform a second pre-departure movement before causing the vehicle 100 to autonomously leave the parking location without supervision. As with the first pre-departure movement, the second pre-departure movement may be configured to prevent endangering a VRU 302 in the vicinity of the vehicle 100. For example, the method 400 may cause the vehicle 100 to perform a downward movement as the first pre-departure movement, and may cause the vehicle 100 to perform a longitudinal forward and backward movement or a turning movement as the second pre-departure movement or more generally any type of movement that alerts the VRU 302 of the impending departure of the vehicle 100 without endangering the VRU 302.

[0029] It will be appreciated that the method 400 may perform additional pre-departure moves or repeat pre-departure moves to enhance warning of an impending departure in situations where no supervision is provided to the VRU 302 .

[0030] The method 400 may also perform step 404, in which the method 400 causes the vehicle 100 to emit an alarm sound S before causing the vehicle 100 to autonomously leave the parking position without supervision. ALERT ,like Figure 6 As shown. Alarm sound S ALERT The VRU 302 in the vicinity of the vehicle 100 may be configured to alert the vehicle 100 of the impending autonomous departure from the parking position. For example, the warning sound may be at least one of a car horn sound, a car unlocking sound, and an acoustic vehicle alert system (AVAS) sound, as defined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in Final Rule 87FR 41618 or any subsequent rule, or as defined by the European Union (EU) in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019 / 839 or any replacement regulation or any similar rule of a governmental or supra-governmental body. In other words, the warning sound SALERT At least one sound may be emitted by the vehicle 100 for other purposes. ALERT The alarm sound S may correspond to a single sound among the sounds emitted by the vehicle 100 for other purposes, or may be a combination of these sounds. ALERT It may also be a voice message announcing the imminent autonomous departure of the vehicle, which may be issued alone or in combination with any other sound described above. In addition to the first pre-departure movement and the second pre-departure movement and the additional pre-departure movement in some examples of the present disclosure, the alarm sound S is issued. ALERT The warning provided to the VRU 302 that the vehicle 100 is about to leave without supervision is further enhanced.

[0031] To avoid unnecessary alarms, ALERT For example, to reduce noise pollution, method 400 may further include steps 405 and / or 406. In step 405, method 400 may suppress the alarm sound S according to the time of day. ALERT In other words, the method 400 may be used when people near the vehicle 100 may be more susceptible to noise and less likely to approach the vehicle 100 to sound an alarm. ALERT Suppress the alarm sound for a period of time S ALERT , such as at night. In step 406, method 400 may respond to using one or more sensors, such as Figure 3 The sensor 110 shown does not detect the VRU 302 near the vehicle 100 and suppresses the alarm sound S ALERT The sensors 110 may include any type of sensor that provides data indicative of the environment of the vehicle 100 , such as a radar sensor, a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor, a camera, or an infrared camera.

[0032] To further enhance the warning provided to the VRU 302 that the vehicle 100 is about to leave without supervision, the method 400 may also include step 407, in which the method 400 causes at least one light, such as Figure 3 At least one of the lights 120 of the vehicle 100 is shown flashing during the warning time interval, such as Figure 7100. The flashing alert time interval may alert a VRU 302 in the vicinity of the vehicle 100 of the impending autonomous departure of the vehicle 100 from the parking position. The duration of the alert time interval may be determined based on the time frame required to draw the attention of the VRU 302 to the vehicle 100. To avoid flashing one or more of the lights 120 unnecessarily, the method 400 may further include step 408, in which the method 400 suppresses flashing of the one or more lights 120 during the alert time interval in response to not detecting the VRU 302 in the vicinity of the vehicle 100 using the one or more sensors 110.

[0033] To further enhance the warning provided to the VRU 302 regarding the imminent departure of the vehicle 100 without supervision, the method 400 may also include a step in which the method 400 may cause the vehicle 100 to project at least one warning ground projection on the ground near the vehicle 100. The warning ground projection may include an image configured to alert the VRU 302 near the vehicle 100 of the imminent autonomous departure of the vehicle 100 from the parking location. The image may help alert the VRU 302, which may not be able to perceive sound, of the imminent departure of the vehicle 100. The warning ground projection may be generated by a ground projection device integrated with one or more doors of the vehicle 100, such as with a door handle, which may also be used to generate a ground projection welcoming the user 301 of the vehicle 100.

[0034] In step 409, method 400 causes vehicle 100 to autonomously drive to the vehicle retrieval position in response to receiving a command from user 301 indicating that the vehicle autonomously drives to the vehicle retrieval position. For example, user 301 can summon vehicle 100 to the vehicle retrieval position using a device with cellular connection capability, such as a mobile phone or smart watch. Therefore, vehicle 100 can receive a summoning command via a cellular network. Depending on the distance between vehicle 100 and user 301 and the communication capability of the device of user 301 and vehicle 100, the summoning command can also be provided to vehicle 100 via Bluetooth connection, Wi-Fi connection, or any other wireless data connection capable of providing summoning command and user 301 position to vehicle 100. Once user 301 enters or approaches the designated vehicle retrieval area of ​​the parking facility itself or the parking facility, the summoning command can also be provided automatically, i.e., without the intervention of user 301, such as by a device with cellular and / or other communication capabilities of user 301, or a car key owned by user 301. As described above, the vehicle retrieval location may be the location of the user 301 or a designated vehicle retrieval area of ​​the parking facility. If the vehicle retrieval location is the location of the user 301, the location of the user 301 may be provided to the vehicle 301 along with the summon command, and the location may be updated if the user 301 continues to move after the user 301 sends the summon command. If the vehicle retrieval location is a designated vehicle retrieval area of ​​the parking facility, the designated vehicle retrieval area may be transmitted to the vehicle 301 along with the summon command, may be provided to the vehicle 100 by the parking facility, such as by a signal broadcast by the parking facility to all vehicles at the parking facility, or may be known to the vehicle 100 from map data or other navigation data provided to the vehicle 100, such as for implementing advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving capabilities.

[0035] In step 409 , to cause vehicle 100 to autonomously drive to a vehicle retrieval location without supervision, method 100 may instruct the autonomous driving function of vehicle 100 to drive to a vehicle retrieval location received from a device of user 301 or a parking facility or known to vehicle 100 .

[0036] like Figure 3 As shown, the vehicle 100 may include a vehicle control unit 300 that may be configured to perform the method 400. Figure 8 The vehicle control unit 300 is discussed in detail.

[0037] Figure 8An automobile control unit 300 is shown configured to perform method 400. Automobile control unit 300 may include processor 310, graphics processing unit (GPU) 320, automobile processing system 330, memory 340, removable storage device 350, storage device 360, cellular interface 370, global navigation satellite system (GNSS) interface 380, and communication interface 390.

[0038] Processor 310 may be any type of single-core or multi-core processing unit that employs a reduced instruction set (RISC) or complex instruction set (CISC). External RISC processing units include ARM-based cores or RISC V-based cores. Exemplary CISC processing units include x86-based cores or x86-64-based cores. Processor 310 may execute instructions that cause automotive control unit 300 to perform method 400. Processor 310 may be directly coupled to any component of computing device 300, or may be directly coupled to memory 330, GPU 320, and a device bus.

[0039] GPU 320 may be any type of processing unit optimized for processing of graphics-related instructions or, more generally, for parallel processing of instructions. Thus, GPU 320 may be configured to generate an information display, such as ADAS information or telemetry data, to a driver of a vehicle, for example, via a head-up display (HUD) or a display disposed within the driver's field of view. GPU 320 may be coupled to the HUD and / or display via connection 320C. GPU 320 may also execute at least a portion of method 400 to enable rapid parallel processing of instructions associated with method 400. It should be noted that in some embodiments, processor 310 may determine that GPU 320 does not need to execute instructions associated with method 100. GPU 320 may be directly coupled to any component of computing device 300, or may be directly coupled to processor 310 and memory 330. In some embodiments, GPU 320 may also be coupled to a device bus

[0040] The automotive processing system 330 may be any type of system on a chip that is configured to provide trillions of operations per second (TOPS) to enable the automotive control unit 300 to implement one or more ADAS during driving. The automotive processing system 330 may interface only with the processor 310, or may interface with other devices via a system bus.

[0041] The memory 340 may be any type of fast storage device that enables the processor 310, GPU 320, and vehicle processing system 330 to store instructions for fast retrieval during instruction processing and cache and buffer data. The memory 340 may be a unified memory that is coupled to the processor 310, GPU 320, and vehicle processing system 330 so that the memory 340 can be allocated to the processor 310, GPU 320, and vehicle processing system 330 as needed. Alternatively, the processor 310, GPU 320, and vehicle processing system 330 may be coupled to separate processor memory 340a, GPU memory 340b, and vehicle processor system memory 340c.

[0042] The removable storage device 350 may be a storage device that is removably coupled to the vehicle control unit 300. Examples include a digital versatile disc (DVD), a compact disc (CD), a universal serial bus (USB) storage device (such as an external SSD), or a magnetic tape. It should be noted that the removable storage device 350 may store data, such as instructions of the method 400, or may be omitted.

[0043] Storage device 360 ​​may be a storage device capable of storing program instructions and other data. For example, storage device 360 ​​may be a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or some other type of non-volatile memory. For example, storage device 360 ​​may store instructions of method 400.

[0044] Removable storage device 350 and storage device 360 ​​may be coupled to processor 310 via a system bus. The system bus may be any type of bus system that enables processor 310 and optional GPU 320 and vehicle processing system 330 to communicate with other devices of vehicle control unit 300. For example, bus 340 may be a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) bus or a Serial AT Attachment (SATA) bus.

[0045] The cellular interface 370 may be any type of interface that enables the vehicle control unit 300 to communicate via a cellular network, such as a 4G network or a 5G network.

[0046] The GNSS interface 380 may be any type of interface that enables the vehicle control unit 300 to receive position data provided by a satellite network such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), or Galileo.

[0047] The communication interface 390 may enable the computing device 300 to interface with external devices, either directly or via a network, via connection 380C. The communication interface 380 may, for example, enable the computing device 300 to couple to a wired or wireless network, such as Ethernet, Wifi, a controller area network (CAN) bus, or any bus system suitable for a vehicle. For example, the vehicle control unit 300 may be coupled to any component of the vehicle 100 necessary to perform a first pre-departure move or alert any VRU in the vicinity of the vehicle 100 of the impending departure of the vehicle 100, as defined above with respect to the method 400. The communication interface 390 may also include a USB port or a serial port to enable direct communication with external devices.

[0048] The vehicle control unit 300 may be integrated with the vehicle, for example under the cab, under the dashboard, or in the trunk of the vehicle 100 .

[0049] The present invention can be further illustrated by the following examples.

[0050] In one example, an exemplary method for unsupervised manipulation of a vehicle includes causing the vehicle to perform a first pre-departure movement before causing the vehicle to autonomously leave a parking location without supervision, the first pre-departure movement being configured to prevent endangerment to a VRU near the vehicle; and in response to receiving a command from a user of the vehicle instructing the vehicle to autonomously travel to a vehicle retrieval location, causing the vehicle to autonomously travel to the vehicle retrieval location, wherein the parking location is outside the user's field of view.

[0051] In the exemplary method, the first pre-departure movement may be a downward movement configured to reduce a ground clearance of the vehicle, causing the vehicle to perform the first pre-departure movement may be performed when the vehicle reaches the parking position, and the exemplary method may further include causing the vehicle to reverse the first pre-departure movement before causing the vehicle to travel to the vehicle retrieval position.

[0052] The exemplary method may further include causing the vehicle to perform a second pre-departure movement before causing the vehicle to autonomously leave the parking position without supervision, the second pre-departure movement being configured to prevent endangering the VRU in the vicinity of the vehicle, wherein the second pre-departure movement may be one of a longitudinal fore-and-aft movement and a turning movement, wherein the longitudinal fore-and-aft movement may be configured to cause the vehicle to move forward an alert distance and backward an alert distance, the alert distance being configured to alert the VRU in the vicinity of the vehicle of the impending autonomous departure of the vehicle from the parking position without endangering the VRU in the vicinity of the vehicle, and wherein the turning movement may be a turning movement of the front wheels of the vehicle.

[0053] In an exemplary method, the first pre-departure movement may be one of a longitudinal fore-and-aft movement and a turning movement, wherein the longitudinal fore-and-aft movement may be configured to cause the vehicle to move forward an alert distance and backward the alert distance, wherein the alert distance is configured to alert the VRU near the vehicle of the imminent autonomous departure of the vehicle from the parking position without endangering the VRU near the vehicle, and the turning movement may be a turning movement of the front wheels of the vehicle.

[0054] The exemplary method may further include, prior to causing the vehicle to autonomously leave the parking location without supervision, causing the vehicle to emit an alarm configured to alert the VRU in the vicinity of the vehicle of the impending autonomous departure of the vehicle from the parking location.

[0055] In the exemplary method, the warning sound may be at least one of the following: a car horn sound, a car unlocking sound, and an acoustic vehicle alert system (AVAS) sound.

[0056] In the exemplary method, the warning sound is a voice message announcing the impending autonomous departure of the vehicle.

[0057] The example method may also include at least one of suppressing the alarm based on time of day or suppressing the alarm in response to not detecting the VRU proximate the vehicle using one or more sensors of the vehicle.

[0058] The exemplary method may also include causing at least one light of the vehicle to flash for an alert time interval, the flashing of the alert time interval being configured to alert the VRU in proximity to the vehicle of an impending autonomous departure of the vehicle from the parking location.

[0059] The example method may also include, in response to not detecting the VRU proximate the vehicle using one or more sensors of the vehicle, suppressing the flashing of the at least one light during the alert time interval.

[0060] The exemplary method may further include causing the vehicle to project at least one warning ground projection on the ground near the vehicle, the warning ground projection comprising an image configured to alert the VRU near the vehicle of the impending autonomous departure of the vehicle from the parking location.

[0061] In one example, an exemplary automotive control unit includes at least one processing unit and a memory, the memory being coupled to the at least one processing unit and configured to store machine-readable instructions, wherein the machine-readable instructions cause the at least one processing unit to cause the vehicle to perform a first pre-departure movement before causing the vehicle to autonomously leave a parking location without supervision, the first pre-departure movement being configured to prevent endangerment to a VRU near the vehicle; and in response to receiving a command from a user of the vehicle instructing the vehicle to autonomously travel to a vehicle retrieval location, cause the vehicle to autonomously travel to the vehicle retrieval location, wherein the parking location is outside the field of view of the user.

[0062] In the exemplary automotive control unit, the machine-readable instructions further cause the at least one processing unit to execute the exemplary method described above.

[0063] In one example, an exemplary vehicle may include the exemplary automotive control unit described above.

[0064] The above description is provided to illustrate the unsupervised maneuvering of a vehicle in a parking facility. It should be understood that this description is by no means intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure to the precise embodiments discussed throughout the description. Instead, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the examples of the present disclosure may be combined, modified, or condensed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0065] Reference numerals list

[0066] 100: Car

[0067] 301: User

[0068] 302: VRU

[0069] 110: Sensor

[0070] 120: Light

[0071] 300: Automotive control unit

[0072] 310: CPU

[0073] 320: GPU

[0074] 320c: Connect

[0075] 330: Automotive Processing Systems

[0076] 340: Memory

[0077] 350: Removable storage device

[0078] 360: Storage Device

[0079] 370: Cellular interface

[0080] 380: GNSS interface

[0081] 390: Communication interface

[0082] 400: Methods

[0083] 410-409: Methods and Steps

[0084] d1: first distance

[0085] d2: second distance

[0086] d ALERT : Alarm distance

[0087] S ALERT : Alarm sound

Claims

1. A method for unsupervised manipulation of a vehicle, comprising: causing the vehicle to perform a first pre-departure movement prior to causing the vehicle to autonomously leave a parking location without supervision, the first pre-departure movement being configured to prevent endangering vulnerable road users (VRUs) in the vicinity of the vehicle; and in response to receiving a command from a user of the vehicle instructing the vehicle to autonomously travel to a vehicle retrieval location, causing the vehicle to autonomously travel to the vehicle retrieval location, The parking location is outside the user's field of view.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first pre-exit movement is a downward movement configured to reduce the ground clearance of the vehicle, When the vehicle reaches the parking position, causing the vehicle to perform the first pre-exit movement, and The method also includes causing the vehicle to reverse the first pre-departure movement before causing the vehicle to travel to the vehicle retrieval location.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: causing the vehicle to perform a second pre-departure movement prior to causing the vehicle to autonomously leave a parking location without supervision, the second pre-departure movement being configured to prevent endangerment to the VRU in the vicinity of the vehicle, The second pre-departure movement is one of longitudinal forward and backward movement and turning movement, wherein the longitudinal fore-and-aft movement is configured to cause the vehicle to move forward a warning distance and rearward the warning distance, the warning distance being configured to alert the VRU in the vicinity of the vehicle of the imminent autonomous departure of the vehicle from the parking position without endangering the VRU in the vicinity of the vehicle, and The steering movement is a turning movement of the front wheels of the vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first pre-departure movement is one of longitudinal forward and backward movement and turning movement, The longitudinal fore-and-aft movement is configured to cause the vehicle to move forward a warning distance and rearward the warning distance, the warning distance being configured to alert the VRU in the vicinity of the vehicle of the imminent autonomous departure of the vehicle from the parking position without endangering the VRU in the vicinity of the vehicle, and The steering movement is a turning movement of the front wheels of the vehicle.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: Prior to causing the vehicle to autonomously leave the parking location without supervision, causing the vehicle to emit an alarm sound, the alarm sound being configured to alert the VRU in the vicinity of the vehicle of the impending autonomous departure of the vehicle from the parking location. 6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the warning sound is at least one of a car horn sound, a car unlocking sound, and an acoustic vehicle alert system (AVAS) sound. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the warning sound is a voice message announcing the impending autonomous departure of the vehicle.

8. The method according to claims 5 and 6, further comprising at least one of the following: suppress the alarm sound according to the time of day, or In response to not detecting the VRU in the vicinity of the vehicle using one or more sensors of the vehicle, suppressing the alarm sound.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: At least one light of the vehicle is caused to flash for an alert time interval, the flashing of the alert time interval being configured to alert the VRU in the vicinity of the vehicle of an impending autonomous departure of the vehicle from the parking location.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: In response to not detecting the VRU proximate the vehicle using one or more sensors of the vehicle, suppressing the flashing of the at least one light during the alert time interval.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: The vehicle is caused to project at least one warning ground projection on the ground near the vehicle, the warning ground projection comprising an image configured to alert the VRU near the vehicle of the impending autonomous departure of the vehicle from the parking location.

12. An automobile control unit, comprising: at least one processing unit; as well as a memory coupled to the at least one processing unit and configured to store machine-readable instructions, wherein the machine-readable instructions cause the at least one processing unit to: Prior to causing the vehicle to autonomously leave the parking location without supervision, causing the vehicle to perform a first pre-departure movement configured to prevent endangering vulnerable road users (VRUs) in the vicinity of the vehicle; and in response to receiving a command from a user of the vehicle instructing the vehicle to autonomously travel to a vehicle retrieval location, causing the vehicle to autonomously travel to the vehicle retrieval location, The parking location is outside the user's field of view.

13. The automotive control unit according to claim 12, wherein the machine-readable instructions further cause the at least one processing unit to perform the method according to any one of claims 2 to 11.

14. A vehicle comprising the vehicle control unit according to any one of claims 12 and 13.

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