Method and system for remotely assisting parking or deparking of a vehicle

By introducing a challenge-response authentication mechanism in the remote parking system, users respond to vehicle inquiries through specific motions, solving the problem of the vehicle being unable to brake due to user freezing, and improving the safety of the system.

CN119889081APending Publication Date: 2025-04-25VOLVO CAR CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202411467411.1
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2023-10-25
Filing Date
2024-10-21
Publication Date
2025-04-25

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The existing remote parking system may cause users to freeze in dangerous situations, causing the vehicle to be unable to brake in time, posing a safety hazard.

Method used

By implementing a challenge-response authentication mechanism on a remote device, the user responds to the vehicle system's challenge by moving his fingers to perform specific motions on the touch screen (such as frictional or sliding motion), ensuring that the vehicle moves only when a valid response is received, otherwise braking.

Benefits of technology

It effectively solves the problem that the vehicle cannot be braking due to the user's freezing in dangerous situations, improves the safety of the remote parking system, and ensures that the vehicle can automatically brake when the user cannot operate in time.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

A method for a vehicle system to assist in remote parking or de-parking of a vehicle includes sending a challenge request to a remote device, determining, by the vehicle system, whether a challenge response to the challenge request has been received from the remote device, wherein the challenge response comprises information about a touch location on a touch screen of the remote device in which a touch input has been received, determining, by the vehicle system, if the challenge response is received, whether the challenge response is valid, if the challenge response is valid, controlling the vehicle motion, and if the challenge response is invalid, controlling the vehicle motion. If the touch position indicates that the touch input is an expected frictional motion performed on an active area of the touch screen, the vehicle is controlled to brake, and if the touch position indicates that the touch input is an expected frictional motion performed on the active area of the touch screen, a challenge response is active.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for a vehicle system to assist in remote parking or unparking. The present disclosure also relates to a remote device and a vehicle system to assist in remote parking or unparking. Background Art

[0002] Newer vehicles have attached sensors that provide a 360-degree view of the area surrounding the vehicle. Processed information from these sensors can be used to determine the location of nearby objects, such as parked cars or vulnerable road users (such as people walking in a parking lot). This, together with the possibility to connect a remote device to the vehicle and reliably locate the remote device relative to the vehicle, enables users to park remotely. This can be useful, for example, when access to the driver's door is not possible or is obstructed.

[0003] Dead man's switch (DMS, also known as driver loss switch) solutions can be used to remotely control the vehicle. They are usually implemented as a challenge-response sequence, where the vehicle sends a challenge with an identification to the remote device, and the remote device should provide a response to the challenge via a phone app within a predetermined time based on user actions. The DMS will enable the vehicle to provide propulsion when engaged and brake immediately when released.

[0004] Since this is the only means for the driver to stop the car safely, the challenge should be complex enough to avoid unexpected responses. At the same time, the challenge should be simple enough to allow the user to focus on the movement of the vehicle while providing a response.

[0005] The known DMS solution to this problem consists of a button placed in the area of ​​the touch screen of the remote device, which the driver needs to press and hold to propel the vehicle. When the button is released, the user presses outside the button area, or the distance between the remote device and the vehicle is outside the specified operating distance, the vehicle brakes immediately. This is the most user-friendly solution, because the DMS is very simple and the driver can focus on the surroundings without focusing too much attention on the screen.

[0006] In this case, the vehicle will accept any response containing x and y coordinates inside the button displayed on the screen. Once the remote device responds with no coordinates (not pressed) or coordinates outside the button area, the vehicle will brake. However, this solution prompts failure in certain situations. For example, users tend to freeze in dangerous situations and may keep their finger on the screen instead of releasing it. Summary of the invention

[0007] The method and system of the present disclosure allow a user who is outside the vehicle but within the activation distance to move the vehicle in any direction by using a remote device (such as a phone or any other motion device) that interacts with the vehicle system in the vehicle using a dead man's switch (DMS) function. In this way, the remote device will respond to a unique challenge from the vehicle system, and if the response meets the expectations of the vehicle system, the vehicle system will confirm the response. If the interaction is interrupted or the response is not confirmed, the vehicle system will control the vehicle braking. This is called challenge-response authentication, where, in the initialization step, a random code can be sent from the vehicle system along with the coordinates to arrange the user interface in the touch screen of the remote device. The remote device will output the content requested by the vehicle system in the touch screen without knowing the purpose of the request, and the user will only follow the instructions on the screen, perform certain inputs on the remote device, and send the touch screen position or other information about the input performed. The vehicle system will confirm the received information.

[0008] According to a first aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method for a vehicle system to assist in remote parking or unparking of a vehicle, the method comprising: sending first data for triggering a challenge response to a remote device; receiving second data from the remote device as a challenge response, wherein the second data includes information about a touch position on a touch screen of the remote device; determining whether the challenge response is valid; if the challenge response is valid, controlling the movement of the vehicle, and if the challenge response is invalid, controlling the braking of the vehicle, wherein the challenge response is valid if the touch position is different from a previous touch position corresponding to a previously received second data, and if the touch position is within a first threshold distance from the previous touch position. This is an effective and simple way to verify user input, wherein the remote device only needs to send the touch coordinates to the vehicle system. In addition, such a friction movement of the user pressing a position of the touch screen with a finger and slightly moving the finger around the position is simple enough to allow the user to pay attention to the surroundings, but will result in the vehicle stopping even if the user freezes in a dangerous situation.

[0009] According to a second aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method for a vehicle system to assist in remote parking or unparking of a vehicle, the method comprising: sending first data for triggering a challenge response to a remote device; receiving second data from the remote device as a challenge response, wherein the second data includes information about a touch position on a touch screen of the remote device; determining whether the challenge response is valid; if the challenge response is valid, controlling the movement of the vehicle; and if the challenge response is invalid, controlling the braking of the vehicle, wherein the challenge response is valid if the touch position corresponds to an expected swipe motion, wherein the expected swipe motion includes pressing down on a first area of ​​a plurality of adjacent areas, continuously moving a finger into subsequent areas, and continuously moving the finger back after reaching a final area in the adjacent areas. The continuous movement of a finger in one direction and back through a plurality of adjacent areas is simple enough to allow a user to pay attention to the surrounding environment, but will result in the vehicle stopping even if the user freezes in a dangerous situation. This allows different swipe speeds and sometimes skips some areas to accommodate different users who may swipe in different ways. The multiple contiguous regions are not something shown on the touch screen of the remote device, but rather are a protocol between the remote device and the vehicle system to allow the vehicle system to validate a challenge response from the remote device. In this way, during the initialization phase, the remote device and the vehicle system can exchange information to agree on a coordinate system for touch inputs and the location of the valid regions. The vehicle system can then check whether the user has performed the swipe motion correctly by considering a portion of the touch screen divided into contiguous regions and validating that the swipe input has moved through these regions in a certain manner.

[0010] The expected sliding motion may be referred to as a first sliding motion.

[0011] The expected sliding motion may also include continuously moving the finger from one abutting area to the next abutting area within an expected amount of time that is less than the first time threshold and greater than the second time threshold.

[0012] The expected sliding motion may also include skipping one or two areas. For example, the user may sometimes change direction before reaching the final area, thereby skipping one or two areas.

[0013] According to a third aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method for a vehicle system to assist in remote parking or unparking of a vehicle, the method comprising: sending first data for triggering a challenge response to a remote device; receiving second data from the remote device as a challenge response, wherein the second data includes first information about a touch position on a touch screen of the remote device and second information indicating a position of the remote device relative to the ground; determining whether the challenge response is valid; if the challenge response is valid, controlling the movement of the vehicle; and if the challenge response is invalid, controlling the braking of the vehicle, wherein the challenge response is valid if the touch position is within a certain range of a previous touch position corresponding to a previously received second data, if the second information indicates that the position of the remote device is different from the previous position indicated by the previously received second information, and if the second information range indicates that the remote device forms an angle with the ground within a tilt range. This allows the user to keep the remote device within the tilt range and only press a button during operation, so that he or she can focus on the environment. Even if the user does not actively make a tilting movement, the second information indicating the position of the remote device relative to the ground will fluctuate. The fluctuation is used to make the second information sent as a challenge response different from the previous information. In this way, the vehicle system uses the second information to verify that each challenge response is new. If the finger is removed from the touch screen or the remote device is out of the tilt range, the vehicle will brake. In this way, if an error occurs and the vehicle does not brake when the finger is removed, the user can still brake by moving the remote device outside the tilt range.

[0014] The tilt range can be between 0 degrees and 90 degrees. However, the tilt range can be any other suitable range. The touch position can include data of horizontal and vertical coordinates in which the user input has been received in the touch screen. This is an effective way to identify the touch position and allows the remote device and the vehicle system to easily agree on the effective area. The coordinate system agreed between the vehicle system and the remote device allows the vehicle system to request the remote device to output specific instructions on the touch screen, so that the remote device can execute without knowing the purpose of the request. In the initialization phase of the parking maneuver, this concept can be used to verify whether the user's intention is to actually use the parking system. This can be verified by, for example, requesting the user to press multiple buttons in the correct order by touching the expected coordinates on the touch screen. The verification of the user's intention does not have to be performed near the car, but can also be performed at a certain distance.

[0015] The vertical coordinate and the horizontal coordinate may include percentages of the width and height of the touch screen, respectively.

[0016] The step of controlling the movement of the vehicle may include controlling the movement of the vehicle in any direction, such as backwards, forwards, right or left.

[0017] The method may also include controlling the vehicle to brake if the remote device is not within a certain distance from the vehicle. This ensures that the user can see the vehicle while moving.

[0018] In addition, the method may further include controlling the vehicle to brake if the challenge response is not received within a certain time from the transmission of the first data.

[0019] If the touch location is performed on a predetermined area of ​​the touch screen, the challenge response may be considered valid.

[0020] The present disclosure also relates to a vehicle system comprising a memory, a processing unit and a communication unit, wherein the processing unit is configured to perform any one of the above method steps.

[0021] The present disclosure also relates to a method for a remote device, the method comprising: receiving first data from a vehicle system; receiving a touch input in the form of a friction motion at a location of a touch screen of the remote device; and sending second data to the vehicle system in response to the first data; wherein the second data includes information about the location of the touch input. This is an effective and simple way to confirm user input, wherein the remote device only needs to send the touch coordinates to the vehicle system. In addition, such friction motion of the user pressing a location of the touch screen with a finger and slightly moving the finger around the location is simple enough to allow the user to pay attention to the surroundings, but will result in the vehicle stopping even if the user freezes in a dangerous situation.

[0022] In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method for a remote device, comprising: receiving first data from a vehicle system; receiving a touch input from a user of the remote device at a position of a touch screen of the remote device, while holding the remote device at a position where the remote device forms an angle with the ground within a tilt range; and sending second data by the remote device to the vehicle system, the second data including first information about the touch position of the touch input and second information indicating the angle formed by the remote device with the ground. This allows the user to keep the remote device within the tilt range and only press a button during operation so that he or she can focus on the environment. The second information indicating the position of the remote device relative to the ground, which can be provided by a gravity sensor of the remote device, will fluctuate, even if the user does not actively make a tilting movement. The fluctuation is used so that the second information sent as a challenge response is different from the previous information. In this way, the vehicle system uses the second information to confirm that each challenge response is new. If the finger is removed from the touch screen or the remote device exceeds the tilt range, the vehicle will brake. In this way, if an error occurs and the vehicle is not braked when the finger is removed, the user can still brake by moving the remote device outside the tilt range.

[0023] In addition, the present disclosure relates to a method for a remote device, comprising: receiving first data from a vehicle system; receiving a touch input in the form of a sliding motion on a touch screen performed by a user of the remote device, wherein the sliding motion includes the user pressing down with a finger a first area of ​​a plurality of adjacent areas, continuously moving the finger into subsequent areas, and moving the finger back after reaching a final area of ​​the plurality of adjacent areas; and sending second data to the vehicle system, the second data including information about a touch position on the touch screen of the remote device where the touch input has been received. The continuous movement of the finger in one direction and back through the plurality of adjacent areas is simple enough to allow the user to pay attention to the surrounding environment, but will result in a dangerous situation where the vehicle will stop even if the user freezes. This allows different sliding speeds and sometimes skips some areas to accommodate different users who may slide in different ways. The plurality of adjacent areas is not something shown on the touch screen of the remote device, but is an agreement between the remote device and the vehicle system to allow the vehicle system to confirm a challenge response from the remote device. In this way, during the initialization phase, the remote device and the vehicle system can exchange information to agree on a coordinate system for touch input and the location of the valid area. The vehicle system can then check whether the user has performed the sliding motion correctly by considering that a portion of the touch screen is divided into consecutive areas and verifying that the sliding input moves through these areas in a certain manner.

[0024] The present disclosure also relates to a remote device configured to perform the method. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1A It is shown that a user uses a remote device to remotely park or unpark a vehicle according to the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 1B A block diagram of a remote device according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0027] Figure 1C A block diagram of a vehicle system according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0028] Figure 2 A flow chart schematically depicts a process of a vehicle system for remote parking or unparking of a vehicle according to the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 3 A remote device having a touch screen including an active area is shown.

[0030] Figure 4 A rub movement on a touch screen of a remote device in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated.

[0031] Figure 5A swipe movement on a touch screen of a remote device in a second embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated.

[0032] Fig. 6A A remote device in a third embodiment according to the present disclosure is schematically shown.

[0033] Figure 6B The verification steps of the remote device according to the third embodiment are schematically shown.

[0034] Figure 7 A flow chart schematically depicting a process for remote parking or unparking of a remote device according to the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The following is a description of certain embodiments of the present disclosure, given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] Figure 1A A user is shown remotely parking or unparking the vehicle using a remote device, and Figure 2 A flow chart schematically depicting a process for a vehicle system for remote parking or unparking in a vehicle according to the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3 Shows Figure 1A An example of a remote device with a touch screen including an active area for remote parking or unparking.

[0037] Figure 1A A user 104 is shown holding a remote device 106 that is used to remotely assist in parking and unparking a vehicle 102 . Figure 1B 1 shows a block diagram of a remote device 106. The remote device 106 may include a processing unit 904, a memory 906, a communication system 908, and a touch screen interface 910. The processing unit 904 is connected to the touch screen interface 910, the memory 906, and the communication system 908. The communication system 908 may send and receive information via Bluetooth. The communication system 908 may also send and receive information via a wireless communication network (e.g., a 4G network). However, the communication system 908 may send and receive information using any other suitable communication technology. The remote device 106 is arranged to perform Figure 7 The vehicle 102 may include: Figure 1CThe vehicle system 802 shown. The vehicle system 802 may include a processing unit 804, a memory 808 connected to the processing unit 804, and a communication system 806 connected to the processing unit 804 and configured to send and receive information. The communication system 806 may send and receive information via Bluetooth. The communication system 806 may also send and receive information via a wireless communication network (e.g., a 4G network) and / or using any other suitable communication technology. The vehicle system 802 is arranged to perform Figure 2 method.

[0038] The parking space that user 104 intends to park or move vehicle 102 out of is located between vehicles 108 and 112, so that access to the side door of vehicle 102 is restricted or blocked. Figure 2 In step 202 , the vehicle system 802 sends first data to the remote device 106 for triggering a challenge response that requires a response within a certain amount of time given by a first time threshold.

[0039] exist Figure 2 In step 204, the vehicle system 802 determines whether the second data as a challenge response has been received from the remote device 106 within the first time threshold. If the challenge response is not received or if the challenge response is received after the first time threshold expires, the process proceeds to step 206 and the vehicle system 802 controls the vehicle 102 braking. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step 208, where the vehicle system 802 determines whether the challenge response is valid. Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Fig. 6A and Figure 6B The verification of the challenge response is explained in more detail in three different embodiments of FIG. If the challenge response is invalid, the process proceeds to step 206 and the vehicle system 802 controls the vehicle 102 to brake. If the challenge response is valid, the process proceeds to step 210 and the vehicle system 802 controls the vehicle 102 to move. If the remote device is not within a certain distance 110 from the vehicle, the vehicle system 802 may also control the vehicle 102 to brake. The certain distance may be 5 meters. This ensures that the user is performing Figure 2 The DMS of the present invention can see the vehicle when the user is operating. However, any other suitable distance that allows the user to see the vehicle 102 can be used. Ultra-wideband communication can be used to determine whether the vehicle is within a certain distance, and Bluetooth communication can be used to communicate with the remote device. However, any other suitable communication technology can be used.

[0040] Figure 3A remote device 106 is shown that includes a touch screen 304. The touch screen 304 has a height in the vertical direction and a width in the horizontal direction. A particular portion of the touch screen 304 is an active area 306 having a rectangular shape, but the active area 306 can have any other suitable shape. The active area 306 can be shown as a button and can display some text indicating that input is expected there. Figure 3 A remote device is shown, wherein the challenge request sent by the vehicle system 802 of the vehicle 102 in step 202 requests the expected x and y position (vertical coordinate y and horizontal coordinate x) of the finger of the user 104 on the touch screen 304 in a normalized coordinate system. The remote device 106 will have to respond to the challenge request within a certain time, otherwise the vehicle 102 will brake (if the vehicle is moving). If the challenge response is not received, the vehicle 102 will also brake. The normalized coordinate system can be set to, for example, a percentage of the active area 306 in width and height, so that x=0 represents the leftmost side of the active area 306, x=100 represents the rightmost side of the active area 306, y=0 represents the bottommost side of the active area 306, and y=100 represents the topmost side of the active area 306. In this way, both the remote device 106 and the vehicle system 802 in the vehicle 102 know the same coordinate system and normalized values ​​of the active area 306. The requirement to specify the location of the active area 306 in the touch screen 304 can come from the vehicle system 802, so that the size or location of the active area 306 cannot be changed unless agreed. This is a non-limiting example, and other implementations are also possible. For example, the boundaries of the active area 306 can also be defined as being related to a percentage of the touch screen 304 of the remote device, etc. As described above, the touch location will include data of horizontal coordinates and vertical coordinates, and the horizontal coordinates and vertical coordinates are the x and y positions of the user's finger in the touch screen 304, respectively, where the user input has been received. The vertical and horizontal coordinates y and x can be percentages of the touch screen width and height, respectively. The vertical and horizontal coordinates y and x correspond to the touch location of the user's finger of the remote device on the touch screen 304. According to the first embodiment, the user 104 performs a continuous rubbing motion within the active area 306 of the touch screen 304, and as a response to the query request sent in step 202, the remote device 106 sends the current position of the finger on the touch screen.

[0041] The challenge response will include information about the touch location on the touch screen 304 of the remote device 106 where the touch input corresponding to the rubbing motion was received. Figure 2If the vehicle system 802 receives the challenge response in time in step 204, and the method determines that the challenge response is valid in step 208, the vehicle system 802 will control the vehicle 102 to move in step 210. Otherwise, in step 206, the vehicle system 802 will control the vehicle to brake. In step 208, the vehicle system 802 can determine that the challenge response corresponds to a friction movement by determining whether the touch position is different from a previous touch position corresponding to a previously received challenge response and whether the touch position is closer than a certain threshold distance from the previous touch position.

[0042] As explained, the remote device 106 sends second data including the current position of the finger in response to the first data. The vehicle system 802 verifies that the coordinates are within the valid area, that the coordinates are different from the coordinates in the previous challenge response, and that they are within a certain threshold distance from the last touch input. In this way, by comparing the current response to the previous response, the vehicle system 802 is able to verify the friction motion.

[0043] Will combine Figure 4 Further explain friction motion. Figure 4 A rubbing motion on the active area 306 of the touch screen of the remote device 106 is schematically shown. The rubbing motion is performed by the user pressing and lightly rubbing back and forth on the active area 306 of the touch screen. The motion can be done in any direction and in any part of the active area 306 of the touch screen. If the user 104 keeps the finger still, releases the finger from the touch screen 304, moves the finger outside the active area 306, or makes a larger motion than the vehicle system 802 expects, the vehicle 102 will brake.

[0044] As described above, for safety reasons, the change in finger position from one reported position to another may not be greater than a certain threshold distance D from the previous touch position.

[0045] This is shown in the following formula:

[0046] 0<|(x i+1 ,y i+1 )-(x i ,y i )|<D

[0047] Where x and y represent the vertical and horizontal coordinates of the touch screen 304, i+1 represents the most recently reported location to be verified in the touch screen 304, and i represents the last verified location. Thus, the user 104 has the freedom to choose where to perform the motion, with two limitations: he or she needs to stay in the active area 306; the finger needs to be continuously moved and cannot perform a larger motion than expected by the vehicle.

[0048] As mentioned above, Figure 4An example of an active area 306 of a touch screen 304 that allows rubbing motion is shown. In this case, it is represented as a button where the user 104 presses point 404 and rubs in either direction with some limited allowed distance.

[0049] The vehicle system 802 and the remote device 106 must have a mutual understanding of the active area 306 of the touch screen 304 where friction motion is considered engaged. The remote device 106 will always report the x and y coordinates of the motion, and the vehicle will only actuate longitudinal and lateral controls if the reported coordinates are within the active area 306 and obey the above formula. This can be done via a normalized coordinate system where the friction zone boundaries are identified as a percentage of the screen width and height.

[0050] According to the second embodiment, the user 104 can perform a sliding motion on the active area 306 of the touch screen. The vehicle system will consider the active area 306 to be divided into a plurality of contiguous areas ( Figure 5 In the example of FIG. 1 , the sliding motion includes pressing down on a first area in the adjacent areas, continuously moving the finger into subsequent areas, and continuously moving the finger back after reaching a final area in the adjacent areas, and the sliding motion will be valid. Figure 2 In step 202, the vehicle system 802 sends first data to the remote device 106. The remote device sends second data as a challenge response, the challenge response including information about a touch location on the touch screen 304 of the remote device 106 where the touch input has been received.

[0051] If the vehicle system 802 receives a challenge response in step 204 and determines in step 208 that it is an intended sliding motion, the vehicle system 802 will control the vehicle movement in step 210. Otherwise, if the vehicle is already in motion, the vehicle system 802 will control the vehicle braking in step 206. In step 208, the vehicle system 802 can determine that the challenge response corresponds to an intended sliding motion by comparing the touch position to a previous touch position corresponding to a previously received challenge response. The intended sliding motion can include continuously moving the finger from one adjacent area to the next adjacent area within an expected amount of time that is less than a first time threshold and greater than a second time threshold. The intended sliding motion can include skipping one or two areas.

[0052] In this manner, the DMS is engaged by performing a sliding motion across the active area 306 of the touch screen 304 of the remote device 106 from left to right or from right to left, depending on the user's selection. The freedom to choose a direction is limited only when the user starts between the leftmost and rightmost areas (e.g., Figure 5 When the user has selected a direction, it is necessary to maintain the direction throughout the manipulation process and change the direction only at the turning point specified by area 1 (511) and area 6 (516), as shown in FIG. Figure 5 Although Figure 5 The sliding direction is shown parallel to one side of the active area, but the sliding motion can be performed in any direction that is not parallel to the side of the active area. If the user releases the finger from the touch screen 304, holds it still for too long, changes the direction of motion at a point other than a turning point, is outside the active area 306, or does not perform the intended motion correctly (e.g., slower or faster than the vehicle expects), the vehicle brakes.

[0053] The vehicle system 802 validates the swipe motion by anticipating the user to move their finger across the swipe area through a set number of areas known only to the vehicle system. The expected motion can be validated by imposing constraints on how long the user is allowed to stay in an area and how many areas the user can skip. Additionally, the user may not hold their finger still for too long, and the user must continue to swipe in the direction they selected when they initially engaged the DMS. As described above, Figure 5 An example of such a sliding area divided into six regions is depicted in FIG. Some visual indication may be provided to the user to indicate that some regions can be skipped. For example, in Figure 5 In FIG. 5 , this is indicated by a gradient indicating that regions 2 ( 512 ) and 3 ( 513 ) can be skipped, but skipping regions 5 ( 515 ) or 6 ( 516 ) will result in too rapid a movement and the vehicle will brake.

[0054] exist Figure 5 , the user has pressed down in region 1 (511) and moved his finger into region 2 (512), region 3 (513), and so on, until region 6 (516), where the user stops and continuously moves his finger back into region 1 (511). The time it takes the user to traverse each region will be the expected pace. It is okay to skip a region or two, that is, it is okay to go a little faster than expected, but not faster. Conversely, it is okay to go a little slower than expected, but the user cannot stay in one region for too long.

[0055] According to a third embodiment, the user 104 may maintain a touch on the active area 306 of the touch screen 304 while holding the remote device 106 in a position such that the remote device 106 forms an angle with the ground within a tilt range. The tilt range may be between zero and 90 degrees. Figure 2As explained, in step 202, the vehicle system 802 will send first data to the remote device 106. In step 204, the vehicle system will check whether second data has been received as a challenge response from the remote device within a predetermined time from the transmission of the first data. If the second data is received within the predetermined time, then Figure 2 The method proceeds to step 208, where the vehicle system determines whether the challenge response is valid. The received second data in the third embodiment includes first information about a touch position on the touch screen 304 of the remote device 106 where the touch input has been received and second information indicating the position of the remote device relative to the ground. If in step 208, the vehicle system 802 determines that the received touch position is within the range of previous touch positions corresponding to the previously received challenge response, the second information indicates that the position of the remote device is different from the previous position indicated in the previously received second information, and the remote device forms an angle within the tilt range with the ground, then the vehicle system 802 will control the movement of the vehicle 102 in step 210. Otherwise, the vehicle system 802 will control the vehicle braking in step 206.

[0056] Fig. 6A The remote device 106 is shown in a position where it forms an angle between 0 and 90 degrees with the ground. Fig. 6A , 604 represents a horizontal axis parallel to the ground, and 602 represents a vertical axis perpendicular to the ground. The user must keep the finger within the effective area 306 (e.g., on point 610 of the effective area 306, but it may be in any other part of the effective area) while keeping the remote device at an angle within the tilt range with the ground. During operation, the user keeps the remote device within the tilt range and only presses the button so that he or she can focus on the environment. The second information that can be provided by the gravity sensor of the remote device fluctuates even when the user does not actively make a tilting movement. The use of fluctuations makes the second information sent as a query response to the first data different from the previous information. In this way, the vehicle system 802 uses the second information to check whether each query response is new. The touch input is in the same area 610, and if an error occurs and the vehicle is not braked when the finger is removed, the user is able to brake by moving the remote device outside the predetermined tilt range.

[0057] Figure 6B The steps of verifying the gravity sensor performed by the remote device 106 are schematically shown. The remote device may perform Figure 2The method of performing a verification step to verify the gravity sensor of the remote device and verify the tilt range before the verification step. During the verification step, the user 104 continuously tilts the remote device 106 back and forth from a first position and a second position along an arc 606, in which the remote device can form a first angle of 90 degrees with the ground plane, and in the second position, the remote device can form a second angle of zero degrees with the ground plane. This is a non-limiting example, and other tilt ranges can be used. The verification step can utilize the gravity properties of the remote device operating system that combines the accelerometer, magnetometer, and gyroscope sensors in the device hardware. The gravity properties are used to determine how the remote device is oriented in three-dimensional space. In the verification step, the user needs to tilt the remote device. Instructions on how to perform the tilt can be shown on the touch screen 304.

[0058] By performing this confirmation step, the vehicle system knows that the user intends to initiate the maneuver and is able to confirm that the remote device sensors (touch and gravity) are working as expected. For the touch sensor, the vehicle system is able to confirm that it has not failed in a way that inadvertently records a press. After confirmation, the possibility that both the touch sensor and the gravity sensor will fail in a dangerous way during the maneuver is extremely small. In this way, the two mechanisms complement each other because the second information is highly fluctuating, while the effective area press value can be very static depending on the use case. Information about how to properly engage the DMS and how to brake via releasing the DMS will be communicated to the user before the maneuver.

[0059] Figure 7 A flow chart schematically depicting a process for remote parking or unparking of a remote device according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0060] exist Figure 7 In step 702, the remote device 106 receives first data for triggering a challenge response from the vehicle system. In step 704, the remote device receives a touch input in the touch screen 304. In step 706, the remote device sends second data including the x and y coordinates of the touch input on the touch screen 304 as a challenge response.

[0061] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the methods, systems, and components described herein may include, in whole or in part, a combination of analog and digital circuits and / or one or more appropriately programmed processors (e.g., one or more microprocessors including a central processing unit (CPU)) and associated memory, which may include stored operating system software, firmware, and / or application software executable by the processor for controlling its operation and / or for executing specific algorithms represented by the various functions and / or operations described herein, including interaction and / or cooperation with each other and / or between each other and between a transmitter and a receiver. One or more of such processors and other digital hardware may be included in a single ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or several processors and various digital hardware may be distributed among several separate components, whether packaged separately or assembled into a SoC (System on Chip).

[0062] In addition, the described systems, methods and components and / or any other arrangements, units, systems, devices or modules described herein may be implemented, for example, in one or more arbitrary nodes and / or one or more separate devices included in the main vehicle. In this regard, such a node may include an electronic control unit (ECU) or any suitable electronic device, which may be a master node or a central node. It should also be noted that these may further include or be arranged or configured to cooperate with any type of storage device or storage device known in the art, which may, for example, be used to store input or output data associated with the functions and / or operations described herein. The systems, components and methods described herein may also include any computer hardware and software and / or electrical hardware known in the art that is configured to enable communication between them.

[0063] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for its elements without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt specific circumstances or materials to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the basic scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, but that the present disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for assisting remote parking or unparking of a vehicle performed by a vehicle system (802), the method comprising: Sending (202) first data for triggering a challenge response to a remote device; receiving (204) second data from the remote device as the challenge response, wherein the second data includes information about a touch location on a touch screen of the remote device; determining (208) whether the challenge response is valid; If the challenge response is valid, controlling (210) the vehicle movement; and If the challenge response is invalid, controlling (206) braking of the vehicle; Wherein, if the touch position is different from a previous touch position corresponding to previously received second data, and if the touch position is within a first threshold distance from the previous touch position, then the challenge response is valid.

2. A method for a vehicle system (802) to assist in remote parking or unparking of a vehicle, the method comprising: Sending (202) first data for triggering a challenge response to a remote device; receiving (204) second data from the remote device as the challenge response, wherein the second data includes information about a touch location on a touch screen of the remote device; determining (208) whether the challenge response is valid; If the challenge response is valid, controlling (210) the vehicle movement; and If the challenge response is invalid, controlling (206) braking of the vehicle; Wherein, the challenge response is valid if the touch position corresponds to an expected sliding motion on the touch screen, wherein the expected sliding motion includes pressing down on a first area of ​​multiple adjacent areas on the touch screen, continuously moving the finger into subsequent areas, and continuously moving the finger back after reaching a final area of ​​the adjacent areas.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The expected sliding motion also includes continuously moving the finger from one abutting area to the next abutting area within an expected amount of time that is less than a first time threshold and greater than a second time threshold.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The expected sliding motion also includes skipping one or two areas.

5. A method for a vehicle system to assist in remote parking or unparking of a vehicle, the method comprising: Sending (202) first data for triggering a challenge response to a remote device; receiving (204) second data from the remote device as the challenge response, wherein the second data includes first information regarding a touch location on a touch screen of the remote device and second information indicating a position of the remote device relative to a ground surface; determining (208) whether the challenge response is valid; If the challenge response is valid, controlling (210) the vehicle movement; and If the challenge response is invalid, controlling (206) braking of the vehicle; Wherein, if the touch position is within a specific range of a previous touch position corresponding to a previously received second data, if the second information indicates that the position of the remote device is different from the previous position indicated by the previously received second information, and if the second information indicates that the remote device forms an angle within a tilt range with the ground, then the inquiry response is valid.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The tilt range is between 0 degrees and 90 degrees.

7. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The second data includes a horizontal coordinate and a vertical coordinate of the touch position on the touch screen.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The vertical coordinate and the horizontal coordinate include percentages of a width and a height of the touch screen, respectively.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: If the remote device is not within a certain distance from the vehicle, braking of the vehicle is controlled.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: If the second data is not received within a certain time from the transmission of the first data, the vehicle is controlled to brake.

11. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The challenge response is valid if the touch position is performed on a predetermined area of ​​the touch screen.

12. A vehicle system (802) comprising a memory (808), a processing unit (804) and a communication unit (806), wherein the processing unit is configured to perform any of the method steps according to any of the preceding claims.

13. A method for a remote device (106), comprising: receiving (702) first data from a vehicle system; receiving (704) a touch input at a location on a touch screen of the remote device; and Second data is sent (706) to the vehicle system in response to the first data; wherein the second data includes information regarding the location of the touch input.

14. A method for a remote device (106), comprising: receiving (702) first data from a vehicle system; receiving (704) a touch input from a user of the remote device at a location of a touch screen of the remote device while maintaining the remote device in a position such that the remote device forms an angle with the ground within a tilt range; and Second data is sent (706) by the remote device to the vehicle system in response to the first data, the second data including first information regarding a touch location of the touch input and second information indicating an angle formed by the remote device and the ground.

15. A method for a remote device (106), comprising: receiving (702) first data from a vehicle system; receiving (704) a touch input in the form of a sliding motion on the touch screen performed by a user of the remote device, wherein the sliding motion comprises the user pressing down with a finger a first area of ​​a plurality of contiguous areas on the touch screen, continuously moving the finger through the plurality of contiguous areas to a final area of ​​the plurality of contiguous areas, and moving the finger back after reaching the final area; and Second data is sent (706) to the vehicle system in response to the first data; wherein the second data includes information about a touch location on the touch screen of the remote device where the touch input has been received.

16. A remote device (106) configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 13-15.