Garage management system and method

Abstract

The invention provides a garage management system and method. A facility management system including a transceiver and a processor is disclosed. The transceiver may be configured to receive real-time vehicle location and facility input from the facility sensor unit. The processor may be configured to determine that the vehicle is likely to be within a predefined distance from the facility door based on the real-time vehicle location. The processor may also determine a first parking space in the facility closest to the real-time vehicle location in response to determining that the vehicle is likely to be within the predefined distance from the facility door. The processor may also determine an availability state associated with the parking space based on the facility input, and control facility door operation based on the availability state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a garage door and parking space management system and method. Background Art

[0002] Many modern vehicles are equipped with garage door management systems that enable vehicle users to control garage door operation by using actuators present in the vehicle. For example, when the vehicle may be located near the garage door, the vehicle operator may cause the garage door to open by activating a dedicated actuator provided in the vehicle.

[0003] While conventional garage door management systems do provide benefits to vehicle operators, there may be circumstances in which a vehicle operator may desire enhanced features for controlling garage door operations. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present disclosure describes a facility management system and method that can automatically control the operation of a facility door. The facility can be, for example, a garage, and the facility management system ("system") can be part of a vehicle associated with the garage or a server. The system can be configured to obtain a real-time vehicle position when the vehicle may be near the garage (e.g., approaching the garage). Based on the real-time vehicle position, when the vehicle may be within a predefined distance from the garage door, the system can determine the parking space in the garage that may be closest to the real-time vehicle position. In response to determining the parking space, the system can determine the availability or occupancy status of the parking space, and automatically open the garage door when the availability status indicates that the parking space may not be occupied. In this way, when it is determined that the parking space that the vehicle may be approaching is available for parking, the system causes the garage door to open.

[0005] On the other hand, in response to determining that the parking space may not be available for parking, the system can identify an available parking space for the vehicle in the garage. The system can then transmit the available parking space location to the vehicle (and / or a user device associated with a vehicle user) and keep the garage door closed until the user moves the vehicle closer to the available parking space location or the vehicle moves autonomously toward the available parking space location. In response to determining that the vehicle may have moved toward the available parking space location, the system can cause the garage door to open.

[0006] In other aspects, the system can authenticate the user and / or vehicle and can open the garage door when the user and / or vehicle can be authenticated. The system can also open the garage door based on weather condition information associated with a geographic area including the garage. As an example, the system can open the garage door when the vehicle may be located near the garage door and the weather condition information indicates that it may be raining.

[0007] In additional aspects, the system can open the garage door based on the vehicle operating state when the vehicle is likely to be near the garage door. As an example, when the vehicle gear is likely to be in a drive gear or reverse gear mode for more than a predefined duration (e.g., 3-5 seconds), the system can open the garage door when the vehicle is likely to be near the garage door.

[0008] When the system determines that a large item (e.g., a lawn mower) may be placed in the vehicle, the system may further open the garage door. In other aspects, the system may open the garage door based on a command signal / request received from a user, user device, vehicle, etc.

[0009] In additional aspects, the system may be configured to optimize parking space utilization in a garage. As an example, the system may learn parking patterns, behaviors, and preferences associated with one or more users and / or vehicles associated with a garage over time, and may recommend an optimal parking spot for a vehicle based on typical parking spots in a garage associated with the vehicle. The system may also access a user's calendar, and may recommend an optimal parking spot for a vehicle based on one or more calendar events. For example, if it is determined based on a calendar event associated with a user that a user is expected to remove a vehicle from a garage, the system may recommend that the user park the vehicle in a space in the garage that enables the user to conveniently remove the vehicle from the garage without moving other vehicles in the garage.

[0010] The present disclosure discloses a facility management system and method for automatically opening a garage door when a vehicle may approach the garage from a side including an empty parking space. The system further identifies an empty parking space for the vehicle and transmits a recommended parking space to the vehicle and / or a user device. The system further optimizes parking space utilization in the garage so that it may be convenient for the user to park the vehicle in the garage and move the vehicle out of the garage.

[0011] These and other advantages of the present disclosure are provided in detail herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The specific embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The use of the same figure number may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and / or components other than those illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and some elements and / or components may not be present in various embodiments. The elements and / or components in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout this disclosure, singular and plural terms may be used interchangeably, depending on the context.

[0013] Figure 1 An exemplary environment is depicted in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented.

[0014] Figure 2 A block diagram of a facility management system in accordance with the present disclosure is depicted.

[0015] Figure 3A and Figure 3B An exemplary top view of a facility according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0016] Figure 4 Depicted are exemplary notifications displayed on a vehicle human machine interface (HMI) according to the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 5 A vehicle carrying large items about a facility is depicted in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 6 A flow chart of an exemplary facility management method according to the present disclosure is depicted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments of the disclosure are shown and are not intended to be limiting.

[0020] Figure 1 An exemplary environment 100 is depicted in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented. Environment 100 may include a building 102, which includes a facility 104. Building 102 may be, for example, a house, and facility 104 may be, for example, a garage. Hereinafter, facility 104 is referred to as garage 104, and building 102 is referred to as house 102.

[0021] The garage 104 may include a garage door 106 that may be configured to move between a closed position and an open position to enable access to an interior portion of the garage. In an exemplary aspect, when the garage door 106 may be in an open position, the interior portion of the garage may be accessible (e.g., to park one or more vehicles). Additionally, when the garage door 106 may be in a closed position, the interior portion of the garage may not be accessible and / or a parked vehicle in the interior portion of the garage may not be able to be moved out of the garage 104.

[0022] The environment 100 may also include a vehicle 108 and a user 110 (e.g., a vehicle driver and / or a homeowner) who may be located in the vehicle 108. The vehicle 108 may take the form of any passenger or commercial vehicle, such as, for example, a sedan, a work vehicle, a crossover vehicle, a truck, a van, a minivan, etc. In addition, the vehicle 108 may be a manually driven vehicle and / or may be configured to operate in a fully autonomous (e.g., unmanned) mode or a partially autonomous mode, and may include any powertrain, such as, for example, a gasoline engine, one or more electric actuation motors, a hybrid powertrain, etc.

[0023] exist Figure 1 In the exemplary aspect depicted in FIG. 1 , vehicle 108 is located outside garage 104 near garage door 106 . Environment 100 may also include facility management system 112 (or system 112 ) that may be configured to control garage door operation and optimize parking space utilization in garage 104 .

[0024] The system 112 may be communicatively coupled with a plurality of systems / units / devices, including but not limited to the vehicle 108, a user device associated with the user 110 (in Figure 2 202), the server (in Figure 2 204), facility / garage sensor units (in Figure 2 Garage sensor unit 206 is shown in FIG. 1 ), facility / garage door actuator (shown in FIG. Figure 2 108), and / or the like. The garage sensor unit may include, for example, a garage interior camera and an exterior camera, a radio detection and ranging (radar) sensor, and / or a light detection and ranging (lidar) sensor, etc., installed in the garage 104. In some aspects, the system 112 may be part of the vehicle 108. In other aspects, the system 112 may be part of a server.

[0025] In some aspects, the system 112 can implement automatic opening of the garage door 106 based on one or more inputs received from at least one of the vehicle 108, the user device, the user 110, and the garage sensor unit. Specifically, the system 112 can automatically open the garage door 106 when the vehicle 108 may be located within a predefined distance (e.g., 1 foot to 8 feet) from the garage door 106 and one or more predefined conditions (based on the inputs received by the system 112) may be met, as described below.

[0026] When the vehicle 108 may be approaching the garage 104 (with the garage door 106 in the closed position), the system 112 may obtain the real-time vehicle location from the vehicle 108 (e.g., via a global positioning system (GPS) receiver associated with the vehicle 108), or may itself determine the real-time vehicle location based on a sensor unit from a garage or one or more sensors installed near the garage 104 (e.g., via vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication). In response to obtaining / determining the real-time vehicle location, the system 112 may determine whether the vehicle 108 can be located within a predefined distance from the garage door 106. In some aspects, the predefined distance may be preset by the user 110 and may be customized / adjusted based on user preferences.

[0027] In response to determining that the vehicle 108 may be located within a predefined distance from the garage door 106, the system 112 may perform a real-time vehicle position comparison with a predefined distance that may be stored in the system memory (in a Figure 2 The system 112 may determine a parking space (e.g., a first parking space) in the garage 104 (specifically, in the interior portion of the garage) that is likely closest to the real-time vehicle location by associating the system 112 with structural or building information associated with the garage 104 in the garage door 106 (shown as memory 216). In other words, based on the real-time vehicle location and the garage structure information, the system 112 may determine a parking space in the garage 104 where the user 110 may attempt to park the vehicle 108 when the garage door 106 may be opened for the user 110 / vehicle 108.

[0028] In response to determining the parking space, the system 112 can determine an availability state associated with the parking space based on input obtained from the garage sensor unit. Specifically, the system 112 can determine whether the parking space is likely to be occupied or unoccupied based on image / video / sensor data obtained from the garage camera and / or sensor. In some aspects, the parking space may be occupied when another vehicle may be parked at the parking space, or a pet, another user (e.g., a child), and / or an artifact (e.g., an unattended item / object) may be located at the parking space.

[0029] When the system 112 determines that the parking space is likely unoccupied, the system 112 may automatically open the garage door 106. In other words, when the system 112 determines that a parking space is available for parking where the user 110 may park the vehicle 108 after entering through the garage door 106, the system 112 may automatically open the garage door 106 for the user 110 / vehicle 108. In this manner, the system 112 ensures that the garage door 106 is open for the user 110 / vehicle 108 when a parking space is available, thereby enhancing user convenience and providing the user 110 with an indication that the user 110 is approaching the garage 104 from the “correct side” through which the vehicle 108 may be parked.

[0030] On the other hand, when the system 112 determines that the first parking space may be occupied, the system 112 may not open the garage door 106, and may determine another parking space (e.g., a second parking space) in the interior portion of the garage that may not be occupied. In response to determining the "available" second parking space, the system 112 may transmit a notification to the vehicle 108 and / or the user 110 (via a user device or a vehicle human-machine interface (HMI)), the notification including information associated with the second parking space. The information associated with the second parking space may include, for example, the location of the second parking space in the interior portion of the garage.

[0031] The user 110 may see / hear the notification transmitted by the system 112 and may get an indication that the first parking space (where the user 110 may attempt to park the vehicle 108 after the garage door 106 is opened) may not be available for parking. In response to seeing / hearing the notification, in some aspects, the user 110 may move the vehicle 108 toward the second parking space. In other aspects, in response to receiving the notification from the system 112, the vehicle 108 may move autonomously toward the second parking space.

[0032] In response to the vehicle 108 moving into proximity with the second parking space (as determined via the real-time vehicle location), the system 112 can automatically open the garage door 106. The user 110 can then park the vehicle 108 in the second parking space. In this manner, the system 112 facilitates the user 110 to park the vehicle 108 at an available parking space in the interior portion of the garage.

[0033] Although the above description describes aspects in which the system 112 opens the garage door 106 based on the availability or occupancy status of parking spaces in the interior portion of the garage, the present disclosure is not limited to such aspects. The system 112 may control garage door operation based on one or more additional criteria, as described below.

[0034] In some aspects, the system 112 can determine the vehicle operating state based on input obtained from the vehicle 108, and can open the garage door 106 based on the vehicle operating state. For example, the system 112 can determine whether the vehicle gear is likely to be in a driving mode or a reverse mode based on the vehicle operating state, and may not open the garage door 106 when the vehicle gear is likely not in the driving mode or the reverse mode. On the other hand, when the vehicle gear is likely to be in the driving mode or the reverse mode for more than a predefined duration (e.g., 3 to 6 seconds, which can be customized / adjusted by the user), the system 112 can open the garage door 106. 110.

[0035] In another aspect, the system 112 can obtain weather condition information from the vehicle 108 or the server, and can open the garage door 106 based on the weather condition information. For example, when the weather condition information indicates that it may be raining in the geographic area including the garage 104, the system 112 can open the garage door 106 for the user 110 / vehicle 108. In an exemplary aspect, when the weather condition information indicates that it may be raining, the system 112 can open the garage door 106, regardless of whether there is an available parking space in the interior portion of the garage. In this case, the opening of the garage door 106 can enable the user 110 to take shelter in the interior portion of the garage, even when there may be no available parking space in the garage 104.

[0036] In further aspects, the system 112 can authenticate the user 110 and / or the vehicle 108 based on input obtained from a garage sensor unit (e.g., a garage exterior camera), the vehicle 108, a user device, a key fob associated with the vehicle 108, and / or the like. When the user 110 and / or the vehicle 108 can be authenticated, the system 112 can open the garage door 106. The system 112 can additionally open the garage door 106 based on a command signal obtained from the user 110. For example, when the user 110 provides an audible command signal or a gesture-based command signal to the system 112 to open the garage door 106, the system 112 can open the garage door 106. The user 110 can also provide a command signal to the system 112 via a user device, a vehicle HMI, and / or a dedicated actuator that can be provided in the vehicle 108.

[0037] The system 112 may also control garage door operation based on an occupancy status associated with the vehicle 108, information associated with recent user activity in the garage 104 / house 102, etc. Figure 2 These and additional criteria implemented by system 112 to control garage door operation are described in detail.

[0038] The vehicle 108 and system 112 implement and / or perform operations as described herein in the present disclosure in accordance with the vehicle owner's manual and safety guidelines. Additionally, any actions taken by the user 110 based on notifications provided by the vehicle 108 and / or system 112 should comply with all rules specific to the location (e.g., federal, state, country, city, etc.) and operation of the vehicle 108. Notifications as provided by the vehicle 108 and / or system 112 should be considered advisories and followed only in accordance with any rules specific to the location and operation of the vehicle 108.

[0039] Figure 2 A block diagram of a facility management system 112 (system 112) according to the present disclosure is depicted. Figure 2 When Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 4 and Figure 5 .

[0040] The system 112 can be communicatively coupled to the vehicle 108, the user device 202, the one or more servers 204 (or servers 204), and the garage sensor unit 206 and garage door actuator 208 associated with the garage 104 via one or more networks 210 (or networks 210). Figure 1 As described, the garage sensor unit 206 may include garage interior and exterior cameras installed in the garage 104 , radar sensors, lidar sensors, etc. The garage door actuator 208 may implement mechanical opening and closing of the garage door 106 based on command signals received from the system 112 .

[0041] The user device 202 may be associated with the user 110 and may include, for example, a mobile phone, a laptop, a computer, a tablet, a wearable device, or any other similar device with communication capabilities. The server 204 may be part of a cloud-based computing infrastructure and may be associated with and / or include a telematics service delivery network (SDN) that provides digital data services to the vehicle 108 and / or the system 112. In further aspects, the server 204 may be configured to provide the system 112 with weather condition information associated with a geographic area including the house 102 / garage 104 at a predetermined frequency or when the system 112 transmits a request to the server 204 to obtain weather condition information. The server 204 may also be configured to store garage structure or building information (e.g., garage shape, size, arrangement of garage doors, windows, parking spaces, etc.) and transmit the garage structure information to the system 112 at a predefined frequency or when the system 112 transmits a request to the server 204 to obtain garage structure information.

[0042] The network 210 illustrates an exemplary communication infrastructure in which the connected devices discussed in various embodiments of the present disclosure may communicate. The network 210 may be and / or include the Internet, a private network, a public network, or other configurations operating using any one or more known communication protocols, such as, for example, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), BLE, Wi-Fi based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 802.11, ultra-wideband (UWB), and cellular technologies such as time division multiple access (TDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), high-speed packet access (HSPDA), long-term evolution (LTE), global system for mobile communications (GSM), and fifth generation (5G), to name a few examples.

[0043] As above combined Figure 1 As described, the system 112 may be part of the vehicle 108 or the server. The system 112 may include a transceiver 212, a processor 214, and a memory 216. The transceiver 212 may be configured to transmit / receive signals / information / data to / from external systems and devices via the network 210, including the vehicle 108, the user device 202, the server 204, the garage sensor unit 206, and the garage door actuator 208.

[0044] The processor 214 may be configured to communicate with one or more memory devices (eg, memory 216 and / or memory 218) configured to communicate with a corresponding computing system. Figure 2The processor 214 may utilize the memory 216 to store programs and / or store data in code form to perform various aspects of the present disclosure. The memory 216 may be a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium or memory storing program code that enables the processor 214 to perform operations according to the present disclosure. The memory 216 may include any one or combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), etc.), and may include any one or more non-volatile memory elements (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), etc.).

[0045] In some aspects, the memory 216 may include a plurality of databases, including, but not limited to, a user and vehicle database 218 and a garage information database 220. The user and vehicle database 218 may store information associated with the user 110 (and friends and family of the user 110) and the vehicle 108, including, but not limited to, user images, identifiers and / or authentication codes associated with the user device 202, the vehicle 108, a key fob (not shown) associated with the vehicle 108, and the like. As described above, the garage information database 220 may store structural information associated with the garage 104 that the system 112 may receive from the server 204.

[0046] In operation, when the vehicle 108 may be approaching the garage 104 (and the garage door 106 may be in a closed position), the transceiver 212 may receive a real-time vehicle location from the vehicle 108 (e.g., via a GPS receiver associated with the vehicle 108 or via vehicle-to-infrastructure communication) and / or the garage sensor unit 206. The transceiver 212 may also receive garage or facility inputs (e.g., images, videos, etc.) from the garage sensor unit 206 at a predefined frequency. The transceiver 212 may transmit the real-time vehicle location and garage inputs obtained from the garage sensor unit 206 to the processor 214.

[0047] The processor 214 may obtain the real-time vehicle position and garage input from the transceiver 212. In response to receiving the above information, the processor 214 may determine that the vehicle 108 (particularly the front of the vehicle or the rear of the vehicle) may be located within a predefined distance from the garage door 106 based on the real-time vehicle position and garage structure information (which may be stored in the garage information database 220).

[0048] In response to determining that the vehicle 108 may be located within a predefined distance from the garage door 106, the processor 214 may determine a first parking space in the garage 104 that may be closest to the real-time vehicle location based on the garage structure information, as described above in conjunction with Figure 1 The processor 214 may also determine an availability status associated with the first parking space based on the garage input obtained from the garage sensor unit 206. Specifically, based on the image / video / sensor data obtained from the garage sensor unit 206, the processor 214 may determine whether the first parking space may be occupied or unoccupied. The processor 214 may control garage door operation based on the availability status associated with the first parking space, as described below.

[0049] In response to determining that the first parking space is likely unoccupied (or available for parking), processor 214 may transmit a command signal to garage door actuator 208 and cause garage door 106 to open. In other words, when the availability status associated with the first parking space indicates that the first parking space is likely unoccupied, processor 214 may cause garage door 106 to move to the open position. When garage door 106 may move to the open position, user 110 may park vehicle 108 in the first parking space, or vehicle 108 may autonomously park itself in the first parking space.

[0050] On the other hand, in response to determining that the first parking space may be occupied (or unavailable for parking), the processor 214 may not cause the garage door 106 to move to the open position. For example, when a pet, child, artifact, or another vehicle (e.g., Figure 3A and Figure 3B When the vehicle 302 shown in FIG. 1 may be located at the first parking space, the processor 214 may not cause the garage door 106 to move to the open position. In this case, the processor 214 may determine an "available" or unoccupied second parking space 304 in the garage 104 based on the garage input and garage structure information obtained from the garage sensor unit 206.

[0051] In response to determining the second parking spot 304, the processor 214 may transmit a notification to the vehicle 108 and / or the user device 202 via the transceiver 212. The notification may include, for example, information associated with the second parking spot 304, including the second parking spot location in the garage 104. When the processor 214 transmits the notification to the user device 202 or the vehicle 108, the user device 202 or the vehicle human machine interface (HMI) may display (and / or audibly output) the notification so that the user 110 may view (or hear) the notification. Figure 4 An example HMI 402 associated with the vehicle 108 is shown in FIG. 4 , which displays a notification 404 received from the processor 214 .

[0052] In response to seeing (or hearing) notification 404, user 110 may move vehicle 108 toward a second parking spot location, such as Figure 3BAs shown. If the vehicle 108 is an autonomous vehicle, the vehicle 108 may autonomously move toward the second parking space location in response to receiving the notification 404 from the processor 214. The processor 214 may then determine that the vehicle 108 may have moved toward or near the second parking space location based on the real-time vehicle location and / or the garage input obtained from the garage sensor unit 206. When the processor 214 determines that the vehicle 108 may have moved near the second parking space location, the processor 214 may transmit a command signal to the garage door actuator 208 and cause the garage door 106 to open. In this way, the system 112 facilitates the user 110 to identify an empty parking space and open the garage door 106 when the vehicle 108 may be located near an empty parking space.

[0053] Although the above description describes aspects of the processor 214 determining a single available parking space (e.g., the second parking space 304), in some aspects, the processor 214 may determine more than one available parking space for the user 110 / vehicle 108 and transmit information associated with the available parking spaces to the user device 202 and / or the vehicle 108.

[0054] The system 112 may additionally control garage door operation based on one or more additional criteria or conditions as described below.

[0055] In some aspects, the transceiver 212 can be configured to receive a vehicle operating status from the vehicle 108 (e.g., when the vehicle 108 may be within a predefined distance from the garage door 106) and transmit the vehicle operating status to the processor 214. In an exemplary aspect, the vehicle operating status can include a vehicle gear status.

[0056] The processor 214 may be configured to control the garage door operation based on the vehicle operating state. As an example, when the vehicle operating state indicates that the vehicle gear is in a driving mode or a reverse mode, the processor 214 may cause the garage door 106 to open (e.g., via the garage door actuator 208). In an additional aspect, when the vehicle gear may be in a driving mode or a reverse mode and the vehicle 108 may be located near an empty parking space (e.g., the second parking space 304), the processor 214 may cause the garage door 106 to open. On the other hand, when the vehicle gear may be in a driving mode or a reverse mode and the vehicle 108 may be located near an empty parking space (e.g., the second parking space) for a predefined duration (e.g., 3-5 seconds), the processor 214 may cause the garage door 106 to open. The conditions described herein (e.g., the predefined duration) may be customized or adjusted by the user 110.

[0057] In another aspect, the transceiver 212 may be configured to receive weather condition information associated with a geographic area including the house 102 / garage 104 from the server 204 or the vehicle 108. The transceiver 212 may transmit the weather condition information to the processor 214, and the processor 214 may be configured to control the garage door operation based on the weather condition information. For example, when the weather condition information indicates that it may be raining or snowing, the processor 214 may cause the garage door 106 to open (e.g., via the garage door actuator 208). In this case, the processor 214 may cause the garage door 106 to open even if there may be no empty parking spaces in the garage 104. In addition, in this case, when the user 110 and / or the vehicle 108 can be authenticated, the processor 214 may cause the garage door 106 to open, as described below.

[0058] In some aspects, when the vehicle 108 may be located near the garage door 106, the processor 214 may obtain input (via the transceiver 212) from a key fob associated with the vehicle 108, the user device 202, the garage sensor unit 206, the vehicle 108, etc., and use the obtained input to authenticate the user 110 and / or the vehicle 108. In some aspects, the input associated with the key fob, the user device 202, and the vehicle 108 may include an identifier or authentication code associated with the respective device / system. The processor 214 may compare the obtained identifier or authentication code with the identifier and / or authentication code stored in the user and vehicle database 218 to authenticate the user 110 / vehicle 108. In other aspects, the input obtained from the garage sensor unit 206 and / or the vehicle 108 may include an image of the user (e.g., an image of the user 110 captured by a garage exterior camera and / or a vehicle interior camera). The processor 214 may compare the user image obtained from the garage sensor unit 206 and / or the vehicle 108 to the user image stored in the user and vehicle database 218 (e.g., using facial recognition technology) to authenticate the user 110. In response to authenticating the user 110 and / or the vehicle 108, the processor 214 may open the garage door 106.

[0059] In other aspects, the transceiver 212 may be configured to receive user activity information associated with recent user activity from the vehicle 108 and / or garage sensor unit 206 at a predefined frequency, for example, when the user 110 may be in the house 102 or garage 104. The transceiver 212 may transmit the user activity information associated with the recent user activity to the processor 214, and the processor 214 may control the garage door operation based on the user activity information. For example, if the user activity information associated with the recent user activity indicates that the user 110 may have recently left the house 102 or garage 104 to go grocery shopping or pick up the user's child from school, the processor 214 may cause the garage door 106 to automatically open when the user 110 returns to the house 102 / garage 104 and is located near the garage door 106. In this case, the processor 214 may open the garage door 106 even when the user 110 may not want (or may want) to park the vehicle 108 in the garage 104. Furthermore, in this case, the processor 214 may open the garage door 106 in response to obtaining user confirmation via the user device 202 or the vehicle HMI.

[0060] In another aspect, the transceiver 212 can be configured to receive a command signal from the user 110 when the user 110 desires the garage door 106 to open (e.g., via an audible command or a gesture-based command, or via the user device 202 and / or the vehicle 108). In response to receiving the command signal, the transceiver 212 can transmit the command signal to the processor 214. The processor 214 can be configured to control the garage door operation based on the command signal. Specifically, when the processor 214 obtains a command signal from the user 110 to open the garage door 106, the processor 214 can cause the garage door 106 to open (when / after the user 110 and / or the vehicle 108 can be authenticated, as described above).

[0061] In other aspects, the transceiver 212 can be configured to receive vehicle occupant information from the vehicle 108 and / or the garage sensor unit 206 when the vehicle 108 may be located near the garage door 106. The vehicle occupant information can indicate the presence of one or more users or large items in the vehicle 108. For example, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown, lawn mower 502 may be present in vehicle 504 (which may be similar to vehicle 108 ), which may be located near garage door 106 . In this case, the vehicle occupant information may indicate that lawn mower 502 is present in vehicle 504 .

[0062] The transceiver 212 can transmit the vehicle occupant information to the processor 214, and the processor 214 can control the garage door operation based on the vehicle occupant information. For example, when the vehicle occupant information indicates that there may be a heavy object (e.g., a lawn mower 502) in the vehicle 504 (when the user 110 and / or the vehicle 504 can be authenticated / after, as described above), the processor 214 can cause the garage door 106 to open. It can be appreciated by a person of ordinary skill that automatically opening the garage door 106 when the vehicle 108 / vehicle 504 may be carrying a heavy object can facilitate the user 110 to conveniently unload the heavy object in the garage 104. In some aspects, in this case, the processor 214 can open the garage door 106 in response to obtaining a user confirmation via the user device 202 or the vehicle HMI.

[0063] While the above description describes aspects of the system 112 / processor 214 controlling garage door operation, in additional aspects, the processor 214 can assist in parking spot optimization in the garage 104. In some aspects, the processor 214 can be an artificial intelligence (AI)-based processor that can "learn" from the parking habits, behaviors, patterns, and / or preferences of the user 110 (and other users associated with the house 102), and can recommend parking spots to the user 110 based on the parking preferences when the user 110 is likely to be approaching the garage 104 to park the vehicle 108. The processor 214 can also learn typical parking patterns and locations associated with the vehicle 108, and recommend optimal parking spots for the vehicle 108 when the user is likely to park the vehicle 108 in the garage 104. As an example, the processor 214 can transmit a suggestion to the user device 202 and / or the HMI 402 indicating an optimal parking spot for the vehicle 108 when the user is likely to park the vehicle 108 in the garage 104 based on typical parking spots associated with the vehicle 108 in the garage 104. In some aspects, if vehicle 108 is an autonomous vehicle, processor 214 may cause vehicle 108 to autonomously move to an optimal parking spot in garage 104 .

[0064] In additional aspects, the processor 214 may access the user's calendar (e.g., via the user device 202) and calendars associated with family members of the user 110. The processor 214 may recommend an optimal parking spot for the vehicle 108 (and other vehicles associated with the house 102) based on the calendar events included in the calendar. For example, if the vehicle 108 is scheduled to leave the garage 104 next (based on the calendar event identification), the processor 214 may recommend a parking spot for the vehicle 108 so that it may be convenient to move the vehicle 108 out of the garage 104 without moving other vehicles in the garage 104. In this case, the processor 214 may additionally use input obtained from the garage sensor unit 206 to autonomously move one or more vehicles in the interior portion of the garage.

[0065] In another aspect, the processor 214 may temporarily block / reserve (i.e., not allow any vehicle to be parked in) a parking space in the garage 104 for a predefined duration so that the head of the resident / household (e.g., user 110) can return and obtain priority to park the vehicle 108 in the reserved parking space.

[0066] In additional aspects, if the user 110 and / or vehicle 108 may be carrying / storing a large item or a large number of smaller items (e.g., grocery items), the processor 214 may enable the vehicle 108 to be temporarily parked in a location / space in the garage 104 where the items can be conveniently unloaded (e.g., near a refrigerator placed in the garage 104). When the items can be unloaded, the processor 214 may autonomously move the vehicle 108 to a regular parking space associated with the vehicle 108 in the garage 104.

[0067] Although the above description describes aspects in which the vehicle 108 can be communicatively coupled to the system 112 / processor 214 via the network 210, in some aspects, if the vehicle 108 does not include a communication unit / module / infrastructure for communicatively coupling to the system 112 / processor 214, the vehicle 108 can include a Bluetooth® communication module that can relay input from the vehicle 108 to the system 112 / processor 214 (e.g., via other vehicle or infrastructure sensors). TM or BLE tags.

[0068] Figure 6 A flow chart of an exemplary facility management method 600 according to the present disclosure is depicted. Figure 6 The following process is exemplary and is not limited to the steps described below. Furthermore, alternative embodiments may include more or fewer steps than shown or described herein, and may include the steps in an order different from the order described in the following exemplary embodiments.

[0069] The method 600 starts at step 602. At step 604, the method 600 may include determining, by the processor 214, based on the real-time vehicle position, that the vehicle 108 may be within a predefined distance from the garage door 106. At step 606, the method 600 may include determining, by the processor 214, a parking space in the garage 104 that may be closest to the real-time vehicle position. In response to determining that the vehicle 108 may be within the predefined distance from the garage door 106.

[0070] At step 608, the method 600 may include determining, by the processor 214, an availability status associated with the parking space based on input obtained from the garage sensor unit 206. At step 610, the method 600 may include controlling, by the processor 214, garage door operation based on the availability status. For example, as described above, when the availability status indicates that the parking space may be unoccupied, the processor 214 may cause the garage door 106 to open.

[0071] At step 612 , method 600 may stop.

[0072] In the above disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings that form a part of the above disclosure, which illustrate specific embodiments in which the present disclosure can be practiced. It should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References to "one embodiment," "embodiment," "example embodiment," etc. in this specification indicate that the described embodiment may include specific features, structures, or characteristics, but each embodiment may not necessarily include the specific features, structures, or characteristics. In addition, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, when features, structures, or characteristics are described in conjunction with an embodiment, whether or not explicitly described, those skilled in the art will recognize such features, structures, or characteristics in conjunction with other embodiments.

[0073] In addition, where appropriate, the functions described herein may be performed in one or more of: hardware, software, firmware, digital components, or analog components. For example, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) may be programmed to perform one or more of the systems and programs described herein. Certain terms are used throughout the specification and claims to refer to specific system components. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, components may be referred to by different names. This document is not intended to distinguish between components that have different names but the same function.

[0074] It should also be understood that the word "example" as used herein is intended to be non-exclusive and non-limiting in nature. More specifically, the word "example" as used herein indicates one of several examples, and it should be understood that no undue emphasis or preference is placed on the specific example described.

[0075] Computer-readable media (also referred to as processor-readable media) include any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) media that participate in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such media may take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. A computing device may include computer-executable instructions, where the instructions may be executable by one or more computing devices (such as those listed above) and stored on a computer-readable medium.

[0076] With respect to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes may be practiced by performing the described steps in an order different from that described herein. It should also be understood that certain steps may be performed simultaneously, other steps may be added, or certain steps described herein may be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of the processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed as limiting the claims.

[0077] Therefore, it should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Upon reading the above description, many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided will be apparent. The scope should not be determined with reference to the above description, but should be determined with reference to the entire scope of the appended claims and equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and expected that the technology discussed herein will develop in the future, and the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In short, it should be understood that the present application is capable of modification and change.

[0078] Unless explicitly indicated to the contrary in this article, all terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meanings as understood by the skilled person described herein. Specifically, unless the claim states an explicit limitation to the contrary, the use of singular articles such as "one", "the", "said" and the like should be interpreted as describing one or more of the indicated elements. Unless otherwise specifically stated or understood in other ways within the context when used, conditional language such as, in particular, "can", "may", "can" or "may" is generally intended to express that certain embodiments may include certain features, elements and / or steps, while other embodiments may not include certain features, elements and / or steps. Therefore, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that one or more embodiments require each feature, element and / or step in any way.

[0079] According to an embodiment, the transceiver is further configured to receive a command signal from at least one of a user, a user device, and the vehicle, and wherein the processor is configured to control the facility door operation based on the command signal.

[0080] According to the present invention, a facility management method includes: a processor determining, based on a real-time vehicle position, that a vehicle is within a predefined distance from a facility door; the processor determining, in response to determining that the vehicle is within the predefined distance from the facility door, a first parking space in the facility that is closest to the real-time vehicle position; the processor determining, based on facility input obtained from a facility sensor unit, an availability status associated with the first parking space; and the processor controlling facility door operation based on the availability status.

[0081] In one aspect of the invention, the method includes opening the facility door when the availability status indicates that the first parking space is unoccupied.

[0082] In one aspect of the invention, the method includes: determining an available second parking space in the facility based on a facility input when the availability status indicates that the first parking space is occupied; outputting a notification in response to determining the available second parking space, wherein the notification includes information associated with the available second parking space; determining that the vehicle has moved into proximity with the available second parking space in response to outputting the notification; and opening the facility door in response to determining that the vehicle has moved into proximity with the available second parking space.

[0083] According to the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon is provided, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to: determine, based on a real-time vehicle position, that a vehicle is within a predefined distance from a facility door; determine, in response to determining that the vehicle is within the predefined distance from the facility door, a first parking space in a facility that is closest to the real-time vehicle position; determine, based on facility input obtained from a facility sensor unit, an availability status associated with the first parking space; and control facility door operation based on the availability status.

Claims

1. A facility management system, comprising: a transceiver configured to receive real-time vehicle position and facility input from a facility sensor unit; as well as a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to: determining, based on the real-time vehicle location, that the vehicle is within a predefined distance from a facility door; responsive to determining that the vehicle is within the predefined distance from the facility door, determining a first parking space in the facility that is closest to the real-time vehicle location; determining an availability status associated with the first parking space based on the facility input; as well as Facility door operations are controlled based on the availability status. 2 . The facility management system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to open the facility door when the availability status indicates that the first parking space is unoccupied.

3. The facility management system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: determining an available second parking space in the facility based on the facility input when the availability status indicates that the first parking space is occupied; outputting a notification in response to determining the available second parking space, wherein the notification includes information associated with the available second parking space; In response to outputting the notification, determining that the vehicle has moved proximate to the available second parking space; as well as The facility door is opened in response to determining that the vehicle has moved proximate to the available second parking space. 4 . The facility management system of claim 3 , wherein the processor outputs the notification to the vehicle or a user device associated with a vehicle user. 5 . The facility management system of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver receives the real-time vehicle location from at least one of the vehicle and the facility sensor unit. The facility management system according to claim 1 , wherein the facility sensor unit includes a facility interior camera and a facility exterior camera.

7. The facility management system of claim 1, wherein the facility is a garage.

8. The facility management system of claim 1 , further comprising a memory configured to store structural information associated with the facility, and wherein the processor determines, based on the structural information, the first parking space for the vehicle that is within the predefined distance from the facility door and that is closest to the real-time vehicle location in the facility.

9. The facility management system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive a vehicle operating status from the vehicle, and wherein the processor is configured to control the facility door operation based on the vehicle operating status.

10. The facility management system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle operating status includes a vehicle gear status, and the processor is further configured to open the facility door when the vehicle is within the predefined distance from the facility door when the vehicle gear status indicates that the vehicle gear is in a drive mode or a reverse mode for more than a predefined duration.

11. The facility management system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive weather condition information from the vehicle or server, and wherein the processor is configured to control the facility door operation based on the weather condition information.

12. The facility management system of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive user activity information associated with recent user activity from the vehicle or the facility sensor unit, wherein the processor is configured to control the facility door operation based on the user activity information, and wherein the processor is further configured to open the facility door based on the user activity information associated with recent user activity in response to obtaining user confirmation.

13. The facility management system of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive vehicle occupant information from the vehicle or the facility sensor unit, wherein the vehicle occupant information indicates the presence of a large item in the vehicle, wherein the processor is configured to control the facility door operation based on the vehicle occupant information, and wherein the processor is further configured to open the facility door based on the vehicle occupant information in response to obtaining user confirmation.

14. The facility management system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: authenticating at least one of a vehicle user and the vehicle; and The facility door operation is controlled based on the authentication. 15 . The facility management system of claim 14 , wherein the processor authenticates the at least one of the vehicle user and the vehicle based on input obtained from at least one of a key fob, a user device, and the facility sensor unit.

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