Electric vehicle parking system and parking method

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an electric vehicle parking method including: generating sensing data by sensing a surrounding environment of an electric vehicle; searching for a free space using the sensed data; determining whether the free space in the plurality of free spaces is an electric vehicle parking space, a common vehicle parking space or a space in which parking cannot be performed; selecting the determined parking space of the electric vehicle as a target parking space; detecting a position of an electric vehicle charging device corresponding to the target parking space; the parking direction and the parking track of the electric vehicle relative to the target parking space are determined, so that a charging port of the electric vehicle is close to the position of an electric vehicle charging device; and moving the electric vehicle to the target parking space along the parking trajectory.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10 - 2023 - 0181410, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on December 14, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to an electric vehicle parking system and a parking method. Background art

[0004] The following description only provides background information related to the technical solutions of the present disclosure and does not constitute prior art.

[0005] In recent years, the market share of electric vehicles has shown a rapid upward trend globally. With the increase in the number of electric vehicles, there is a high demand for expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Electric vehicle charging devices are mainly installed in public places such as parking lots, airports, and rest areas.

[0006] According to the specifications of electric vehicles, the position of the charging port of an electric vehicle can be located at the front bumper, rear bumper, left front (left side of the front fender), right front (right side of the front fender), left rear (left side of the rear fender), and right rear (right side of the rear fender). To charge an electric vehicle, it is necessary to consider the position of the charging port to determine the parking direction and parking trajectory of the electric vehicle.

[0007] Electric vehicle charging devices placed in a parking lot can also be placed in different positions within the parking lot. For example, an electric vehicle charging device can be placed on one side such as the front side, rear side, left side, or right side of a parking space. In addition, an electric vehicle charging device can also be installed on columns located on both sides of a parking space.

[0008] Since the position of the electric vehicle charging device may be different in each parking lot, parking an electric vehicle near the electric vehicle charging device to align the charging port causes inconvenience to the parking behavior and reduces the user experience of electric vehicles from the perspective of electric vehicle users.

[0009] To improve the convenience of electric vehicle charging and parking, an automatic parking method for electric vehicles is required. This method performs the parking process of an electric vehicle by automatically determining the parking direction and parking trajectory, detecting the electric vehicle charging device, and aligning and adjacent to the electric vehicle charging device when the parking process is completed. Summary of the invention

[0010] To solve the above - mentioned technical problems, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for automatically performing the parking process of an electric vehicle.

[0011] In addition, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for automatically detecting the positions of an electric vehicle parking space and an electric vehicle charging device.

[0012] In addition, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for determining a parking direction and a parking trajectory for automatic charging of an electric vehicle.

[0013] In addition, the present disclosure aims to solve technical problems in the charging characteristics of electric vehicles that are different from the usual automatic parking process. For example, in the usual automatic parking process, it is only necessary to determine the vehicle trajectory for parking in a parking space, while in the automatic parking method for charging an electric vehicle according to the present disclosure, it is necessary to consider the position of the electric vehicle charging device and the position of the electric vehicle charging port to perform the parking process.

[0014] The technical objectives to be achieved by the present disclosure are not limited to the above technical objectives, and other technical objectives not mentioned can be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains from the following description.

[0015] Advantageous Effects

[0016] As described above, according to the present disclosure, an electric vehicle can perform an automatic parking function, and the automatic parking function enables the parking process to be conveniently performed.

[0017] In addition, the present disclosure can automatically detect the positions of an electric vehicle parking space and an electric vehicle charging device.

[0018] In addition, the present disclosure can automatically determine a parking direction and a parking trajectory for automatic charging of an electric vehicle.

[0019] In addition, the present disclosure can provide a general method for automatic charging of an electric vehicle, which can perform cooperative control with existing or future electric vehicle automatic charging devices. Here, the automatic charging device may refer to a device that automatically charges an electric vehicle by automatically identifying the electric vehicle charging port. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of an electric vehicle parking system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 2 Illustrates a method for determining an electric vehicle parking space according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 3A 、 Figure 3B and Figure 3C Illustrate a parking trajectory and a parking direction for an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 4 and Figure 5 Illustrate a user interface according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 6 is a flowchart of an electric vehicle parking system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 7 shows Figure 6 a flowchart of step S660 in Detailed Embodiments

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals denote the same elements, although these elements are shown in different drawings. In addition, in the following description of the embodiments, for the purpose of clarity and simplicity, detailed descriptions of known functions and configurations included therein are omitted.

[0027] In addition, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. are only used to distinguish one component from other components, and do not imply or suggest the substance, order or sequence of the components. Throughout the disclosure, when a component "includes" or "comprises" a component, the component is intended to also include other components, and is not intended to exclude other components, unless otherwise specifically stated. Terms such as "unit", "module", etc. refer to one or more units for processing at least one function or operation, which can be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination thereof.

[0028] Each element of the device or method according to the present disclosure can be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. The functions of the respective elements can be implemented by software, and the microprocessor can be implemented to execute the software functions corresponding to the respective elements. When a controller, module, component, device, element, etc. of the present disclosure is described as having a purpose or performing an operation, function, etc., the controller, module, component, device, element, etc. should be considered herein as "configured to" meet that purpose or perform that operation or function. Each of the controller, module, component, device, element, etc. can be implemented separately or include a processor and a memory, such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium, as a component of the device.

[0029] The electric vehicle parking system 100 can execute an automatic parking function. Due to the automatic parking function, vehicle users can park their vehicles conveniently. The electric vehicle parking system 100 can automatically detect the positions of the electric vehicle parking space A1 and the electric vehicle charging device 200, and can determine the parking direction, parking trajectory, etc., that is, the parking trajectory 330 for charging the electric vehicle 270 hereinafter. The driver does not need to manually set the parking direction for charging the electric vehicle 270.

[0030] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of an electric vehicle parking system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 2 Discloses a method for determining a parking space for an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 3A 、 Figure 3B and Figure 3C Discloses a parking trajectory and a parking direction for an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 4 and Figure 5 Discloses a user interface according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Referring Figures 1 to 5 to, the electric vehicle parking system 100 includes all or part of a sensor 110, a controller 120, and a user interface 130.

[0035] The sensor 110 can sense the surrounding environment of the electric vehicle 270 and can generate sensing data. The sensor 110 can detect the getting off of a passenger and the subsequent closing of the vehicle door. The sensor 110 can include all or part of a camera, a lidar (light detection and ranging), or a radar (radio detection and ranging). A plurality of cameras can be provided in the electric vehicle 270. Each component of the sensor 110 can be provided in the front, rear, front side, or rear side of the vehicle.

[0036] The controller 120 can use the sensing data to search for an idle space around the electric vehicle 270. The controller 120 can determine a space without obstacles and / or objects interfering with parking as an idle space.

[0037] The controller 120 can determine whether each of the idle spaces is an electric vehicle parking space A1, a normal vehicle parking space A2, or a non-parking space A3. The controller 120 can determine whether an idle space is a non-parking space A3 based on the width w and the length q of the idle space. For example, in an idle space, a space where the width w is less than a threshold width or the length q is less than a threshold length can be determined as a non-parking space A3.

[0038] The controller 120 can determine the position where the electric vehicle identification 250 is detected in the idle space as the electric vehicle parking space A1. The controller 120 can identify the electric vehicle identification 250. The controller 120 can use an artificial intelligence (AI) engine trained to identify the electric vehicle identification 250.

[0039] The controller 120 can select one of the space determined as the electric vehicle parking space A1 and the space determined as the normal vehicle parking space A2 as the target parking space 300.

[0040] If the target parking space 300 is an electric vehicle parking space A1, the controller 120 may detect the position of the electric vehicle charging device 200 corresponding to the target parking space 300. The controller 120 may use the sensing data to detect the position of the electric vehicle charging device 200. The controller 120 may use an AI engine trained to recognize the electric vehicle charging device 200 to detect the position of the electric vehicle charging device 200.

[0041] The controller 120 may determine the parking direction and the parking trajectory 330 of the electric vehicle 270 for the target parking space 300 such that the charging port 320 of the electric vehicle may be aligned with and adjacent to the position of the electric vehicle charging device 200. The electric vehicle charging device 200 may be arranged adjacent to the parking space. For example, the electric vehicle charging device 200 may be provided on one side of the parking space. The electric vehicle charging device 200 may be installed on the parking lot column 230. The electric vehicle charging device 200 may include a charging connector. The charging connector may be connected to the charging port 320 of the electric vehicle.

[0042] The controller 120 may determine the parking trajectory 330 such that the electric vehicle 270 does not collide with other vehicles, the parking lot column 230, and objects or obstacles around the electric vehicle 270.

[0043] The controller 120 may detect a get-off interval and a non-get-off interval on the parking trajectory 330. According to an embodiment, the controller 120 may detect the get-off interval based on the left line L and the right line R. The get-off interval refers to an interval where there are no obstacles and / or objects between the left line L and the right line R. If there are no obstacles and / or objects within a first reference distance D from the parking trajectory 330, the controller 120 may determine the corresponding interval as the get-off interval. If there are obstacles and / or objects within the first reference distance D from the parking trajectory 330, the controller 120 may determine the corresponding interval as the non-get-off interval.

[0044] The controller 120 may move the electric vehicle 270 along the parking trajectory 330 to the target parking space 300. According to an embodiment, the controller 120 may stop the electric vehicle 270 that is moving towards the target parking space 300 at a point on the alighting section, and may move the electric vehicle 270 again after all passengers of the electric vehicle 270 have alighted. According to an embodiment, if a part of the electric vehicle 270 enters the target parking space 300, the controller 120 may stop the electric vehicle 270, and after all passengers of the electric vehicle 270 have alighted, the controller 120 may move the electric vehicle 270 again. According to an embodiment, the controller 120 may stop the electric vehicle 270 that is moving towards the target parking space 300 at a point on the alighting section, and guide the passengers of the electric vehicle 270 to alight using the user interface 130 provided inside the electric vehicle 270. If there is a non-alighting section within the target parking space 300, in order to move the electric vehicle 270 along the parking trajectory 330 to the target parking space 300, the controller 120 may stop the electric vehicle 270 before it enters the non-alighting section, and the controller 120 may move the electric vehicle 270 again after all passengers of the electric vehicle 270 have alighted. If there are passengers on the rear seat of the electric vehicle 270 and there is a non-alighting section within the target parking space 300, in order to move the electric vehicle 270 along the parking trajectory 330 to the target parking space 300, then during reverse parking, the controller 120 may stop the electric vehicle 270 before the C-pillar of the electric vehicle 270 enters the target parking space 300, and may move the electric vehicle 270 again after all passengers of the electric vehicle 270 have alighted.

[0045] The user interface 130 may be provided inside the electric vehicle 270. The user interface 130 may distinguishably display the electric vehicle parking space A1, the ordinary vehicle parking space A2, and the non-parking space A3. In this case, the passenger may select the target parking space 300 by touching the electric vehicle parking space or the ordinary vehicle parking space displayed on the user interface 130.

[0046] The user interface 130 may guide the passengers of the electric vehicle 270 to alight. For example, after the electric vehicle 270 has completely stopped, information indicating that the passengers should alight may be displayed on the user interface 130.

[0047] Figure 4 The images and texts of the parking spaces shown are not used to limit the specific disclosure of the drawings. In other words, Figure 4 The configuration of the user interface 130 shown, including the screen, images, and information, is merely an example, and it will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that changes can be made to its elements.

[0048] Figure 5The information of the user interface 130 shown is only an example introduced for descriptive purposes. In other words, the type of information generated by the user interface 130 is not limited by the example in this figure. Information different from that shown in Figure 5 can also be output. In addition, the user interface 130 can not only output visual information but also output sound to guide passengers to get off the vehicle. The electric vehicle charging device 200 can be provided on one side of the parking space. The position where the electric vehicle charging device 200 can be provided is not limited by the example shown in the figure. In other words, the electric vehicle charging device 200 can be placed adjacent to the parking space A1 regardless of whether the electric vehicle charging device 200 is in front of, behind, to the left, or to the right of the parking space A1. The electric vehicle charging device 200 can detect the position of the charging port 320 of the electric vehicle and can connect the charging connector to the charging port 320 of the electric vehicle.

[0049] Figure 6 is a flowchart of an electric vehicle parking system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] Figure 7 is a diagram showing Figure 6 the step S660 in

[0051] Referring to Figures 1 to 7 , the electric vehicle parking system 100 can sense the surrounding environment of the electric vehicle 270, generate sensing data, and use the sensing data to search for an idle space around the electric vehicle 270 (S600). The electric vehicle parking system 100 can determine a space without obstacles and / or objects interfering with parking as an idle space.

[0052] The electric vehicle parking system 100 can determine whether each of the idle spaces is an electric vehicle parking space A1, a regular vehicle parking space A2, or a non-parking space A3 (S610). The electric vehicle parking system 100 can determine whether an idle space is a non-parking space A3 based on the width w and length q of the idle space. For example, a space in which the width w in the idle space is less than a threshold width or the length q is less than a threshold length can be determined as a non-parking space A3.

[0053] If the width w of the idle space is greater than or equal to the threshold width and the length q is greater than or equal to the threshold length, the electric vehicle parking system 100 can determine the idle space as a parking space.

[0054] The electric vehicle parking system 100 can identify the electric vehicle identification 250. The electric vehicle parking system 100 determines the place where the electric vehicle identification 250 is detected in the idle space as the electric vehicle parking space A1. The electric vehicle identification 250 can be a symbol indicating that the corresponding space is the electric vehicle parking space A1. The electric vehicle identification 250 can indicate that the electric vehicle can be charged in the corresponding space. To determine whether a space is the electric vehicle parking space A1, the electric vehicle parking system 100 can employ an AI engine trained to identify the electric vehicle identification 250. To distinguish the electric vehicle parking space A1 from the ordinary vehicle parking space A2, the electric vehicle identification 250 can be displayed in various forms such as graphics, text, and other visual elements.

[0055] According to an embodiment, the electric vehicle identification 250 can be located on the ground of the idle space. According to an embodiment, the electric vehicle sign 250 can be located on the parking lot column 230 provided on one side of the idle space. According to an embodiment, the electric vehicle identification 250 can be displayed on the electric vehicle charging device 200 provided on one side of the idle space.

[0056] The electric vehicle parking system 100 can select one of the parking spaces determined as the electric vehicle parking space A1 as the target parking space 300 (S620). The controller 120 can arbitrarily select one of the idle spaces and designate the selected space as the target parking space 300. According to an embodiment, the controller 120 can select the space closest to the electric vehicle 270 in the idle space as the target parking space 300.

[0057] According to an embodiment, the electric vehicle parking system 100 can display the electric vehicle parking space A1, the ordinary vehicle parking space A2, and the non-parking space A3 on the user interface 130. According to an embodiment, the electric vehicle parking system 100 can select one of the space determined as the electric vehicle parking space A1 and the space determined as the ordinary vehicle parking space A2 as the target parking space 300 based on a signal from the user interface 130 of the passenger.

[0058] Specifically, the user interface 130 can display the electric vehicle parking space A1, the ordinary vehicle parking space A2, and the non-parking space A3, and the passenger can select one of the parking spaces as the target parking space 300. For example, the passenger can select the target parking space 300 by touching the electric vehicle parking space or the ordinary vehicle parking space displayed on the user interface 130.

[0059] The electric vehicle parking system 100 can detect the position of the electric vehicle charging device 200 corresponding to the target parking space 300 (S630). The electric vehicle parking system 100 can use the sensing data obtained by the sensor 110 to detect the position of the electric vehicle charging device 200. To detect the position of the electric vehicle charging device 200, the electric vehicle parking system 100 can use an AI engine trained to identify the electric vehicle charging device 200.

[0060] The electric vehicle parking system 120 can determine the parking direction and the parking trajectory 330 of the electric vehicle 270 relative to the target parking space 300 such that the charging port 320 of the electric vehicle is adjacent to and aligned with the position of the electric vehicle charging device 200 (S640). For example, as Figure 3A shown, when the charging port 320 of the electric vehicle is located on the right front side of the electric vehicle 270, the electric vehicle parking system 100 can determine the parking trajectory 330 such that the charging port 320 of the electric vehicle is close to the electric vehicle charging device 200. In this case, the parking direction is determined as the forward parking direction. This is because if the electric vehicle parks by reversing, the charging port 320 of the electric vehicle and the electric vehicle charging device 200 will be in opposite directions and the electric vehicle cannot be charged. The parking direction refers to the forward parking direction or the reverse parking direction. The forward parking direction refers to the moving direction of a vehicle parking forward. Forward parking refers to the parking method in which the front part of the vehicle enters the parking space first. Reverse parking refers to the parking method in which the rear part of the vehicle enters the parking space first. For example, Figure 3A and Figure 3B correspond to forward parking, while Figure 3C corresponds to reverse parking.

[0061] The electric vehicle parking system 100 can determine the parking trajectory 330 such that the electric vehicle 270 does not collide with other vehicles, parking lot columns, and objects or obstacles around the electric vehicle 270.

[0062] The parking trajectory 330 refers to the moving path of the electric vehicle 270 during parking. The left line L and the right line R are virtual lines indicating the moving paths of the ends of the doors when the doors of the electric vehicle 270 are fully opened.

[0063] The left line L is located at a first reference distance D to the left of the parking trajectory 330. The right line R is located at a first reference distance D to the right of the parking trajectory 330. Here, the first reference distance D can be the distance from the parking trajectory 330 to the end of the door when the doors of the electric vehicle 270 are fully opened.

[0064] The electric vehicle parking system 100 can detect the alighting interval and non-alighting interval on the parking trajectory 330 (S650). The parking trajectory 330 can include an alighting interval and a non-alighting interval. The alighting interval refers to an interval where there are no obstacles and / or objects around the electric vehicle 270 and passengers can alight from the electric vehicle 270. The non-alighting interval refers to an interval where there are obstacles and / or objects around the electric vehicle 270 and passengers cannot or have difficulty alighting from the electric vehicle 270.

[0065] According to an embodiment, the electric vehicle parking system 100 can detect the alighting interval based on the left line L and the right line R. The alighting interval refers to an interval where there are no obstacles and / or objects between the left line L and the right line R. If there are no obstacles and / or objects within a first reference distance D from the parking trajectory 330, the electric vehicle parking system 100 can determine the corresponding interval as the alighting interval. If there are obstacles and / or objects within a first reference distance D from the parking trajectory 330, the electric vehicle parking system 100 can determine the corresponding interval as the non-alighting interval.

[0066] For example, as Figure 3A shown, if there are no obstacles and / or objects between the left line L and the right line R along the entire parking trajectory 330, the entire parking trajectory 330 becomes the alighting interval. When the parking process is completed within the target parking space 300, since the distance e1 from the parking trajectory 330 to another vehicle 310 is greater than the first reference distance D, passengers can alight from the electric vehicle 270 after the parking process is completely finished.

[0067] For example, as Figure 3B shown, the parking trajectory 330 includes an alighting interval and a non-alighting interval. In Figure 3B this case, since the non-alighting interval exists within the target parking space 300, when the electric vehicle 270 enters the target parking space 300 by more than a predetermined distance, passengers cannot or have difficulty alighting from the electric vehicle 270. Specifically, for the non-alighting interval, another vehicle 310 (as an obstacle) is located between the left line L and the right line R. In other words, for the non-alighting interval, since the distance e2 from the parking trajectory 330 to another vehicle 310 is less than the first reference distance D, passengers cannot fully open the door. Therefore, passengers cannot or have difficulty alighting from the electric vehicle.

[0068] The electric vehicle parking system 100 can move the electric vehicle 270 along a parking trajectory 330 to a target parking space 300 so that the electric vehicle 270 can be parked within the target parking space 300 (S660). Step S660 may include stopping the electric vehicle 270 that is moving towards the target parking space 300 at a point on the alighting section, and after all passengers of the electric vehicle 270 have alighted, moving the electric vehicle 270 again. For example, step S660 may include stopping the electric vehicle 270 when a part of the electric vehicle enters the target parking space 300, and moving the electric vehicle 270 again after all passengers of the electric vehicle 270 have alighted. When the electric vehicle 270 stops to allow passengers to alight during step S660, the electric vehicle parking system 100 may use the user interface 130 provided inside the electric vehicle 270 to provide guidance for the passengers of the electric vehicle 270 to alight.

[0069] When the electric vehicle 270 is fully parked in the target parking space 300, the electric vehicle charging device 200 can detect the position of the charging port 320 of the electric vehicle, and can connect the charging connector to the charging port 320 of the electric vehicle (S670). Alternatively, the electric vehicle charging device 200 may be configured to enable the user to manually operate the electric vehicle charging device 200 to connect to the charging port 320 of the electric vehicle. In this case, the user of the electric vehicle 270 can directly connect the charging connector of the electric vehicle charging device 200 to the charging port 320 of the electric vehicle, and then can perform the charging process.

[0070] Reference Figure 7 A more detailed description of step S660 will be given.

[0071] The electric vehicle parking system 100 can determine whether there is a non-alighting section within the target parking space 300 (S700). For example, although in Figure 3A 's case, there is no non-alighting section within the target parking space 300, but in Figure 3B and Figure 3C 's cases, there is a non-alighting section within the target parking space 300 (e2 < D, e3 < D).

[0072] The electric vehicle parking system 100 executes step S700. If it is determined that there is no non-alighting section within the target parking space 300 (No in S700), the process of parking the electric vehicle 270 within the target parking space 300 is completed (S740). In this case, after the electric vehicle 270 is fully parked within the target parking space 300, the electric vehicle parking system 100 can guide the passengers of the electric vehicle 270 to alight. For example, after the electric vehicle 270 is fully parked, information guiding the alighting process may be displayed on the user interface 130.

[0073] If it is determined during the execution of step S700 that there is a non-disembarkable area within the target parking space 300 (Yes in S700), the electric vehicle parking system 100 may stop the electric vehicle 270 before the electric vehicle 270 enters the non-disembarkable area (S710). If the electric vehicle 270 enters the non-disembarkable area, it will be impossible or difficult for the passengers to disembark. Therefore, the electric vehicle 270 is moved before it is about to enter the non-disembarkable area, and then the electric vehicle 270 stops to allow the passengers to disembark. As described above, the electric vehicle 270 moves until it is about to enter the non-disembarkable area and then stops, which helps the effective management of vehicle traffic in the parking lot.

[0074] According to an embodiment, when performing forward parking, the disembarkable area may be determined based on the front seat doors, as Figure 3B shown. In other words, the disembarkable area is limited to the parking trajectory 330 where the front seat doors can be fully opened.

[0075] According to an embodiment, when performing reverse parking with a passenger in the rear seat, the disembarkable area may be determined based on the rear seat doors, as Figure 3C shown. In other words, the disembarkable area is limited to the parking trajectory 330 where the rear seat doors can be fully opened.

[0076] According to an embodiment, when performing reverse parking with no passenger in the rear seat, different from Figure 3C the case, the disembarkable area may be determined based on the front seat doors. In this case, the disembarkable area may be determined up to the position where the front seat doors are fully opened, and the length of the disembarkable area will be longer than that calculated based on the rear seat doors. In other words, the electric vehicle 270 stops after entering the target parking space 300 more.

[0077] According to another embodiment, the electric vehicle 270 may be stopped before the C-pillar of the electric vehicle 270 enters the target parking space 300, rather than stopping the electric vehicle 270 before it enters the non-disembarkable area. For example, when there is a passenger in the rear seat of the electric vehicle 270 during reverse parking, the electric vehicle 270 may stop just before the C-pillar enters the target parking space 300, enabling the passengers to disembark easily.

[0078] After the electric vehicle 270 stops, the electric vehicle parking system 100 may perform disembarkation guidance using the user interface 130 (S720). For example, the user interface 130 may display information for guiding the passengers to disembark (see Figure 5 ). As Figure 5 shown, the user interface 130 may provide reminder information prompting the passengers to carry the vehicle remote control device when getting off the vehicle.

[0079] After all passengers have alighted, the electric vehicle parking system 100 moves the electric vehicle 270 again (S730). When it is confirmed that the passengers have alighted and the vehicle doors are closed, the electric vehicle parking system 100 may move the electric vehicle 270 again. The sensor 110 may detect the alighting of the passengers and the closing of the vehicle doors. Part of step S730 may also be performed using a vehicle remote control device. For example, part of step S730 may also be performed using a smart key or a digital key equivalent to a vehicle remote control device. The smart key and the digital key are merely examples of tools for remotely controlling a vehicle, and it should be noted that the vehicle remote control device according to the present disclosure is not limited to a smart key. For example, a passenger in the electric vehicle 270 may manually move the electric vehicle 270 again using a vehicle remote control device. For example, the passenger may alight with the smart key, close the vehicle doors of the electric vehicle 270, and press a button on the smart key to move the electric vehicle 270.

[0080] The electric vehicle parking system 100 completes the process of parking the electric vehicle 270 in the target parking space 300 (S740).

[0081] According to an embodiment, when the ordinary vehicle parking space A2 is selected as the target parking space 300, the electric vehicle parking system 100 may generate a parking trajectory 330 for performing reverse parking. In this case, the electric vehicle parking system 100 may perform reverse parking and park the electric vehicle 270 in the target parking space 300.

[0082] Alternatively, according to an embodiment, when the ordinary vehicle parking space A2 is selected as the target parking space 300, the electric vehicle parking system 100 may generate a parking trajectory for charging the electric vehicle 270 without generating a parking trajectory for performing reverse parking. For example, when the ordinary vehicle parking space A2 is selected as the target parking space, if there is a parking lot column 230 equipped with an electric vehicle charging device 200 on one side of the selected ordinary vehicle parking space A2, the controller 120 of the electric vehicle parking system 100 may detect the position of the electric vehicle charging device 200 installed on the parking lot column 230; may determine the parking direction and parking trajectory of the electric vehicle 270 so that the charging port 320 of the electric vehicle is close to the position of the electric vehicle charging device 200; and control the electric vehicle 270 to move along the parking trajectory to the target parking space.

[0083] In other words, even if the ordinary vehicle parking space A2 is selected as the target parking space, if there is a parking lot column 230 equipped with an electric vehicle charging device 200 adjacent to the ordinary vehicle parking space A2, the controller 120 may perform automatic parking for charging the electric vehicle 270.

[0084] The various embodiments of the systems and techniques described herein can be implemented as digital electronic circuits, integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These different embodiments can include one or more computer programs that can be executed on a programmable system. The programmable system includes at least one programmable processor (which can be a dedicated processor or a general-purpose processor), which is coupled to receive data and instructions from a storage system and to send data and instructions to the storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device. A computer program (also referred to as a program, software, software application, or code) contains commands for the programmable processor and is stored in a "computer-readable recording medium".

[0085] A computer-readable recording medium includes all types of recording devices that store data readable by a computer system. Such computer-readable recording media can be non-volatile or non-transitory media, such as ROM, CD-ROM, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, memory cards, hard disks, magneto-optical disks, or storage devices, and can also include transitory media, such as data transmission media. In addition, the computer-readable recording medium can be distributed among computer systems connected via a network, such that the computer-readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

[0086] The various embodiments of the systems and techniques described herein can be embodied by a programmable computer. Here, the computer includes a programmable processor, a data storage system (including volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or other types of storage systems or combinations thereof), and at least one communication interface. For example, the programmable computer can be one of a server, a network device, a set-top box, an embedded device, a computer expansion module, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cloud computing system, or a mobile device.

[0087] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described for illustrative purposes, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that various modifications, additions, and substitutions can be made without departing from the concept and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, for the sake of brevity and clarity, the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described. The scope of the technical idea of the present embodiments is not limited by the illustrations. Therefore, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the scope of the present disclosure should not be defined by the embodiments explicitly described above, but by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for parking an electric vehicle, comprising the following steps: generating sensing data by sensing the surrounding environment of the electric vehicle; searching for free space using the sensing data; determining whether a vacant space among the plurality of vacant spaces is an electric vehicle parking space, a regular vehicle parking space, or a space where parking is not permitted; selecting the determined electric vehicle parking space as a target parking space; detecting a position of an electric vehicle charging device corresponding to the target parking space; determining a parking direction and a parking trajectory of the electric vehicle relative to the target parking space so that a charging port of the electric vehicle is close to a position of the electric vehicle charging device; as well as The electric vehicle is moved along the parking trajectory to the target parking space.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Determining whether a vacant space among a plurality of vacant spaces is an electric vehicle parking space, a regular vehicle parking space, or a space where parking is not allowed includes: In response to determining that the width of the free space is less than a threshold width or the length of the free space is less than a threshold length, the free space is determined as a space where parking is not possible.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Determining whether a vacant space among a plurality of vacant spaces is an electric vehicle parking space, a regular vehicle parking space, or a space where parking is not allowed includes: In response to determining that an electric vehicle logo is recognized in the vacant space, the vacant space is determined to be an electric vehicle parking space.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The electric vehicle logo is located on the ground of the vacant space, or on a parking lot pillar at one side of the vacant space.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The parking direction includes a forward parking direction or a reverse parking direction.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Before the electric vehicle is moved to the target parking space along the parking trajectory, a vehicle-get-off-allowed section and a vehicle-get-off-unallowed section on the parking trajectory are detected.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: The get-off section is a section of the parking trajectory where no obstacle exists within a first reference distance from the parking trajectory, and The non-get-off section is a section of the parking trajectory where an obstacle exists within a first reference distance from the parking trajectory.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein: The step of moving the electric vehicle along the parking trajectory to the target parking space includes: Stopping the electric vehicle moving toward the target parking space at a certain point in the get-off possible section; and After all passengers of the electric vehicle have gotten off, the electric vehicle is moved again.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein: When the non-get-off zone is located inside the target parking space, moving the electric vehicle along the parking trajectory to the target parking space includes: In response to determining that a portion of the electric vehicle enters the target parking space, stopping the electric vehicle; and After all passengers of the electric vehicle have gotten off, the electric vehicle is moved again.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein: The step of moving the electric vehicle along the parking trajectory to the target parking space includes: After the electric vehicle moving toward the target parking space is stopped at a certain point in the get-off possible section, a passenger of the electric vehicle is guided to get off using a user interface provided inside the electric vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein: When the non-get-off zone is located inside the target parking space, moving the electric vehicle along the parking trajectory to the target parking space includes: Before the electric vehicle enters the no-get-off zone, stopping the electric vehicle; and After all passengers of the electric vehicle have gotten off, the electric vehicle is moved again.

12. The method according to claim 6, wherein: When there is a passenger on the rear seat of the electric vehicle and the non-get-off zone is located inside the target parking space, moving the electric vehicle along the parking trajectory to the target parking space includes: During reverse parking, stopping the electric vehicle before a C-pillar of the electric vehicle enters the target parking space; and After all passengers of the electric vehicle have gotten off, the electric vehicle is moved again.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The electric vehicle charging device detects the position of the charging port of the electric vehicle; as well as The electric vehicle charging device connects a charging connector to a charging port of the electric vehicle.

14. An electric vehicle charging system comprising: a sensor configured to sense the surrounding environment of the electric vehicle and generate sensing data; as well as A controller configured to: searching for a free space around the electric vehicle using the sensing data, determining whether a vacant space among a plurality of vacant spaces is an electric vehicle parking space, a regular vehicle parking space, or a space where parking is not allowed, selecting one of the determined parking space for electric vehicles and the determined parking space for ordinary vehicles as a target parking space, When the target parking space is the determined electric vehicle parking space, detecting a position of the electric vehicle charging device corresponding to the target parking space, determining the parking direction and parking trajectory of the electric vehicle relative to the target parking space so that the charging port of the electric vehicle is close to the position of the electric vehicle charging device, and The electric vehicle is moved along the parking trajectory to the target parking space.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising: A user interface is configured to distinguish and display electric vehicle parking spaces, ordinary vehicle parking spaces, and spaces where parking is not allowed.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein: The controller is configured to select one of the determined parking space for the electric vehicle and the determined parking space for the general vehicle as the target parking space based on a signal of the user interface.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein: When the determined ordinary vehicle parking space is selected as the target parking space, and there is a parking lot pillar on one side of the selected ordinary vehicle parking space where an electric vehicle charging device is installed, the controller is configured to: detecting the position of the electric vehicle charging device mounted on the parking lot pillar; determining a parking direction and a parking trajectory of the electric vehicle relative to the target parking space so that a charging port of the electric vehicle is close to a position of the electric vehicle charging device; as well as The electric vehicle is moved along the parking trajectory to the target parking space.

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