Controller and method for assessing a parking space of a vehicle

Abstract

A controller 102 to assess a parking spot 104 of a vehicle 100. The controller 102 is configured to detect the parking spot 104 using at least one camera installed in the vehicle 100. The controller 102 determines a virtual parking position of the vehicle 100 based on a trajectory planning. The trajectory planning takes into account predetermined vehicle 100 parameters. The controller 102 determines characteristics of the parking spot 104 using at least one perception sensor installed in the vehicle 100. The controller 102 uses the characteristics of the parking spot 104 to determine a probability of presence of an obstacle while opening at least one door 304 of the vehicle 100 in the virtual parking position and informs the driver accordingly. The controller 102 determines the obstacle before the vehicle 100 is parked in the parking spot 104. The timely decision of the driver avoids unnecessary trouble and saves fuel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a controller and method for evaluating parking spaces for vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, drivers face numerous challenges when it comes to finding and correctly parking their vehicles. Once parked, drivers often find it difficult to open the door due to obstructions. Because of these obstructions, drivers must retrieve their vehicles and search for another parking spot, which may then present the same problems. This results in wasted time, dents in the doors, wasted fuel, and more.

[0003] According to prior art US2023016676, a vehicle with parking assistance includes multiple electrically operated closing doors, each door having an actuator for moving the door between closed and open positions, multiple sensors located on the vehicle for sensing objects relative to the vehicle and generating sensed signals indicating the sensed objects, and a transceiver for communicating with the parked vehicle. The vehicle also includes a controller that processes the sensed signals, determines the distance and position of the sensed objects relative to the doors, and determines the parking position of the vehicle in a garage, where, when in the open position, the closing doors do not contact objects in the garage and do not contact the electrically operated closing doors on the parked vehicle. An output is provided to assist the vehicle driver in parking the vehicle in the determined parking position within the garage. Attached Figure Description

[0004] Embodiments of this disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0005] Figure 1 The diagram illustrates a block diagram of a controller for evaluating a vehicle's parking space according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 The illustrations depict different stages of the process performed according to the present invention throughout the evaluation of a vehicle's parking space, and Figure 3 The illustration depicts a vehicle with an obstacle highlighted on any of the doors according to an embodiment of the invention. Detailed Implementation

[0006] Figure 1A block diagram of a controller for evaluating a vehicle's parking space according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The controller 102 is configured to detect a parking space 104 using at least one camera installed in the vehicle 100. The controller 102 determines the virtual parking position of the vehicle 100 in the parking space 104 based on real-time trajectory planning, and the trajectory planning takes into account predetermined vehicle 100 parameters. The controller 102 is characterized by being configured to determine the characteristics of the parking space 104 using at least one sensing sensor installed in the vehicle 100. The controller 102 is configured to use the characteristics of the parking space 104 to determine the probability of an obstacle being present when opening at least one door 304 of the vehicle 100 in the virtual parking position, and accordingly notify the driver. This notification is displayed on a display screen of the vehicle 100 or on a connected device such as a smartphone or tablet.

[0007] The at least one camera is mounted on any one or more different parts of the vehicle 100, such as the front of the vehicle 100, the rear of the vehicle 100, the two rearview mirrors, or any other part of the vehicle 100. The at least one camera is part of a panoramic system or a 360-degree camera system. The perception sensor is configured to detect one or more instances of objects, such as other vehicles or stationary objects, that are close to the vehicle 100. The perception sensor detects the surroundings of the vehicle 100, and the controller 102 communicates with a proximity sensor, which evaluates the parking space 104 and determines the probability of an obstacle being present when at least one door 304 of the vehicle 100 is opened. The perception sensor may include, but is not limited to, cameras, radar, lidar, microphones, or any combination thereof. The controller 102 notifies the driver, who then makes a timely decision.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the controller 102 identifies obstacles before the vehicle 100 is parked in the parking space 104. Timely identification of obstacles helps the driver decide whether to park the vehicle 100 or find a new parking space 104. This timely decision avoids unnecessary trouble and saves fuel.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, predetermined vehicle parameters are selected from a group consisting of vehicle length 306, vehicle width 308, length of door 304, width of door 304, trunk door of vehicle 100, and ground clearance, etc. Taking these vehicle parameters into account, controller 102 determines obstacles that would allow opening of door 304 before vehicle 100 is parked. Controller 102 uses augmented reality to display a three-dimensional (3D) model of the virtual parked vehicle. The three-dimensional model of vehicle 100 can be viewed from different angles. Augmented reality-based programs or applications use cameras and perception sensors installed in vehicle 100 and add virtual objects to the real world, overlaying road view information on displays within the vehicle. Information can be viewed on the windshield, infotainment display, any additional screens installed in vehicle 100, etc. This provides the driver with the option to zoom in or out on any part of the three-dimensional view of the parked vehicle 100. Once vehicle 100 is parked, the option to view vehicle 100 from different angles helps the driver determine the relationship between door 304 and obstacles. For example, if there is an obstruction in the left rear door 304 and the passenger is sitting in the right rear seat, the driver can make a decision with confidence by referring to the three-dimensional view.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the invention, based on the severity of the obstacle and the space available to open the door 304, multiple colors 302 are used to highlight the door 304 in a virtual vehicle positioned in a parking location, which is displayed to the driver in a three-dimensional view. The door 304 with obstacles when opened is highlighted using colors 302. A door 304 highlighted with red 302 indicates a high chance of collision with another vehicle or nearby vehicle or object. A door 304 highlighted with yellow 302 indicates a moderate chance of collision, and in the case of green 302 or no color, there is no chance of collision with the door 304, and there is sufficient space to open the door 304. The color 302 encoding is situation-specific and can be changed based on user preferences. This color 302 encoding helps the driver make decisions easily. The colors 302 are displayed in real-time on the virtual parked vehicle for quick and easy decision-making.

[0011] According to embodiments of the present invention, controller 102 is provided with necessary signal detection, acquisition, and processing circuitry. Controller 102 is a controller comprising input interfaces connected to each other and to other components via a communication bus channel, output interfaces with pins or ports, memory elements such as random access memory (RAM) and / or read-only memory (ROM), analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs), clocks, timers, counters, and at least one processor (capable of implementing machine learning). The memory elements (not shown) pre-store logic or instructions or programs or applications or modules / models and / or thresholds / ranges, reference values, predefined / predetermined criteria / conditions, which are accessed by the at least one processor according to defined routines. The internal components of controller 102 are not described as prior art and should not be interpreted in a limiting manner. Controller 102 may also include communication units such as transceivers for communication via wireless or wired means, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), 3G, 4G, 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, serial networks, and the like. The controller 102 may be implemented as a system-in-package (SiP), a system-on-a-chip (SOC), or any other known type. Examples of the controller 102 include, but are not limited to, microcontrollers, microprocessors, microcomputers, electronic control units (ECUs), etc.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the invention, the operation of controller 102 is envisioned. Consider a vehicle 100, such as a car, being driven in a parking area. The controller 102 of the car is enabled to evaluate the parking space 104 of the vehicle 100. When the car enters the parking area, controller 102 detects parking space 104 (or multiple parking spaces) using at least one camera installed in the vehicle 100. Upon detection, controller 102 determines a virtual parking position of the vehicle 100 in parking space 104 based on trajectory planning. Controller 102 uses at least one sensing sensor installed in the vehicle 100 to determine the characteristics of parking space 104. The sensing sensor identifies objects around the vehicle 100. Based on the output of the sensing sensor, controller 102 calculates the probability that an obstacle exists when opening at least one door 304 of the vehicle 100 in the virtual parking position, and notifies the driver accordingly.

[0013] According to the present invention, controller 102 uses augmented reality to display a three-dimensional model of a virtually parked vehicle 100, which is shown from different angles. The three-dimensional display provides the option to zoom in or out on any part of the view. The display shows obstacles during the opening of a door 304, encoded with different colors 302. When there is no space or insufficient space when the door 304 is opened, the door 304 is highlighted with red 302. When there is sufficient space, the door 304 is highlighted with green 302. This information helps the driver make decisions when bringing the vehicle 100 to the parking space 104. If the vehicle 100 is equipped with a remote parking feature, controller 102 suggests that the driver use the remote parking feature to park the vehicle 100. If the remote parking feature is unavailable, controller 102 provides the driver with appropriate warning messages, which helps the driver make informed decisions and avoid unnecessary trouble.

[0014] According to the present invention, parking spaces 104 are located indoors or outdoors, i.e., inside buildings, houses, offices, ground, outside shops, shopping malls, theaters, etc. These parking spaces have walls surrounding the parking space 104, surrounding vehicles within and around the parking space 104, or any other type of temporary or permanent structure or object that acts as an obstacle when any of the vehicle doors 304 are opened. Due to these obstacles, there is insufficient space to open the doors 304 until the driver can determine this until the vehicle 100 is parked. Because this situation is not perceived, once the driver brings the vehicle 100 into the parking space, he needs to spend time retrieving the vehicle 100 and finding a new parking space 104 again. This problem persists until the driver finds a new parking space 104 with sufficient space.

[0015] According to the present invention, the controller 102 uses at least one camera installed in the vehicle 100 to detect the parking space 104. The parking space 104 is also detected by using different sensing sensors installed in the vehicle 100 or by using a combination of information received by the camera and sensing sensors. The sensing sensors are selected from the group consisting of ultrasonic sensors, radar, or sensors of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Before the vehicle 100 is inside the parking space 104, the controller 102 receives input and evaluates the parking space 104.

[0016] According to the present invention, a controller 102 and a method for predicting and evaluating parking spaces 104 for a vehicle 100 are disclosed. The controller 102 uses at least one camera installed in the vehicle 100 to detect the parking space 104 and uses the characteristics of the parking space 104 to determine the probability of an obstacle being present when opening at least one door 304 of the vehicle 100 in a virtual parking position, and notifies the driver accordingly. The controller 102 identifies obstacles before the vehicle 100 is parked in the parking space 104 and uses augmented reality to display a three-dimensional model of the virtually parked vehicle 100 to the driver from different angles. If there is insufficient space to open the door 304, the controller 102 provides a warning message to the driver. This information helps the driver make informed decisions and avoid unnecessary trouble. This saves time and avoids collisions and dents in the vehicle 100 when there is insufficient space in the parking space 104.

[0017] Figure 2 The illustration shows different stages of the process performed according to the invention for evaluating a parking space for a vehicle 100. The method includes multiple steps, wherein step 202 includes the controller 102 detecting a parking space 104 using at least one camera mounted in the vehicle 100. Step 204 includes the controller 102 determining a virtual parking position of the vehicle 100 in the parking space 104 based on trajectory planning, the trajectory planning taking into account predetermined vehicle 100 parameters. The method is characterized by step 206, which includes the controller 102 determining characteristics of the parking space 104 using at least one of the sensing sensors mounted in the vehicle 100. Step 208 includes the controller 102 using the characteristics of the parking space 104 to calculate the probability of an obstacle present when opening at least one door 304 of the vehicle 100 in the determined virtual parking position, and notifying the driver accordingly.

[0018] According to the method, step 208 includes identifying obstacles before the vehicle 100 is parked in the parking space 104. The method includes determining the virtual parking position of the vehicle 100 in the parking space 104 by the controller 102 based on trajectory planning, wherein the trajectory planning takes into account predetermined vehicle parameters. The predetermined vehicle parameters are selected from the group consisting of vehicle length 306 and vehicle width 308, the length and width of the doors 304, and the height of the vehicle trunk partition door, ground clearance, etc. The method further includes displaying a three-dimensional model of the virtually parked vehicle 100 by the controller 102 using augmented reality. The three-dimensional model of the vehicle 100 is observable from different angles. The method further includes highlighting the doors 304 using multiple colors 302 based on the severity of the obstacle when at least one of the doors 304 is opened and the space available to open the doors 304. This information is displayed to the driver, which helps in making a decision before the vehicle 100 is parked in the parking space 104. This decision avoids the unnecessary effort of parking vehicle 100 in parking space 104 where there is insufficient space when the door 304 is opened.

[0019] Figure 3 The illustration depicts a vehicle 100 with obstacles on a door 304 according to an embodiment of the present invention. A highlighted portion on the door 304 shows the obstacles when the door 304 is opened. These obstacles are displayed to the driver, indicating insufficient space. For illustrative purposes, only one side of the door 304 is shown in the figure, and the controller 102 displays this information to the driver. This information helps the driver make timely decisions and avoids unnecessary parking of the vehicle 100 in a parking space 104 with insufficient space.

[0020] It should be understood that the embodiments described above are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the invention. Many such embodiments, as well as other modifications and variations of the embodiments described, are contemplated. The scope of the invention is defined only by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A controller (102) for evaluating a parking space (104) of a vehicle (100), said controller (102) being configured to: a. Use at least one camera installed in the vehicle (100) to detect the parking space (104). b. Determining the virtual parking position of the vehicle (100) in the parking space (104) based on trajectory planning, wherein the trajectory planning considers predetermined vehicle (100) parameters, characterized in that, c. Use at least one sensing sensor installed in the vehicle (100) to determine the characteristics of the parking space (104); d. Using the characteristics of the parking space (104), determine the probability (304) of the presence of an obstacle when opening at least one door (304) of the vehicle (100) in the virtual parking location, and notify the driver accordingly.

2. The controller (102) according to claim 1, which determines the obstacle before the vehicle (100) is parked in the parking space (104).

3. The controller (102) according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined vehicle parameters are selected from the group including vehicle length (306) and vehicle width (308), the length and width of the side door (304) of the vehicle (100), and the opening height of the trunk door of the vehicle (100).

4. The controller (102) according to claim 1, using augmented reality to display a three-dimensional model of the virtually parked vehicle (100) on a display screen, wherein the three-dimensional model of the vehicle (100) is observable from different angles.

5. The controller (102) according to claim 4, wherein within the three-dimensional model, the door (304) is highlighted using multiple colors (302) based on the severity of the obstacle and the space available to open the door (304).

6. A method for evaluating a parking space (104) for a vehicle (100), the method being performed by a controller (102), the method comprising the following steps: a. Use at least one camera installed in the vehicle (100) to detect parking spaces (104). b. Determining the virtual parking position of the vehicle (100) in the parking space (104) based on trajectory planning, wherein the trajectory planning considers predetermined vehicle parameters, the method is characterized in that... c. Use at least one of the sensing sensors installed in the vehicle (100) to determine the characteristics of the parking space (104); d. Using the characteristics of the parking space (104), determine the probability that an obstacle exists when opening at least one door (304) of the vehicle (100) in the determined virtual parking location, and notify the driver accordingly.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising identifying obstacles before the vehicle (100) is parked in the parking space (104).

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined vehicle parameters are selected from the group consisting of vehicle length (306) and vehicle width (308), the length and width of the side door (304) of the vehicle (100), and the opening height of the trunk door of the vehicle (100).

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising using augmented reality to display a three-dimensional model of the virtually parked vehicle (100) on a display screen, wherein the three-dimensional model of the vehicle (100) is observable from different angles.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising highlighting the door (304) using multiple colors (302) based on the severity of the obstacle and the space available to open the door (304).

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