Methods and systems for automatic parking of vehicles

CN122575162APending Publication Date: 2026-08-14FORD GLOBAL TECH LLC
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2026-02-06
Publication Date
2026-08-14

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

[0014]然而,上述描述的已知设计方案具有缺点,即它们只能与配备适当的自动驾驶车辆以及同样配备适当的相应停车场一起运行

Benefits of technology

[0016]The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved method, and in particular a system, for optimizing parking lot utilization.

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Abstract

This invention relates to a method and system for optimizing parking lots (PFs) by moving vehicles using driving, braking, and steering to dynamically reduce the spacing between vehicles parked in a given parking lot (PF), wherein the parking lot (PF) is continuous, accessible, and unobstructed, and its dimensions are designed to accommodate multiple vehicles parked side-by-side and in front of each other. The invention proposes the simultaneous parking of automated driving vehicles (AFFs) and non-automated driving vehicles (NAFs), wherein the automated driving vehicles (AFFs) are parked in front of and behind each other in at least one parking row (RA) along the direction of travel, and the automated driving vehicles (AFFs) and / or non-automated driving vehicles (NAFs) are parked in front of and behind each other in at least one additional parking row (GR) along the direction of travel, wherein the parking operation is controlled by a control center.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for optimizing a parking lot by dynamically reducing the spacing between vehicles, the method having the features of the preamble of claim 1; and a system for optimizing a parking lot by dynamically reducing the spacing between vehicles, the system having the features of the preamble of claim 11. Background Technology

[0002] In many large cities, existing parking spaces are insufficient to accommodate all vehicles that need to be parked. Drivers have developed a new parking method to better utilize available space. They park their vehicles in a way that blocks other cars, but leave them in neutral without engaging the parking brake. This allows other drivers to manually move these vehicles by pushing them. They can thus create the necessary space to drive away. However, the number of vehicles that need to be moved varies depending on the situation, and sometimes a driver may need to move multiple vehicles to create enough space to drive away. This can be very tedious and time-consuming, and sometimes it is unclear which vehicles need to be pushed to create the necessary space to leave. Furthermore, drivers often cannot avoid collisions when pushing their vehicles, which is why most drivers place foam blocks around their vehicles.

[0003] Utilizing automated valet parking or other automated vehicle control functions can yield even better results. Vehicles can be parked in a denser pattern, improving overall efficiency without requiring a driver to move other vehicles. In principle, the system can utilize all available space, reserving only a portion for operation. With automation, vehicles can be parked very close together because a human driver doesn't need to get in or out. However, only fully autonomous vehicles can be used for this purpose.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish between the following two systems: - An infrastructure-based valet parking system in which detection, sensing, and control are centrally executed by an intelligent infrastructure (control center) that remotely controls the corresponding vehicles, which must be equipped with appropriate onboard devices for this purpose. This will be referred to below as IX Valet Parking.

[0005] - A vehicle-based valet parking system in which all detection, sensing, and control functions are performed autonomously by the vehicle using its onboard systems, including sensors and control devices. No interaction with infrastructure (control center) is required. This will be referred to as vehicle valet parking below.

[0006] Using automated valet parking, the driver leaves the vehicle at the drop-off point and activates a function that allows the vehicle to park itself within the parking lot. The vehicle then automatically drives to the parking lot and parks in a specific location. This location is provided by on-site intelligent infrastructure (IX Valet Parking) or a more advanced cloud system; this cloud system determines the current status of parked vehicles and parking spaces within the parking lot and can arrange parking accordingly. The cloud system receives all parking requests from the driver and forwards them to the vehicle. The cloud system maintains a parking lot map and tracks vehicle occupancy based on the requests transmitted to the vehicle. In the case of IX Valet Parking, the IX system can directly track occupancy using its sensors.

[0007] When a user wants to retrieve their vehicle, they activate the feature en route to the parking lot. Based on an occupancy map, the system determines the necessary route to move the requested vehicle from the parking lot, and, if necessary, which vehicles need to be moved. The system then instructs the appropriate automated vehicles to move so the requested vehicle can leave and proceed to the pick-up point. Other automated vehicles can then return to their original location or a new location designated by the system. If the retrieval order is placed promptly, the vehicle should be waiting at the pick-up point when the driver arrives.

[0008] To streamline the process, the parking system should include a scheduling system. This requires drivers to specify an expected pick-up time when requesting to return their vehicles. The system then uses this expected pick-up time to plan parking, placing vehicles needing to leave earlier at the edge of the parking lot and those to be picked up later inside. This minimizes the number of vehicles that must be moved to make room for other vehicles, thus reducing the time required for vehicles to leave the parking lot. The system can also reschedule vehicles periodically if too many new vehicles arrive simultaneously, or if schedules change (e.g., a driver subsequently changes their expected pick-up time).

[0009] Figure 15 illustrates an example of such an efficient parking scheme known in the prior art. Apart from some areas required for maneuvering on three sides of the block, the entire space of the parking lot PF is used to park multiple autonomous vehicles FN (N greater than or equal to 1). An arriving autonomous vehicle F1 enters the parking lot at drop-off point AO, travels around the block, and parks in an available location (parking space PL) assigned to it by the control center (specifically, the cloud of the IX system).

[0010] As shown in Figures 16 to 19, if an autonomous vehicle F2 needs to leave, all autonomous vehicles parked in parking row R (Figure 17) automatically move out of parking row R. The departing autonomous vehicle F2 reaches the edge of parking lot PF (Figure 18), while the remaining autonomous vehicles F cycle and return to their parking rows R. Due to the departure of autonomous vehicle F2, a parking space PL is left in parking row R, which can be reused (Figure 19).

[0011] If the above-mentioned automatic parking system is compared with the ordinary parking system, the vehicle capacity of the same parking lot, that is, its parking density, can be significantly improved (see Figures 20 and 21).

[0012] The above methods have been described in the prior art, for example see US10303182B2, US10317911B2, US10490077B2 and US2017 / 0212511A1.

[0013] DE102017212162A1 discloses a method for optimizing parking space by dynamically reducing the spacing between motor vehicles parked in a given parking lot through automatically moving the vehicle using driving, braking, and steering, wherein: - This method is only applicable to vehicles equipped with direct communication capabilities. - The parking lot is continuous and unobstructed, and its dimensions are designed to accommodate multiple vehicles parked side-by-side or in front of each other. Each vehicle has a master control system and a slave control system. Only one system is active in each vehicle within the parking lot. A master-slave relationship exists between the vehicles in the parking lot, such that exactly one vehicle computer (acting as the master) serves as the master computer for all the other vehicle computers (acting as slaves). - The main control system controls the slave control system to perform parking and departure operations for individual vehicles, as well as the automatic movement of parked motor vehicles to optimize parking space, wherein the movement of parked motor vehicles is performed in rows, and at least one access lane with variable position and width is maintained between rows of parked vehicles.

[0014] However, the known designs described above have a drawback: they can only operate with appropriately equipped autonomous vehicles and corresponding parking lots. Non-autonomous vehicles cannot use such equipped parking lots.

[0015] In view of the above, and in light of the existing technologies presented, there is still room for improvement in methods for optimizing parking lots by dynamically reducing the distance between vehicles, particularly in the system field. Summary of the Invention

[0016] The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved method, and in particular a system, for optimizing parking lot utilization.

[0017] According to the present invention, the method portion of the above-described objective is achieved by a method for optimizing a parking lot by dynamically reducing the spacing between vehicles, the method having the features of claim 1. The apparatus portion of the above-described objective is achieved by a system having the features of claim 11.

[0018] This disclosure proposes a method for optimizing parking lots by moving vehicles using driving, braking, and steering to dynamically reduce the spacing between vehicles parked in a given parking lot, wherein the parking lot is continuous, accessible, and unobstructed, and its dimensions are designed to accommodate multiple vehicles parked side-by-side and in front of each other. The invention proposes the simultaneous parking of autonomous and non-autonomous vehicles, wherein autonomous vehicles are parked in at least one parking row along the direction of travel, and autonomous and / or non-autonomous vehicles are parked in at least one additional parking row along the direction of travel, and the parking process is controlled by a control center.

[0019] Advantageous embodiments are disclosed in the dependent claims.

[0020] It should be noted that the features and measures listed individually in the following description can be combined with each other in any technically reasonable manner, and disclose further embodiments of the invention. This description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, further characterizes and defines the invention. The term "multiple vehicles" in the sense of this invention refers to more than one vehicle, preferably more than ten vehicles, and most preferably more than fifty vehicles.

[0021] Therefore, this method and system for optimizing parking lots by dynamically reducing the spacing between vehicles provides a favorable adaptation to the current parking situation where both automated and non-automated vehicles coexist on the road. Thus, by applying the method according to the invention, both types of vehicles can use the parking lot, regardless of their level of automation or the skill level of the driver of a non-automated vehicle. Automated vehicles are understood to be vehicles with the lowest level of automation, capable of starting from a drop-off point, identifying the parking lot conditions using their own sensors and moving within the area accordingly, or receiving commands from a higher-level infrastructure (control center) for parking, re-parking, and leaving the parking space (to the pick-up point), for which they use drive, braking, and steering systems controlled by the control center. In non-automated vehicles, drive, braking, and steering are controlled by the driver, who also assesses the parking space conditions based on detected conditions. Depending on the parking lot conditions, the term "parking" refers to parking (starting from a drop-off point), re-parking (for vehicles already parked in the parking lot), and leaving the parking lot (to the pick-up point).

[0022] According to the method described in this invention, a control center detects parking spaces and controls the movement of autonomous vehicles, and provides instructions to users of corresponding non-autonomous vehicles on how to move their vehicles. By detecting parking spaces, vehicle drivers' parking and retrieval requests, and vehicle types, an up-to-date parking lot occupancy plan can be continuously created, enabling the control center to control the movement of autonomous vehicles, such as parking a drop-off vehicle, providing a vehicle for retrieval, or re-parking an already parked vehicle, while optimizing parking density. However, since not only the movement of autonomous vehicles needs to be considered, instructions on how to park, re-park, or leave their vehicles can also be provided to drivers of non-autonomous vehicles. These instructions can be provided, for example, to parking lot operators, or via a corresponding application or one or more screens installed in the parking lot to the actual drivers of the vehicles.

[0023] Therefore, the proposed solution is a beneficial extension of existing technical methods. The method according to the invention describes a novel approach based on the aforementioned scenarios involving vehicles with different levels of automation (particularly levels 2 to 4). The method according to the invention provides new methods for various so-called "mixed traffic parking" situations, i.e., the mixed parking of automated and non-automated vehicles in parking lots, as specifically described below.

[0024] A new method for mixed parking: In mixed parking scenarios where both autonomous and non-autonomous vehicles are present, it is essential to ensure that human drivers can reach and move their vehicles. This can be guaranteed by considering certain rules. Non-autonomous vehicles, i.e., vehicles manually controlled by a driver, can only be parked in certain parking rows. They can be parked in parking rows where both autonomous and / or non-autonomous vehicles are present. Other parking rows, distinct from these, are dedicated to autonomous vehicles. Non-autonomous vehicles must not be parked in these rows to ensure that autonomous vehicles can clear these rows in a controlled and automated manner. Furthermore, there must be sufficient longitudinal space between vehicles in each parking row to allow non-autonomous vehicles to move out of their assigned row.

[0025] As described above, this objective is achieved in another aspect by a system having the features of claim 11.

[0026] A system is proposed designed to dynamically reduce the spacing between vehicles parked in a given parking lot by moving vehicles through driving, braking, and steering, thereby optimizing the parking lot. The parking lot is continuous, accessible, and unobstructed, and its dimensions are designed to accommodate multiple vehicles parked side-by-side and sequentially. The invention proposes the simultaneous parking of autonomous and non-autonomous vehicles, wherein autonomous vehicles are parked in at least one parking row along the driving direction, and autonomous and / or non-autonomous vehicles are parked in at least one additional parking row along the driving direction, and the parking process is controlled by a control center.

[0027] This system offers advantages related to the methods described above. In particular, the system and method can be designed and used according to one of the above embodiments or a combination of at least two of these embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Other advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims and in the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which the dependent claims are described in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 An exemplary parking lot applying the method and system according to the present invention is shown, and Figures 2 to 14 Various scenarios for re-parking vehicles using the methods and systems according to the present invention are illustrated; Figures 15 to 21 illustrate various scenarios of parking vehicles known using existing technologies.

[0029] In the various figures, the same parts are always identified by the same reference numerals, so they are usually described only once. Detailed Implementation

[0030] Figure 1A parking lot PF is shown, in which vehicles are parked in multiple parking rows GR and RA. A reception point AO is located at one entrance of the parking lot PF, through which vehicles can enter and exit the parking lot PF. Certain parking rows GR are dedicated to mixed parking of autonomous vehicles AFF and non-autonomous vehicles NAF. Both autonomous vehicles AFF and non-autonomous vehicles NAF can park in parking rows GR (mixed parking rows). Parking rows RA are dedicated only to autonomous vehicles AFF. In such mixed parking or mixed traffic scenarios involving autonomous and non-autonomous vehicles, it is essential to ensure that human drivers can reach and leave their non-autonomous vehicles NAF. This invention can ensure this if certain rules are followed. Non-autonomous vehicles NAF can only park in certain parking rows GR. Autonomous vehicles AFF can also park there if necessary. However, parking rows RA are dedicated only to autonomous vehicles AFF. Furthermore, more space can be left between vehicles longitudinally (i.e., in the direction of travel or the opposite direction of travel) to allow for manual operation of vehicles and for autonomous vehicles to leave their respective parking rows GR and RA. In the drawing plane of the attached diagram, the driving direction in the RA and GR parking rows points from the bottom edge to the top edge of the image. If a vehicle is moving from bottom to top in the drawing plane, then the vehicle is moving forward.

[0031] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when a driver wants to move a non-autonomous vehicle (NAF) out of its designated parking row GR, the control center moves the autonomous vehicle AFF (Autonomous Front-end) located in the parking row RA adjacent to the NAF and dedicated to autonomous vehicles (AFF), as well as the autonomous vehicle AFF parked in front of the NAF, out of this dedicated parking row RA. This situation is as follows... Figure 2As shown. Therefore, when the driver of a non-autonomous vehicle (NAF) wants to move its vehicle out of its parking row GR, autonomous vehicles AFF1 through AFF4 (preferably starting with AFF4 in front) make room by moving out of their parking row RA, following a circular route. The driver of the non-autonomous vehicle (NAF) can then move its vehicle from its parking row GR into an adjacent, vacated parallel parking row RA, following autonomous vehicle AFF1, and driven by its driver to the drop-off point AO, or leave the parking lot PF entirely. Simultaneously, autonomous vehicles AFF1 through AFF4 complete the circular route and re-enter the parking row RA they previously left, where vehicles AFF5 and AFF6 (if present) that were not previously moved move forward in their respective rows RA. Thus, autonomous vehicles AFF1 through AFF6 are assigned new positions in their parking rows RA, and these positions are stored accordingly. It is also conceivable that one of the autonomous vehicles AFF1 through AFF6 can use the parking space PL in parking row GR that was recently vacated by the non-autonomous vehicle (NAF). To facilitate driver access to their respective vehicles, as viewed from the left side of the drawing plane in the attached diagram, every two parking rows RA (i.e., every third parking row RA) in the parking lot PF are dedicated to automated driving vehicles (AFFs), which is particularly advantageous. According to the method and system of the invention, this means that automated driving vehicles (AFFs) leaving this parking row RA are parked by the control center at the end of any parking row RA or GR within the parking lot PF dedicated to automated driving vehicles (AFFs) or non-automated driving vehicles (NAFs).

[0032] about Figure 2 It is assumed that at least one other non-autonomous vehicle (NAF) is parked in front of and / or behind the NAF in the parking queue GR, and these vehicles cannot move automatically to clear an exit to the drop-off point AO for the NAF that is about to exit. However, it is possible that a situation may occur and be detected where only an autonomous vehicle that can be moved automatically by the control center is parked in front of or behind the NAF that is about to exit the parking queue GR.

[0033] In this context, an alternative embodiment of the invention specifies that when a driver intends to move a non-autonomous vehicle (NAF) out of its parking space GR, an autonomous vehicle (AFF) parked in the same parking space GR, in front of or behind the NAF, is moved forward by the control center, or, depending on the situation, backward out of the parking space GR. When this is detected, the control center can advantageously move the autonomous vehicle (AFF) in front of or behind the NAF out of the parking space GR, so that the NAF (according to...) Figure 2The driver of a vehicle (whose driver needs to move it out of the parking space) can drive it away from this parking row GR. Since the vehicle parked in this parking row GR is an autonomous vehicle in this situation, the control center can easily park it in an empty parking space. Furthermore, the control center can make room for these autonomous vehicles by moving other autonomous vehicles. This means that an autonomous vehicle (AFF) leaving this parking row GR can be parked by the control center at the end of any parking row RA or GR within the parking lot PF, designated for autonomous vehicle AFFs or non-autonomous vehicle NAFs.

[0034] Furthermore, the method and system according to the present invention not only take into account the situation of moving vehicles out of the parking space, but also the situation of filling (occupancy) of the parking space PL, especially in the mixed parking row GR of the parking lot PF, as follows.

[0035] Once a non-autonomous vehicle follows NAF Figure 2 As shown, driving away from a mixed-use parking lane (GR) creates a parking space. This situation is as follows: Figure 3 As shown. In this situation, it is difficult for a human driver to enter parking space PL and park their non-autonomous vehicle NAF there, because the human driver would have to reverse into the parking row where autonomous vehicles AFF1 to AFF4 are located (these vehicles make parking space PL accessible by re-parking), and then drive into the extremely narrow spaces on both sides of parking space PL by changing the parking row. To avoid this situation, the system specifically employs the following procedure: After the autonomous vehicles AFF1 to AFF4 that have left this parking row RA are moved out of the parking row RA for autonomous vehicles (either by moving forward or by reversing) by the control center, they are parked at the end of the parking row RA for autonomous vehicles that they left in the parking PF.

[0036] Subsequently, parking space PL was filled by an autonomous vehicle, AFF7, from the outer row. Figure 4 As shown, the control center can control the autonomous vehicle AFF7 to reverse into parking row RA and then move to parking row GR to fill parking space PL. This creates an empty space in the outer parking row, for example, in... Figure 4 The fourth row from the right in the top parking space shown should be reserved for non-autonomous vehicles driven by a human driver, as it is easy to access.

[0037] Furthermore, the method and system according to the invention provide an option for human drivers to drive non-autonomous vehicles into vacant parking spaces. The method, and particularly the system designed for this purpose, aims to allow human drivers to drive forward or backward into a parking space in any parking row GR, such as... Figure 5 or Figure 6 As shown. To achieve this, all vehicles in front of or behind the parking space PL must be autonomous vehicles (AFF). Figure 5 and Figure 6 These two different initial scenarios are shown. Figure 5 In the parking queue GR, parking space PL is vacant. The three cars parked behind parking space PL are autonomous vehicles (AF), while the two cars parked in front of parking space PL are non-autonomous vehicles (NAF). Figure 6 In the initial scenario shown, the two cars parked in front of parking space PL in the parking row GR are autonomous vehicles AFF.

[0038] If the specified condition is met that all vehicles in front of or behind parking space PL are automated driving vehicles (AFF), then the automated driving vehicle (AFF) can make room in its parking row GR or RA through controlled maneuvers, allowing a human driver (Non-Automatic Vehicle, NAF) to... Figures 7 to 9 As shown, the vehicle drives past the partially empty parking space until it reaches parking space PL in parking space GR, where it is then filled by a non-autonomous vehicle (NAF). If all vehicles in front of the empty parking space PL are autonomous vehicles (…), the process continues. Figure 6 If so, a similar procedure can be applied. Figure 7 The illustration shows three autonomous vehicles (AFFs) parked behind parking space PL. Parking row RA, located to the left of this parking row GR in the drawing plane, is full of autonomous vehicles AFFs. These vehicles are then removed from parking row RA. The three autonomous vehicles AFFs parked behind parking space PL are removed from the now-empty parking row, as shown... Figure 8 As shown in the figure, the diagram also shows that non-autonomous vehicles (NAF) can drive into parking spaces (PL). Figure 9 The system displays all autonomous vehicles (AFF) re-parking in parking rows RA and GR, with the previous parking spaces being filled by a non-autonomous vehicle (NAF).

[0039] Based on the above method and steps, and especially the system designed for this purpose, whenever there is an available parking space PL within a parking row GR that can be accessed from the outside, the control center... Figures 7 to 9The exemplary loop principle shown removes a corresponding number of autonomous vehicles (AFFs) from their respective parking rows RA and GR as needed, so that the driver of a non-autonomous vehicle (NAF) can park that NAF in parking space PL within parking row GR, and the driver can also comfortably get out of the car. Figure 8 As shown, the parking row RA located to its left in the drawing plane is not yet filled at this time.

[0040] As an alternative, if an available parking space PL exists within the externally accessible parking GR, the control center can move an autonomous vehicle AFF to this parking space PL and park it there within the parking lot PF. The advantage of this is that the parking space can be continuously utilized, thereby increasing parking density, regardless of the type of vehicle currently available to fill that parking space PL.

[0041] If the above conditions are not met, and there are non-autonomous vehicles behind and in front of parking space PL, then parking space PL will be filled by an autonomous vehicle from a parking row RA dedicated to autonomous vehicles (AFF). Figure 10 and Figure 14 As shown, the remaining non-autonomous vehicles (NAF) in the parking queue (GR) can remain in their parking spaces along with the autonomous vehicles (AFF). Figure 10 This shows an initial situation, while Figure 14 This shows a final scenario. Figures 11 to 13 The intermediate situation is shown. According to... Figure 10 In the drawing plane, parking row RA is located to the left of parking space PL, containing autonomous vehicle AFF. One of these vehicles is parked in the empty parking space PL within parking row GR. Therefore, the first two autonomous vehicles AFF in parking row RA can be moved out of the row. Figure 11 This allows the autonomous vehicle AFF following in the parking row RA to move forward a sufficient distance to allow parking, and to be parked in an empty parking space PL in the parking row GR. Figure 12 Once the autonomous vehicle AFF has parked in its previous parking space, the three autonomous vehicle AFFs parked in the parking row RA on the left side of the drawing plane can move forward so that the parking row RA can be filled by the two autonomous vehicle AFFs that were previously moved out, as shown. Figure 13 As shown. Figure 14 As shown, the previously filled parking row RA now has an empty parking space that can be filled again. Previously unused space in the parking lot PF has been optimized and free-flowing space has been created.

[0042] In summary, this means that if an autonomous vehicle (AFF) or a non-autonomous vehicle (NAF) is parked in a parking space (PL) within a parking row (GR), the control center will move at least one autonomous vehicle (AFF) into the remaining, vacant parking rows (RA, GR). Alternatively, if an autonomous vehicle (AFF) or a non-autonomous vehicle (NAF) has been parked in a parking space (PL) within a parking row (GR) by the control center, then at least one non-autonomous vehicle (NAF) will be moved by the user into the remaining, vacant parking row (GR).

[0043] Ideally, vehicles should be parked one in front of the other in their respective parking rows, following the same direction of travel. Alternatively, especially when parking in three parallel parking rows, vehicles can be parked in opposite directions, as this increases parking density, preventing the driver's door in one of the parking rows from being unable to open (considering left-hand drive and right-hand drive vehicles where applicable). However, it is not absolutely necessary to park vehicles so close together. There can be at least enough space to open the doors. This requires some lateral space and will slightly reduce parking density, but it is still a significant advantage compared to the parking method described at the beginning, especially with the system designed for this purpose.

[0044] In practice, the parking distance and gaps between vehicles should allow an average driver to pull out of the parking space. This requires sufficient space, meaning vehicles should have enough longitudinal space to pull into or out of a parking row, or change parking rows. For example, the minimum parking space length could be the vehicle length plus 60 centimeters, or 30 centimeters front and back, for parking and pulling out of the space. For convenience, this length can even be slightly increased, for example, to the vehicle length plus 1 meter, or 50 centimeters front and back. Even in this case, the proposed method can accommodate significantly more vehicles in available parking space compared to common parking schemes.

[0045] List of reference numerals in the attached diagram: R parking row PF parking lot PL parking space F1 self-driving vehicles FN other autonomous vehicles AO drop-off / pick-up point AFF autonomous vehicles NAF non-autonomous vehicles RA for parking racks of autonomous vehicles GR is used for mixed parking spaces for non-autonomous and autonomous vehicles.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing a parking lot (PF) by moving vehicles using driving, braking, and steering to dynamically reduce the spacing between vehicles parked in a given parking lot (PF), wherein the parking lot (PF) is continuous, accessible, and free of any obstructions, and is sized to accommodate multiple vehicles parked side-by-side and in front of each other. Its features are, Simultaneously, automated guided vehicles (AFFs) and non-automated guided vehicles (NAFs) are parked, wherein the automated guided vehicles (AFFs) are parked back and forth in at least one parking row (RA) along the direction of travel, and the automated guided vehicles (AFFs) and / or the non-automated guided vehicles (NAFs) are parked back and forth in at least one additional parking row (GR) along the direction of travel, wherein the parking process is controlled by a control center.

2. The method according to claim 1, Its features are, When a driver wants to move a non-autonomous vehicle (NAF) out of its parking row (GR), the control center will remove the autonomous vehicle (AFF) located in the parking row (RA) for autonomous vehicles (AFF) adjacent to the NAF to be moved, as well as any autonomous vehicles (AFF) parked in front of or behind the NAF, from the parking row (RA) for autonomous vehicles (AFF).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Its features are, Subsequently, when a driver wants to move a non-autonomous vehicle (NAF) out of its parking row (GR), the control center will move an autonomous vehicle (AFF) parked in the same parking row (GR) for autonomous vehicles (AFF) as the NAF to be moved, and located in front of or behind the NAF, out of the parking row (GR) for both autonomous and non-autonomous vehicles (AFF).

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, Its features are, The control center will move the autonomous vehicle (AFF) from the parking row (RA) for autonomous vehicles (AFF) to the end of any parking row (RA, GR) for autonomous vehicles (AFF) or non-autonomous vehicles (NAF) within the parking lot (PF).

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, Its features are, After the control center moves the autonomous vehicle (AFF) that is still in the parking row (RA) for autonomous vehicles (AFF) forward or backward, the autonomous vehicles (AFF) that have left the parking row (RA) are parked in the parking lot (PF) at the end of the parking row (RA) from which they left.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, Its features are, Subsequently, when there is an available parking space (PL) in the parking rows (RA, GR) that can be accessed from the outside, the control center removes the corresponding number of automated driving vehicles (AFF) from their respective parking rows (RA, GR) so that a non-automated driving vehicle (NAF) can be parked in the parking space (PL) by its driver.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, Its features are, When an available parking space (PL) is available in the externally accessible parking rows (RA, GR), the control center then moves the autonomous vehicle (AFF) to this parking space (PL) and parks it there in the parking lot (PF).

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, Its features are, Subsequently, after an autonomous vehicle (AFF) or a non-autonomous vehicle (NAF) has been parked in the parking space (PL) within the parking row (GR), the control center moves at least one autonomous vehicle (AFF) into the remaining vacant parking row (GR).

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, Its features are, Subsequently, when an autonomous vehicle (AFF) has been parked in a parking space (PL) in the parking row (GR) by the control center, or a non-autonomous vehicle (NAF) has been parked there by its user, at least one non-autonomous vehicle (NAF) is moved by its driver into the remaining empty parking row (GR).

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, Its features are, The control center detects the parking space (PL) and controls the movement of the automated driving vehicle (AFF), and provides instructions to the user of the corresponding non-automated driving vehicle (NAF) on how to move their non-automated driving vehicle (NAF).

11. A system specifically configured to perform the method according to any one of the preceding claims, for moving vehicles by means of driving, braking and steering to dynamically reduce the spacing between vehicles parked in a given parking lot (PF) to optimize the parking lot (PF), wherein the parking lot (PF) is continuous, accessible and free of any obstructions, and is sized to accommodate multiple vehicles parked side-by-side and in front of each other. Its features are, Simultaneously, automated guided vehicles (AFFs) and non-automated guided vehicles (NAFs) are parked, wherein the automated guided vehicles (AFFs) are parked back and forth in at least one parking row (RA) along the direction of travel, and the automated guided vehicles (AFFs) and / or the non-automated guided vehicles (NAFs) are parked back and forth in at least one additional parking row (GR) along the direction of travel, wherein the parking process is controlled by a control center.

Citation Information

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