Method, device and computer-readable storage medium for locating a parking space for a motor vehicle

Abstract

Method for locating a parking space, wherein information about an available parking space (160) is provided to a driver to assist the driver in assessing whether the parking space is located in an area which has a safety index (SI) greater than a predetermined acceptance value (A), wherein a processor circuit performs a modeling process (80) for the area and / or the parking space (160) prior to the use of the safety index (SI) and, depending on a result of the modeling process (80), the safety index (SI) is dynamically determined and / or adjusted and / or output, characterized in that The modeling process (80) determines the risk of an accident by taking into account real-time data (30) concerning weather conditions and the degree of exposure of the parking space (160), whereby the exposure is assessed by a geometric evaluation.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method, a device, and a computer-readable storage medium for locating a parking space for a motor vehicle. Furthermore, the invention relates to a motor vehicle and a mobile device, each configured as a device according to the invention.

[0002] When choosing a parking space, the question is not only whether a sufficiently large space is available for parking one's vehicle or whether parking is permitted in a particular area (which may not be the case, for example, due to stopping or parking restrictions). Drivers must also assess whether a parking space meets other requirements (e.g., whether the space is secure and will not be damaged after the vehicle is left).

[0003] Currently, drivers must rely on their own experiences and / or impressions of their chosen parking space and its surroundings when answering this question. For example, parking spaces or areas in front of bars and pubs, or in dark and unsafe neighborhoods, are rarely used. Assessing the safety of a parking space or area is particularly difficult for those unfamiliar with the area.

[0004] German patent DE 10 2016 215 931 A1 describes a method in which a driver receives support in selecting a safe parking location for their vehicle. The vehicle is equipped with a unit for communication with a backend server.

[0005] DE 10 2013 001 308 A1 concerns a method for providing information about a parking space. This also includes a navigation device by means of which this information is made available to a driver of a motor vehicle.

[0006] From DE 10 2017 211 512 B3 it is known that a heated parking space can be automatically detected from a motor vehicle.

[0007] From US 2016 / 0238397 A1, a method for classifying parking lots in a radius around a destination is known, whereby weather data as well as data on the lighting situation of the parking lot are used for the classification.

[0008] From DE 10 2016 212 587 A1 a method for identifying emergency stopping areas along the route is known, for which a surface condition of the areas in question and vehicle parameters are used.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide a solution by which a driver can be assisted in finding a parking space in a safe area.

[0010] This problem is solved by a method, a device, and a computer-readable storage medium for locating a parking space for a motor vehicle, comprising the features of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments with expedient and non-trivial further developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims, in the following description, and in the figure.

[0011] In the inventive method for locating a parking space, additional information about an available or vacant parking space is provided to a driver. This information helps the driver decide whether the parking space is located in an area with a safety index greater than a predetermined minimum or acceptance value. For the purposes of the invention, this means that the driver is searching for a parking space and is provided with current and / or future information regarding an area or at least one available parking space within it, to help the driver decide whether the vehicle can be parked there without risk.A value, referred to here as the security index, can be assigned to the area. This index is based on the current and / or future state and / or degree of security of the area or at least of the available parking space. The security index can be determined, for example, based on the following input parameters: a time of day, representing, for example, sunrise / sunset; weather information, such as fog; map information, such as the location of bars, pubs, and / or schools; police statistics, such as accident rates involving parked vehicles, vandalism, and / or police hotspots; and / or information on other parked vehicles, such as new cars, premium vehicles, and / or burned-out vehicles.The input parameters can be used to determine the safety index and / or serve as a basis for assisted or piloted maneuver planning dependent on the safety index.

[0012] As previously explained, it is assumed that an available parking space is already known, located within a designated area. "Area" refers to a surface or space in which the parking space is situated. Examples of such an area include a street or a parking lot with multiple spaces (parking area). The actual "parking space" is the space available for a single vehicle to park. When searching for a parking space within a designated area, this area could be, for example, a parking strip along the roadside, a designated parking area, or a publicly accessible area where vehicles are permitted to park. However, since the parking space does not necessarily have to be located within a designated parking area, the term "area" is used generally here, which could also include, for example, a parking space along the roadside or a meadow, to name just a few examples.

[0013] The safety index indicates whether the area, or at least the individual parking space within the area, poses a risk of hazards, e.g., vandalism and / or poor visibility for passing vehicles and / or parking collisions with hit-and-run and / or wet and / or slippery surfaces near the parking space, which pose a risk of slipping for other vehicles.

[0014] The safety index for the area or for an individual parking space within the area may also be based on the proximity of a school route. The safety index can, for example, be a percentage based on the known safety level of the area and / or a value from a numerical range, e.g., from 1 to 10. The aforementioned acceptance value of the safety index means that it requires a predetermined criterion with respect to the safety index of the available parking space, ensuring that the vehicle can be parked in the desired available parking space without risk. The acceptance value can be a fixed threshold, e.g., an average value within a specified range, and / or vary depending on the area and / or be set by the driver.

[0015] To determine such a safety index, a processor circuit can first perform a modeling process for the area and / or the parking space. Depending on the result of this modeling process, the safety index can then be dynamically determined, adjusted (or updated), and / or output. "Dynamic determination" here means that the safety index is calculated based on real-time data, as described below. "Adjustment" means that the modeling process refines or adjusts an existing static value, referred to here as the static safety index (SSI), with regard to the overall safety of the area.In other words, the static security index can be updated based on a current and / or future result determined by the modeling process, which influences the security assessment for the area or individual parking space. The aforementioned real-time data can be used for this purpose. Adjusting an existing static security index (SSI) yields the final security index (SI), which can then be referred to as an integrated security index because it incorporates both static and dynamic information. Furthermore, it can be considered that the final security index SI does not necessarily have to be displayed at all, but can be suppressed—that is, not output—if it is not needed, for example, if no parking maneuvers are planned.

[0016] The modeling process described above, used to determine a final safety index or to adjust a static safety index, can, for example, involve a digital model and / or a simulation. Input data regarding an available parking space is entered and processed to generate the final safety index (SI), which allows drivers to assess the parking space's safety. Through this modeling process, input data (e.g., the illumination level of a street light and / or the distance to a specific point of interest, such as a football stadium, and / or an environmental category, such as a residential or industrial area) can each be assigned a value (e.g., using a table, a characteristic curve, and / or a formula). The determined values ​​can then be combined to form the safety index.as a weighted sum and / or by means of a characteristic map and / or a mapping function.

[0017] The aforementioned integrated safety index (SI) can be determined, for example, from the static safety index (SSI) by calculating an adjustment value, referred to here as the dynamic safety index (DSI). For instance, the final integrated safety index (SI) can then be calculated by additively combining the two values: SI = SSI + DSI. However, other calculation methods can also be used, such as a weighted sum with weighting factors (SI = w1 * SSI + w2 * DSI) or multiplication by a scaling factor (SI = F_dsi * DSI).

[0018] According to the invention, the modeling process identifies the risk of an accident by considering real-time data concerning weather conditions and the exposed position of the parking space (i.e., its degree of exposure). The exposure is assessed through a geometric evaluation, for example, the total edge length of the parking space's edges exposed to road traffic. The safety index is adjusted or determined, in particular, based on the skidding of another vehicle and / or the visibility / exposure of the parking space in the area, as determined by the modeling process. In other words, the driver is warned of a current and / or future risk when parking their vehicle.If, for example, a parking space is located at the end of a parking strip at the roadside, it is more exposed compared to the other parking spaces in the strip. In a rear-end collision, another vehicle could strike a parked vehicle there, especially if the road surface is icy, which can be detected using weather data. Therefore, this last parking space in the strip has a different updated Safety Index (SI) than the rest of the parking strip as a whole, for which, for example, the static Safety Index (SSI) applies. Furthermore, the Safety Index is adjusted if the current safety situation in the area changes, particularly if the weather deteriorates and / or it becomes dark in the area.The risk of accidents at a parking space within a designated area can increase, for example, if it is raining and / or snowing, and / or the sun is setting, and / or the street lighting is low and / or too weak, because a parked vehicle is then less visible than in bright sunlight. By considering weather data and exposure, the safety index can help drivers avoid accidents by providing information about the current safety situation within a given area.

[0019] The invention offers the advantage that a safety index can be individually determined for a single parking space in any given situation, allowing the driver to park their vehicle without risk or accident.

[0020] The invention also includes embodiments whose features provide additional advantages.

[0021] In one embodiment, the security index (SI) is initially formed using static input data (i.e., the aforementioned static security index SSI), and adjustments are made through a modeling process based on dynamic, real-time data. In other words, static input data from "static" data sources is used to generate the static security index SSI. A static data source is a non-real-time data source and can, for example, include data from the police, government agencies, and / or insurance companies. A non-real-time data source is a data source that provides input data using historical data, such as data from 30 minutes or one hour ago, and / or data that includes a statistical average over more than one day or one week.

[0022] Furthermore, to determine the final Security Index (SI) based on the current situation, dynamic data sources are considered. These sources allow the security assessment or index to change as output data from the dynamic data sources changes in real time, thus taking into account the current and / or anticipated future situation in the area and / or at the individual location. The dynamic output data can, for example, represent real-time data from weather stations, databases, swarm data, and / or backend servers. The real-time data could, for example, be data that was updated a short time ago, e.g., less than an hour or less than 30 minutes ago.This offers the advantage that the safety of an area and / or the individual parking space can be assessed when the input data from the static and / or dynamic data sources are made available to the aforementioned modeling process.

[0023] In another embodiment, the weather conditions represent black ice and / or fog, and the exposed position describes the end of a row of parking spaces and / or a curve. In other words, weather-related and / or road-related accident hazards can be taken into account when determining the safety index. For example, in snow and / or ice and / or fog, one cannot simply leave a vehicle in a parking space as one would under normal conditions (e.g., on a sunny day and / or with clear skies and / or in a clean and / or level parking space). This offers the advantage that certain safety precautions can be taken when parking if the current weather-related safety situation and / or the current location of the parking space, with regard to road-related accident hazards, are considered by determining the adjusted safety index.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the security index is adapted to at least one facility located in or adjacent to the area and its operating hours. Furthermore, the modeling process incorporates real-time public traffic data for the at least one facility during operating hours when people are entering and exiting, taking distance into account (distance of the parking space from the facility). In other words, the value of the security index can vary depending on a specific environment within the area, e.g., a hospital and / or a school and / or a market, as well as at a specific time of day, e.g., morning and / or midday and / or from 4 to 6 p.m. The security index can change depending on the number of people present at the specific facility and / or at a specific operating time.Furthermore, the distance between the available parking space and the business premises can be taken into account when determining the safety index for the area. This offers the advantage that the parking space's safety index can be predicted or adjusted by considering current and / or future real-time data regarding the business premises and their operating hours, during which an accident risk can be assessed.

[0025] In another embodiment, the at least one business location comprises a school and / or a football stadium and / or a restaurant in the area. The operating hours represent the opening hours and / or break times and / or closing times of the respective business location. The business location can also represent a hospital and / or a market and / or a place where traffic (e.g., pedestrians and / or vehicles) flows and / or commercial traffic can be expected at a certain time. This results in varying levels of public traffic depending on the date and / or time of day, which can now be taken into account. The more people who could accidentally or intentionally scratch, generally damage, or steal the vehicle, the lower the resulting security index (SI) is set by the modeling process.

[0026] In another embodiment, the modeling process determines the Safety Index (SI) based on real-time data concerning lighting and / or other vehicles. In other words, the Safety Index can be adjusted depending on the lighting present in the area and / or at the parking space and / or other parked and / or moving vehicles. The lighting could be street lighting, such as a street lamp. This means that the Safety Index value increases and / or improves when the area is brighter and / or when there are a large number of parked and / or moving vehicles in the area. This offers the advantage that the real-time data on the lighting and / or vehicles in the area can help drivers assess the safety of a potential parking space.

[0027] In one embodiment, the static data represents information obtained from the police, authorities, and / or insurers. For example, the static data displays a record of accidents reported to the police, authorities, and / or insurers in the past. This offers the advantage that, based on the static data, a retrospective assessment of the safety of the parking space in question can be made possible by considering past experiences and / or events. Static data, in particular, represents generalized data based solely on experience with multiple parking spaces within the area or district in which the space is located.

[0028] According to another embodiment, the modeling process related to the parking space's safety status includes measurements of environmental data, which are determined locally in the vehicle and / or transmitted by other vehicles. In other words, the safety index for a parking space can be determined in the vehicle itself and / or in other vehicles. The vehicles can, for example, be connected in a data network with other vehicles that are already near the parking space and / or that collect and / or signal real-time data concerning the parking space. The respective final safety index, determined in a vehicle connected to the data network for each parking space, or the environmental data required for this purpose, can be transmitted to the other vehicles connected to the data network as needed.The measurements can also generate a dynamic environmental map, which can be provided through a central modeling process in a backend server. This means that the respective safety index for at least one parking space can then be collected or determined, for example, in the backend server. The environmental data can, for instance, represent real-time data, based on which the safety index for the area and / or parking space can be determined. This offers the advantage that the environmental data determined by a vehicle and / or in the backend server can be used by other vehicles to determine whether there is a risk to a vehicle parked in the space.

[0029] One embodiment provides that if a parking intention is detected while the vehicle is in motion, and the safety index is lower than the acceptance value, a warning regarding the parking space is issued and / or an alternative area and / or parking space is suggested. A parking intention can be detected, for example, based on a predetermined speed profile pattern, the activation of a turn signal, the engagement of reverse gear, the steering angle (e.g., based on a time-dependent change in the angle value in combination with reverse gear being engaged), and / or the engine being switched off within the parking area (as shown on a digital map).

[0030] To carry out the method according to the invention, a device is also provided by the invention. The device according to the invention comprises a processor circuit configured to determine a security index applicable to an available parking space by means of an embodiment of the method according to the invention. The processor circuit can comprise a microprocessor and / or a microcontroller. The processor circuit can comprise program code or software containing program instructions by which, when the program instructions are executed by the processor circuit, the embodiment of the method according to the invention is carried out.

[0031] The device according to the invention is in particular a motor vehicle or a mobile device. In the motor vehicle, the method can be implemented in a control unit of the motor vehicle.

[0032] Furthermore, the invention also includes a computer-readable storage medium which is configured to carry out the method according to the invention when implemented by a computer or a processor circuit of a mobile device or a motor vehicle.

[0033] The following are exemplary embodiments of the invention described. This is illustrated by: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of an embodiment of the method according to the invention; Fig. 2 a schematic representation for determining the security index of a parking space; Fig. 3 a schematic representation for adjusting the safety index, taking into account weather conditions and the exposed position of a parking space, and Fig. 4 A schematic representation for adjusting the safety index, taking into account a business location and its operating hours.

[0034] The exemplary embodiments described below are preferred embodiments of the invention. In these exemplary embodiments, the described components each represent individual features of the invention, which can be considered independently of one another and each further develops the invention independently. Therefore, the disclosure is intended to include combinations of features of the embodiments other than those shown. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by further features of the invention already described.

[0035] In the figures, identical reference symbols denote functionally equivalent elements.

[0036] Fig. Figure 1 shows a function for a motor vehicle, or vehicle 10 for short, whose driver is looking for a safe parking space. Vehicle 10 can be, for example, a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger car or a passenger bus. Vehicle 10 can be equipped with a device 70', which can provide at least one driver assistance function. Alternatively, such a device 70 can be provided in a backend server 50 and connected to vehicle 10 via a communication link. The following description focuses on device 70, but the description also applies to the alternative device 70'.

[0037] When the driver finds an available parking space, they can contact device 70 to obtain safety information about the space. An available parking space can be detected, for example, using a video camera and a downstream image analysis unit for object recognition or machine vision, as is known from the prior art. Alternatively, the user can mark the available parking space on a digital map, for example on a touchscreen, to request the safety information.

[0038] The safety information helps the driver decide or assess whether the parking space has a safety index (SI) greater than a predetermined acceptance value (A) (SI > A). The safety index SI thus determines whether the parking space can be used. If the safety index SI does not match the acceptance value A and / or is less than the acceptance value A (SI ≤ A), the vehicle should not be parked there. This can be displayed to the driver on a screen (e.g., a display). Additionally or alternatively, a navigation device (not shown) can display and / or suggest another available parking space to the driver. The comparison with the acceptance index A can be performed actively by the device or by the user themselves.In both cases, a current security index (SI) for the parking space is required, which should take into account the current and / or future situation in which the motor vehicle is to be parked in the free parking space.

[0039] The vehicle assistance function is controlled or operated by device 70 to determine the safety index SI. The vehicle assistance function can, for example, be a function that determines the safety index SI of the parking space based on input data (e.g., static data 20 and / or real-time data 30). The vehicle assistance function can display the resulting safety index SI to the driver for informational purposes and, alternatively or additionally, serve to adjust the routing (e.g., the endpoint of turn-by-turn navigation to a safe parking space) and / or for assisted or piloted maneuver planning.

[0040] To determine the Security Index (SI), the backend server 50 receives input data (Data 20 and Real-Time Data 30) from various data sources. The static Data 20 can include, for example, data from the police, authorities, and / or insurance companies. This static Data 20 can contribute to determining a preliminary, static Security Index (SSI) for the parking space. The static Data 20 can also represent statistics on all criminally relevant incidents (e.g., theft, robbery, assault, and / or burglary) reported to the police within a specific period (e.g., one year). Additionally or alternatively, the static Data 20 can describe a record of accidents reported to the police, authorities, and / or insurance companies during the same period.Based on the static safety index (SSI) determined from the static input data 20, a general overview and history regarding the security of the parking space can be established. In other words, the static safety index (SSI), according to the static data 20, can indicate whether the area in which the parking space is located, or at least the parking space itself, can generally or on average be classified as safe.

[0041] Since the static data 20 alone is insufficient for the driver to determine whether the parking space is currently and / or will be safe in the future, the real-time data 30 are used to determine or adjust the final safety index SI according to the current safety situation (e.g., weather conditions and / or traffic situation) of the parking space. The real-time data 30 represent dynamic data that depict events currently and / or in the future occurring in relation to the parking space in question. These events can include, for example, the presence of pedestrian traffic and / or other parked vehicles 40 and / or current weather conditions and / or the illumination of the parking space. The event data can be dynamically obtained from at least one weather station and / or transmitted as swarm data by the other vehicles 40.The event data can also represent data from a facility located near the parking space. Real-time data allows the Security Index (SI) to be refined or adjusted according to the current security situation of the parking space.

[0042] To determine a precise, up-to-date safety index (SI), the input data 20 and 30 are integrated into the backend server 50 in a first step. The backend server 50 may determine a static safety index (SSI) based on the static data 20, which could represent an old or average safety situation (e.g., traffic and / or weather conditions and / or accident hazards) that was determined, for example, a week ago. The safety situation may have changed in the meantime. Therefore, in a further step, a modeling process 80 is carried out by the device 70, in which the real-time data 30 are processed. The modeling process 80 determines a dynamic safety index (DSI) that corresponds to an adjustment to the current hazard situation for the parking space.This allows the safety index (SI) to be adjusted based on the dynamic safety index (DSI) determined by the modeling process. The dynamic safety index (DSI) can be determined by the device 70 as needed and / or upon request of the driver. The determined dynamic safety index (DSI) is combined with the static safety index (SSI) to generate an actual, current safety index (SI). If this safety index (SI) is a combination of the static safety index (SSI) and the dynamic safety index (DSI), it constitutes an integrated safety index. The safety index (SI) can then be presented or displayed to the driver to assist them in deciding whether the vehicle (10) can be left in the parking space.

[0043] However, the driver may not need the safety index SI if no parking maneuver is intended. In that case, the safety index SI can be suppressed.

[0044] Vehicle 10 can additionally or alternatively cooperate with other vehicles 40 to determine the current security of the parking space or the security index (SI). The other vehicles 40 can represent vehicles that are currently located near the parking space and / or have been there previously and / or possess information about the security present in the area and / or at the parking space. Vehicle 10 can be connected to the other vehicles 40 via a communication link, allowing the exchange of data (e.g., environmental data) regarding the security of the parking space and / or the area. Furthermore, upon request, the other vehicles 40 can transmit an updated security index (SI) for the parking space to vehicle 10.The exchange of real-time data and / or the security index (SI) occurs when vehicle 10 searching for a parking space sends a request and / or when the other vehicles 40 have already determined the parking space's security index (SI). In this case, the real-time data that can be exchanged between the vehicles constitutes swarm data.

[0045] Fig. Figure 2 shows a schematic representation for determining the safety index SI, which is calculated by device 70, 70' based on input data 20, 30. The determination of the safety index SI for a single parking space can, for example, be divided into two steps. In the first step, the static safety index SSI is determined according to the static data. The static safety index SSI from the first step can represent a predetermined and / or static value regarding the safety of the parking space. In the second step, the dynamic safety index DSI is determined according to the real-time data. The dynamic safety index DSI from the second step can be determined through the modeling process. The two values, namely SSI and DSI, of the safety index can be added in device 70 / 70', resulting in a total and / or updated integrated safety index SI.The updated integrated safety index (SI) can then be compared with the acceptance value (A). The safety index (SI) and / or the result of the comparison can then be displayed to the driver on display 90. If the safety index (SI) is greater than the acceptance value (SI > A), the driver can be shown on display 90 in procedure step S10 that it is safe to park vehicle 10 in the parking space. If the safety index (SI) is less than or equal to the acceptance value (SI ≤ A), the parking maneuver can be aborted in procedure step S11 in the case of the unsafe parking space, and / or an alternative parking space can be suggested to the driver. If the driver nevertheless uses the unsafe parking space, a warning message can be displayed on display 90 and / or transmitted to the driver via mobile phone (smartphone) in procedure step S11.

[0046] Fig. Figure 3 shows an example situation where real-time data 30 concerning weather conditions and an exposed position 100 of the parking space are taken into account to determine the safety index SI. An available free parking space is located at the end of a parking row 110, which lies on a curve. The static data 20 may output a static safety index SSI for the parking space, based on which the parking space can be considered safe. An acceptance value A, corresponding to a number (e.g., A = 5), may be stored in the device 70.

[0047] The parking space located in parking row 110, for example, may also have a static safety index (SSI) indicating a relatively high level of safety for the parking space (e.g., SSI = 8). The existing static safety index (SSI), which can be determined based on static data 20 or may already be predefined, can be adjusted by considering real-time data 30 relating to the parking space. This means that the final safety index (SI) may be lower or worse if the real-time data indicates a risk of accidents. The static safety index (SSI) may, for example, be displayed on a digital map.

[0048] The real-time data 30 can indicate a current and / or future hazard that may have occurred or will occur later, after the existing static safety index (SSI) has been determined. For example, the real-time data 30 can indicate black ice 120, which poses a risk of slipping in front of the parking space, potentially causing another vehicle to collide with the parked vehicle. To determine an actual, current safety index (SI), a modeling process 80 is performed, taking into account the real-time data 30, such as the black ice 120 in front of the parking space. The modeling process 80 can generate a delta for calculating the final safety index (SI), namely a dynamic safety index (DSI), for example, a negative value (e.g., DSI = -6). The two values ​​(SSI and DSI) can, for example,The values ​​are added together to form a total current safety index SI = SSI + DSI (in this example: SI = 8 - 6 = 2). The resulting current safety index SI is therefore lower than the acceptance value A. This refines the assessment of the parking space compared to the static safety index SSI, and the safety of the parking space is described by the corresponding resulting integrated safety index SI. This means that, in this example, the parking space is considered unsafe for the specific parking maneuver, even though the area as a whole could be considered safe (SSI = 8 > A).

[0049] Fig.Figure 4 shows, as an example, a road section 130 behind a road boundary with possible parking spaces 140, 150, 160, and 170, which can be displayed to the driver, for example, on a road map. The road section 130, located in front of a business premises (e.g., a school) 180, shows a total of four parking spaces: 140, 150, 160, and 170. The parking spaces 140, 150, 160, and 170 are located at different distances from the school 180, indicated by R1, R2, R3, and R4. A navigation system (not shown) may have detected that parking spaces 140, 150, and 170 are occupied. The driver may park vehicle 10 in the available free parking space 160 if there are no hazards to the parking space and / or the safety index SI for parking space 160 is equal to or greater than the acceptance value.

[0050] To determine the safety index SI in this case, the device 70, 70' is provided with static data 20 and / or real-time data 30. Since the static data represents past events and / or a history regarding safety for the road area 130, it is not considered further. The real-time data 30 can, for example, represent the distance R1, R2, R3, R4 between parking space 140, 150, 160, 170 and the school 180 and / or the time 190 and / or current vehicle traffic. Through the modeling process 80 in the device 70 / 70', the real-time data 30 is processed to determine a current safety index SI for parking space 160. The safety index SI for parking space 160 depends on the time 190, in particular the opening hours and / or break times and the closing times of the school, during which schoolchildren may be outside the school 180.Additionally, the safety index (SI) can vary depending on the distance (R1, R2, R3, R4) to the school (180). Distance R2 for parking space (150) at time (190) can represent a relatively high accident risk if schoolchildren are expected to be outside the school. Therefore, the safety index (SI) for an individual parking space (140, 150, 160, 170) located in a street area (130) can differ if the real-time data for parking spaces (140, 150, 160, 170) varies. The safety index (SI) for a parking space can also be adjusted if other establishments (e.g., a pub) are considered at specific times (e.g., opening and / or closing times) when calculating the safety index (SI). The safety index (SI) also increases if parking space (160) is located in the immediate vicinity of the school.

[0051] The aforementioned method can be used to provide a function for assessing the security of a parking space or an area containing parking spaces. This function is based on the integration of various pieces of information (e.g., police statistics, illumination levels, time of day, and / or weather information) to generate a Security Index (SI) for a parking space or area containing parking spaces. This information can either be made available to the driver or serve as the basis for assisted or piloted maneuver planning.

[0052] To avoid the risk of damage to and / or theft of the motor vehicle 10, a function for locating a secure parking space is proposed. This function is initially based on information that allows the security of a parking space or a parking area with parking spaces to be assessed.

[0053] Examples of relevant information in this context include (relevant data source in parentheses): - Time of day (e.g. sunrise / sunset) - [Calendar]; - Weather information (e.g. fog) - [weather station]; - Map information (e.g., bars, pubs, schools) - [database]; - Police statistics (e.g., accident rates involving parked vehicles, vandalism, police hotspots) - [database]; - Ambient illumination level (e.g., from streetlights, advertising, window lighting) - [swarm data]; - Information on other parked vehicles (e.g. new cars, premium vehicles, burned-out vehicles) - [swarm data].

[0054] From the integration of this information (e.g., in a backend server, i.e., a server setup 23), a security index (SI) can be generated in a further step for an individual parking space or for an entire parking area. For example, a parking space or a parking area can be marked as particularly secure under the following conditions: - Time of day: Day; - Weather information: good visibility; - Map information: few passers-by, no school route, no intoxicated persons; - Police statistics: no vandalism, no hit-and-run parking collisions; - Illumination level: (irrelevant during the day); - Other vehicles: many new vehicles.

[0055] Other variations of these categories accordingly lead to more negative values ​​for the safety index for a parking space or for a parking area with parking spaces.

[0056] This information can either be provided to the driver or used as a basis for assisted or piloted maneuver planning. The following options are conceivable: - Availability of information in navigation maps; - Information or warning to the driver when a parking maneuver is detected (e.g. via reverse gear / steering angle / engine off in parking areas); - Routing adjustment (e.g., endpoint of turn-by-turn navigation is changed to a safe parking space / area).

[0057] The proposed procedure provides drivers with timely, relevant information or warnings regarding the safety of a parking space or parking area. Additionally, procedures for adjusting the vehicle's routing and / or approaches to preventing vehicle damage (e.g., an alarm system) are conceivable.

[0058] This also has a positive impact on liability insurance premiums.

[0059] Advantageous features of this idea include: (a) Database of (parking areas with) available parking spaces (e.g. via high-precision or digital road map); (b) Database containing calendar information (e.g. sunrise / sunset); (c) Determining the local weather; (d) Database containing POI information (POI - Point of Interest, e.g. pubs, bars, schools; via digital street map); (e) Database containing police statistics (e.g. vandalism, parking accidents); (f) Determination of the illumination level (e.g. via swarm data); (g) Determining characteristics of other parked vehicles (e.g. via swarm data); (h) Integration of said information to determine a security index SI for parking spaces or areas with parking spaces, e.g. in a backend server (server setup 23).

[0060] This results in a function for finding safe parking spaces - this function is initially based on information that can be used to assess the safety of a parking space or an area with parking spaces.

[0061] By integrating various pieces of information (e.g., police statistics, lighting levels, time of day, weather information), a security index for a parking space or an area with parking spaces can be generated in a further step. This information can either be made available to the driver or serve as the basis for assisted or piloted maneuver planning.

[0062] Overall, the examples show how the invention can provide a function for finding a safe parking space.

Claims

[1] Method for locating a parking space, wherein information about an available parking space (160) is provided to a driver to assist the driver in assessing whether the parking space is located in an area which has a safety index (SI) greater than a predetermined acceptance value (A), wherein a processor circuit performs a modeling process (80) for the area and / or the parking space (160) prior to the use of the safety index (SI), and depending on a result of the modeling process (80), the safety index (SI) is dynamically determined and / or adjusted and / or output, characterized by , that The modeling process (80) determines the risk of an accident by taking into account real-time data (30) concerning weather conditions and the degree of exposure of the parking space (160), whereby the exposure is assessed by a geometric evaluation. [2] Method according to claim 1, wherein a static security index (SSI) is first formed by static input data (20) and the adjustment is carried out by means of the modeling process (80) on the basis of dynamic real-time data (30). [3] Method according to claim 2, wherein the modeling process (80) determines an accident risk based on real-time data (30) concerning a weather condition and an exposed position (100) of the parking space, and wherein the safety index (60) is adjusted based on slippage and / or exposure of the motor vehicle on the parking space determined by the modeling process (80). [4] Method according to claim 3, wherein the weather conditions indicate black ice (120) and / or fog and the exposed position (100) represents an end of a row of parking spaces (110) and / or a curve. [5] Method according to one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the security index (60) is adapted to at least one operating facility located in or on the area and its operating hours, wherein the modeling process (80) takes into account, as real-time data (30), public traffic of the at least one operating facility for operating hours in which persons go in and out, depending on the distance. [6] Method according to claim 5, wherein the establishment is a school and / or a football stadium and / or a restaurant in or on the area, and wherein the operating hours are the opening hours and / or break times and / or closing times of the establishment. [7] Method according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the modeling process (80) determines the adaptation based on real-time data (30) relating to illumination and / or other vehicles (40) in the area. [8] Method according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the static data (20) represent information obtained from police and / or authorities and / or insurers. [9] Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the modeling process (80) uses measurements of environmental data, which represent data determined locally in the motor vehicle (10) and / or data transmitted by other motor vehicles (40) and / or a dynamic environmental map transmitted by a backend server (50). [10] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein if a parking intention for the parking maneuver is detected during a journey of the motor vehicle and the safety index (SI) is less than the acceptance value (A), a warning concerning the parking space is issued and / or an alternative area and / or parking space is suggested. [11] Device (70, 70') comprising a processor circuit, wherein the processor circuit is configured to perform a method according to any of the preceding claims. [12] Device (70, 70') according to claim 11, wherein the device (70, 70') is a motor vehicle or mobile terminal. [13] Computer-readable storage medium with program code configured to perform a method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 when executed by a processor of a mobile terminal device.

Images