Parking assistance for a motor vehicle for parking on public and private property

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for operating a parking assistance system of a motor vehicle. The invention also relates to a parking assistance system for a motor vehicle, comprising a computing unit for learning a parking trajectory between a starting position and a parking position of the motor vehicle during a parking maneuver controlled by a driver of the motor vehicle.

[0002] A variety of parking assistance systems already exist to support the partially or fully automated parking of motor vehicles. There are also parking assistance systems that store a trajectory traveled by the motor vehicle during a parking maneuver and use this for later, partially or fully automated parking. When learning the respective parking trajectory, various sensor information from the vehicle's sensor units is typically used to obtain information about the surroundings, for example, in the form of so-called landmarks, and to orientate accordingly using this information, for example, the landmarks.

[0003] Based on the environmental information, such as the landmarks, the current position of the motor vehicle relative to the stored or learned parking trajectory can be determined during a subsequent automated driving along the parking trajectory, allowing a decision to be made as to how the motor vehicle must be steered so that it follows the parking trajectory and ultimately reaches a desired parking position. An obstacle present on the stored trajectory can lead to an abort or pause of the process. Furthermore, the trajectory can also be adjusted so that the motor vehicle drives around the obstacle. Conversely, the learned parking trajectory can also be executed from the parking position back to the starting position at which the parking assisted by the parking assistance system began.

[0004] Overall, it can therefore be achieved that a driver, for example, gets out of the vehicle, independently occupies a parking space along a previously learned parking trajectory, for example on the driver's private property, and, if necessary, reverses back out along the trained parking trajectory to the starting position, in which the driver can then get back in.The learned parking trajectory between the starting position and the parking position can also include an equivalent replacement trajectory which deviates in some areas from the original parking trajectory from the starting position to the parking position, for example in order to change an orientation of the motor vehicle on the parking trajectory in the form of a maneuvering maneuver, so that the motor vehicle then reaches the starting position or another position on the original parking trajectory after the partially or fully automated parking out in an orientation opposite to that used when parking in.

[0005] For example, in this context, DE 10 2008 027 692 A1 discloses a method for assisting a driver of a vehicle during a parking process, in which the vehicle, after the driver has left it, independently searches for a suitable parking space and parks there and / or, if the driver needs the vehicle, independently leaves the parking space and independently picks up the driver at a specific location.

[0006] DE 10 2016 001 264 A1 discloses a method for autonomous driving of a vehicle within a limited area, wherein an on-board control unit used for autonomous driving is controlled by an external control device via a vehicle interface. The on-board control unit used for autonomous driving checks whether the vehicle is located within a limited area specified by an external control device embodied as a local infrastructure control unit. After determining the position of the vehicle within the specified limited area, the on-board control unit establishes a wireless connection to the local infrastructure control unit via a remote control interface of the vehicle to control the autonomous driving process, and the vehicle is remotely controlled by the local infrastructure control unit.

[0007] From DE 10 2016 211179 A1, an operation of a parking assistance system is known in which a parking trajectory of a motor vehicle between a starting position and a parking position is learned, it is checked whether the learned parking trajectory runs over public or private property, and driverless parking takes place exclusively over private property.

[0008] The task therefore arises to increase safety during a parking process, whether parking in or out of a parking space, supported or carried out by a parking assistance system.

[0009] This problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent patent claims.

[0010] Advantageous embodiments emerge from the dependent patent claims, the description and the figures.

[0011] The invention relates to a method for operating a parking assistance device of a motor vehicle with a series of method steps according to claim 1. One method step here is a

[0012] Learning a parking trajectory between a starting position and a parking position of the motor vehicle by a computing unit of the parking assistance system during a parking maneuver controlled by a driver of the motor vehicle. Parking can include entering and / or exiting a parking space. For example, the starting position can be detected by a user input from the driver, for example, when the driver activates a learning mode of the parking assistance system to learn the parking trajectory. However, the starting position can also be subsequently determined, for example, by a length of the parking trajectory starting from a parking position. The parking trajectory can be learned, for example, as described in known methods.

[0013] What is important here is that, as a further procedural step, the computing unit checks whether the learned parking trajectory runs over public or private property in at least one respective section, i.e. one or more respective sections. The learned parking trajectory can therefore be divided into different sections during the check, each of which runs entirely over public property or over private property. The corresponding sections can be referred to, for example, as public sections and private sections. A further procedural step is driverless parking of the motor vehicle along the parking trajectory, controlled by the computing unit, exclusively in a section of the checked parking trajectory that runs over private property. Driverless parking therefore takes place exclusively in the private sections or the private section.Driverless parking of a motor vehicle can be understood here as parking the vehicle without the driver being inside. Driverless parking is defined as automated parking according to SAE Automation Level 3 or higher. In principle, the driver can also be present in the vehicle; the crucial point is that in driverless parking, the driver does not assume any control function for the vehicle. Thus, fully automated parking is only possible when driving over private property, in private areas.

[0014] In one alternative of the method according to the invention, the public sections of the parking trajectory can be deleted from the parking trajectory, so that in the future the parking trajectory runs entirely over private property between a then-updated starting position and a parking position. In another alternative of the method according to the invention, it is also possible for only partially automated parking to be performed for the public sections of the checked parking trajectory, i.e., driver assistance from the parking assistance system with SAE Automation Level 2 or lower.

[0015] This has the advantage of avoiding driverless driving of the motor vehicle on public property, for example, on a public road, which may not be legal depending on the respective jurisdiction. In this case, the proposed method saves the driver or owner of the motor vehicle from legal problems. Furthermore, driverless parking generally significantly reduces the speed of the motor vehicle, which could irritate other road users and cause traffic jams or even an accident. The proposed system avoids this, thus increasing road safety. This is advantageous both when parking and exiting.

[0016] In an advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that during the check, based on map information from a navigation unit of the parking assistance device and / or environmental information from an environmental sensor unit of the parking assistance device, in particular camera information from a camera unit, and / or position information from a position detection unit of the parking assistance device and / or a user input from an input unit of the parking assistance device, it is recognized whether the parking trajectory in the respective section runs over public or private land. The position detection unit can, for example, comprise a Global Positioning System (GPS) module or a similar module. The camera information can be used to recognize private or public land, for example by recognizing a predetermined road marking that is generally present on public roads but not on private roads.A private property can also be identified as such, for example, by detecting a driveway or gate.

[0017] A combination of the different information is particularly advantageous during the check. For example, although road markings are typically not present on private roads leading to detached houses, they are present in private residential complexes. Here, position information can help to assign a detected road marking to private property. Furthermore, a combination of position information with map information can, for example, provide a better estimate of whether the current position of the motor vehicle, and thus a corresponding section of the parking trajectory, is on public property or runs over it. This is generally included in the map information. The parking trajectory can therefore be compared with the map information, so that the parking trajectory can be linked to the global information stored in the map.The position information of a GPS module can be combined with position information, such as odometry information, from vehicle-internal modules in order to determine an even more precise parking trajectory.

[0018] Checking the parking trajectory for private or public land can also be enhanced or performed through user input. For example, a user input can define private or public land or confirm the result of the check. User input can also be provided during the learning process, so that the parking trajectory is already marked as crossing private or public land during the learning process.

[0019] This has the advantage that it can be determined particularly reliably whether the parking trajectory in the respective section runs over public or private land.

[0020] In particular, it can also be provided here that when checking the environmental information by the computing unit, a traffic volume is determined for the respective section and a section is recognized as running over public property if the traffic volume determined for the section is greater than a predetermined traffic volume limit. The traffic volume can be determined, for example, by storing the number of dynamic objects in the environment for the respective sections of the trajectories. In principle, it can be assumed here that there are more dynamic objects, i.e. other road users such as motor vehicles in particular, on public property than on private property. This has the advantage that the accuracy of the method is increased again and, moreover, the irritation of other road users mentioned at the beginning can be avoided.

[0021] It can preferably be provided that during the learning process, the traffic volume is determined in the respective section of the parking trajectory and the limit traffic volume is specified as a function of the traffic volume recorded during the learning process.

[0022] This has the advantage that the recognition of public or private land is further improved, since, for example, depending on a particular residential area, the volume of traffic can vary greatly, even on public land.

[0023] A corresponding cross-traffic sensor unit of the parking assistance system can also be used to record traffic volume. This sensor detects road users crossing the vehicle's path. If the cross-traffic exceeds a specified amount, the assigned ground can be identified as public ground.

[0024] In an advantageous embodiment, it is provided that in a section of the checked parking trajectory which runs over public land, semi-autonomous parking monitored by the driver takes place.

[0025] This has the advantage that the above-mentioned advantages of increased safety are accompanied by increased comfort, as the driver can still relinquish at least some control over the parking process at an early stage.

[0026] In a further advantageous embodiment, the check is performed during learning, and in particular, the driver is signaled as to whether the currently traveled section of the parking trajectory runs over public or private property. Preferably, the driver can be informed by the parking assistance device that the corresponding section of the parking trajectory running over public property cannot be used for driverless parking. The respective section of the parking trajectory running over private property can be retained, and / or the part of the parking trajectory running over public property can be discarded. Instead of discarding the section of the parking trajectory running over public property, this section can be stored in a memory.In this case, it can be stipulated that the vehicle may only enter the public section of the parking trajectory after confirmation by the driver. Accordingly, the starting position of the learned parking trajectory can be shifted along this section until it is on private property, or a stopping point is added to the parking trajectory.

[0027] This has the advantage of increasing the driver's awareness of the possibilities and dangers of assisted parking, thus further increasing parking safety.

[0028] In a further advantageous embodiment, the driver is not in the vehicle during driverless parking. Operational safety can be increased by monitoring the driverless parking with a dead man's switch outside the vehicle.

[0029] This has the advantage of increasing comfort and flexibility for the driver.

[0030] In a further advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the driver can interrupt driverless parking and, in particular, during an interruption, the current position of the motor vehicle on the parking trajectory assumed at the time of the interruption is saved as a stopping point and / or new end position, i.e., starting position or parking position, of the parking trajectory. The new end position can be saved as the position belonging to the private property. This can be taken into account in a subsequent further learning process for the trajectory. Alternatively or additionally, the starting position of the parking trajectory can also be automatically shifted along the parking trajectory by the parking assistance device until the parking trajectory runs entirely over private property.

[0031] This has the advantage of further increasing safety and allowing the driver to prevent unwanted driverless entry onto public property in a current situation, but with effect for future situations.

[0032] In a further advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the public property comprises a public roadway, and in particular the private property comprises a private roadway. In both cases, a roadway can preferably comprise a street and / or a parking lot.

[0033] In this case, restricting driverless parking to private property is particularly advantageous, as a lot of traffic is to be expected on a public road, especially on roads or parking lots, and thus driverless parking can irritate and endanger other road users.

[0034] The invention also relates to a parking assistance device for a motor vehicle, comprising a computing unit for learning a parking trajectory between a starting position and a parking position of the motor vehicle during parking guided by a driver of the motor vehicle according to claim 10.

[0035] It is important that the computing unit is designed to check whether the learned parking trajectory runs over public or private property in at least one respective section, and to release and / or carry out driverless parking of the motor vehicle along the parking trajectory exclusively in a section of the checked parking trajectory that runs over private property.

[0036] Advantages and advantageous embodiments of the parking assistance device correspond here to advantages and advantageous embodiments of the described method.

[0037] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle with such a parking assistance device.

[0038] Embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to schematic drawings. In the drawings: Fig. 1 shows a motor vehicle with an exemplary embodiment of a parking assistance device in a first example scenario; and Fig. 2 shows the motor vehicle from Fig. 1 in a second example scenario.

[0039] In the figures, identical or functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference symbols.

[0040] In Fig. 1 1 shows a motor vehicle 1 with an exemplary embodiment of a parking assistance device 2. The parking assistance device 2 in this case has a computing unit 3 for learning a parking trajectory 4 between a starting position 5 and a parking position 6 of the motor vehicle 1 during parking guided by a driver of the motor vehicle 1. In addition, the parking assistance device 2 here also has a navigation unit 7 for providing map information to the computing unit 3 and, in this example, also a position detection unit 8 assigned to a global positioning system 15 for providing position information of the motor vehicle 1 to the computing unit 3.Finally, the parking assistance device 2 also has an environmental sensor unit 9, which in this case is designed as a camera and thus provides environmental information about an environment 10 of the motor vehicle 1 in the form of camera information to the computing unit 3.

[0041] In this case, the parking trajectory 4 was already learned during a previous parking of the motor vehicle 1, performed by a driver, between the starting position 5 and the parking position 6. In the example shown, the trajectory runs partially over public property 11, in this case a public road, as well as private property 12, in this case a private road in the form of a driveway. In the exemplary scenario shown, the driver now wishes to trigger an automatic parking process, a driverless parking of the motor vehicle 1, along the parking trajectory 4 at the starting position 5.During or during the learning of the parking trajectory 4, the computing unit 3 uses the provided information, namely the map information and the surrounding information, the camera information, and the position information, to determine whether the parking trajectory 4 runs over public land 11 or private land 12 in the respective sections 13, 14. In this case, the parking trajectory 4 runs over public land 11 in a first section 13, a public section 13, and over private land 12 in a second section 14, a private section 14.

[0042] Accordingly, the computing unit of the parking assistance device 2, and thus the parking assistance device 2 itself, will not permit or carry out driverless parking starting from the starting position 5, but instead, for example in this case, will inform the driver that the corresponding function cannot yet be activated and that they must maintain control of the motor vehicle 1, for example in a partially assisted driving mode, until they reach the private section 14. Thus, the driver can, for example, steer the motor vehicle during the parking process up to a further position 16 and then have the motor vehicle 1 park driverlessly along the parking trajectory 4 from the further position 16 in the private section 14.

[0043] For example, the new position 16 can be set as the new starting position 5'. Assisted parking is then naturally only possible from this new starting position 5'.

[0044] In Fig. 2 is the motor vehicle 1 from Fig. 1 shown in another exemplary scenario. For reasons of clarity, the parking assistance system 2 ( Fig. 1) is not shown here. In the present case, the parking trajectory 4 runs from the starting position 5 to the parking position 6 from a street as public land 11 across a sidewalk to a private parking space 12 as private land. The parking trajectory 4 also includes an equivalent replacement trajectory as a supplementary parking trajectory 4', which deviates from the original parking trajectory 4, which is learned when the motor vehicle 1 is parked from the starting position 5 into the parking position 6. The supplementary parking trajectory 4' is created by driverless maneuvering onto the private land 12, during which the motor vehicle 1 is turned when leaving the starting position 6, so that the motor vehicle 1 is oriented in the opposite direction to the orientation of the motor vehicle 1 when parking when leaving the private section 13.

[0045] The proposed method ensures that a driverless exit from parking position 6 does not result in a driverless entry into public land 11. For example, an automatic stopping of motor vehicle 1 can be provided at the further position 16, where parking trajectory 4 merges into public section 14, so that motor vehicle 1 does not enter the potentially busy public land without a driver when exiting the parking space.

Claims

1. Method for operating a parking assistance device (2) of a motor vehicle (1), comprising the method steps of: a) learning a parking trajectory (4) between an initial position (5) and a parked position (6) of the motor vehicle (1) by means of a computing unit (3) of the parking assistance device (2) in the case of parking which is controlled by a driver of the motor vehicle (1); b) checking whether the learnt parking trajectory (4) runs over public land (11) or over private land (12) in at least one respective section (13, 14); c) driverless parking of the motor vehicle (1) along the parking trajectory (4) exclusively in a section (14) of the checked parking trajectory (4) which runs over private land (12), characterized in that the public sections (13, 14) of the parking trajectory (4) are deleted from the parking trajectory (4) so that in future the parking trajectory (4) between a then updated initial position (5') and a parked position (6) runs completely over private land (12), or in that only partially automated parking, in which assistance for the driver by the parking assistance device (2) is carried out with SAE Automation Level 2 or lower, is carried out for the public sections (13, 14) of the checked parking trajectory, and the driverless parking is carried out with SAE Automation Level 3 or higher.

2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that during the checking on the basis of map information of a navigation unit (7) and / or on the basis of surroundings information of a surroundings sensor unit (9), in particular camera information of a camera unit and / or position information of a position-detection unit (8) and / or a user input of an input unit, it is detected whether the parking trajectory (4) runs over public or private land (11, 12) in the respective section (13, 14).

3. Method according to Claim 2, characterized in that during the checking the computing unit (3) determines from the surroundings information a traffic volume for the respective section (13, 14), and a section (13, 14) is detected as running over public land (11) if the traffic volume is higher than a predefined limit traffic volume.

4. Method according to Claim 3, characterized in that during the learning process the traffic volume in the respective section (13, 14) of the parking trajectory (4) is determined and the limit traffic volume is predefined in dependence on the traffic volume detected during the learning process.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that partially autonomous parking which is monitored by the driver is carried out in a section (13) of the checked parking trajectory (4) which runs over public land (11).

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the checking is carried out during the learning process, and in particular it is signalled to the driver whether that section (13, 14) of the parking trajectory (4) which is currently being travelled along runs over public or private land (11, 12).

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the driver is not in the motor vehicle (1) during the driverless parking.

8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the driver can interrupt the driverless parking, and in particular in the event of an interruption the current position of the motor vehicle (1) on the parking trajectory (4) is stored as a new final position (5') of the parking trajectory (4).

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the public land (11) comprises a public roadway, in particular a road and / or a car park, and in particular the private land (12) comprises a private roadway.

10. Parking assistance device (2) for a motor vehicle (1), having - a computing unit (3) for learning a parking trajectory (4) between an initial position (5) and a parked position (6) of the motor vehicle (1) in the case of parking controlled by a driver of the motor vehicle (1); wherein the computing unit (3) is designed to check whether the trained parking trajectory (4) runs over public land (11) or over private land (12) in at least one respective section (13, 14), and to enable driverless parking of the motor vehicle (1) along the parking trajectory (4) exclusively in a section (14) of the checked parking trajectory (4) which runs over private land (12), characterized in that the computing unit (3) is also designed to delete the public sections (13, 14) of the parking trajectory (4) from the parking trajectory (4) so that in future the parking trajectory (4) between a then updated initial position (5') and a parked position (6) runs completely over private land (12), or to provide only partially automated parking, in which assistance for the driver by the parking assistance device (2) is carried out with SAE Automation Level 2 or lower, for the public sections (13, 14) of the checked parking trajectory, and to provide the driverless parking with SAE Automation Level 3 or higher.

11. Motor vehicle (1) with a parking assistance device (2) according to Claim 10.