Parking system connected with network

Abstract

To provide a method and a system for reminding a vehicle driver of a parking situation within a predetermined distance from a destination.SOLUTION: This system comprises a transceiver of a vehicle which is configured to receive, from one or more other vehicles, parking situation data including one or more marks of a parking situation within a predetermined distance from a destination. The system also comprises an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle, which is connected with the transceiver. The ECU is configured to determine a parking congestion level on the basis of the parking situation data. The ECU is also configured to determine whether or not the parking congestion level exceeds a threshold parking congestion level. The ECU is also configured to instruct an output device to remind a driver of parking congestion near the destination when the parking congestion level exceeds the threshold parking congestion level.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and method for collecting and providing parking information to vehicles. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventional navigation systems cannot provide information about the specific parking situation in a given area. In many instances, a driver may arrive at a destination only to discover that parking is not possible or that there are no available parking spaces. The driver may drive around the area around the destination location looking for available street parking or parking lots. This can require significant effort from the driver. While searching for a parking spot, the driver may become disoriented with respect to the destination location, resulting in parking much farther away from the destination location than desired. In some situations, the driver may enter a parking lot only to discover that no available parking spaces remain. Parking a vehicle can be a daunting task. Thus, there is a need for improved parking systems and methods. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Described is a system for alerting a driver of a vehicle to parking conditions within a predetermined distance of a destination location. The system includes a transceiver in the vehicle configured to receive parking condition data from one or more other vehicles, the parking condition data including one or more indications of parking conditions within a predetermined distance of the destination location. The system also includes an electronic control unit (ECU) in the vehicle coupled to the transceiver. The ECU is configured to determine a parking congestion level based on the parking condition data. The ECU is also configured to determine whether the parking congestion level exceeds a threshold parking congestion level. The ECU is also configured to instruct an output device to alert the driver to parking congestion near the destination location when the parking congestion level exceeds the threshold parking congestion level.

[0004] A system for determining a recommended parking location for a vehicle traveling from a start location to a destination location is also described. The system includes a transceiver in the vehicle configured to receive parking situation data from one or more other vehicles, the parking situation data including one or more indications of parking conditions along a route between the start location and the destination location and / or one or more indications of parking conditions within a predetermined distance of the destination location. The system also includes an electronic control unit (ECU) in the vehicle coupled to the transceiver. The ECU is configured to determine a plurality of candidate parking locations based on the parking situation data. The ECU is also configured to determine a recommended parking location from the plurality of candidate parking locations based on a comparison of each candidate parking location in the plurality of candidate parking locations. The ECU is also configured to determine a new route between the start location and the recommended parking location.

[0005] A method for determining a recommended parking location for a vehicle traveling from a start location to a destination location is also described. The method includes receiving, by a transceiver of the vehicle, parking situation data from one or more other vehicles, the parking situation data including one or more indications of parking conditions along a route between the start location and the destination location and / or one or more indications of parking conditions within a predetermined distance of the destination location. The method includes determining, by an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle, a plurality of candidate parking locations based on the parking situation data. The method includes determining, by the ECU, a recommended parking location from the plurality of candidate parking locations based on a comparison of each candidate parking location in the plurality of candidate parking locations. The method also includes determining, by the ECU, a new route between the start location and the recommended parking location. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. The components shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale and may be exaggerated to better illustrate the important features of the present invention.

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates exemplary traffic condition data including vehicle location data according to various embodiments of the invention. [Diagram 2] 1 illustrates exemplary traffic condition data including vehicle speed data and recommended alternate parking locations according to various embodiments of the invention. [Diagram 3] 1 illustrates exemplary traffic condition data including vacant parking space data, parking rules data, and parking structure data according to various embodiments of the invention. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates vehicle-to-vehicle communication of available parking spaces, according to various embodiments of the invention. [Diagram 5] 1 illustrates components of a system according to various embodiments of the invention. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates a flow diagram of a process for alerting drivers to parking congestion according to various embodiments of the invention. [Figure 7] 1 illustrates a flow diagram of a process for providing alternate parking locations according to various embodiments of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Disclosed herein are systems, vehicles, and methods for collecting and distributing parking information to vehicles. Conventional navigation systems do not provide vehicle drivers with information regarding parking availability at and around a destination location. As used herein, "driver" can refer to a human operating a vehicle when the vehicle is a non-autonomous vehicle, and / or "driver" can also refer to one or more computer processors used to operate the vehicle autonomously or semi-autonomously.

[0009] The systems and methods described herein use sensors of other vehicles and / or parking areas or structures to collect parking data, which is used to provide vehicles with a real-time indication of parking conditions. This distributed method of collecting parking data distributes the computational load of the system overall and provides accurate information to vehicles. The systems and methods described herein allow for insight into the current parking conditions at a given location without the need to be on-site. By having this parking information before arriving at the destination location, vehicles can efficiently find parking spots, thereby avoiding contributing to traffic congestion at the destination location. In this manner, the systems and methods described herein reduce traffic congestion, reduce traffic collisions, and improve overall safety of vehicles near the destination location.

[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates an example area 100 and vehicles 102. The vehicles 102 may be parked or moving vehicles. Knowing the location of the vehicles 102 in a given area allows the parking situation in that area to be determined. Each vehicle 102 may use a location sensor, such as a GPS unit, to determine the location of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the vehicle 102 includes an on-board computing device that communicates the location of the vehicle to one or more other vehicles or computing devices. In some embodiments, the vehicle 102 is associated with a mobile computing device, such as a smartphone, that communicates the location of the vehicle to one or more other vehicles or computing devices.

[0011] Parking condition data can be determined based on vehicle location data in the area 100. The parking condition data can include parking congestion status, parking rules, parking lot locations, and / or available parking location data. The congestion of many vehicles 102 in the non-street area 104 indicates that there may be parking structures in the non-street area 104. The alignment of vehicles on the right side of the street 106 indicates that there may be parking restrictions on the left side of the street 106, given the congestion of the area 100. Parking congestion in the area 100 indicates that there may be few, if any, available parking spaces. The systems and methods described herein can analyze this vehicle location data in the area 100 and determine a recommended parking area 108 that is not so congested. The more vehicles and computing devices involved in the systems and methods described herein, the more accurate the parking condition data.

[0012] Map data for the area 100 can be used to supplement the vehicle location data provided by the vehicle 102. The map data can include street portions available for parking. The map data can also include street directionality to identify one-way and two-way streets. The map data can also include any known restrictions on parking. Restrictions on parking can include time-based parking restrictions (e.g., no parking from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.), day-of-the-week-based parking restrictions (e.g., no parking on Wednesdays), size-based parking restrictions (e.g., no parking for vehicles with more than two axles), or parking restrictions based on any other condition.

[0013] The vehicle location data can be shown on a display screen within the vehicle to indicate the current status of the parking congestion to a user or driver of the vehicle. Showing the vehicle location data on a display screen can help persuade the user or driver to park in an area away from the congestion, such as area 108. In some embodiments, other output devices can be used to communicate the parking congestion to the driver, including an audible alert from a speaker or a tactile alert from a vibration device.

[0014] In some embodiments, the vehicle determines a parking congestion level based on the vehicle condition data. The parking congestion level may be a value associated with parking conditions within a predetermined distance of the destination location. As an example, a parking congestion value of 10 means that there are very few available parking spaces near the destination location, and a parking congestion value of 1 means that there are many available parking spaces near the destination location.

[0015] When the parking congestion level does not exceed a threshold parking congestion level (e.g., 8), the vehicle may not provide a warning to the driver. However, when the parking congestion level exceeds the threshold parking congestion level, a warning may be provided to the driver. In this manner, at relatively low levels of parking congestion, there is no need to obtain the driver's warning because at relatively low levels of parking congestion, it is not difficult to find parking at or near the destination location.

[0016] The current location of the vehicle, as well as the speed of the vehicle traveling through the area, can be used to determine parking situation data and any recommended parking locations.

[0017] 2 illustrates an area 200 that is the same as the area 100 illustrated in FIG 1, but with vehicle speed arrows indicating the speed of vehicles traveling along the streets of the area. Vehicles traveling along the streets of the area 200 may have speed sensors configured to detect the speed of the vehicles. The vehicles may also be configured to communicate the speed of the vehicles to one or more other vehicles or a computing device.

[0018] The length or size of the arrows can indicate the speed of vehicles traveling along the streets. For example, shorter arrows 206 indicate that vehicles traveling along the respective streets are traveling at a relatively slower speed, and longer arrows 208 indicate that vehicles traveling along the respective streets are traveling at a relatively faster speed. In some embodiments, colors can be used (e.g., green for relatively faster conditions, red for slower conditions, and yellow for intermediate speed conditions).

[0019] The vehicle speed data can be used to provide recommended routes and parking to the vehicle driver. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the vehicle driver can be guided from a starting point 202 to a destination point 204. The shorter arrow 206 around the destination point 204 indicates that there may be congestion around the destination point 204. This may make the area around the destination point 204 an undesirable area for parking, i.e., an area where there may not be available parking locations around the destination point 204, and even if there are available parking locations, the congestion in the area around the destination point 204 may make parking difficult or time-consuming. The system described herein can provide recommended alternative parking locations to avoid the congestion around the destination point 204. As indicated by the longer arrow 208, there may be a recommended area 212 where vehicles around the recommended area 212 are traveling at a faster speed. The recommended area 212 can be presented to the driver as a recommended parking area considering the congestion around the destination point 204. The route from the starting point 202 to the destination point 204 can be changed to a new destination point 210 where the driver can more easily park the vehicle.

[0020] Vehicle speed data can be used in conjunction with the vehicle location data of Figure 1 to determine parking situation data. For example, when vehicle speed data indicates that vehicles along a street are traveling at a relatively high speed, this may be because the area is generally sparsely populated, or because the area is an area with a high density of parked vehicles along the street such that passing vehicles do not bother slowing down to look for an open spot. Vehicle location data can be used to verify whether a particular area is generally sparsely populated, or whether a particular area is already densely occupied by parked vehicles.

[0021] FIG. 3 illustrates a street having parked vehicles 304 and moving vehicles 302. The moving vehicles 302 include, for example, a first vehicle 302A, a second vehicle 302B, and a third vehicle 302C. One or more of the moving vehicles 302 are searching for a parking spot. The moving vehicles 302 can have sensors configured to detect parking situation data around the respective vehicles, and each of the multiple moving vehicles 302 can communicate the detected parking situation data to one or more vehicles or a computing device. The sensors of the moving vehicles 302 can include a spatial sensor, such as a radar or lidar, configured to detect spatial data of the environment around the vehicle. The sensors of the moving vehicles 302 can also include an image sensor, such as a camera, configured to detect image data of the environment around the vehicle.

[0022] The first vehicle 302A can use spatial and / or image sensors to detect vacant parking spot data indicating there is a vacant parking spot at the location 312. The first vehicle 302A can be configured to detect that a parking spot is vacant at the location 312 based on the presence of vehicles along one side of a road and the presence of a gap between the vehicles that exceeds a threshold distance or area (e.g., the length and width over which the vehicles can be parked). The first vehicle 302A can be configured to detect the area or size of the available space based on the image data and / or spatial data, and the first vehicle 302A can be configured to automatically determine whether the first vehicle 302A can park or fit into the available space.

[0023] The first vehicle 302A can be configured to determine the color of the (sidewalk) curb based on the image data, and the first vehicle 302A can be configured to automatically determine if the first vehicle 302A can park in the available space. For example, the available space can have a yellow curb color, and in the jurisdiction where the available space is located, the parking restriction data can indicate that the yellow curb is a 10 minute loading / unloading zone from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and all other times is a non-loading / unloading zone and unrestricted parking location. The parking restriction data can be stored in memory of the first vehicle 302A or in a remote memory accessible to the first vehicle 302A.

[0024] In some embodiments, the first vehicle 302A is not searching for a parking space, and the first vehicle 302A can communicate available parking space data to one or more other vehicles or computing devices. The available parking space data can include data associated with an available parking space, such as the size of the parking space and any detected limitations associated with the parking space. In some embodiments, a vehicle that does not fit into an available parking space (i.e., the parking space is too small) does not automatically consider the available parking space as a possible option for parking.

[0025] The vacant parking location data may be associated with one or more locations of vacant parking spaces. Each vacant parking space detected by the first vehicle 302A may be associated with a time, and a vehicle receiving the vacant parking location data may determine the likelihood that the parking space will remain vacant based on the time elapsed since detection by the first vehicle 302A. For example, a vacant parking space may be detected by the first vehicle at 10:02 a.m. in a relatively congested area, and the vacant parking location data may be communicated from the first vehicle to a second vehicle. The second vehicle may not be able to reach the vacant parking space until 10:29 a.m. Based on historical and / or current traffic patterns in the area surrounding the vacant parking space, the second vehicle may determine that there is a low (e.g., 7%) chance that the vacant parking space is still vacant at 10:29 a.m. The second vehicle may take this probability into account when deciding whether to go to the vacant parking space or to another different available parking location.

[0026] The second vehicle 302B can use spatial and / or image sensors to detect the parking structure 306. The second vehicle 302B can also use spatial and / or image sensors to detect parking structure data. In some circumstances, the parking structure 306 can have information associated with the parking structure on a display 310 at or near the front of the parking structure 306. In some embodiments, the parking structure 306 has a parking location tracking system that monitors the number of occupied and vacant parking locations in the parking structure 306 and the locations of the occupied and vacant parking locations in the parking structure 306. The parking location tracking system can transmit this information (i.e., number and location) to the second vehicle 302B. The display 310 can provide the number of available locations in the parking structure and what level those locations are located on. In some embodiments, the display 310 provides the cost of parking at the parking structure 306 (e.g., $5 per 15 minutes, up to $30). The display 310 can also provide multiple parking options with prices so that the driver can decide where to park.

[0027] In some embodiments, the display 310 provides the maximum capacity of the parking structure 306. In these embodiments, a counter can be maintained that keeps track of the number of vehicles entering and exiting the parking structure. The counter can be maintained in a distributed manner using image sensors in vehicles proximate the entrances and exits of the parking structure 306. For example, image sensors in vehicles proximate the entrances and exits of the parking structure 306 can communicate to each other or to a central server a vehicle identifier, such as a plate number or a detected make or model of the vehicle, when a vehicle is detected entering or exiting the parking structure 306. The identifier is used to ensure that a single vehicle is not double-counted. In some embodiments, vehicles parked within the parking structure 306 proximate the entrances and exits of the parking structure 306 can be responsible for maintaining the distributed counter, as they can be in the best position to detect vehicles entering and exiting the parking structure 306.

[0028] The second vehicle 302B can distribute the detected parking structure data to one or more vehicles or computing devices to provide information about the parking structure 306. For example, the first vehicle 302A can desire to go to a destination location 314. The first vehicle 302A can park at an available parking location 312 or can park at the parking structure 306. The first vehicle 302A can receive the parking structure data from the second vehicle 302B to make a more informed and more efficient decision about where to park. If the parking structure data indicates that parking at the parking structure 306 is inexpensive and parking locations are plentiful, the first vehicle 302A can choose to park at the parking structure 306. However, if the parking structure data indicates that parking at the parking structure 306 is scarce and expensive, the first vehicle 302A can decide to park at an available location 312. In some embodiments, when the first vehicle 302A is being driven autonomously, the decision of where to park is made automatically by one or more processors of the first vehicle 302A. In some embodiments, recommendations of where to park are made by the first vehicle 302A and incorporated into the navigation instructions provided to the driver of the first vehicle 302A. The autonomous vehicle can also be programmed to go to the least expensive parking structure for parking.

[0029] Previously, the driver of the first vehicle 302A would drive past available parking locations 312 to check the parking situation at the parking structure 306. The driver of the first vehicle 302A would then discover that parking locations at the parking structure 306 were scarce and would return to parking location 312 only to find that the location was already occupied by another vehicle. Using the systems and methods disclosed herein, the driver of the first vehicle 302A can park the first vehicle 302A more efficiently in a location that is less congested overall.

[0030] In some embodiments, the second vehicle 302B relies on its own spatial and / or image sensors along with spatial and / or image data from other vehicles to determine parking structure data associated with the parking structure 306. In some embodiments, the second vehicle 302B is configured to communicate with a computing device associated with the parking structure 306, which provides the parking structure data to the second vehicle 302B. In some embodiments, the parking structure data from the computing device associated with the parking structure 306 may additionally include specific locations and sizes of available parking locations at the parking structure 306. A vehicle receiving the parking structure data may direct a driver of the vehicle to an available parking location based on the parking structure data from the computing device associated with the parking structure 306.

[0031] The third vehicle 302C can use spatial and / or image sensors to detect parking restriction data associated with the parking restriction 308. The parking restriction 308 can be a parking sign and the parking restriction data can be parking sign data indicating whether parking is permitted or not permitted. The parking restriction 308 can be a parking meter and the parking restriction data can be parking meter data indicating the presence of a parking meter, any restrictions associated with the parking meter (e.g., a two-hour limit), and / or the status of the parking meter (e.g., unpaid or paid for the next 17 minutes).

[0032] In some situations, when the parking restriction is a parking sign, the parking sign may have a set of conditions in which a vehicle is allowed to park and another set of conditions in which a vehicle is not allowed to park, and it may be difficult to determine whether a vehicle is allowed to park at a given time and date. For example, the parking sign may include numerous signs that read, "No parking on Tuesdays from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM for street cleaning," "Remove vehicles and no parking Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM on school days," "15 minutes of parking during school duties from 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM Monday through Friday on school days," "1 hour of parking from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday," "1 hour of parking from 12:00 PM Sunday to 6:00 PM on non-school days," "No parking from 6:00 PM Friday to 12:00 PM Sunday," etc. For a human being, interpreting these signs may be mind-boggling, but a computing device with data on how the various parking sign phrases are interpreted can more accurately and more quickly determine whether a vehicle can be parked there at any given time and date. Image data associated with the one or more parking signs may be analyzed by one or more processors in the third vehicle 302C to automatically notify the driver whether or not the vehicle can be parked.

[0033] In some embodiments, the third vehicle 302C is configured to communicate with and receive parking restriction data from the parking restriction 308. For example, the parking restriction 308 may be a network-connected parking meter configured to communicate parking restriction data to the third vehicle 302C indicating the amount of paid time remaining in the parking meter and any restrictions on parking.

[0034] The third vehicle 302C can communicate the parking restriction data to one or more other vehicles (e.g., the first vehicle 302A and / or the second vehicle 302B) or to other computing devices. Any of the vehicles 302 can make better informed and more efficient parking decisions when provided with parking situation data (e.g., available parking location data, parking structure data, parking restriction data, and / or dimensions (e.g., length and width) of available parking spaces) from the other vehicles.

[0035] When determining the recommended parking locations, a level of convenience can be determined for each candidate parking location of the plurality of candidate parking locations. The level of convenience for a given location can be determined based on the distance to the destination, the probability of availability (i.e., the likelihood that an available parking location will remain available until the vehicle reaches the available parking location), the size of the parking location, any restrictions associated with the parking location, and / or any costs associated with the parking location. For example, a first candidate parking location may be along a street and within 50 feet of the destination, but the size of the first candidate parking location may be small and the cost of paying for a meter corresponding to the first candidate parking location may be high, e.g., $5 for two hours. A second candidate parking location may be in a parking structure within 200 feet of the destination and may be a relatively large parking space, but the cost of parking at the parking structure may be $10 for two hours. The level of convenience associated with the first candidate parking location may be 78 out of 100, and the level of convenience associated with the second candidate parking location may be 88 out of 100. Therefore, the second candidate parking location can be recommended.The vehicle user or driver can adjust the weight associated with each factor of the level of convenience according to his / her own preferences.

[0036] FIG. 4 illustrates a parking lot 400 with a moving vehicle 402, a parked vehicle 404, and a reversing vehicle 406.

[0037] The first vehicle 402A can use spatial and / or image sensors to detect when the reversing vehicle 406 is leaving the parking spot. The first vehicle 402A can use machine learning techniques to train one or more processors of the first vehicle 402A to detect when a vehicle is leaving the parking spot based on spatial and / or image data. In some embodiments, reverse lights or a person entering the vehicle can be used to detect that a special vehicle is leaving the parking spot. In some embodiments, movement of a vehicle (e.g., vehicle 406) from between two other vehicles can be used to detect that a special vehicle is leaving the parking spot. The two other adjacent vehicles can be in front of and behind the moving vehicle, or on either side of the moving vehicle.

[0038] The first vehicle 402A may communicate the potential availability of the parking spot and the location of the parking spot to one or more vehicles (e.g., the second vehicle 402B or the third vehicle 402C) or a computing device (e.g., a computing device associated with the parking lot 400 and configured to monitor the availability and occupancy of parking spots in the parking lot 400).

[0039] In some embodiments, a vehicle 408 leaving a parking spot can broadcast to one or more other vehicles in its vicinity that it is leaving the parking spot. The vehicle 408 can also communicate the location of the parking spot to the one or more vehicles. In some embodiments, only unparked vehicles can receive parking data communicated from any other vehicle. In some embodiments, any of the vehicles described herein can use data from other vehicles and / or infrastructure (e.g., parking structures connected to the network or parking meters connected to the network) to determine where to park.

[0040] FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of a system 500. The system 500 includes a first vehicle 502A and a second vehicle 502B. Components having a suffix may be referred to collectively or individually by the number preceding the suffix. For example, the vehicle 502 may collectively refer to both the first vehicle 502A and the second vehicle 502B, or may refer to either the first vehicle 502A or the second vehicle 502B individually. The vehicle 520 may be similar to any of the vehicles described herein (vehicle 102, vehicles 302A-302C, vehicles 402A-402C, vehicle 404, vehicle 406, or vehicle 408).

[0041] The vehicle 502 may have an automatic or manual transmission. The vehicle 502 is a transportation vehicle capable of transporting humans, objects, or permanently or temporarily attached equipment. The vehicle 502 may be a self-propelled wheeled transportation vehicle, such as an automobile, a sports utility vehicle, a truck, a bus, a van, or other motor- or battery-powered vehicle. For example, the vehicle 502 may be an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a plug-in hybrid vehicle, a solar-powered vehicle, or any other type of vehicle that includes a motor / generator. Other examples of vehicles include bicycles, trains, airplanes, boats, and any other form of transportation vehicle capable of transportation. The vehicle 502 may be a semi-autonomous vehicle or an autonomous vehicle. That is, the vehicle 502 may be self-piloted and can move without human input. An autonomous vehicle may use one or more sensors and / or navigation units to drive autonomously.

[0042] The vehicle 502 (e.g., a first vehicle 502A and a second vehicle 502B) includes an ECU 504 (e.g., ECUs 504A and 504B) connected to a transceiver 506 (e.g., 506A and 506B), a location sensor 508 (e.g., 508A and 508B), a memory 510 (e.g., 510A and 510B), an image sensor 512 (e.g., 512A and 512B), a display 514 (e.g., 514A and 514B), a spatial sensor 516 (e.g., 516A and 516B), an output device 530 (e.g., 530A and 530B), and a speed sensor 532 (e.g., 532A and 532B). The ECU 504 may be one or more ECUs suitably programmed to control one or more operations of the vehicle. The one or more ECUs 504 can be implemented as a single ECU or in multiple ECUs. The ECU 504 can be electrically coupled to some or all components of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the ECU 504 is a central ECU configured to control one or more operations of the entire vehicle. In some embodiments, the ECU 504 is multiple ECUs located within the vehicle, each ECU configured to control one or more local operations of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the ECU 504 is one or more computer processors or controllers configured to execute instructions stored in the non-transitory memory 510.

[0043] The vehicle 502 can be coupled to a network. A network, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a cellular network, a digital short range communication (DSRC), the Internet, or a combination thereof, connects the vehicle 502 to a remote device 520.

[0044] The transceiver 506 can include a communication port or channel, such as one or more of a Wi-Fi unit, a Bluetooth unit, a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag or reader, a DSRC unit, or a cellular network unit, to access a cellular network (such as 3G, 4G, or 5G). The transceiver 506 can transmit data to and receive data from devices and systems that are not physically connected to the vehicle. For example, the ECU 504 can communicate with a remote device 520, or an ECU of another vehicle. Additionally, the transceiver 506 can access a network to which the remote device 520 or another vehicle is also connected.

[0045] The location sensor 508 is coupled to the ECU 504 and configured to detect location data. The location sensor 508 may be a GPS unit. The ECU 504 may use the location data along with map data stored in the memory 510 to detect the location of the vehicle. In other embodiments, the location sensor 508 has access to map data and may detect the location of the vehicle and provide the vehicle location to the ECU 504.

[0046] Memory 510 is connected to ECU 504 and may be connected to any other components of the vehicle. Memory 510 is configured to store any data described herein, such as vehicle location data, vehicle location data of other vehicles, vehicle speed data of other vehicles, parking structure data, vacant parking location data, threshold parking congestion levels, threshold convenience levels, parking restriction data, and any data received via transceiver 506 of vehicle 502 from remote device 520 or from other vehicles.

[0047] The vehicle 502 also includes an image sensor 512 configured to detect image data. The image sensor 512 may be one or more cameras configured to detect images of an environment external to the vehicle 502. The image data may be used by the ECU 504 to determine if the vehicle is leaving the parking spot, thereby creating an open parking spot. The image data may be used by the ECU 504 to determine parking structure data associated with the parking structure. The image data may be used by the ECU 504 to determine parking regulation or parking restriction data.

[0048] The vehicle 502 also includes a spatial sensor 516 configured to detect spatial data. The spatial sensor 516 may be one or more spatial sensing devices, such as radar or lidar, configured to detect an environment outside the vehicle 502. The spatial data may be used by the ECU 504 to determine whether an open parking space is present.

[0049] Vehicle 502 also includes a display 514. Display 514 can display navigation instructions from a start location to a destination location. Display 514 can also display settings associated with parking preferences and any of the thresholds described herein. Display 514 can be a touch screen configured to receive user input via one or more selectable icons. For example, display 514 can display a selectable icon to indicate a user's parking congestion sensitivity, which can be used to adjust threshold parking congestion as described herein.

[0050] The parking condition data can be communicated directly from one vehicle to another (e.g., from a first vehicle 502A to a second vehicle 502B). A vehicle receiving the parking condition data can supplement the parking condition data with additional parking condition data detected using one or more on-board sensors and can communicate the supplemented parking condition data to one or more other vehicles. The parking condition data can be communicated from the vehicle 502 to the remote device 520 via the transceiver 506 of the vehicle 502 and the transceiver 524 of the remote device 520. The remote device 520 can then broadcast the parking condition data to one or more vehicles.

[0051] The remote device 520 may be a remote data server configured to receive and distribute parking data. The remote device 520 may be a computing device associated with a building (e.g., a parking structure) or a parking device (e.g., a parking meter). The remote device 520 includes a processor 522 coupled to a transceiver 524 and a memory 526. The processor 522 (and any processor described herein) may be one or more computer processors configured to execute instructions stored in a non-transitory memory.

[0052] The memory 526 may be a non-transitory memory. When the remote device 520 is a remote data server for receiving and distributing parking situation data, the memory 526 may be configured to store parking situation data received from one or more vehicles 502. When the remote device 520 is a computing device associated with a parking structure, the memory 526 may be configured to store parking structure data. When the remote device 520 is a computing device associated with a parking device (e.g., a parking meter), the memory 526 may be configured to store parking device data (e.g., the amount or time remaining in the parking meter, the maximum parking time length, any parking restrictions associated with the parking location of the parking meter). The transceiver 524, like the transceiver 506, may be configured to transmit and receive data.

[0053] When the remote device 520 is a remote data server, the processor 522 can be configured to receive parking condition data from a plurality of vehicles and determine one or more vehicles to which to distribute the parking condition data. The processor 522 can be configured to combine the parking condition data received from the plurality of vehicles.

[0054] When the remote device 520 is a computing device associated with a parking structure, the processor 522 can be configured to use one or more sensors in the parking structure to maintain a calculation of occupied and vacant spaces in the parking structure. The one or more sensors can be weight, image, or laser sensors used to detect the presence of a vehicle at a parking location, or image sensors used to detect and identify vehicles entering or exiting the parking structure.

[0055] When the remote device 520 is a computing device associated with a parking meter, the processor 522 can be configured to monitor the corresponding parking location to determine the presence of a vehicle. The processor 522 can receive a request for parking meter data associated with the parking location and the parking meter, and the processor 522 can communicate the parking meter data to the requesting computing device.

[0056] As used herein, a "unit" may refer to hardware components such as one or more computer processors, controllers, or computing devices configured to execute instructions stored in non-transitory memory.

[0057] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a process 600 for alerting a vehicle driver to parking conditions within a predetermined distance of a destination.

[0058] A transceiver (e.g., transceiver 506) of a vehicle (e.g., vehicle 502) receives parking condition data from one or more other vehicles (e.g., vehicle 502) including one or more indications of parking conditions within a predetermined distance of a destination (step 602). The parking condition data can include vehicle location data of a plurality of vehicles (e.g., vehicle 502) within the predetermined distance of the destination, the vehicle location data can be detected by a location sensor (e.g., location sensor 508) of each of the plurality of vehicles. The parking condition data can include vehicle speed data of a plurality of vehicles within the predetermined distance of the destination, the vehicle speed data can be detected by a speed sensor (e.g., speed sensor 532) of each of the plurality of vehicles.

[0059] The parking condition data can include parking structure data associated with a parking structure (e.g., parking structure 306) within a predetermined distance of the destination, the parking structure data detected by an image sensor (e.g., image sensor 512) of a vehicle (e.g., vehicle 502) in proximity to the parking structure or transmitted by a computing device (e.g., remote device 520) associated with the parking structure, the parking structure data including at least one of the number of available parking spaces and the cost of parking in the parking structure.

[0060] As described herein, the number of available parking spaces may be indicated on a sign at the front of the parking structure, the number of available parking spaces may be provided by a computing device associated with the parking structure, or the number of available parking spaces may be determined by one or more vehicles detecting vehicles entering and exiting the parking structure and comparing the detected entering and exiting vehicles to the capacity of the parking structure.

[0061] The vehicle's ECU (e.g., ECU 504) determines a parking congestion level based on the parking situation data (step 604). The parking congestion level may be a value associated with parking conditions within a predetermined distance of the destination. The process used to determine the parking congestion level may be based on any of the parking situation data, and the weighting of each data may be adjusted to more accurately represent the parking conditions near the destination. The weighting of each data may be adjusted by the driver or user of the vehicle, or may be adjusted by the vehicle manufacturer or a third party.

[0062] The ECU determines whether the parking congestion level exceeds a threshold parking congestion level (step 606). The threshold parking congestion level may be stored in a memory in the vehicle (e.g., memory 510). The threshold parking congestion level may be adjusted by a user or driver of the vehicle based on their preferences and tolerance for parking congestion. A lowered threshold parking congestion level may be associated with a lower tolerance for parking congestion near the destination. A higher parking congestion level may be associated with a higher tolerance for parking congestion near the destination. Any adjustments made by the user or driver of the vehicle may be made through an input unit of the vehicle, such as a touch screen, keyboard, or microphone.

[0063] When the parking congestion level exceeds the threshold parking congestion level, the ECU instructs an output device (e.g., output device 530) to alert the driver of the parking congestion near the destination. The output device may be a display screen configured to visually provide the driver's attention, a speaker configured to audibly provide the driver's attention, or a vibration unit configured to haptically provide the driver's attention.

[0064] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a process 700 for determining recommended parking locations for a vehicle traveling from a start location to a destination location.

[0065] A transceiver (e.g., transceiver 506) of a vehicle (e.g., vehicle 502) receives parking condition data from one or more other vehicles (e.g., vehicle 502) including one or more indications of parking conditions along a route between a start location and a destination location and / or one or more indications of parking conditions within a predetermined distance of the destination location (step 702).

[0066] The parking situation data may include vehicle location data for a plurality of vehicles (e.g., vehicle 502) along a route between a start location and a destination location and / or within a predetermined distance of the destination location. The vehicle location data may be detected by location sensors (e.g., location sensor 508) of each of the plurality of vehicles.

[0067] The parking condition data may include vehicle speed data for a plurality of vehicles along a route between the start location and the destination location and / or within a predetermined distance of the destination location, the vehicle speed data being detected by respective speed sensors (e.g., speed sensor 532) of the plurality of vehicles.

[0068] The parking situation data can include parking structure data associated with a parking structure (e.g., parking structure 306) along a route between the start location and the destination location and / or within a predetermined distance of the destination location, the parking structure data detected by an image sensor (e.g., image sensor 512) of a vehicle (e.g., vehicle 502) in proximity to the parking structure or transmitted by a computing device (e.g., remote device 520) associated with the parking structure, and the parking structure data including at least one of the number of available parking spaces and the cost of parking in the parking structure.

[0069] As described herein, the number of available parking spaces may be indicated on a sign at the front of the parking structure, the number of available parking spaces may be provided by a computing device associated with the parking structure, or the number of available parking spaces may be determined by one or more vehicles detecting vehicles entering and exiting the parking structure and comparing the detected entering and exiting vehicles to the capacity of the parking structure.

[0070] The parking situation data may include vacant parking location data determined by one or more other vehicles (e.g., vehicle 502) based on image data detected by a respective image sensor (e.g., image sensor 512) of the one or more other vehicles and / or spatial data detected by a respective spatial sensor (e.g., spatial sensor 516) of the one or more other vehicles. In some embodiments, the vacant parking location data is determined by detecting at least one of reverse lights being illuminated by a vehicle exiting a parking space, a vehicle exiting a location between two other vehicles, or a space between two vehicles that exceeds a vehicle size threshold.

[0071] An ECU (e.g., ECU 504) of the vehicle determines a plurality of candidate parking locations based on the parking situation data (step 704). In some embodiments, a favorability level for each candidate parking location in the plurality of candidate parking locations is determined by the ECU. The favorability level may be based on distance to the destination location, probability of availability, parking size, parking restriction data, and / or parking costs. In some embodiments, a parking congestion level of the destination location is initially determined by the ECU as described herein, and when the parking congestion level of the destination location exceeds a threshold parking congestion level, a plurality of candidate parking locations is determined and each candidate parking location is evaluated.

[0072] The ECU determines a recommended parking location from the plurality of candidate parking locations based on a comparison of each candidate parking location among the plurality of candidate parking locations (step 706). The comparison may be based on a favorability level of each candidate parking location, as described herein.

[0073] The ECU determines a new route between the start location and the recommended parking location (step 708), and in some embodiments, the display screen displays the new route between the start location and the recommended parking location. In some embodiments, the ECU is further configured to autonomously drive the vehicle to the recommended parking location when the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

[0074] Exemplary embodiments of the method / system have been disclosed as being illustrative and illustrative. Thus, the terms employed throughout this specification should be read in a non-limiting manner. Although minor modifications to the teachings herein will occur to those skilled in the art, it should be understood that what is intended to be limited within the scope of the patent to which it is subsequently entitled are all such embodiments that are reasonably considered to be within the scope of the development of the technology contributed thereby, and that the scope should not be limited except in light of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A system for alerting a driver of a vehicle to parking conditions within a predetermined distance of a destination, comprising: a transceiver in the vehicle configured to receive parking condition data from one or more other vehicles, the parking condition data including one or more indications of parking conditions within the predetermined distance of the destination; connected to the transceiver, determining a parking congestion level based on the parking situation data; determining whether the parking congestion level exceeds a threshold parking congestion level; an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle configured to, when the parking congestion level exceeds the threshold parking congestion level, instruct an output device to alert the driver of parking congestion near the destination; system.

2. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the parking condition data includes vehicle location data for a plurality of vehicles within the predetermined distance of the destination, the vehicle location data being detected by location sensors in each of the plurality of vehicles.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the parking condition data includes vehicle speed data for a plurality of vehicles within the predetermined distance of the destination, the vehicle speed data being sensed by speed sensors in each of the plurality of vehicles.

4. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the parking condition data includes parking structure data associated with parking structures within the predetermined distance of the destination, the parking structure data detected by an image sensor of a vehicle proximate to the parking structure or transmitted by a computing device associated with the parking structure, and the parking structure data includes at least one of a number of available parking spaces and a cost of parking in the parking structure.

5. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the number of available parking spaces is determined by detecting one or more vehicles entering and exiting the parking structure and comparing the detected entering and exiting vehicles to a capacity of the parking structure.

6. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the output device is a display screen configured to visually provide the driver with the attention reminder, a speaker configured to audibly provide the driver with the attention reminder, or a vibration unit configured to tactilely provide the driver with the attention reminder.

7. 1. A system for determining a recommended parking location for a vehicle traveling from a start location to a destination location, comprising: a transceiver in the vehicle configured to receive parking condition data from one or more other vehicles, the parking condition data including one or more indications of parking conditions along a route between the start location and the destination location and / or one or more indications of parking conditions within a predetermined distance of the destination location; connected to the transceiver, determining a plurality of candidate parking locations based on the parking situation data; determining the recommended parking location from the plurality of candidate parking locations based on a comparison of each candidate parking location among the plurality of candidate parking locations; an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle configured to determine a new route between the starting location and the recommended parking location; system.

8. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the parking condition data includes vehicle location data for a plurality of vehicles along the route between the start location and the destination location and / or within the predetermined distance of the destination, the vehicle location data being detected by location sensors in each of the plurality of vehicles.

9. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the parking situation data includes vacant parking space data determined by the one or more other vehicles based on image data detected by an image sensor of each of the one or more other vehicles and / or spatial data detected by a spatial sensor of each of the one or more other vehicles.

10. The vacant parking space data is Reverse lights that are turned on by a vehicle exiting a parking space; A vehicle leaving a space between two other vehicles, or 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the distance between the two vehicles is determined by detecting at least one of the spaces between the two vehicles exceeding a vehicle size threshold.

11. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the parking condition data includes parking structure data associated with parking structures along the route between the start location and the destination location and / or within the predetermined distance of the destination, the parking structure data detected by an image sensor in a vehicle proximate to the parking structure or transmitted by a computing device associated with the parking structure, and the parking structure data includes at least one of a number of available parking spaces and a cost of parking in the parking structure.

12. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the number of available parking spaces is determined by detecting one or more vehicles entering and exiting the parking structure and comparing the detected entering and exiting vehicles to a capacity of the parking structure.

13. The ECU is further configured to determine a favorability level for each candidate parking location in the plurality of candidate parking locations, the favorability level being based on a distance to the destination location, a probability of availability, a parking lot size, parking restriction data, and / or a parking cost; The system of claim 7 , wherein the determination of the recommended parking location is based on a comparison of the convenience level of each candidate parking location in the plurality of candidate parking locations.

14. 8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a display screen configured to display the new route between the starting location and the recommended parking location.

15. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, and the ECU is further configured to autonomously drive the vehicle to the recommended parking location.

16. 1. A method for determining a recommended parking location for a vehicle traveling from a start location to a destination location, comprising: receiving, by a transceiver of the vehicle, parking condition data from one or more other vehicles, the parking condition data including one or more indications of parking conditions along a route between the start location and the destination location and / or one or more indications of parking conditions within a predetermined distance of the destination location; determining, by an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle, a plurality of candidate parking locations based on the parking situation data; determining, by the ECU, the recommended parking location from the plurality of candidate parking locations based on a comparison of each candidate parking location among the plurality of candidate parking locations; determining, by the ECU, a new route between the starting location and the recommended parking location.

17. detecting vehicle location data by a location sensor in each of a plurality of vehicles along the route between the start location and the destination location and / or within the predetermined distance of the destination; 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the parking situation data includes the vehicle location data for the plurality of vehicles along the route between the start location and the destination location and / or within the predetermined distance of the destination.

18. detecting, by a respective image sensor and / or a respective spatial sensor of the one or more other vehicles, available parking location data associated with available parking spaces along the route between the start location and the destination location and / or within the predetermined distance of the destination; The method of claim 16 , wherein the parking status data includes the vacant parking location data.

19. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the parking condition data includes parking structure data associated with parking structures along the route between the start location and the destination location and / or within the predetermined distance of the destination, the parking structure data detected by an image sensor in a vehicle proximate to the parking structure or transmitted by a computing device associated with the parking structure, and the parking structure data includes at least one of a number of available parking spaces and a cost of parking in the parking structure.

20. determining, by the ECU, a favorability level for each candidate parking location in the plurality of candidate parking locations, the favorability level being based on a distance to the destination location, a probability of availability, a parking lot size, parking restriction data, and / or a parking cost; The method of claim 16 , wherein the determination of the recommended parking location is based on a comparison of the convenience level of each candidate parking location in the plurality of candidate parking locations.

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