Bicycle parking assistance system, motorized two-wheeler, and method
The bicycle parking assistance system autonomously parks motorized two-wheeled vehicles using environmental and driving state signals, addressing parking challenges and theft concerns, thereby improving user convenience and security.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024535932
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2021-12-16
- Filing Date
- 2022-12-14
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-22
- Estimated Expiration
- 2042-12-14
AI Technical Summary
Motorized two-wheeled vehicles, such as motorcycles and scooters, face challenges in convenient and secure parking, particularly due to infrastructure limitations and susceptibility to theft, which can deter users from using these vehicles.
A bicycle parking assistance system that autonomously controls the vehicle to park itself by receiving environmental and driving state signals, identifying its position, and following a predetermined trajectory, using sensors and control units to maneuver to a target location.
Enables convenient and secure parking without user intervention, enhancing the operability and safety of motorized two-wheeled vehicles by ensuring reliable parking and reducing theft risks.
Smart Images

Figure 2025501510000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a parking assistance system for a motorized two-wheeled vehicle, to a motorized two-wheeled vehicle having such a parking assistance system, and to a method for operating a parking assistance system for a motorized two-wheeled vehicle. [Background technology]
[0002] Motorized two-wheeled vehicles, such as motorcycles, motor scooters such as E-bikes, motorized bicycles, and scooters such as E-scooters, are known. Two-wheeled vehicles take up much less space than automobiles and are easier to maneuver, making them a suitable means of transportation, especially in areas with heavy traffic. Bicycles, in particular, are relatively light and require less power to run, so they have attracted a lot of attention as an environmentally friendly means of transportation.
[0003] Users of motorized motorcycles would benefit from more convenient parking steps for motorcycles. Until now, users have had to manually transport their motorcycles to a suitable parking location and securely fix the motorcycle. In particular, if the motorcycle cannot be parked securely or if it requires a lot of effort to park securely, users may refrain from using the motorcycle. Motorcycles are more susceptible to theft than automobiles, so users need to be especially careful when parking the motorcycle. However, whether the motorcycle can be safely parked without being stolen often depends on the infrastructure available at the site. If the nearest available and secure parking option is too far from the user's actual destination, users may refrain from using the motorcycle.
[0004] The paper "Towards artificial intelligence with hybrid Tianjic chip architecture" by Pei, J., Deng, L., Song, S. et al., published in Nature 572, 106-111 (2019)(https: / / doi.org / 10.1038 / s41586-019-1424-8), describes an autonomous bicycle that is self-stabilizing and can avoid objects. Summary of the Invention
[0005] In light of the above, an object of the present invention is to improve the operability of a motorized two-wheeled vehicle.
[0006] According to a first aspect, a parking assistance system for a motorized two-wheeled vehicle is proposed. The parking assistance system is configured to autonomously control the two-wheeled vehicle. The parking assistance system comprises: a receiving unit for receiving an environment sensor signal indicating an environment of the motorcycle and a running state sensor signal indicating a running state of the motorcycle; a location determination unit for determining a current location of the two-wheeled vehicle according to the received environmental sensor signals and / or the received riding condition sensor signals; a providing unit for providing a predetermined trajectory connecting a start position and a target position; a control unit for performing an autonomous parking step of the two-wheeled vehicle according to the received environmental sensor signals, the received riding condition sensor signals, the determined current position, and the predetermined trajectory; Equipped with. The autonomous parking step includes a process of autonomously driving the two-wheeled vehicle from the identified current position of the two-wheeled vehicle to the target position along the predetermined trajectory.
[0007] An advantage of the present bicycle parking assistance system is that a user of a motorized two-wheeled vehicle is provided with the option to autonomously perform the parking steps, where the two-wheeled vehicle is autonomously driven to a target location and parked there. The autonomous parking steps are preferably performed without user supervision. Thus, the user only needs to initiate the autonomous parking steps by parking the two-wheeled vehicle at a specific location, such as in front of a home or office entrance, without having to take the trouble of parking the vehicle himself.
[0008] The parking assistance system being configured to autonomously control the motorcycle means that the parking assistance system is configured to activate the respective systems of the motorcycle, so that the motorcycle balances itself, accelerates, steers and decelerates itself. The autonomous control is performed on the one hand based on acquired environmental and riding state data and on the other hand based on predefined data, e.g. a predefined trajectory and predefined rules and / or parameter values. This can also be said to refer to an autonomous motorcycle that automatically controls itself.
[0009] Each unit of the bicycle parking assistance system may be realized in hardware and / or software. When realized in hardware, each unit may be in the form of, for example, a computer or a microprocessor. When realized in software, each unit may be in the form of a computer program product, a function, a routine, an algorithm, a portion of a program code, or an executable object. Furthermore, each of the units described herein may be in the form of a part of a higher-level control system of the motorcycle, for example a central electronic control unit and / or control unit (ECU: Electronic Control Unit).
[0010] The environmental sensor signal includes, for example, a sensor signal output to the bicycle parking assistance system by an ultrasonic sensor, a camera, a lidar, a radar, and / or a position sensor. The environmental sensor signal is detected in particular by a sensor disposed on the motorcycle and output to the bicycle parking assistance system.
[0011] The driving condition sensor signal includes, for example, signals detected by a wheel speed sensor, a steering angle sensor, and / or an inclination sensor of the motorcycle and output to the bicycle parking assistance system. Thus, the driving condition includes, among others, the speed, inclination, steering angle, and / or position of the motorcycle.
[0012] The position determination unit is configured to determine the current position of the motorcycle, e.g. the waypoint, which is the parking position and / or the current position of the motorcycle, may be determined relative to the positions of other objects in the motorcycle's environment or may be determined absolutely, e.g. in the form of coordinates in a fixed world coordinate system, e.g. the coordinate systems of satellite navigation systems such as NAVSTAR GPS, GLONASS, Galileo or Beidou.
[0013] For example, the environmental sensor signals may include position sensor signals, based on which an absolute position of the motorcycle is determined. Additionally, the environmental sensor signals may include ultrasonic sensor signals, based on which objects in the environment of the motorcycle are determined, including determining the relative positions of the objects to the motorcycle. Additionally, the environmental sensor signals may include camera images of the environment, based on which objects in the environment of the motorcycle are determined, including determining the relative positions of the objects to the motorcycle.
[0014] Based on driving condition sensor signals, including for example wheel speed sensor signals and steering angle sensor signals, the position determination unit can track the position of the two-wheeler by means of odometry while the two-wheeler is moving. In particular, the relative position of the two-wheeler with respect to the start position and / or the target position is determined here. If the absolute positions of the start position and / or the target position are known, for example based on corresponding sensor signals, the absolute position may also be determined based on the relative positions.
[0015] The providing unit comprises, for example, a memory unit for storing the predetermined trajectories. The memory unit is preferably arranged to store at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or more trajectories, particularly preferably at least 10 trajectories. The providing unit may be arranged to provide the predetermined trajectories, which are transmitted from a unit external to the motorcycle and received by the parking assistance system. The parking assistance system is preferably arranged for data exchange with an external server, for example to perform software updates "over the air".
[0016] The predetermined trajectory connects a starting position and a target position, where the starting position and / or the target position are defined by an absolute position in the world coordinate system or by a relative position of an object in the respective environment with respect to the starting position or the target position. Objects used to define the relative positions are in particular static objects whose position does not change, for example buildings. The predetermined trajectory includes a number of positions, the position of which is determined in particular relative to one another. For example, a respective connection vector from each position to a previous position and / or a subsequent position is determined.
[0017] The predetermined track has for example a length of up to 50m, preferably a length of up to 100m, preferably a length of up to 200m, more preferably a length of up to 500m.
[0018] The control unit being configured to perform the autonomous parking step means that the control unit controls the two-wheeled vehicle to travel along a predetermined trajectory to a target position. The meaning of "along a predetermined trajectory" is that it is not necessary to autonomously travel along the entire trajectory, but it is sufficient to autonomously travel along a part of the trajectory. After that or before, it is also possible to travel along an avoidance trajectory to avoid, for example, a collision with an object.
[0019] For example, the current position corresponds to the start position of the trajectory, and the control unit steers the motorcycle from the start position to the target position, where the current position of the motorcycle is continuously compared with the trajectory, thus ensuring that the motorcycle does not deviate from the trajectory.
[0020] If the current position at the start of the autonomous parking step does not match the starting position but is within a predetermined maximum distance from the predetermined track, the control unit may first steer the two-wheeled vehicle onto the predetermined track and then continue the parking step along the predetermined track, where the predetermined maximum distance may depend on the environment in which the parking step is performed. For example, the predetermined maximum distance may be 3 meters, preferably 5 meters, particularly preferably up to 10 meters, where the distance is determined between the current position and the closest position of the track.
[0021] If none of the positions of the track have an absolute position, i.e. if the motorcycle is not known a priori to the parking assistance system as being in the vicinity of the track, the execution of the parking steps may depend on whether the control unit recognizes the environment of the track, for example based on a particular arrangement of objects around the motorcycle. In this context, the recognition may be performed based on camera images acquired in particular using VSLAM technology.
[0022] It should be noted that the parking step refers to both parking at a parking spot and leaving from the parking spot. Parking at a parking spot, for example, relates to parking a motorcycle after use by a user. For example, here, the motorcycle is driven from a road to a garage. Leaving from a parking spot, for example, relates to providing a motorcycle when it is parked and a user wants to use it. For example, here, the motorcycle is driven from a garage to a road where the user takes over the motorcycle.
[0023] According to an embodiment of the bicycle parking assistance system, the providing unit is configured to provide, as the predetermined trajectory, a trajectory on which a user of the two-wheeled vehicle has trained in a training mode.
[0024] This may also be referred to as "trained parking". This is advantageous in that the user can create his own trajectory by manually driving the motorcycle along the desired trajectory. The bicycle parking assistance system records the traveled trajectory. For example, environmental sensor signals and driving state sensor signals are recorded during the manual training run. Based on the recorded sensor signals or measurement data extracted therefrom, the bicycle parking assistance system can orient itself during re-tracking of the trained trajectory. In this context, "training" means in particular that a predefined trajectory can be recorded by the user manually driving the motorcycle along the trajectory. The motorcycle is preferably configured to recognize whether the target position is in a no-parking zone. Furthermore, the motorcycle is preferably configured not to store the training trajectory or to inform the user if the target position is in a no-parking zone. Alternatively or additionally, if the motorcycle detects during the autonomous parking step that the target position is in a no-parking zone, for example, the motorcycle is configured to plan and travel along an auxiliary trajectory to the new target position. The detection is performed, for example, by analysis of camera data. For example, it is possible here to find signs prohibiting bicycle parking.
[0025] According to a further embodiment of the bicycle parking assistance system, said predetermined trajectory comprises a plurality of absolute positions and / or a plurality of positions determined relatively to one another.
[0026] An absolute position is determined, for example, by a coordinate in a world coordinate system, for example, a start position and / or a target position is determined absolutely.
[0027] Each relative position is determined by its location with respect to the other, including, for example, direction and distance. For example, a trajectory is defined by a path in a two-dimensional coordinate system.
[0028] According to a further embodiment of the bicycle parking assistance system, the received environmental sensor signals comprise a camera image of the environment of the two-wheeler, and the localization unit is configured to determine the position of the two-wheeler according to a comparison of an arrangement of optical features determined in the camera image with a stored arrangement of optical features.
[0029] Since the localization is performed based on optical or visual features present in the environment, this is sometimes called VSLAM (Visual simultaneous localization and mapping). The VSLAM technique is a technique that allows the localization of the motorcycle, in particular relative to its previous position. In particular, it is advantageously applicable to training parking. For example, in the case of a manual training run, camera images of the surroundings are acquired and analyzed after each covered distance (for example, 1 meter) to identify optical features. The identified optical features and their distribution in the camera images are saved and associated with the respective positions in the trajectory. Based on the optical features and their distribution, it can be established for subsequently received camera images whether they were acquired from the same place as in the training run. It can also be said that the localization unit "knows" the surroundings based on the optical features and their distribution. This is possible even if the current position is displaced, for example, by 1 meter, 2 meters or even up to 3 meters, with respect to the initially acquired position. In this case, it is also possible to determine the displacement with respect to the initially acquired position. That is, the location of the current position with respect to the respective positions in the trajectory is known. For example, the motorcycle may include a forward-facing camera configured to capture camera images. Also, an optional echo-based distance sensor may be provided having at least one detection area located in front of the bike. Alternatively or additionally, the motorcycle may optionally include a further rear-facing camera configured to capture camera images.
[0030] According to a further embodiment of the bicycle parking assistance system, the control unit is configured to identify objects in a predetermined area around the two-wheeled vehicle according to the received environmental sensor signals, and is further configured to identify an avoidance trajectory to avoid a collision with the identified objects.
[0031] According to a further embodiment of the bicycle parking assistance system, the bicycle parking assistance system has a user interface for receiving user input, the user input including selecting a predetermined trajectory from a plurality of predetermined trajectories and / or selecting a target location from a plurality of target locations.
[0032] This allows the user to select the respective predefined trajectory himself. The bicycle parking assistance system is advantageously configured to narrow down the selection of predefined trajectories based on, for example, the current position of the two-wheeled vehicle and the respective start position and / or destination position of each predefined trajectory.
[0033] According to a further embodiment of the bicycle parking assistance system, the bicycle parking assistance system comprises a communication unit adapted to transmit data to and / or receive data from a device external to the two-wheeled vehicle.
[0034] The communication unit is in particular adapted to establish a data link via a wireless communication network, such as a WLAN, or a mobile radio network, such as 3G, 4G, 5G.
[0035] The external device is for example a server accessible via the Internet or the like, or a mobile phone of the user, in particular a smartphone on which the respective application runs.
[0036] For example, a predetermined track that another user has trained on another motorcycle and / or a predetermined track provided by an operator of a public motorcycle parking facility can be received via the communication unit. In this way, the bicycle parking assistance system can be provided with a predetermined track for the autonomous parking steps even in a new location where the user has not been on the motorcycle and has not trained a track on the motorcycle.
[0037] The bicycle parking assistance system can further communicate further status data to the user via the communication unit, for example the current status during the autonomous parking steps. Furthermore, the user can call the motorcycle via the communication unit, whereby the bicycle parking assistance system performs steps for autonomously driving the motorcycle from the parking position to the proposed position proposal where the user takes over the motorcycle.
[0038] Furthermore, the bicycle parking assistance system can communicate with further units in the infrastructure, such as an automatic barrier or an automatic garage door, via the communication unit. Thus, the predetermined track can also extend to areas with limited access. For example, if an electronic key required to open the garage door is connected to the predetermined track, the bicycle parking assistance system will transmit it to open the garage door via the communication unit.
[0039] It should be noted that the target location can also be defined as a target area, i.e. the target location comprises a number of bicycle parking spots envisaged for the two-wheeled vehicle. The bicycle parking assistance system is further configured to select a specific bicycle parking spot, for example located in the target area, when performing the autonomous bicycle parking step. Thus, the bicycle parking assistance system is flexible and can also perform the autonomous bicycle parking step even if the bicycle parking spot is otherwise used by other users. This is particularly advantageous for public bicycle parking spots.
[0040] According to a second aspect, there is provided a motorized two-wheeled vehicle, the motorized two-wheeled vehicle comprising: an environmental sensor unit for detecting an environment of the motorcycle and outputting an environmental sensor signal; a running condition detection unit for detecting a running condition of the two-wheeled vehicle and outputting a running condition sensor signal; A bicycle parking assistance system according to a first aspect, Equipped with.
[0041] The motorized two-wheeler has the same advantages as those described for the bicycle parking assistance system according to the first aspect. The embodiments and features described for the proposed bicycle parking assistance system also apply to the proposed electric two-wheeler as appropriate and vice versa.
[0042] According to an embodiment of the motorized two-wheeler, the environmental sensor unit comprises an ultrasonic sensor, a camera, a lidar, a radar, and / or a position sensor.
[0043] In this instance, "a" or "an" should not be understood as necessarily limiting to exactly one element. Rather, a plurality of elements, e.g., two, three, or more, may be envisioned. Also, any numbers used herein should not be understood as limiting the number of elements precisely recited. Rather, unless specifically stated otherwise, the numbers can deviate upwards and downwards.
[0044] According to a further embodiment of the motorized two-wheeler, the riding condition detection unit comprises a wheel speed sensor, a steering angle sensor and / or an inclination sensor.
[0045] According to a further embodiment of the motorized two-wheeler, the motorized two-wheeler comprises a balancing unit configured to support and / or balance the two-wheeler.
[0046] According to a further embodiment of the motorized two-wheeler, the balancing unit comprises a support wheel, a side stand, a main stand, a displaceable weight element and / or a tiltable circular element.
[0047] The side stand and / or the main stand are folded or extended, in particular when the motorcycle slows below a certain speed or comes to a stop.
[0048] In particular, the support wheels are foldable and may be folded only during the autonomous parking step or may be folded as required, for example by a parking assistance system.
[0049] The weight element is particularly displaceable parallel to the axle of the motorcycle. As a result of the displacement, a torque can be generated on the motorcycle that contributes to the stability of the motorcycle. The torque can be utilized in particular to stabilize the motorcycle when turning.
[0050] The circular elements are in particular tiltable with respect to their respective geometric axes so that the bike is stabilized by correspondingly acting circular forces.
[0051] According to a further embodiment of the motorized two-wheeler, said two-wheeler is electrically driven.
[0052] In other words, the two-wheeled vehicle is equipped with an electric motor as a drive device.
[0053] The two-wheeled vehicle is preferably an electric two-wheeled vehicle equipped with an electric energy storage device, such as an accumulator or battery, that supplies electric energy to drive the electric motor.
[0054] In an embodiment, the electric motor is dedicated to the autonomous driving function.
[0055] In an embodiment, the motorcycle has a charging port configured to charge an electric energy storage device of the motorcycle, and the parking assistance system is configured to park the motorcycle in a parking position where the charging port can be coupled to a charging cable of a charging station.
[0056] According to further embodiments of the motorized two-wheeler, the motorized two-wheeler is designed as a motorcycle, a motor scooter, a bicycle or a scooter.
[0057] In a preferred embodiment, the two-wheeled vehicle is designed as an E-motorcycle, E-motor scooter, E-bike or E-scooter. This means that the two-wheeled vehicle is designed as a motorcycle, a motor scooter, a bicycle or a scooter and has an electric motor as a drive device and an electric energy storage device. "Two-wheeled vehicle" is also understood to refer to, for example, a three-wheeled cargo bike.
[0058] In a further embodiment, the motorized two-wheeled vehicle is provided with an internal combustion combustion engine or other motor.
[0059] According to a third aspect, a method for operating a parking assistance system for a motorized two-wheeled vehicle is proposed, said parking assistance system being configured for autonomous control of said two-wheeled vehicle, said method comprising: receiving an environmental sensor signal indicative of an environment of the motorcycle; receiving a driving condition sensor signal indicative of a driving condition of the motorcycle; determining a current location of the two-wheeled vehicle according to the received environmental sensor signals and / or the received riding condition sensor signals; Providing a predetermined trajectory connecting a start position and a target position; performing an autonomous parking step of the two-wheeled vehicle according to the received environmental sensor signal, the received running condition sensor signal, the determined current position, and the predetermined trajectory; Equipped with The autonomous parking step includes a process of autonomously driving the two-wheeled vehicle from the identified current position of the two-wheeled vehicle to the target position along the predetermined trajectory.
[0060] The method is particularly suitable for implementation in conjunction with a bicycle parking assistance system according to the first aspect and a motorized two-wheeler according to the second aspect. The steps of the method are for example interchangeable. The method is preferably carried out in the exact order listed.
[0061] The trained autonomous parking steps are preferably performed along a predetermined trajectory to the bicycle parking infrastructure. In particular, the bicycle parking infrastructure is configured to automatically receive the bicycle at a receiving point. Preferably, method steps are provided in which the bicycle is transported from the bicycle parking infrastructure to the proposed bicycle parking spot. For example, the bicycle parking infrastructure is configured to automatically transport the bicycle from the receiving point of the parking infrastructure to the proposed bicycle parking spot. In particular, the bicycle parking infrastructure comprises a gripper arm and / or a lifting ramp to move the bicycle within the parking infrastructure. Furthermore, method steps are provided in which the user communicates with the bicycle and / or the parking infrastructure with the aid of a mobile terminal device in order to retrieve the bicycle from the parking infrastructure. For example, the bicycle is then transported to a handover point of the parking infrastructure to perform further trained autonomous travel steps along a further predetermined trajectory to the user or to be directly collected by the user.
[0062] The embodiments and features described for the proposed portable bicycle parking assistance system also apply to the proposed method, as appropriate.
[0063] Furthermore, a computer program product is proposed, comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause said computer to carry out the above-mentioned method, said computer being designed, for example, as a parking assistance system for two-wheeled vehicles.
[0064] The computer program product, e.g. computer program means, may be provided or supplied as a storage medium, e.g. a memory card, a USB stick, a CD-ROM, a DVD, or in the form of a file downloadable from a server in a network, for example by transmitting, in a wireless communication network, the computer program product or a corresponding file containing the computer program means.
[0065] Further possible embodiments of the invention also include non-express combinations of the features or embodiments described above or below with respect to the exemplary embodiments, whereby a person skilled in the art will again add individual aspects as improvements or additions to the respective basic form of the invention.
[0066] Further advantageous configurations and aspects of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims and the exemplary embodiments of the invention described below.The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0067] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a motorcycle having a parking assistance system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a predetermined trajectory. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a further predetermined trajectory. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of the communication. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 shows a schematic block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a bicycle parking assistance system. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a schematic block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method for operating a bicycle parking assistance system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0068] In the drawings, identical or functionally identical elements will be referred to by the same reference numbers unless otherwise specified.
[0069] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a motorcycle 100 with a bicycle parking assistance system 130. The motorcycle 100 is, for example, a bicycle with an electric drive. The bicycle 100 comprises a bicycle parking assistance system 130, for example in the form of a control unit. Furthermore, the bicycle 100 comprises an environment sensor unit 110 and a number of riding condition detection units 120. The environment sensor unit 110 is, for example, designed as a front camera 110 and is configured to acquire images of the environment 200 (see FIG. 2) and to output the acquired images as environment sensor signals. It should be noted that the bicycle 100 may comprise further and / or different environment sensor units 110, such as lidar, radar, ultrasonic sensors, position sensor units (not shown), etc. The riding condition detection unit 120 comprises, for example, wheel speed sensors and steering angle sensors for each wheel arranged on the handlebars of the bicycle 100. Each sensor 110, 120 outputs a respective acquired sensor signal in particular to the bicycle parking assistance system 130. Based on these sensor signals, the bicycle parking assistance system 130 can autonomously drive the bicycle 100. That is, the bicycle parking assistance system 130 can move the bicycle 100 without user intervention. To move the bicycle 100, the bicycle parking assistance system 130 controls, in particular, the drive unit and the steering unit of the bicycle 100 so that the bicycle 100 moves along a certain trajectory TR (see FIG. 2 or FIG. 3). The bicycle 100 comprises, for example, an element (not shown) configured to balance the bicycle. This element preferably comprises at least one electric motor and a weight. The weight is moved by the electric motor to generate a force counteracting the tilt of the bicycle. Alternatively or additionally, it is also conceivable to maintain balance by activating a steering device. This is done to counteract the tilt of the bicycle.
[0070] It should be noted that further parts of the bicycle 100, such as a drive unit, an energy storage device, etc., are not shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of clarity.
[0071] The bicycle parking assistance system 130 preferably comprises a user interface (not shown) for receiving user input. The user interface can be activated, for example, via operating elements in the cockpit of the bicycle 100. Furthermore, the bicycle parking assistance system 130 preferably comprises a communication interface (not shown). The communication interface transmits data to and / or receives data from devices 300, 305 (see FIG. 4) external to the two-wheeled vehicle 100. Furthermore, user input can be received via the communication interface.
[0072] The bicycle parking assistance system 130 is designed, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 5 and is particularly adapted to carry out the method that will be explained in detail with reference to FIG.
[0073] Alternatively, the motorized two-wheeled vehicle 100 may be designed as a motorcycle, a motor scooter, or an electric scooter. The respective drive technologies are preferably electric, but may also use internal combustion engines or other motors. The motorized two-wheeled vehicle 100 may further be configured to transport one or more persons, for example up to two, three, or four persons, and / or luggage. Alternatively, the two-wheeled vehicle 100 may be configured as a three-wheeled vehicle and / or a cargo bike.
[0074] 2 shows a schematic diagram of a predetermined trajectory TR extending in an environment 200. The predetermined trajectory TR leads from a start position P1 to a target position P2. The start position P1 is, for example, located in front of an entrance 204 of a building 202. The target position P2 is, for example, located in a garage 203. Furthermore, a motorcycle 100 is shown at its current position P0. For example, this is the motorized motorcycle 100 of FIG. 1.
[0075] The predetermined trajectory TR is provided to the autonomous motorized two-wheeled vehicle 100 in particular to perform the autonomous parking steps. The predetermined trajectory TR is, for example, once trained by the user of the two-wheeled vehicle 100. In training, the bicycle parking assistance system 130 (see Figs. 1 to 5) records the trajectory TR traveled during the training ride based on the environmental sensor signals and the riding state sensor signals, and stores this travel trajectory as the predetermined trajectory TR. Thus, the bicycle parking assistance system 130 can now autonomously proceed along the predetermined trajectory TR. For this purpose, the user only needs to bring the two-wheeled vehicle 100 to the vicinity of the start position P1 and start the autonomous riding mode. If the predetermined trajectory TR is at least one absolutely determined position, the coordinates of which comprise an absolute determined value defined in the world coordinate system, the bicycle parking assistance system 130 can identify that the two-wheeled vehicle 100 is in the vicinity of the predetermined trajectory TR (for example, based on its current position P0, which also exists as an absolute position in the world coordinate system) and can accordingly start the autonomous parking steps or can offer this option to the user. If the predetermined trajectory TR and / or the current position P0 of the two-wheeled vehicle 100 are not absolutely known, the user may select the predetermined trajectory TR, for example in particular via a corresponding user input.
[0076] During autonomous travel along the predetermined trajectory TR, the two-wheeled vehicle 100 orients itself based on the received environmental and riding condition sensor signals. For example, the bicycle parking assistance system 130 can track the current position P0 of the two-wheeled vehicle 100 using odometry based on the riding condition sensor signals. In essence, odometry allows the two-wheeled vehicle 100 to perfectly and accurately follow the predetermined trajectory TR. However, deviations may occur due to measurement errors or environmental influences, e.g. slippage on one of the wheels. Therefore, additionally and / or alternatively, localization (orientation) may be performed based on the environment 200. For this purpose, preferably, the VSLAM technique (Visual simultaneous localization and mapping) can be used. With the VSLAM technique, the bicycle parking assistance 130 determines the current position P0 of the two-wheeled vehicle 100 with respect to a known pre-stored position, e.g. a position of the predetermined trajectory TR, based on a comparison of optical features determined in an acquired camera image of the environment 200. For this purpose, the two-wheeled vehicle 100 needs at least one camera for acquiring camera images of the environment 100 .
[0077] The predetermined trajectory TR, for example, comprises a number of positions defined relative to one another. A start position P1 and a target position P2 are two notable positions on the trajectory TR. These positions may also be called waypoints. In the autonomous driving step, the bicycle parking assistance system 130 controls the motorcycle to drive along the waypoints one after the other until the motorcycle arrives at the target position P2.
[0078] The target position P2 in this example is located in a garage 203. The garage 203 has, for example, a garage door that can be opened and closed electrically. When the motorcycle arrives in front of the garage 203 in the autonomous parking step, the bicycle parking assistance system 130 can be configured to open the garage door via a corresponding opening signal. This can be done, for example, via HomeLink (registered trademark).
[0079] The bicycle parking assistance system 130 allows the two-wheeled vehicle 100 to travel in the opposite direction along the predetermined trajectory TR by alternating between the start position and the target position P1, P2. Thus, the two-wheeled vehicle 100 travels autonomously, for example, from the garage 203 to the entrance 204 of the building 202. This step may also be referred to as a "call" or "paging." When traveling between the start position and the target position, a turning operation is performed at the start position to make the two-wheeled vehicle 100 face the traveling direction, if necessary.
[0080] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a further predetermined trajectory TR connecting the start position P1 and the target position P2. Furthermore, the current position P0 of the two-wheeled vehicle 100 is shown. The current position P0 is offset from the trajectory TR by a distance ΔP. For example, the user has not parked the two-wheeled vehicle 100 exactly at the start position P1, but still wants to start the autonomous parking step. The bicycle parking assistance system 130 (see FIGS. 1 to 5) determines the current position P0 of the two-wheeled vehicle 100 based on, for example, received environmental sensor signals, and determines the offset ΔP from the predetermined trajectory TR. This is done via the VSLAM technique if a sufficient number of corresponding features are found in the received and stored images. After determining the current position P0 and its relative position with respect to the predetermined trajectory TR, the bicycle parking assistance system 130 determines, for example, an auxiliary trajectory TR that guides the two-wheeled vehicle 100 to the predetermined trajectory TR. * Therefore, the bicycle parking assistance system 130 can perform the autonomous bicycle parking step even if the two-wheeled vehicle 100 is not initially positioned on the predetermined trajectory TR.
[0081] Furthermore, the bicycle parking assistance system 130 can also identify an avoidance trajectory (not shown) as described above, for example, when an object prevents the two-wheeled vehicle from traveling along the predetermined trajectory TR. The avoidance trajectory allows the bicycle parking assistance system 130 to circumvent each object and continue traveling along the predetermined trajectory TR to the target position P2.
[0082] The starting position and the target positions P1, P2 may each also be defined as areas to make the method more robust with respect to changing environments. For example, the target position P2 is a bicycle parking spot in a public bicycle parking facility. Thus, the exact bicycle parking location may change from use to use. The target position P2 may include the entire bicycle parking facility. Upon arrival at the bicycle parking facility, the bicycle parking assistance system 130 may, for example, switch to a search mode and search for an available bicycle parking spot. Alternatively, the bicycle parking assistance system 130 may be assigned a specific bicycle parking spot by the bicycle parking facility. In this case, the bicycle parking facility identifies a trajectory from the entrance of the bicycle parking facility to the assigned bicycle parking spot and transmits this to the bicycle parking assistance system 130 as a predetermined trajectory. The bicycle parking assistance system 130 then continues the autonomous bicycle parking steps along the received trajectory.
[0083] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing communication receivable via the Internet between the motorized two-wheeler 100 or the parking assistance system 130 for the motorized two-wheeler 100 (see FIGS. 1 to 5), the user's mobile device 300, and the server 305. The two-wheeler 100 is, for example, the motorized two-wheeler 100 shown in FIG. 1. The communication is particularly performed wirelessly. The user may set up a communication link COM with the two-wheeler 100 via his / her mobile device 300, which may be, for example, a smartphone. The communication link COM may be established directly or may be connected via the server 305. The two-wheeler 100 may also establish a communication link COM with the server 305, for example to obtain a predetermined trajectory TR (see FIG. 2 or FIG. 3), map data, firmware updates, or other data. Furthermore, the two-wheeler 100 may transmit status data, such as the current position P0 (see FIG. 2 or FIG. 3), the current operating state, the battery charge state, etc., to the server 305 and / or the user's mobile device 300.
[0084] A user can send a user input to the two-wheeled vehicle 100 via the communication link COM. The user input can include, for example, a call ("call") of the two-wheeled vehicle 100. This causes the two-wheeled vehicle 100 to travel autonomously from a specific parking position to the user under the autonomous control of the bicycle parking assistance system 130 along a predetermined trajectory TR.
[0085] FIG. 5 shows a schematic block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the bicycle parking assistance system 130. The bicycle parking assistance system 130 is configured to autonomously control the motorized two-wheeled vehicle 100, for example the two-wheeled vehicle shown in FIG. 1. The bicycle parking assistance system 130 includes a receiving unit 132 for receiving an environmental sensor signal indicative of the environment 200 (see FIG. 2) of the two-wheeled vehicle 100 and a riding condition sensor signal indicative of the riding condition of the two-wheeled vehicle 100, a position determining unit 134 for determining a current position P0 (see FIG. 2 or FIG. 3) of the two-wheeled vehicle 100 according to the received environmental sensor signal and the received riding condition sensor signal, a providing unit 136 for providing a predetermined trajectory TR (see FIG. 2 or FIG. 3) connecting a start position P1 (see FIG. 2 or FIG. 3) and a target position (see FIG. 2 or FIG. 3), and a control unit 138 for performing an autonomous bicycle parking step according to the received environmental sensor signal, the received riding condition sensor signal, the determined current position P0, and the predetermined trajectory TR. The autonomous parking step includes a step of autonomously driving the two-wheeled vehicle 100 along a predetermined trajectory TR from a specified current position P0 of the two-wheeled vehicle 100 to a target position P2.
[0086] The bicycle parking assistance system 130 is particularly configured to implement the method described with reference to FIG.
[0087] FIG. 6 shows a schematic block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method for operating a bicycle parking assistance system 130 (see FIG. 1 or FIG. 5) for a motorized two-wheeled vehicle 100 (see FIG. 1-FIG. 3). The bicycle parking assistance system 130 is configured to autonomously control the two-wheeled vehicle 100. In a first step S1, an environmental sensor signal indicative of the environment 200 (see FIG. 2) of the two-wheeled vehicle 100 is received. In a second step S2, a riding condition sensor signal indicative of a riding condition of the two-wheeled vehicle 100 is received. In a third step S3, a current position P0 (see FIG. 2 or FIG. 3) of the two-wheeled vehicle 100 is determined according to the received environmental sensor signal and / or the received riding condition sensor signal. In a fourth step, a predetermined trajectory TR (see FIG. 2 or FIG. 3) connecting a start position P1 (see FIG. 2 or FIG. 3) and a target position P2 is defined. For example, the predetermined trajectory TR is downloaded from a memory unit storing a plurality of predetermined trajectories according to a user's selection and / or based on the current position P0. In a fifth step S5, a step of autonomously parking the two-wheeled vehicle 100 is performed according to the received environment sensor signals, the received riding condition sensor signals, the identified current position P0, and the predetermined trajectory TR. The autonomous parking step includes a step of autonomously driving the two-wheeled vehicle 100 from the identified current position P0 of the two-wheeled vehicle 100 along the predetermined trajectory TR to a target position P2.
[0088] While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, many modifications are possible. [Explanation of symbols]
[0089] 100 Motorcycles 110 Environmental Sensor Unit 120 Driving condition detection unit 130 Bicycle Parking Assistance System 132 Receiving unit 134 Location Unit 136 units offered 138 Control Unit 200 Environment 202 Building 203 Garage 204 Entrance 300 External Devices 305 External Devices ΔP offset COM Data Signal P0 Current position P1 Starting point position P2 target position S1 Method Steps S2 Method Steps S3 Method Steps S4 Method Steps S5 Method Steps TR orbit TR* Auxiliary track
Claims
1. A parking assistance system (130) for a motorized two-wheeled vehicle (100), the parking assistance system (130) being configured for autonomous control of the two-wheeled vehicle (100), and a receiving unit (132) for receiving an environmental sensor signal indicative of an environment (200) of the two-wheeled vehicle (100) and for receiving a running state sensor signal indicative of a running state of the two-wheeled vehicle (100); a position determining unit (134) for determining a current position (P0) of the two-wheeled vehicle (100) according to the received environmental sensor signals and / or the received riding condition sensor signals; a providing unit (136) for providing a predetermined trajectory (TR) connecting a starting position (P1) and a target position (P2); a control unit (138) for performing an autonomous parking step of the two-wheeled vehicle (100) according to the received environmental sensor signals, the received riding condition sensor signals, the determined current position (P0), and the predetermined trajectory (TR); having The autonomous parking step includes a step of autonomously driving the two-wheeled vehicle (100) from the specified current position (P0) of the two-wheeled vehicle (100) to the target position (P2) along the predetermined trajectory (TR). Bicycle parking assistance system (130).
2. The providing unit (136) is configured to provide, as the predetermined trajectory, a trajectory (TR) that a user of the two-wheeled vehicle (100) has trained on in a training mode.
2. The bicycle parking assistance system according to claim 1 .
3. The predetermined trajectory (TR) includes a plurality of absolute positions and / or a plurality of positions determined relative to one another.
3. The bicycle parking assistance system according to claim 1 or 2.
4. the received environmental sensor signals include a camera image of the environment (200) of the motorcycle (100); the localization unit (134) is configured to determine a location of the two-wheeled vehicle (100) according to a comparison of an arrangement of optical features determined in the camera image with a stored arrangement of optical features. Bicycle parking assistance system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
5. the control unit (138) is configured to identify objects in a predetermined area around the two-wheeled vehicle (100) according to the received environmental sensor signals, and is further configured to identify an avoidance trajectory to avoid a collision with the identified objects. Bicycle parking assistance system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
6. a user interface for receiving user input; The user input includes selecting a predetermined trajectory (TR) from a plurality of predetermined trajectories (TR) and / or selecting a target position (P2) from a plurality of target positions (P2). A bicycle parking assistance system according to one of claims 1 to 5.
7. a communication interface configured to transmit data to and / or receive data from a device (300, 305) external to said motorcycle (100); A bicycle parking assistance system according to one of claims 1 to 6.
8. A motorized two-wheeled vehicle (100), an environment sensor unit (110) for detecting an environment (200) of the two-wheeled vehicle (100) and outputting an environment sensor signal; a running state detection unit (120) for detecting a running state of the two-wheeled vehicle (100) and outputting a running state sensor signal; A bicycle parking assistance system (130) according to one of claims 1 to 7, A motorized two-wheeled vehicle (100) having a
9. The environmental sensor unit (110) comprises an ultrasonic sensor, a camera, a lidar, a radar, and / or a position sensor.
9. The motorized two-wheeled vehicle according to claim 8.
10. The driving condition detection unit (120) comprises a wheel speed sensor, a steering angle sensor, and / or an inclination sensor; 10. The motorized two-wheeled vehicle according to claim 8 or 9.
11. The two-wheeled vehicle (100) has a balancing unit configured to support and / or balance the two-wheeled vehicle (100). A motorized two-wheeled vehicle according to any one of claims 8 to 10.
12. The balancing unit comprises a support wheel, a side stand, a main stand, a displaceable weight element, and / or a tiltable circular element. The motorized two-wheeled vehicle according to claim 11 .
13. The two-wheeled vehicle (100) is electrically driven. A motorized two-wheeled vehicle according to any one of claims 8 to 12.
14. The two-wheeled vehicle (100) is designed as a motorcycle, a motor scooter, a bicycle or a scooter. A motorized two-wheeled vehicle according to any one of claims 8 to 11.
15. A method for operating a parking assistance system (130) for a motorized two-wheeled vehicle (100), said parking assistance system (130) being configured for autonomous control of said two-wheeled vehicle (100), said method comprising the steps of: receiving (S1) an environmental sensor signal indicative of an environment (200) of the motorcycle (100); receiving a driving condition sensor signal indicating a driving condition of the two-wheeled vehicle (100); determining (S3) a current position (P0) of the two-wheeled vehicle (100) according to the received environmental sensor signal and / or the received riding condition sensor signal; A step (S4) of providing a predetermined trajectory (TR) connecting a start position (P1) and a target position (P2); A step (S5) of autonomously parking the two-wheeled vehicle (100) according to the received environmental sensor signal, the received running state sensor signal, the identified current position (P0), and the predetermined trajectory (TR); Equipped with The autonomous parking step includes a step of autonomously driving the two-wheeled vehicle (100) from the specified current position (P0) of the two-wheeled vehicle (100) to the target position (P2) along the predetermined trajectory (TR). method.
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