Autonomous vehicle parking in garage

Abstract

A method and system for aligning an autonomous vehicle path within an enclosed parking space provides for detecting sides of an opening of the enclosed parking space with at least one sensor system disposed on a vehicle, determining with a controller of the vehicle a width of the opening based on a spacing between the detected sides of the opening, defining with the controller a target center point based on the determined spacing, and aligning the vehicle path with the defined target center point.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for operating an autonomous vehicle entering a garage or other enclosed parking area. [Background technology]

[0002] Autonomous driving and driver assistance systems gather information about the environment around a vehicle and use that information to plan travel to a desired destination. Garages or other enclosed parking areas are common destinations for autonomous vehicles. Aligning and maneuvering an autonomous vehicle to a garage parking space presents different challenges than operation on a road. Additionally, garages often do not have an open space that coincides with the garage door opening. Automotive manufacturers continue to seek more efficient methods of information processing to improve the operation of vehicle systems.

[0003] The description of the background art provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the present disclosure. To the extent that it is described in this background art section, aspects of the present description that may not otherwise be considered prior art at the time of filing, as well as the work of the inventors, are not expressly or implicitly admitted to be prior art to the present disclosure. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] A method for aligning an autonomous vehicle path within an enclosed parking space according to a disclosed example embodiment includes, among other possibilities, detecting sides of an opening of the enclosed parking space with at least one sensor system disposed on the vehicle, determining with a controller of the vehicle a width of the opening based on a spacing between the detected sides of the opening, defining with the controller a target center point based on the determined spacing, and aligning the vehicle path with the defined target center point.

[0005] One embodiment of the aforementioned method further includes identifying whether the target center point is within a definable area proximate to the vehicle, and aligning the vehicle path in response to the target point being within the definable area.

[0006] In one embodiment of any of the aforementioned methods, the target center point is midway between the detected sides.

[0007] An embodiment of any of the aforementioned methods further includes detecting, with the at least one sensor system, an open space within the enclosed parking space, and realigning a target center point within the enclosed parking space based on the detected open space.

[0008] An embodiment of any of the aforementioned methods further includes identifying a vehicle capacity of the enclosed parking space based on the identified width.

[0009] An embodiment of any of the aforementioned methods further includes dividing the determined width by the number of possible enclosed parking spaces to define a parking space width for each of the possible enclosed parking spaces, and defining a target center point as centered about one of the defined parking space widths.

[0010] An embodiment of any of the aforementioned methods further includes determining the number of available parking spaces by dividing the overall width by a predetermined vehicle width.

[0011] An embodiment of any of the aforementioned methods further includes, in response to the enclosed parking space having a vehicle capacity greater than one vehicle, aligning the target center point to coincide with a center of one of the plurality of parking spaces.

[0012] An embodiment of any of the aforementioned methods further includes storing the target center point in a memory device of the vehicle and validating the stored target center point based on the detected side.

[0013] An embodiment of any of the aforementioned methods further includes realigning the target center point in response to the stored target center point not corresponding to a center point based on the current spacing between the detected sides.

[0014] An autonomous vehicle control system according to another disclosed example embodiment includes, among other possibilities, a controller configured to control operation of an autonomous vehicle, the controller being configured to detect sides of an opening of an enclosed parking space using information received from at least one sensor system disposed on the autonomous vehicle, determine a width of the opening based on a spacing between the detected sides of the opening, define a target center point based on the determined spacing, and align the vehicle path with the defined target center point, thereby aligning the autonomous vehicle path within the enclosed parking space.

[0015] In another embodiment of the aforementioned autonomous vehicle control system, the controller is further configured to identify, based on information received from at least one sensor system disposed within the vehicle, whether the target center point is within a definable area proximate to the vehicle, and align the vehicle path in response to the target point being within the definable area.

[0016] In another embodiment of the aforementioned autonomous vehicle control system, the controller is configured to identify a vehicle capacity of the enclosed parking space based on the identified width.

[0017] In another embodiment of the aforementioned autonomous vehicle control system, the controller is configured to identify a number of possible enclosed parking spaces by dividing the identified width by a predetermined width of the vehicle, and further define a parking space width for each of the possible enclosed parking spaces.

[0018] In another embodiment of the aforementioned autonomous vehicle control system, the controller is further configured to cause alignment with the target center point coinciding with a center of one of the plurality of parking spaces in response to the enclosed parking space having a vehicle capacity greater than one vehicle.

[0019] In another embodiment of the aforementioned autonomous vehicle control system, the controller is further configured to store the target center point in a memory device of the vehicle and verify that the stored target center point coincides with the center point identified based on the detected side positions of the opening.

[0020] In another embodiment of the aforementioned autonomous vehicle control system, the controller is further configured to realign a path of the autonomous vehicle in response to the stored target center point not corresponding to a center point based on a current spacing between the detected sides.

[0021] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions for operating an autonomous vehicle control system includes instructions to cause the controller to detect, with at least one sensor system disposed on the vehicle, sides of an opening of an enclosed parking space, with a controller of the vehicle, identify, with the controller, a width of the opening based on a spacing between the detected sides of the opening, with the controller to define a target center point based on the identified spacing, and to position the autonomous vehicle along a path into the enclosed parking space by aligning a vehicle path with the defined target center point.

[0022] Another embodiment of the aforementioned non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes instructions to cause a controller to detect, with at least one sensor system, an open space within the enclosed parking space, and realign a target center point within the enclosed parking space based on the detected open space.

[0023] Although the different examples have specific components shown in the figures, embodiments of the disclosure are not limited to those specific combinations. It is possible to use some of the components or features from one of the examples in combination with features or components from another one of the examples.

[0024] These and other features disclosed herein can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle including an autonomous vehicle control system for aligning a vehicle path within an enclosed parking space. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of an exemplary vehicle path alignment process. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an exemplary vehicle control system for detecting the sides of an enclosed parking space. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an exemplary vehicle control system for detecting an open space within an enclosed parking space. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of the stored position of the centerline of a vehicle parking space relative to the detected centerline. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a revised position of the centerline of a vehicle parking space based on a detected centerline. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an example vehicle control system for detecting the sides of an enclosed parking space for more than one vehicle. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an exemplary vehicle control system for detecting an open space within an enclosed parking space. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of the stored locations of centerlines of vehicle parking spaces for a multiple vehicle parking area relative to the detected centerlines. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a revised position of the centerline of a vehicle parking space for a multiple vehicle parking area based on a detected centerline; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Referring to FIG. 1, a vehicle control system 20 for autonomously aligning a vehicle 22 with an enclosed parking space is shown in schematic form. The exemplary control system 20 is embodied with a controller 24 that receives information from on-board sensors and operates according to software instructions 34 to align the vehicle 22 along a center path and into the enclosed parking space 25. The parking space 25 may be in a single or multiple vehicle garage or other enclosed and / or covered parking structure. Parking is typically performed at substantially reduced speeds and in confined environments with little room for inaccuracy. Information provided from external systems may not provide sufficient accuracy for such parking operations. Thus, an exemplary system embodiment provides low-speed parking by sensors disposed on the vehicle. The disclosed system 20 is embodied with operation of the controller 24 according to stored instructions.

[0027] The exemplary controller 24 may be a separate controller dedicated to the control system 20 or may be part of an overall vehicle controller. Thus, the exemplary controller 24 relates to devices and systems for performing the necessary calculations or operational operations of the control system 20. The controller 24 may be specially constructed for the operation of the control system 20 or may comprise a general purpose computer selectively activated or reconfigured by at least software instructions 34 stored in a memory device 32. The computing system may also consist of a network of (different) processors 30.

[0028] The exemplary vehicle controller 24 includes a processor 30 and a memory device 32. The memory device 32 provides storage for software instructions 34 that cause the operation of the processor 30 and the system 20. The software instructions 34 may be embodied in a computer program that uses data stored in the memory device 32 that may be required for its execution.

[0029] Instructions 34 for configuring and operating the controller 24, control system 20 and processor 30 are embodied in software instructions that may be stored on a computer readable medium, generally indicated at 36. The computer readable medium 36 may be embodied in any type of disk or other structure, including but not limited to a floppy disk, optical disk, CD-ROM, magneto-optical disk, read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic or optical card, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions, each coupled to a computer system bus. The computer readable medium disclosed may be a non-transitory medium, such as the examples provided.

[0030] Further, the disclosed memory device 32 may include any one or combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., random access memory (RAM such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, VRAM, etc.) and / or non-volatile memory elements (e.g., ROM, hard disk, tape, CD-ROM, etc.). The software instructions 34 of the memory device 32 may include one or more separate programs, each of which includes an ordered list of executable instructions to implement a logical function. The disclosed controller 24 is configured to execute the software instructions 34 stored in the memory device 32, communicate data to and from the memory device 32, and generally control operations in accordance with the software. The software in the memory may be read, in whole or in part, by the processor 30, possibly buffered within the processor, and then executed.

[0031] 2 and 3, with continuing reference to FIG. 1, process steps for aligning a path for a low speed parking maneuver for an autonomously operating vehicle are shown generally in FIG. 2. A schematic diagram of a vehicle 22 approaching an enclosed parking structure 38 for parking at an end point 48 is shown in FIG. 3. Aligning the vehicle path 44 within an opening 62 into the garage 38 with little lateral and / or angular error is difficult. In one example of the disclosed process of operation of the vehicle control system 20, the sides 40A and 40B of the opening 62 are detected as indicated at 66 in the flow diagram shown in FIG.

[0032] The vehicle 22 includes various sensors that provide detection of objects proximate to the vehicle 22. The disclosed exemplary vehicle includes a proximity sensor 28 and a camera 26 that provide detection of the sides 40A and 40B. It should be appreciated that the proximity sensor 28 and the camera 26 are disclosed as an example, and other vehicle sensor systems for detecting the surrounding environment may be utilized and are within the scope and intent of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the proximity sensor 28 and the camera 26 may be of any configuration that provides information indicative of the location of objects around the vehicle 22.

[0033] Once sides 40A and 40B are located, control system 20 determines a distance 84 between sides 40A and 40B, as indicated at 68. The distance 84 between the detected sides 40A and 40B provides an indication of the size of opening 60. Distance 84 is then divided by the number of vehicles that can be parked in garage 38. In the example shown in FIG. 3, garage 38 is a single-car garage, and therefore center point 42 is half the distance 84, as indicated at 86.

[0034] Verification of the center point 42 is performed to ensure that the identified center point 42 is within the definable area 46 ( FIG. 3 ), as indicated at 70 in the flow diagram. The exemplary system 20 operates with information providing a mapping of the definable area 46 around the vehicle 22. Before redefining the path 44, the system 20 verifies that the path 44 is within the predefined definable area 46. If the center point 42 is not within the predefined definable area, the control system reconsiders and retries the positioning of the center point, as indicated at 74. The reconsidering and retrying may include defining an area around the center point that falls within the definable area 46. In most cases, maneuvering the vehicle 22 for parking will be performed on the vehicle owner's driveway or other familiar, previously traveled areas, and will therefore be located in the definable area 46.

[0035] The identified center point 42 is then used to move and align the vehicle path 44 within the opening 60, as shown in the flow diagram at 76. The alignment of the vehicle path 44 provides for the vehicle 22 to enter the garage 38 without contacting any structure.

[0036] With reference to FIG. 4, once a portion of the vehicle 22 passes through the opening 60, the system 20 begins detecting an empty space within the garage 38. As will be appreciated, the garage 38 is used for storing many other items in addition to the vehicle 22. These other stored items may limit the space for the vehicle 22 and require modifications to the position of the vehicle 22 within the parking spot 25. Additionally, other objects within the garage may be obstacles that need to be removed before the vehicle 22 can be moved completely into the parking spot 25. Thus, the exemplary process includes a step of detecting an empty space 50, as indicated at 78 in the flow diagram (FIG. 3). The detection of the empty space 50 may be performed using the proximity sensor 28, the camera 26, and / or a combination of both. Images from the camera 26 may be analyzed to identify obstacles. The proximity sensor 28 may provide further information indicative of the obstacles. Additionally, other vehicle sensors may be utilized to detect empty space around the vehicle and within the garage.

[0037] In response to detecting an obstacle along the path 44, the system 20 may modify the path to accommodate and avoid any detected obstacles, as shown in the flow diagram at 80. Once any necessary changes to the vehicle path 44 have been made, the system 20 operates the vehicle 22 to move along the path 44 toward the endpoint 48 and a parking space, as shown in FIG.

[0038] 5 and 6 with continued reference to FIG. 1, once the vehicle 22 is parked within the garage 38, the location of the space 52 and a path 54 into the garage 38 may be trained and stored for recall the next time the vehicle is prompted to park. The location of the trained and / or stored path along the centerline 54 may not actually be along the centerline 56 of the garage. Differences between the stored centerline 54 and the actual centerline 56 may be due to a combination of tolerances in the sensing device or deviations due to factors affecting sensor operation. As will be appreciated, many factors may contribute to deviations from a stored position, such as the centerline 54. In one disclosed exemplary embodiment, the system 20 detects such changes to the sensed and actual positions.

[0039] The difference between the stored centerline 54 and the actual center 56 is determined utilizing the detected side points 40A and 40B (FIG. 6) of the opening 60. A corrected centerline 58 based on the center point 42 between the side points 40A and 40B is determined and used for the subsequent parking operation. Correction and compensation for the misalignment can be performed during the vehicle parking operation or can be done to update the park position information as the vehicle 22 is parked.

[0040] 7 and 8 with continued reference to FIG. 1, another exemplary process for centering a vehicle 22 is shown generally for application involving a multi-vehicle garage 64. In this disclosed example, the garage 64 is a two-car garage, and therefore additional steps are performed to center the vehicle path in one of the parking spaces. In this exemplary embodiment, the overall width 94 of the available space within the garage 64 is determined based on the location of the detected edges 88A and 88B of the opening 62. The edges or sides 88A and 88B are detected using sensors disposed on the vehicle 22, such as the camera 26 and / or the proximity sensor 28.

[0041] The overall width 94 is then divided in half to determine the center point 90. The center point 90 is at an equal distance from each interior wall, as shown at 96A and 96B. The width of the vehicle 22 is also considered for each of the parking spaces 104A and 104B. The vehicle width is shown at 96A and 96B. The center points 92A and 92B for each of the parking spaces 104A and 104B are identified as offsets from the center point 90. In one disclosed exemplary embodiment, the center points 92A and 92B are offset from the center point 90 by a distance that is 1 / 2 the vehicle width 98A and 98B. The vehicle width may be a predefined distance applicable to most common vehicles and / or may be specific to the vehicle 22. Once the center points 92A and 92B are identified for each parking space 104A and 104B, one of the spaces is selected as the target parking spot. The selection between the available parking spaces 104A and 104B may be predefined for each vehicle. The selection between spots 104A and 104B may also be based on any other criteria selected by the vehicle owner.

[0042] Once a parking space is selected, the vehicle 22 begins moving through the opening 62 along a path centered at the center points 92A, 92B that correspond to the parking spaces 104A, 104B. In this example, the parking space 104A is selected, and therefore the vehicle path is centered at point 92A.

[0043] The path proceeds into the garage 64 to a definable area indicated at 102. As the vehicle 22 enters the garage 64, the open space 100 is searched for any objects or obstacles. If an object or obstacle is detected, the vehicle path may be altered or the vehicle stopped until the obstacle is removed.

[0044] 7 and 8 are for a two-car garage 64, but are applicable to larger garages and parking areas. However, even structures that provide parking for more than two vehicles typically include an opening 62 that accommodates two vehicles. Thus, detection of an open space 100 provides additional information necessary to navigate a vehicle 22 to a parking space. Additionally, while each of the disclosed examples shows a straight line in the parking path, other paths corresponding to different garage configurations and spaces are within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0045] 9 and 10, a training or saved parking location 106 is shown within the two-car garage 64. The saved location 106 may be disposed along a line 110 that is spaced a distance 108 from an actual centerline 112 based on a center point 92A for the corresponding parking space. In one embodiment of the disclosed system, the saved location 106 is updated based on a sensed point within the enclosed space such that it is centered along the actual centerline 112 that corresponds to the center point 92A. Re-centering of the saved location 106 may occur each time the vehicle performs a parking maneuver within the garage 64. Repeated parking and re-centering of the vehicle improves accuracy such that any vehicle path into the garage is continually improved.

[0046] Thus, the disclosed exemplary system embodiments utilize a vehicle-mounted sensor system to provide vehicle path correction and verification during low speed parking maneuvers.

[0047] Although various non-limiting embodiments are shown with particular components or steps, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to those particular combinations, and some of the components or features from any of the non-limiting embodiments can be used in combination with features or components from any of the other non-limiting embodiments.

[0048] It should be understood that like reference characters identify corresponding or similar elements throughout the several views, and while particular component arrangements are disclosed and illustrated in these exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that other arrangements may benefit from the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0049] The foregoing description is intended to be illustrative and not in any limiting sense. Those skilled in the art will recognize that certain modifications may fall within the scope of the present disclosure. For these reasons, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. 1. A method for aligning an autonomous vehicle path within an enclosed parking space, comprising: detecting a side of an opening of an enclosed parking space with at least one sensor system disposed on the vehicle; determining, with a controller of the vehicle, a width of the opening based on the detected spacing between the sides of the opening; defining a target center point based on the identified interval with the controller; aligning a vehicle path with said defined target center point; The method includes:

2. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: identifying whether the target center point is within a definable area proximate to the vehicle; and aligning the vehicle path in response to the target point being within the definable area.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the target center point is midway between the detected sides.

4. 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: detecting an empty space within the enclosed parking space with the at least one sensor system; and realigning the target center point within the enclosed parking space based on the detected empty space.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying a vehicle capacity of the enclosed parking space based on the identified width.

6. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising: dividing the identified width by a number of possible enclosed parking spaces to define a parking space width for each of the possible enclosed parking spaces; and defining the target center point as centered about one of the defined parking space widths.

7. 7. The method of claim 6, comprising determining the number of available parking spaces by dividing the overall width by a predetermined vehicle width.

8. 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising aligning the target center point to coincide with a center of one of a plurality of parking spaces in response to the vehicle capacity of the enclosed parking space being greater than one vehicle.

9. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: storing the target center point in a memory device of the vehicle; and validating the stored target center point based on the detected side.

10. 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: realigning the target center point in response to the stored target center point not corresponding to a center point based on a current spacing between detected sides.

11. 1. An autonomous vehicle control system, comprising: A controller configured to control operation of an autonomous vehicle, the controller being configured to: detect sides of an opening of an enclosed parking space using information received from at least one sensor system disposed on the autonomous vehicle; determine a width of the opening based on a spacing between the detected sides of the opening; define a target center point based on the determined spacing; and align a vehicle path with the defined target center point to align an autonomous vehicle path within the enclosed parking space. [0026] An autonomous vehicle control system including:

12. 12. The autonomous vehicle control system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to identify whether the target center point is within a definable area proximate to the vehicle based on information received from the at least one sensor system disposed within the vehicle, and align the vehicle path in response to the target point being within the definable area.

13. 13. The autonomous vehicle control system of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to identify a vehicle capacity of the enclosed parking space based on the identified width.

14. 14. The autonomous vehicle control system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to identify a number of possible enclosed parking spaces by dividing the identified width by a predetermined width of the vehicle, and further define a parking space width for each of the possible enclosed parking spaces.

15. 15. The autonomous vehicle control system of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to cause alignment with the target center point coinciding with a center of one of a plurality of parking spaces in response to the vehicle capacity of the enclosed parking space being greater than one vehicle.

16. 12. The autonomous vehicle control system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to store a target center point in a memory device of the vehicle and verify that the stored target center point coincides with a center point identified based on the detected side positions of the opening.

17. 17. The autonomous vehicle control system of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to realign the path of the autonomous vehicle in response to the stored target center point not corresponding to a center point based on a current spacing between detected sides.

18. 1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for operating an autonomous vehicle control system, the instructions causing the controller to detect, with at least one sensor system disposed on a vehicle, sides of an opening of an enclosed parking space, with a controller of the vehicle, determine, with the controller, a width of the opening based on a spacing between the detected sides of the opening, with the controller to define a target center point based on the determined spacing, and to align an autonomous vehicle along a path into the enclosed parking space by aligning a vehicle path with the defined target center point.

19. 20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions to cause the controller to detect, with the at least one sensor system, an open space within the enclosed parking space, and realign the target center point within the enclosed parking space based on the detected open space.

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