Parking Area Detection Using Usable Width Comparison

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for determining parking areas are inefficient, especially in completing parking space maps, as they require multiple visits and struggle to accurately identify occupied spaces and filter out incorrect detections due to variations in usable width and oncoming traffic.

Innovation Solution

A method that determines parking areas by comparing measured lateral distances with known usable width, rejecting incorrect detections based on defined deviations, and utilizing a combination of sensors and data processing to create a complete and up-to-date parking map, even when the usable width exceeds sensor range, by using a device equipped with ultrasonic, radar, or other sensors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If multiple visits are made to determine parking areas, then measurement precision improves, but productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparking area detection accuracyVSAvoidparking map creation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by using parked vehicles as reference markers to define parking space boundaries. By establishing these reference points first, subsequent measurements can be quickly correlated to known positions, eliminating the need for multiple comprehensive surveys while maintaining high measurement precision through the comparison of measured distances against the known usable width stored in the database.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Quantity of substance

If all detected parking areas are included in the map, then quantity of data increases, but reliability decreases due to incorrect detections

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of detected parking areasVSAvoiddetection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback through a validation mechanism that compares measured lateral distances against the known usable width stored in the database. When the measured distance deviates from the expected value beyond a threshold, the detection is flagged as incorrect and excluded from the parking map. This feedback loop ensures high reliability by systematically filtering out false detections while maintaining comprehensive coverage of actual parking areas.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Device complexity

If sensor range is limited, then device complexity decreases, but measurement precision deteriorates when usable width exceeds sensor range

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesensor system complexityVSAvoidusable width measurement accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses parked vehicles as intermediary reference objects to overcome sensor range limitations. Instead of directly measuring the entire usable width from one position, the detection device measures distances to parked vehicles (which are within sensor range), and these measurements serve as intermediaries to calculate the total usable width by comparing against the known reference width stored in the database, thereby maintaining measurement precision without requiring complex long-range sensors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables the creation of accurate and efficient parking space maps with fewer visits, filtering out incorrect parking area detections and accounting for varying conditions like oncoming traffic, thereby improving the reliability and accuracy of parking area determination.

Implementation Method 1

determining lateral distances to objects using a detection device (12), in particular an ultrasonic sensor, a radar sensor

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectUltrasonic: Ultrasound

Implementation Method 2

determining lateral distances to objects using a detection device (12), in particular an ultrasonic sensor, a radar sensor

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRadar: Radar

Data Source

PatentEP3347737B1Method for detecting a parking area on a road section
Publication Date: 2022.09.28 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP3347737B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3347737B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3347737B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for detecting a parking area (13) on at least one road section (1), the method comprising the steps of: providing a usable width (3) of the road section (1), wherein the usable width (3) represents a passable width of the road section (1) between parking vehicles (11); travelling on the road section (1) by a detector vehicle (10) and detecting lateral distances from objects by means of a detector device (12) arranged in the detector vehicle (10); comparing the detected lateral distances with the usable width (3); and detecting the parking area (13) by means of the comparison.