Parking Assist Apparatus Route Planning via Circumference Shifting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing parking assist systems face high calculation costs when determining guidance routes for vehicles to navigate into parking spaces, particularly due to the need to examine a large number of combinations of circumferences to find suitable paths that avoid obstacles.
Innovation Solution
A parking assist apparatus that sets a first circumference aligned with the vehicle's travel direction and a second circumference aligned with the exit direction from the parking area, shifting the second circumference to contact the first, and selects a combination with minimal shift amount to reduce calculation costs and obstacle collision risks, while also considering combinations for retreat scenarios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional parking assist system examines a large number of combinations of circumferences to determine guidance routes, then the reliability of obstacle avoidance is improved, but the calculation cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the continuous space of possible circumferences into a discrete set of candidate circumferences with specific radii. By dividing the problem into discrete segments (candidate circumferences with radii of 3m, 3.5m, 4m, etc.), the system can efficiently search through combinations without examining every possible continuous path, thus reducing calculation cost while maintaining obstacle avoidance reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter space by limiting circumferences to specific radius values (3m, 3.5m, 4m, 4.5m, 5m) rather than allowing continuous variation. This parameter discretization transforms an infinite search space into a finite set of combinations, enabling the system to evaluate multiple combinations for reliability while keeping calculation costs manageable
2Manufacturing precision
If the system examines all combinations of fourth circumferences and sixth circumferences, then the manufacturing precision of the route plan is improved, but the calculation cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by examining only the necessary combinations of fourth and sixth circumferences that are geometrically feasible (where the seventh circumference can contact both). Instead of examining all possible combinations indiscriminately, the system performs partial examination focused on viable candidates, achieving sufficient route planning precision without the excessive calculation cost of evaluating every possible combination
3Reliability
If the system selects the second combination with minimum shift amount, then the reliability of avoiding obstacles at facing positions is improved, but the adaptability to different obstacle configurations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates feedback by evaluating multiple second combinations and selecting based on shift amount criteria. The system receives feedback about obstacle positions and selects the combination with minimum shift amount when obstacles face the parking target area, while the patent also allows selecting maximum shift amount when obstacles are adjacent, thus maintaining adaptability through feedback-driven selection
Data Source
AI summary
A parking assist apparatus according to an embodiment includes a memory and a hardware processor coupled to the memory. The hardware processor: sets a first circumference being in contact with a first straight line extending in a traveling direction of a vehicle and passing through a position of the vehicle; sets a second circumference being in contact with a second straight line extending in an exit direction from a parking target area of the vehicle and passing through the parking target area; sets a third circumference obtained by shifting the second circumference along the second straight line until the second circumference comes in contact with the first circumference; acquires a guidance route including part of the first circumference as a route for moving the vehicle forward and part of the third circumference as a route for moving the vehicle backward; and guides the vehicle along the acquired guidance route.