Parking Assist Using Ground Feature Matching at Lot Entrances
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle parking assist apparatuses struggle to autonomously park a vehicle in a parking lot when the situation surrounding the vehicle and the parking lot changes between the time of feature point registration and the time of autonomous parking, due to variations in vehicle inclination, ground inclination, lighting conditions, and movement of standing objects.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle parking assist apparatus equipped with at least one camera and an electronic control unit, which acquires images of the parking lot, registers feature points of the ground entrance, and uses this information to determine if the parking lot is registered, allowing for autonomous parking even with changing conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If feature points of standing objects are registered as parking lot information, then the vehicle can be autonomously parked in the parking lot, but the autonomous parking fails when the situation surrounding the vehicle and parking lot changes between registration and parking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the type of feature points registered from standing objects to ground feature points. Ground feature points are more stable and less susceptible to changes in lighting conditions, time of day, and movement of objects. This parameter change in what is being registered fundamentally resolves the contradiction by selecting features that maintain consistency across different conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of registering feature points of standing objects (as in prior art), the patent inverts the approach by registering feature points of the ground. This inversion leads to more reliable feature detection because ground features remain consistent regardless of lighting changes, object movement, or time of day, thereby enabling reliable autonomous parking under varying conditions.
2Measurement precision
If feature points are registered based on standing objects, then parking lot information can be acquired, but variations in vehicle inclination and ground inclination cause feature point mismatch
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the reference frame from standing objects to the ground plane. By registering feature points on the ground rather than on vertical objects, the system becomes insensitive to vehicle inclination and ground inclination variations. This parameter change in the reference frame resolves the measurement precision issue under varying inclination conditions.
3Measurement precision
If feature points of standing objects are registered, then the parking lot can be identified, but changes in lighting conditions cause feature point determination failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the target of feature point registration from standing objects to the ground. Ground surfaces provide consistent geometric features that are not affected by lighting conditions, time of day, or shadows. This parameter change eliminates sensitivity to illumination intensity variations while maintaining accurate feature point identification.
4Reliability
If feature points of movable standing objects are registered, then parking lot information is complete, but moved objects cause feature point mismatch and parking failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes from registering feature points of standing objects (which can be movable) to registering feature points of the ground (which is fixed). The ground provides stable, unchanging geometric features that do not move or change position, thereby ensuring reliable parking lot recognition while eliminating the instability caused by movable objects.
Data Source
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AI summary
A vehicle parking assist apparatus (10) acquires a camera image when the vehicle (100) stops by a non-determined parking lot and acquires feature points of a ground of an entrance of the non-determined parking lot as non-compared entrance feature points from the camera image. The vehicle parking assist apparatus determines whether the non-determined parking lot is a registered parking lot (62) by comparing information on the non-compared entrance feature points with registered entrance feature point information. The vehicle parking assist apparatus executes a parking assist control with using the currently-acquired parking lot information and the registered parking lot information when the vehicle parking assist apparatus determines that the non-determined parking lot is the registered parking lot.