Parking Assistance Device Dynamic Reference Distance Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing parking assistance technologies face challenges in generating guidance routes when vehicles need to navigate through narrow spaces between obstacles, as they often require maintaining a certain margin distance that cannot be achieved in confined areas, limiting their ability to assist in tight parking scenarios.

Innovation Solution

A parking assistance device that calculates and generates guidance routes by adjusting the reference distance based on the inter-objects distance and vehicle length, allowing for shorter safe distances when necessary, enabling easier movement and emergency braking control, particularly in situations where traditional margin distances are not feasible.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the vehicle and obstacle are separated by a certain margin distance to ensure safety, then the safety is improved, but the guidance route cannot be generated in narrow spaces

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidguidance route generation capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the reference distance adjustable rather than fixed. The control unit dynamically changes the reference distance from a first reference distance to a second reference distance based on the detected distance between obstacles, allowing the system to adapt to different spatial conditions while maintaining safety

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements parameter changes by modifying the reference distance parameter according to the obstacle distance. When the distance between obstacles is within a predetermined range, the system changes the reference distance parameter from the first value to the second value, enabling guidance route generation in narrow spaces while still ensuring safety

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If a fixed first reference distance is maintained for safe travelling, then the safety margin is improved, but the movement region becomes insufficient in tight spaces

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety marginVSAvoidmovement region
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the reference distance based on the detected obstacle distance. When obstacles are detected within a predetermined distance range, the control unit changes the reference distance from the first reference distance to the second reference distance, thereby expanding the available movement region while maintaining adequate safety margins

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the reference distance parameter from the first reference distance to the second reference distance when the obstacle distance is within a predetermined range. This parameter change allows the movement region to be sufficiently large for maneuvering while still ensuring safety

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3124327B1Parking assistance device
Publication Date: 2019.04.03 AISIN SEIKI KK
  • EP3124327B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3124327B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3124327B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A parking assistance device includes: an acquisition unit (141) that acquires a first distance between a vehicle (1) and a first obstacle measured by a distance measuring unit (16, 16a to 16d, 17, 17a to 17h) and a second distance between the vehicle and a second obstacle measured by the distance measuring unit; a calculation unit (144) that calculates an inter-objects distance between the first and second obstacles; and a generation unit (146) that generates a guidance route for the vehicle such that each of the first and second distances become equal to or longer than a second reference distance which is shorter than a first reference distance that is a reference for safe travelling of the vehicle, when the vehicle is caused to move between the first and second obstacles and within the inter-objects distance and in a case where a condition is satisfied.