Parking Assistance Apparatus Obstacle Avoidance Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional parking assistance systems face challenges in avoiding assist interruptions when obstacles are detected during the parking process, leading to complex and difficult-to-obtain new target traveling routes, especially when the vehicle needs to change direction to avoid collisions.

Innovation Solution

A parking assistance apparatus equipped with an object detection sensor device and a control unit that determines a target traveling route with a backward and forward section, maintaining a minimum distance from specific regions to reduce the likelihood of collisions and assist interruptions, by controlling the vehicle's steering angle and movement to avoid obstacles while ensuring a smooth route.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the vehicle travels backward to reach the target parking position, then the parking maneuverability is improved, but the risk of collision with obstacles increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparking maneuverabilityVSAvoidcollision risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary obstacle detection in the backward travel direction before the vehicle actually moves backward. By detecting obstacles in advance and calculating safe backward travel distances, the system prevents collision while maintaining the ability to perform backward parking maneuvers. The control unit restricts backward travel when obstacles are detected, thereby resolving the contradiction between maneuverability and safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the vehicle maintains a larger distance from obstacles during backward travel, then the safety is improved, but the parking efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidparking efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the safe distance parameter based on real-time obstacle detection results. When no obstacles are detected, the vehicle can travel the full calculated distance for efficient parking. When obstacles are detected, the safe distance is reduced to the minimum necessary to avoid collision. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between safety and efficiency by optimizing the distance parameter according to actual conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If the system frequently obtains new target traveling routes due to obstacle detection, then the collision avoidance capability is improved, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision avoidance capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary obstacle detection and calculates the complete target traveling route before the vehicle begins movement. By detecting obstacles in advance and determining the full path beforehand, the system reduces the need for frequent route recalculations during travel. This preliminary planning approach maintains collision avoidance capability while reducing the complexity of real-time route adjustments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3806067B1Parking assistance apparatus
Publication Date: 2023.08.02 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP3806067B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3806067B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3806067B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A parking assistance apparatus obtains a target travelling route including a forward section and a backward section and lets a vehicle move along the target travelling route such that the vehicle reaches a target parking position. The parking assistance apparatus execute a collision avoidance processing when an obstacle which is closer than a threshold distance is detected while the vehicle moves along the target travelling route. The distance between the vehicle and a specific region is kept to be larger than a clearance distance while the vehicle moves along the backward section such that the obstacle for the collision avoidance processing which cannot be detected while the vehicle moves along the forward section will not be found while the vehicle moves along the backward section. The specific region is determined on the basis of a detection region of a sensor device for detecting the obstacle and the threshold distance.