Automated Parking Control for Narrow Entrances and Safe Egress
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Parking assist systems struggle to efficiently park vehicles in spots with narrow entrances while ensuring easy vehicle egress due to potential obstacles that may hinder the getting-off space.
Innovation Solution
A parking assist apparatus that estimates the entrance width of a parking spot, detects obstacles affecting egress, and executes automated parking control only when the entrance is wide enough to ensure a sufficient getting-off space, using sensors and a processor to manage vehicle movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated parking control is executed to park the own vehicle in a parking spot with a narrow entrance, then the productivity of parking operations is improved, but the ease of operation for getting off the vehicle deteriorates due to insufficient getting-off space
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of obstacles around the parking spot and estimation of entrance width before executing automated parking control. This preliminary action allows the system to identify potential getting-off space issues in advance and select appropriate parking spots that ensure sufficient egress space, thereby resolving the contradiction between parking efficiency and ease of getting off
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors to detect obstacles and estimate entrance width, then feeds this information back to the control unit which decides whether to execute automated parking control. This feedback mechanism ensures that parking operations are performed only when getting-off space is sufficient, maintaining both productivity and ease of operation
2Area of stationary object
If the own vehicle is parked in a parking spot with a narrow entrance to maximize space utilization, then the area efficiency is improved, but the reliability of safe getting off deteriorates due to potential obstacles affecting getting-off space
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary obstacle detection and entrance width estimation before parking execution, identifying parking spots that both maximize space utilization and ensure safe getting-off conditions through advance safety assessment
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit receives feedback from sensors regarding obstacle presence and entrance dimensions, using this information to determine whether a narrow parking spot presents acceptable safety risks, thereby maintaining reliability while improving area efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
The parking assist apparatus includes a parking assist ECU configured to be able to execute an automated parking control for parking the own vehicle in a target parking spot. The parking assist ECU calculates an estimated value of a width of an entrance of the target parking spots, detects the presence or absence of a getting-off obstacle that affects a space to get off from the own vehicle when the own vehicle is parked in the target parking spot, and executes the automated parking control when the getting-off obstacle is not detected and the estimated value of the width of the entrance is larger than a predetermined first threshold Hth1.