Parking Control Apparatus with Variable Proximity Levels
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing parking control systems halt vehicle movement upon detecting an obstacle without considering the operator's line of sight, leading to unnecessary stops even when the vehicle can safely continue parking.
Innovation Solution
The system calculates a first observable area and a second unobservable area based on the operator's position and obstacle location, adjusting the parking route to maintain a higher proximity level in the observable area, allowing the vehicle to continue parking while avoiding obstacles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vehicle is controlled to make a stop when an obstacle is detected, then safety is improved, but parking efficiency and comfort deteriorate due to unnecessary stops
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different proximity levels to different spatial areas: a first (higher) proximity level for observable areas and a second (lower) proximity level for unobservable areas. This local differentiation allows the vehicle to maintain safety in observable regions while improving parking efficiency by allowing closer approach to obstacles in unobservable regions, eliminating unnecessary stops.
2Reliability
If the vehicle maintains a conservative distance from obstacles, then safety is improved, but parking comfort and usability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements spatially varying safety margins by defining observable and unobservable areas. In observable areas where the operator can monitor conditions, the vehicle maintains a higher proximity level for safety. In unobservable areas, the vehicle can operate at a lower proximity level, improving comfort by reducing unnecessary stopping distance while safety is maintained through operator awareness in observable zones.
3Reliability
If the vehicle stops at every detected obstacle, then obstacle avoidance is improved, but parking time and operational efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent differentiates obstacle response based on observability: for obstacles in observable areas, the vehicle maintains higher proximity levels ensuring safe passage without stopping. For obstacles in unobservable areas, the vehicle can proceed with lower proximity levels, avoiding unnecessary stops and reducing parking time while maintaining adequate safety margins.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of applying uniform obstacle avoidance behavior throughout the entire parking path, the system applies partial action by selectively maintaining higher proximity levels only in observable areas. This partial application of conservative safety margins reduces unnecessary stopping in unobservable areas, thereby reducing parking time while maintaining obstacle avoidance capability where it matters most.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
The disclosure includes acquiring an operation command from an operator (M) outside a vehicle (V), detecting the position of an operation terminal (5), detecting the position of an obstacle, calculating a first area observable from the operator (M) and a second area other than the first area and unobservable from the operator on the basis of the positional relationship between the position of the obstacle and the position of the operator, calculating a parking route (RT) and a control instruction for moving along the parking route such that a first proximity level of the vehicle to the obstacle in the first area is higher than a second proximity level of the vehicle to the obstacle in the second area, and parking the vehicle (V) in accordance with the control instruction.