Server-Based Parking Map Sharing for Infrequently Used Lots

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing parking assist technologies are not practical for infrequently used parking lots as they require stored information and large memory capacity, limiting automatic parking capabilities in unspecified or sporadically used spaces.

Innovation Solution

A parking assist system that utilizes a server to accumulate and create maps of parking lots based on information from multiple vehicles, allowing for automatic parking by guiding vehicles to specific areas without the need for extensive memory storage of individual lot information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If parking information is stored in the vehicle's own memory, then automatic parking can be implemented in frequently used parking lots, but large memory capacity is required and infrequently used parking lots cannot be handled

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic parking capabilityVSAvoidmemory capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a server as an intermediary between multiple vehicles and parking lots. The server accumulates parking information from multiple vehicles and creates unified parking lot maps, which are then provided to vehicles needing parking assistance. This mediator approach allows vehicles to access parking information without storing it locally, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and memory capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges parking information from multiple vehicles into a unified parking lot map stored on the server. Instead of each vehicle maintaining separate memory of parking lots, the system combines data from multiple sources to create comprehensive maps that can be shared across all vehicles, reducing individual memory requirements while improving overall system adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If each vehicle stores parking information independently, then automatic parking works for known lots, but unspecified or infrequently used lots cannot be accessed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic parking reliabilityVSAvoidparking lot coverage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by having vehicles transmit their parking experiences and detected parking lot information back to the server. The server uses this feedback to update and improve parking lot maps, which are then provided to other vehicles. This continuous feedback loop enables the system to reliably handle both known and previously unknown parking lots.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The server performs preliminary actions by pre-creating and storing parking lot maps based on information from multiple vehicles before any individual vehicle needs to park there. When a vehicle approaches a parking lot, the map is already prepared and can be immediately provided, enabling reliable automatic parking without requiring the vehicle to have previously visited or stored information about that lot.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Speed

If parking information is accumulated locally in each vehicle, then immediate access is possible, but system complexity and memory requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation access speedVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the function of accumulating and managing parking information from individual vehicles and places it on a centralized server. Each vehicle only needs to transmit raw detection data and receive processed parking lot maps, rather than maintaining complex local databases. This extraction reduces device complexity while maintaining fast information access through efficient server-vehicle communication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3879857B1Parking information management server, parking assist device, and parking assist system
Publication Date: 2023.09.06 FAURECIA CLARION ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3879857B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3879857B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3879857B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A parking information management server includes a receiver (310) configured to receive a parking information item which has transmitted from one or more vehicles (V), the parking information item including a traveling path (K) in which the vehicle has traveled as well as a parking area and an obstacle which are acquired by the vehicle (V) in a parking lot the vehicle has used, a memory (320) configured to store the parking information item received by the receiver (310), a map creator (330) configured to create a map (PP) including the parking area and the obstacle based on the parking information item stored in the memory (320), and a transmitter (310) configured to automatically transmit the map (PP) created by the map creator (330) and the traveling path (K) stored in the memory (320) to a vehicle which has requested the map (PP).