Parking Assistance Device Path Resetting for Obstacle Avoidance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing parking assistance devices fail to adapt when obstacles are detected during the guidance of a vehicle along a computed parking path, leading to guidance errors and manual intervention by the driver.

Innovation Solution

A parking assistance device with a path resetting unit that recomputes and sets a new parking path when an obstacle is detected, allowing the vehicle to safely reposition and park in the designated space by connecting pull-out and reachable paths.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If a parking path is computed and guidance is provided to the driver, then the driver can park the vehicle with assistance, but if an obstacle is detected on the path during guidance, the guidance terminates and the driver must operate the vehicle manually from that position

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparking guidance automationVSAvoidguidance continuity
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The parking path is made dynamic by enabling real-time recalculation when obstacles are detected. The system transitions from a static pre-computed path to a dynamic adaptive path that can be reset from the current vehicle position to a new target position, ensuring continuous automated guidance throughout the parking maneuver.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous feedback by monitoring obstacle detection during the parking maneuver. When an obstacle is detected on the current path, the system triggers a path reset operation that recalculates a new parking path from the current vehicle position, ensuring the guidance remains reliable and adaptive to changing conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the parking path is reset from the initial position when an obstacle is detected, then a new path can be computed, but the vehicle has already moved along the original path and may need to reverse or reposition

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveobstacle avoidanceVSAvoidparking maneuver time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary path validation by checking for obstacles along the computed parking path before full execution. When an obstacle is detected during execution, the path reset function immediately recalculates from the current position, preventing the vehicle from proceeding into a conflict zone and avoiding the need for lengthy reversals or repositioning maneuvers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The path reset mechanism dynamically adjusts the target position and path geometry based on the vehicle's current position and detected obstacles. This dynamic recalculation optimizes the new path to minimize additional travel time while ensuring safe obstacle avoidance, adapting the parking maneuver in real-time rather than requiring complete restarts from the initial position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3608188B1Parking assistance device
Publication Date: 2022.06.08 FAURECIA CLARION ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3608188B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3608188B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3608188B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

An object of the present invention is to provide a parking assistance device for resetting a parking path when there is an obstacle on the parking path. A parking assistance device (1) of the present invention includes a pull-out path computing unit (11) that computes a pull-out path for pulling the vehicle (V) out of the parking space (20) based on information on the parking space and constraint conditions regarding vehicle behavior, a candidate connection position setting unit (12) that sets a plurality of candidate connection positions on the pull-out path, a reachable path computing unit (13) that computes a reachable path for allowing the vehicle to reach at least one of the candidate connection positions from the initial position of the vehicle, a parking path setting unit (14) that sets a parking path of from the initial position of the vehicle to the parking space by connecting the pull-out path and the reachable path, and a path resetting unit (15) that, when there is an obstacle on the parking path, computes a parking path of from the stop position (J0) of the vehicle to the parking space (20), and sets the computed parking path as a new parking path.