Automatic Parking Path Segmentation for Low-Cost Accurate Guidance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing automatic parking assistance systems are costly due to expensive sensors and controllers, and they require improved guiding accuracy.

Innovation Solution

An in-vehicle device with a communication interface receives a parking navigation path from an external device, which is divided into linear and arc road sections, allowing the device to control the vehicle's behavior based on line-shape features, determining if it can travel along each section and adjusting the path if necessary, with deviation thresholds to ensure accurate parking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If expensive sensors and controllers are used for automatic parking assistance, then guiding accuracy is improved, but system cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveguiding accuracyVSAvoidsystem cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The parking navigation path is segmented into multiple road sections with different line-shape features (linear, arc, etc.). Each section is analyzed independently to determine vehicle travel feasibility, allowing for more precise and cost-effective control compared to treating the entire path as a single unit.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-computes the parking navigation path and divides it into road sections before the actual parking maneuver. This preliminary path planning and segmentation allows the vehicle to follow a predetermined accurate path without requiring expensive real-time sensing and computation during execution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If complex path computation is performed in real-time during parking, then guiding accuracy is improved, but computing complexity and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveguiding accuracyVSAvoidcomputing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The parking navigation path computation and road section segmentation are performed in advance before the parking maneuver begins. This shifts the computational burden from real-time execution to pre-processing, significantly reducing the computing complexity and time requirements during the actual parking operation while maintaining high guiding accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

By segmenting the path into predefined road sections with simple geometric characteristics (linear, arc), the complex continuous path following problem is transformed into a series of simpler discrete section evaluation and execution tasks, reducing real-time computing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If the vehicle continuously adjusts movements based on real-time sensor tracking, then collision-free parking is achieved, but system cost and device complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision-free parkingVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system determines in advance whether the vehicle can travel along each road section based on pre-computed line-shape features. This preliminary feasibility assessment allows the vehicle to follow a pre-determined safe path without requiring continuous real-time sensor tracking and adjustment, reducing system complexity while maintaining collision-free operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3862250B1In-vehicle device, system and method for automatic parking assistance
Publication Date: 2024.08.28 VOLVO CAR CORP
  • EP3862250B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3862250B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3862250B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The disclosure provides an in-vehicle device, a system and a method for automatic parking assistance. The in-vehicle device comprises a communication interface through which the in-vehicle device receives a parking navigation path from an external device, the parking navigation path comprising linear road sections and/or arc road sections; and a parking controller coupled with the communication interface. The parking controller is configured to identify line-shape features of each road section; determine whether the vehicle can travel along a road section based on line-shape features of the road section; in the case that the determination is affirmative, control a driving behavior of the vehicle such that the vehicle travels along the road section; in the case that the determination is negative, determine a new travelling path and control a driving behavior of the vehicle such that the vehicle travels along the new travelling path.