Parking Path Selection for Fewer Direction Changes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing parking assistance devices have a low success rate for completing parking, often resulting in vehicles being too far from the target position and requiring excessive direction changes between forward and reverse driving, making them unsuitable for specific circumstances or user needs.

Innovation Solution

A parking assistance device that computes and selects between first and second parking paths based on evaluation functions, allowing vehicles to be parked efficiently by determining reachable paths and candidate connection positions, using single-side or S-turn steering maneuvers to align with parking spaces on the side of a road.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a computed guidance path is used for parking assistance, then the vehicle can reach a target position along the guidance path, but the success rate of completion of parking is low and the vehicle is located too far away from the target parking position

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparking position accuracyVSAvoidparking completion success rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the parking path computation by incorporating real-time sensor data and vehicle state information. The control unit modifies the guidance path based on actual parking progress, obstacle detection, and vehicle dynamics, enabling adaptive path optimization that improves both accuracy and success rate

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous feedback loops where sensor data from ultrasonic sensors, cameras, and vehicle state sensors are fed back to the control unit. This feedback mechanism allows the system to monitor parking progress, detect deviations from the planned path, and make real-time corrections to achieve accurate positioning and improve completion success rate

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If the parking process involves too many switching of the direction of vehicle travel between forward drive and reverse drive, then the vehicle can navigate complex parking scenarios, but the parking process requires a long time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparking scenario flexibilityVSAvoidparking duration
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary path planning by computing multiple candidate parking paths before execution. The control unit evaluates these pre-computed paths based on criteria including number of direction changes, path length, and feasibility, selecting the optimal path that minimizes time while maintaining adaptability to the specific parking scenario

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically optimizes the parking path during computation and execution by considering vehicle dynamics, spatial constraints, and parking goal requirements. This dynamic optimization enables the system to find efficient paths with minimal direction changes while still adapting to complex parking scenarios

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Device complexity

If the vehicle is located too far away from the target parking position while being parked, then the parking path may be simpler to compute, but the parking assistance is not suitable for given circumstances or user's needs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepath computation complexityVSAvoidsuitability for user needs
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality optimization by adjusting path computation parameters and evaluation criteria based on the specific parking scenario and user needs. Different weighting factors and constraints are applied locally to prioritize accuracy, time efficiency, or simplicity depending on the circumstances, making the system adaptable while managing computation complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3608187B1Parking assistance device
Publication Date: 2023.11.29 FAURECIA CLARION ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3608187B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3608187B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3608187B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

An object of the present invention is to provide a parking assistance device capable of computing a parking path that is suitable for given circumstances or user's needs. A parking assistance device (1) of the present invention is a parking assistance device (1) for assisting in parking a vehicle V in a parking space (20) provided on one side of a road (21), the parking assistance device (1) being configured to compute a first parking path (31) for starting moving the vehicle (V) forward from the initial position (P0) thereof, and a second parking path (41) for starting moving the vehicle (V) backward from the initial position (P0) thereof, select one of the first parking path (31) or the second parking path (41) on the basis of a preset evaluation function, and set the selected path as a parking path to be used.