Automated Parking Restart Direction Decision Logic

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing parking assistance systems with automated lateral and longitudinal guidance face challenges in safely restarting a vehicle after an unforeseen stop during an automated parking process, particularly in determining the appropriate direction of travel to resume the parking maneuver.

Innovation Solution

A method that decides whether to restart the vehicle based on the remaining route to the next planned stopping point and the presence of obstacles, allowing the vehicle to continue in the original direction if safe or change direction if obstructed, and optionally ending the parking process if conditions are not favorable.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the vehicle automatically restarts in the previous direction of travel after an unexpected stop, then the parking maneuver can continue without interruption, but the vehicle may perform unplausible short starts or unsafe movements when close to the final parking position

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuity of parking maneuverVSAvoidsafety of vehicle movement
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary assessment of the situation before restarting the vehicle. It checks the remaining distance to the final parking position and evaluates whether a restart in the previous direction would be safe and plausible. This preliminary evaluation prevents unsafe short starts by determining the appropriate restart direction based on pre-assessed conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The restart strategy is dynamically adjusted based on the vehicle's position relative to the final parking position. When the remaining distance exceeds a threshold, the vehicle restarts in the previous direction. When the distance is within the threshold, the system switches to reversing direction or terminating the maneuver, making the restart behavior adaptive to the current situation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the vehicle reverses direction after an unexpected stop, then safe parking can be ensured when close to the final position, but the parking maneuver may be unnecessarily extended or terminated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety of parking completionVSAvoidduration of parking maneuver
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses a distance threshold parameter to determine the restart strategy. By comparing the remaining distance to the final parking position against this threshold, the system automatically selects between continuing in the previous direction, reversing direction, or terminating the maneuver. This parameter-based decision-making optimizes the balance between safety and maneuver efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If the parking assistance system makes automated decisions without considering remaining distance to stopping points, then the control logic is simpler, but the system may initiate unsafe or implausible maneuvers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomplexity of control logicVSAvoidplausibility of vehicle behavior
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary assessment of the situation before restarting the vehicle. It checks the remaining distance to the final parking position and evaluates whether a restart in the previous direction would be safe and plausible. This preliminary evaluation prevents unsafe short starts by determining the appropriate restart direction based on pre-assessed conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3476698B1Decision-making process regarding the driving direction when re-approaching an automated parking procedure with a parking assistance system
Publication Date: 2021.01.27 BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG
  • EP3476698B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

One aspect of the invention relates to a method for restarting a motor vehicle after an unexpected stop during an automated parking maneuver using a parking assistance system with automated longitudinal and lateral guidance. According to the method, if the vehicle stops, a decision is made as to whether the vehicle should restart in the direction of travel it was traveling in before stopping. If the decision is positive, the vehicle restarts in the same direction. If the decision is negative, the vehicle restarts in the opposite direction. Alternatively, it is also conceivable that if the decision is negative, the vehicle does not restart and the parking maneuver is terminated.