Parking Assistance Rollback Detection and Inhibition

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current parking assistance systems for vehicles do not fully automate the parking process, leading to driver fatigue, anxiety, and safety risks due to incomplete automation, particularly during slope parking where 'rollback' phenomena can occur, resulting in potential collisions.

Innovation Solution

A device and system that detect and inhibit undesired vehicle movement by calculating desired and actual travel directions using trajectory and odometry information, activating braking when discrepancies are detected, and incorporating a rollback counter to cancel the parking maneuver if excessive unwanted movements occur.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If parking assistance systems only partially automate the parking process, then driver control and flexibility are maintained, but driver fatigue, anxiety, and safety risks increase due to incomplete automation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomation levelVSAvoidsafety
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically detecting parking spaces, calculating optimal trajectories, and preparing steering commands before the driver needs them. The system proactively manages steering tasks and monitors vehicle state, reducing driver cognitive load while maintaining safety through continuous automated oversight of critical functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The parking assistance system acts as an intermediary between the driver and vehicle controls, specifically managing steering operations while the driver retains control of acceleration and braking. This intermediate level of automation shares responsibilities appropriately, reducing driver fatigue without completely removing driver oversight, thereby improving both automation extent and safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If the vehicle operates on a slope without additional control mechanisms, then the system remains simple, but the vehicle is likely to move in a direction opposite to the expected direction (rollback)

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidvehicle stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors vehicle state including position, speed, and orientation through sensors, comparing actual performance against the planned trajectory. When deviations are detected (such as rollback on slopes), the system provides feedback by calculating corrective steering commands to realign the vehicle with the desired path, maintaining stability without requiring complex additional hardware.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The parking assistance system dynamically adapts to changing vehicle conditions and environmental factors. It continuously recalculates the trajectory and steering commands based on real-time sensor data, allowing the system to respond to slope conditions and other variations during the parking maneuver, thereby maintaining vehicle stability through adaptive control rather than fixed complex mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If the driver maintains full control during parking maneuvers, then anxiety is reduced, but driver vigilance decreases and safety issues arise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver controlVSAvoiddriver vigilance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the parking task into distinct functions: the automated system handles steering and trajectory management, while the driver retains control of acceleration, braking, and overall maneuver initiation. This functional segmentation allows the driver to remain engaged with critical safety functions while the automated system manages complex steering operations, maintaining both driver control and vigilance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The parking assistance system serves as an intermediary that shares control responsibilities, taking over steering tasks while the driver maintains control of propulsion and braking. This intermediary arrangement prevents complete driver disengagement, maintaining vigilance while reducing the cognitive and physical burden of manual steering during complex parking maneuvers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Measurement precision

If speed sensors are used to detect vehicle movement, then speed measurement is accurate at higher speeds, but at low speed the vehicle speed is not provided accurately and is generally considered to be zero

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespeed measurement accuracyVSAvoidlow speed detection
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges multiple sensing approaches by combining odometry data from wheel encoders with accelerometer measurements to create a comprehensive low-speed detection capability. This fusion of mechanical odometry and inertial measurement compensates for the limitations of speed sensors at low velocities, providing accurate movement detection across the entire speed range including near-zero conditions during parking maneuvers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The odometry and accelerometer systems serve as intermediary measurement methods that bridge the gap where traditional speed sensors fail at low speeds. By using wheel rotation counts and acceleration integration, the system provides continuous velocity estimation down to very low speeds, enabling accurate detection of slow vehicle movement during parking operations where conventional speed sensors would report zero.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3594091B1Method and device for detecting and inhibiting any undesired movement of a motor vehicle integrated in a parking assistance system
Publication Date: 2022.08.03 RENAULT SA
  • EP3594091B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3594091B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3594091B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Method (50) of detecting and inhibiting any unwanted movement of the motor vehicle in which the desired direction of travel (Sm_desired) is calculated based on information of the trajectory, information of the execution of the parking maneuver, as well as the gear engaged and the actual direction of travel (Sm_actual), based on the odometry of the vehicle and any unwanted movement of the motor vehicle is detected by comparing the desired direction of travel (Sm_desired) with the actual direction of travel (Sm_actual) in order to determine if the vehicle is moving in an unwanted direction based on said comparison.