Parking Space Management via Mobile Terminal Interaction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current parking space management techniques face challenges in efficiently coordinating the timing of vehicle departures from parking spaces, leading to increased latency times and reduced availability of parking spaces, as they often require direct and timely handovers between vehicles.

Innovation Solution

A method and device that utilize interaction between a mobile terminal and a parked vehicle to predict imminent parking maneuvers within a specific time frame, allowing for prospective notification to other vehicles seeking parking spaces, thereby reducing latency times and increasing parking space availability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If direct handover coordination is implemented between parked vehicle and incoming vehicle, then parking space exchange can be achieved, but timing complexity and latency times increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparking space exchange efficiencyVSAvoidlatency time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by detecting signs that a parked vehicle is about to leave (mobile terminal interaction, authentication, control messages) and proactively notifying the server before the actual departure. This allows incoming vehicles to be prepared in advance, reducing the latency time when the parking space becomes available.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The parking space management process is segmented into distinct phases: detection phase (monitoring parked vehicle status), notification phase (server receives and processes departure indication), and execution phase (actual parking space handover). This segmentation allows each phase to be optimized independently, reducing overall timing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If direct handover is required between vehicles, then parking space exchange is enabled, but the number of available parking spaces decreases due to coordination overhead

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparking space utilizationVSAvoidnumber of available parking spaces
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where the server continuously monitors parking space status, receives notifications about impending departures, and updates the availability status in real-time. This feedback loop ensures that parking spaces are marked as available immediately upon detection of departure intent, increasing the number of spaces perceived as available to incoming vehicles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If timing coordination is implemented for parking space handover, then direct exchange between vehicles is achieved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparking space exchange processVSAvoidtiming coordination system
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The server acts as an intermediary that centralizes the timing coordination logic. Instead of requiring complex direct communication and synchronization between multiple vehicles and mobile terminals, all timing-related decisions are made by the server based on notifications from parked vehicles, simplifying the overall system architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3178079B1Parking space management
Publication Date: 2021.01.27 VOLKSWAGEN AG
  • EP3178079B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3178079B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3178079B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6

AI summary

According to the invention, based on the interaction between a mobile end device (120) and a parked vehicle (101), it is checked whether a parked car (101) will soon exit a parking space within a period of time. A report (402) is selectively sent to a server (111) in accordance with the checking. Said report (402) indicates the imminent exit of the motor vehicle.