Parking Space Transfer via Mobile Device Activation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems fail to provide early warning of a parking space becoming available, leading to errors in identifying available spaces and inefficient allocation due to short warning times and misinterpretation of vehicle intentions.

Innovation Solution

A method that detects a driver's intention to release a parking space by capturing the operation of a mobile device, estimating the time of arrival, and establishing direct communication between the mobile device and the selected vehicle to ensure accurate and timely allocation of the space to a suitable vehicle.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If information about parking space availability is sent only when the space is actually vacated, then the system is simple to implement, but the warning time is too short and the parking space may already be occupied by the time a vehicle arrives

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewarning timeVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system detects mobile device activation (e.g., app launch, navigation start) as a preliminary indicator that the driver intends to vacate the parking space. This preliminary detection triggers an auction process before the vehicle actually leaves, providing advance warning to searching vehicles and resolving the timing conflict without requiring complex real-time monitoring of vehicle movement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The mobile device acts as an intermediary between the parked vehicle and the auction system. By detecting activation signals from the mobile device, the system indirectly determines driver intention without directly monitoring the vehicle's physical state or movement, simplifying the detection mechanism while enabling early warning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of time

If the system uses signals like radio signals from car keys to detect potential vacancy, then detection can occur earlier, but the driver must already be in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle which limits advance warning time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection timeVSAvoiddriver accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile device serves as a remote intermediary that can be activated anywhere, not just near the vehicle. Detection of mobile device activation provides early warning regardless of the driver's physical distance from the parked vehicle, eliminating the limitation of proximity-based detection methods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Loss of time

If the system uses mobile device approach to detect potential release, then early detection is possible, but there is a probability of error when the device approaches by chance rather than driver intention

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection timeVSAvoiddetection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses feedback from multiple detection signals (mobile device activation, navigation data transmission, auction participation) to confirm driver intention. This multi-signal feedback mechanism distinguishes intentional vacancy signals from chance approaches,提高 detection reliability while maintaining early detection capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

4Productivity

If parking spaces are allocated without considering vehicle dimensions, then the allocation process is faster and simpler, but spaces may be allocated to vehicles that do not fit

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveallocation speedVSAvoidallocation precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different allocation criteria based on local characteristics of each parking space (dimensions, location) and each vehicle (size, type). By matching specific space properties with corresponding vehicle properties, the system achieves precise allocation without significantly increasing overall process complexity, resolving the contradiction between speed and precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3378050B1Transfer of a parking space
Publication Date: 2023.07.05 VOLKSWAGEN AG
  • EP3378050B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3378050B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The invention relates to the transfer of a parking space from one vehicle to another vehicle. In order to generate as early as possible the information about a parking space which becomes free and so as to avoid, as far as is possible, false information being obtained, the following steps are proposed: detecting activation of a mobile device (30), which activation signals that a driver of the vehicle is moving towards a parking space; detecting a position of the mobile device (30); detecting the position of the parking space; estimating a time at which the driver will reach the parking space, depending on the position of the mobile device (30) and the position of the parking space.