Vehicle-to-Vehicle Parking Spot Allocation System
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Solution Overview
Problem
In heavily trafficked areas, limited and premium parking spots often lead to increased anxiety and frustration among drivers searching for available spaces, which can result in reckless driving behaviors.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-to-vehicle communication system that allocates recently vacated parking spots to client vehicles in search of a parking spot, using a host vehicle's transceiver and control unit to communicate with client vehicles and determine allocation based on pre-defined criteria.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If parking spots are allocated on a first-come/first-serve basis in heavily trafficked areas, then drivers may find available spots quickly, but drivers experience increased anxiety, frustration, and reckless driving behaviors due to limited spots and extensive circling
Solution Approach 1:
The host vehicle transmits a notification signal to client vehicles before actually vacating the parking spot, allowing client vehicles to prepare and move toward the spot in advance. This preliminary notification reduces the chaotic circling and anxiety by providing advance notice of upcoming availability, while maintaining efficient first-come/first-serve allocation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes bidirectional communication where host vehicles notify client vehicles of upcoming availability, and client vehicles can acknowledge receipt. This feedback mechanism reduces uncertainty and anxiety by ensuring drivers have reliable information about parking spot status and allocation timing.
2Loss of time
If the host vehicle notifies client vehicles of upcoming parking spot availability, then drivers can prepare and reduce circling behavior, but the communication system and signal processing increase device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes existing vehicle-to-vehicle communication infrastructure and standardized signal protocols as intermediaries to transmit parking availability information. This approach reduces the need for complex dedicated hardware while enabling efficient notification and acknowledgment exchanges between host and client vehicles.
3Ease of operation
If multiple client vehicles compete for a single parking spot, then the first-come/first-serve basis maintains fairness, but the competition increases frustration and road rage among drivers
Solution Approach 1:
By notifying client vehicles in advance of upcoming availability, the system allows drivers to mentally prepare for the competition and plan their approach. This reduces the intensity of frustration when multiple vehicles compete, as drivers have advance notice rather than discovering the competition unexpectedly.
Solution Approach 2:
The acknowledgment signal from client vehicles provides feedback to the host vehicle about which vehicles are interested in the upcoming spot. This creates a more structured and transparent competition process, reducing randomness and perceived unfairness that contribute to road rage.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for use in determining parking spot allocation. The system includes a host vehicle parked in a host parking spot. The host vehicle includes a transceiver configured for vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and a control unit configured to determine the host vehicle is ready to depart the host parking spot, receive, via the transceiver, a first signal from at least one client vehicle, wherein the first signal indicates the at least one client vehicle is searching for a parking spot, allocate the host parking spot to a first client vehicle of the at least one client vehicle; and transmit, via the transceiver, a second signal to the first client vehicle, wherein the second signal notifies the first client vehicle that the host parking spot has been allocated to the first client vehicle, and provides location data associated with the host parking spot to the first client vehicle.