Automated Valet Parking Infrastructure for Safe Slot Navigation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Modern cities face challenges with vehicle parking, including collisions, long search times for vacant slots, and inconvenience in locating parked vehicles, which existing automated valet parking systems do not adequately address.

Innovation Solution

An automated valet parking method where vehicles autonomously park and retrieve themselves from designated slots using infrastructure recognition and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, allowing for efficient and safe parking and retrieval processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If automated valet parking is implemented, then parking efficiency and convenience are improved, but system complexity and infrastructure requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparking efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The automated valet parking system is divided into separate functional modules: vehicle detection units, slot management units, navigation units, and control units. Each module performs a specific function independently, allowing the complex parking automation task to be broken down into manageable components that can be developed, maintained, and scaled separately.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an infrastructure system that acts as an intermediary between vehicles and parking slots. The infrastructure includes communication protocols, centralized control servers, and coordination mechanisms that mediate the interaction between multiple vehicles and parking slots, simplifying the overall system architecture while enabling automated parking operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If vehicles autonomously navigate to parking slots, then driver convenience is improved, but safety risks from autonomous navigation increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver convenienceVSAvoidsafety
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements continuous feedback mechanisms where vehicles report their status, position, and environmental perceptions to the infrastructure, which monitors and verifies autonomous navigation operations. The infrastructure can detect anomalies, issue corrective commands, and maintain safety oversight throughout the autonomous parking process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

Before autonomous navigation begins, the system performs preliminary actions including route planning, environmental assessment, and safety verification. The infrastructure pre-processes navigation data, identifies potential hazards, and prepares safety protocols in advance of the actual autonomous driving operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If infrastructure recognition systems are deployed, then vehicle identification accuracy is improved, but system cost and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle identification accuracyVSAvoidinfrastructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The infrastructure recognition system is designed to perform multiple functions: vehicle identification, slot occupancy detection, navigation guidance, and safety monitoring. By creating a universal infrastructure that handles various tasks through integrated sensors and processing units, the system achieves high measurement precision without proportionally increasing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3650317B2System, method, infrastructure, and vehicle for automated valet parking
Publication Date: 2026.01.14 HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP3650317B2 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3650317B2 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3650317B2 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An automated parking system and a method enable a driverless vehicle to autonomously travel and park in a vacant parking slot through communication with a parking infrastructure. The automated parking system and method also control the driverless vehicle to autonomously travel from a parking slot to a pickup area through communication with the parking infrastructure.