Automated Valet Parking Pickup Control Using User Position Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated valet parking systems face inefficiencies due to the reliance on straight-line distance calculations for pick-up times, leading to potential long waits for autonomous vehicles when users arrive late, as they do not account for the actual path taken by the user.
Innovation Solution
The system introduces a user position determination unit to identify whether the user is within a preset pick-up area or a near-pick-up area, allowing for more accurate pick-up requests and reducing wait times by instructing the autonomous vehicle to move to the pick-up space only when the user is within these designated areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the system uses straight-line distance calculation to estimate user arrival time, then the calculation is simple, but the vehicle may wait for a long time at the pick-up position due to inaccurate time estimation
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the parking facility into multiple zones: pick-up area (where the vehicle is located), near-pick-up area (elevator halls on the same floor and other floors), and other areas. By segmenting the space and determining which zone the user is in, the system can more accurately estimate arrival time and reduce vehicle waiting time without requiring complex full-path tracking
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from one-dimensional straight-line distance calculation to multi-dimensional zone-based position determination. By considering the user's location in different zones (pick-up area, near-pick-up area with elevators on multiple floors) and the actual path through these zones, the system achieves more accurate time estimation while maintaining manageable system complexity
2Productivity
If the system only accepts pick-up requests when the user is in the pick-up area, then the vehicle can leave promptly, but the user experience is reduced as the user must reach the exact pick-up location to request pickup
Solution Approach 1:
The system accepts pick-up requests when the user is in the near-pick-up area (including elevator halls on the same floor and other floors), which is before the user actually reaches the pick-up area. This preliminary action allows the vehicle to prepare for departure in advance, improving both efficiency and user convenience. The system then automatically determines when the user has entered the pick-up area and triggers vehicle movement
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an automated valet parking system that automatically moves an autonomous driving vehicle to a pick-up space of a parking place by issuing an instruction to the autonomous driving vehicle parked in the parking place according to a pick-up request from a user. The system includes a user position determination unit configured to determine whether or not a user frontend of the user is located in a preset pick-up area or a preset near-pick-up area including the pick-up space, a pick-up request reception unit configured to receive the pick-up request when the user position determination unit determines that the user frontend is located in the pick-up area or the near-pick-up area, and a vehicle instruction unit configured to instruct the autonomous driving vehicle that is a target of the pick-up request to move to the pick-up space when the pick-up request reception unit receives the pick-up request.