Vehicle Control System for Accessible Parking Area Routing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle control systems for automated valet parking do not adequately address the inconvenience of users needing to retrieve items from vehicles that have moved to parking areas, as they do not account for the presence of physical objects left inside the vehicle or optimize routes based on user location and congestion.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle control system that includes a first recognizer for surrounding situations, a driving controller for autonomous steering, acceleration, and deceleration, and a second recognizer for detecting physical objects inside the vehicle, allowing the vehicle to move to accessible areas where the user can retrieve items or stay in the parking area if no objects are detected, while considering congestion and user schedules.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If the vehicle automatically moves to a parking area after the user gets out, then the automated valet parking function is achieved, but the user cannot access the vehicle to retrieve items

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomated valet parking functionVSAvoiduser accessibility to vehicle

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The vehicle's parking behavior is made dynamic and adaptive. Instead of a fixed automatic parking sequence, the system continuously monitors for leave requests and physical objects, adjusting the vehicle's movement decisions in real-time based on current conditions, allowing flexibility between automated parking and user accessibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback loops where the recognition results of physical objects and leave requests directly influence the driving controller's decisions. The system receives feedback about item presence and user intentions, then adjusts vehicle movement accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that responds to changing conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If the vehicle moves to an accessible area for item retrieval, then user convenience is improved, but congestion in the parking area increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser convenience for item retrievalVSAvoidcongestion in parking area

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different behaviors to different vehicles based on their local conditions. Vehicles with detected physical objects are directed to accessible areas, while vehicles without objects proceed to parking spots, creating localized quality differences in vehicle distribution across the parking area

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary recognition of physical objects and leave requests before the vehicle commits to a parking location. This advance detection allows the system to pre-determine the appropriate destination (accessible area vs. parking spot), preventing congestion by routing vehicles appropriately before they arrive

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Object-generated harmful factors

If the vehicle stays in the parking area when no objects are detected, then congestion is minimized, but user convenience for unexpected item retrieval is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecongestion minimizationVSAvoiduser convenience for item retrieval

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-generated harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The vehicle autonomously monitors its own state and the environment, making independent decisions about whether to remain parked or move to an accessible area based on detected conditions, eliminating the need for manual user intervention while maintaining serviceability when needed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Ease of operation

If the system recognizes physical objects and adjusts vehicle movement, then user convenience is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser convenience through object awarenessVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The driving controller is designed to perform multiple functions: it controls vehicle movement during automated parking, responds to leave requests, reacts to physical object detection, and manages congestion avoidance. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated systems for each function, managing complexity through consolidation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11340627B2Vehicle control system, vehicle control method, and storage medium

Publication Date: 2022.05.24 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A vehicle control system includes a first recognizer configured to recognize a surrounding situation of a vehicle, a driving controller configured to control steering, acceleration, and deceleration on the basis of the surrounding situation, a second recognizer configured to recognize a physical object placed in an interior, and an acquirer configured to acquire a movement instruction for moving the vehicle to a parking area according to control of the driving controller, the movement instruction being output on the basis of an action of a user who has not got into the vehicle, wherein the driving controller causes the vehicle to move to an accessible area capable of being accessed by the user or causes the vehicle to stay in the accessible area when the acquirer has acquired the movement instruction and the second recognizer has recognized the physical object placed in the interior of the vehicle.