Parking Availability Mapping from Vehicle Search Trajectories
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Locating parking in congested urban areas is time-consuming and inefficient due to the lack of effective parking availability tracking systems, which often require expensive infrastructure and consume significant resources in connected vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A parking system that tracks vehicle trajectory data to identify areas lacking parking by analyzing search times and selectively activates parking availability functions in connected vehicles, focusing resources on active regions where parking is scarce.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If connected vehicles continuously scan and identify parking spots, then parking availability information is improved, but computational resources and energy consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by having connected vehicles continuously report trajectory data and having the server pre-identify active regions where parking is scarce, so that when a vehicle needs parking, the information is already prepared and available without requiring continuous scanning at that moment
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the vehicles' existing trajectory data and movement patterns to self-identify parking scarcity areas, eliminating the need for additional dedicated scanning resources. The vehicles serve the system by providing their trajectory data that the server processes to identify active regions
2Loss of information
If connected vehicles continuously scan for parking spots, then parking availability information is improved, but computational resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The server acts as an intermediary that centralizes the computational work of analyzing trajectory data and identifying active regions. Instead of each vehicle performing complex computations, the server processes the data and provides results to vehicles, reducing the computational burden on individual vehicle devices
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a simplified representation (copy) of parking availability information by identifying active regions based on trajectory patterns, which is then distributed to vehicles. This copy contains the essential information needed without requiring vehicles to perform the full computational analysis themselves
3Ease of operation
If drivers search for parking without knowledge of availability, then they can proceed to desired destinations, but time is wasted circling locations
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides feedback to drivers about parking availability in active regions by analyzing trajectory data from multiple vehicles. The server identifies patterns indicating scarce parking and communicates this information back to vehicles, enabling them to make informed decisions about where to search without wasting time circling full locations
Solution Approach 2:
The server performs preliminary analysis of trajectory data to identify active regions where parking is scarce before vehicles arrive. This advance preparation allows vehicles to receive information about parking availability ahead of time, reducing the time they spend searching when they reach their destinations
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving identification of available parking spaces in congested zones. In one embodiment, a method includes, responsive to receiving trajectory information about movement of a searching vehicle, estimating a search time spent by the vehicle seeking parking in a location. The method includes aggregating, when the search time satisfies a time threshold, the search time with observed times associated with additional entities parking in the location. The method includes updating a parking map according to the observed times when the observed times satisfy a parking threshold indicating a lack of available parking in the location. The parking map identifies active regions where parking is presently lacking. The method includes providing the parking map with the active regions to identified vehicles proximate to locations associated with the active regions.